Why Did America Enter World War I? | Veterans Day Special, Part 2

Podcasts > Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager

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Wednesday, November 11, 2026

In this Veterans Day Special, Part 2, Dennis Prager welcomes bestselling historian H.W. Crocker III to discuss America's role in World War I and how the United States helped change the course of history. Drawing on his book The Yanks Are Coming: A Military History of the United States in World War I, Crocker explores why America entered the conflict in 1917 and why the war's outcome mattered far beyond the battlefield.

Dennis and Crocker examine Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare, the sinking of American ships, and the infamous Zimmermann Telegram, which proposed a German alliance with Mexico against the United States. They discuss President Woodrow Wilson's reluctance to enter the war, Theodore Roosevelt's outspoken criticism of German aggression, and the growing threats that ultimately made American involvement unavoidable.

Crocker explains how the United States rapidly transformed its military, sending millions of men into service and helping turn the tide against the German Empire. He also highlights the American heroes who emerged from the conflict, including Sergeant York, Eddie Rickenbacker, and Douglas MacArthur, while exploring how World War I helped shape the generation that would later lead America through World War II.

Why did America enter World War I? Could Germany have dominated Europe without American intervention? And how did this conflict help shape the modern world?

Join Dennis Prager and H.W. Crocker III for a fascinating look at the American soldiers, military leaders, and historic decisions that helped define the 20th century.

Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/timeless-wisdom-with-dennis-prager/id1517302239