1 WWI Monument in Plainview Texas

2 In April 1917 The U.S. joined World War One. For many years the U.S. had stayed out of this war between the Allies and the Central Powers. After the Zimmerman Telegraph and the Lusitania Americans got involved in the war. The Allies were made up of Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Serbia, Belgium and several other smaller countries. The Central Powers were an alliance formed between Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. During this Time the U.S. and Mexico were again fighting over Texas. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sent troops into Mexico to capture Pancho Villa who had attacked and killed many Texans. In 1917 The German Foreign Secretary sent a telegram to Mexico and offered to help Mexico attack the U.S. and take back Texas. This move by Germany angered Americans. Germany’s sinking of the commercial cruise liner the Lusitania also angered Americans. The Lusitania was a British cruise ship but 128 Americans died when it was sunk by a German submarine.

3 W orld War I saw the development of many new types of technology. Germany became the first country to use “undersea boats,” or U-boats, to block trade and control the seas. The British invented tanks. Both the Allies and the Central Powers used airplanes in combat for the first time. Several training bases for aviators were located in Texas, making the state the nation’s leader in flight training.

4 Texans turned out in great numbers to answer the call to duty. On Registration Day, June 5, 1917, more than 300,000 Texans registered for the military draft, which meant that they might be called to join the military. Within a few months, that number soared to over 985,000. In all, nearly 198,000 Texans served in the armed forces—including about 450 female nurses. By 1918 over 5,000 Texans had lost their lives in the war. Many Texans who signed up to fight had gained valuable skills during the recent conflict along the Texas-Mexico border. These Texans had learned how to command, supply, and move large military units. Thousands of less-experienced recruits found themselves heading to Texas for military training. The state’s mild climate made it an ideal training site for the newly formed U.S. Army Air Corps. The largest aviation training center in the nation was established at Kelly Field in San Antonio. Other military training camps were established elsewhere in San Antonio as well as in Waco, Houston, and Fort Worth.