[TurboZamboni]

One hundred years ago we started down our path of becoming the world's policemen.

[virgil283]

"The assassination set off a chain reaction that, barely a month later, culminated in a continent at war."

In the U.S., history books always say something like that but don't specify exactly what was the cause.

However some English historians link the cause of the war to the rejection of monarchies, Seeing that the battle lines were between those with and those without, I would say that's right.

So why is this seldom mentioned in U.S. history books ?

[virgil283]

The monarchies were hated all across Europe and they were blamed for the war and continuing it for so long.

When it was over ' Four monarchies were destroyed: the Hohenzollers (Germany), the Romanovs (Russia), the Hapsburgs (Austria-Hungary), and the Ottomans (Turkey); '

So my question is why do U.S. historians not mention this ?

[onedoug]

...and brought freedom to millions of otherwise oppressed people.

[real saxophonist]

Teufelhunden.

[chessplayer]

And U.S. troops thinking they were off to some kind of picnic.

[upcountryhorseman]

This was a war that we never, never should have gotten involved in! If we had not gotten involved, the European powers would have been forced to negotiate with each other
on less horrific terms: possibly preventing the second world war.