The sinking of which passenger ship helped turn American opinion toward entering World War I?

• A. Lusitania
• B. Titanic
• C. Queen Mary
• D. HMS Britannic

Answer: (A)

The event shows how civilian casualties at sea and German submarine warfare can push a nation toward entering a war. The Lusitania, a British liner sunk by a German U-boat in 1915, carried civilians among its passengers and crew. Its sinking caused a strong wave of anger in the United States and increased sympathy for the Allies, pressuring the U.S. to take a firmer stance against Germany. While it didn’t instantly bring the United States into World War I, it shifted public opinion toward intervention and helped set the stage for eventual entry as German aggression continued and other actions (like unrestricted submarine warfare and diplomatic provocations) accumulated. Other ships mentioned, such as the Titanic, are associated with earlier tragedy and not with U.S. entry into the war.