109th Anniversary: United States Enters World War I (April 6, 1917)

April 6, 2026 marks the 109th anniversary of the United States' declaration of war against Germany, which transformed the conflict into a truly global war and ultimately tipped the balance toward Allied victory. President Woodrow Wilson addressed Congress on April 2, 1917, citing German unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmermann Telegram; the Senate voted 82–6 and the House 373–50. Though militarily unprepared—with an army of only 128,000 men—the US eventually mobilized over 4 million soldiers, with more than 2 million serving in France. American participation cost 116,516 military lives but supplied the decisive manpower advantage that forced Germany to seek armistice in November 1918. The anniversary is observed annually as a reminder of the idealistic promise—'the world must be made safe for democracy'—and the difficult peace that followed.