The Sinking of the Lusitania

   Often the sinking of the Lusitania is listed as one of the factors that pushed the US towards war. It enraged the American people and provided a lot of popular support for the war. Hatred against Germany grew as people were horrified by their actions. However, I think it could be said that the US is partly to blame. Germany had sent out a warning saying that they were at war with Britain and British ships were in danger as targets of Germany's subs. At yet, US citizens decided to ignore the warning and take the risk of traveling on a British ship. Can we really be so enraged by a crisis that was partly our fault? While it may have been wrong for Germany to attack a passenger ship, I think it can be said that we were forewarned. If we had listened to the warning and the crisis had never occured, would the US have so readily gotten involved in the war?

World War I - Technology Taking Over

   WWI is often veiwed as a time of great advancement in technology. However, is it possible that the technology was too much. During WWI battle plans like the Schlieffen Plan failed. The course of a typical battle was more reliant on technology than on actual strategy. When both sides have artillery to bombard with, the battle because a stalemate. Pouring in reinforcements doesn't help when both sides are mowing soldiers down with machine guns. Better laid plans could have made a significant difference in the war. If more strategy was employed and less reliance on technology, it is possible that many lives could have been spared.
   While technological advancements are important, we can't rely solely on them. It is important to keep making improvements, and, in a time of war, not to fall behind the opposition, but other strategies must also be employed.