On April 6, 1917, the United States officially declared war on Germany, entering World War I. This decision followed the German sinking of American merchant ships and the revelation of the Zimmermann Telegram. U.S. President Woodrow Wilsons request for war was met with mixed reactions, but the countrys industrial and military power gave the Allies a significant advantage. American troops, known as the AEF, played a crucial role in the final months of the war. The entry of the U.S. into World War I had profound global political and economic consequences.