After the outbreak of World War I, the two major blocs in Europe, the Entente and the Central Powers, were mired in war. Especially when the war ability and will of the two belligerents counteracted each other, as well as the attrition of national strength and the chaos of order, after the Verdun "meat grinder" in 1916 and the four-month tug-of-war on the Somme. Both sides were weakened by blood loss and could not sustain themselves. Countless soldiers and civilians have been swept up in the abyss of the endless disasters of war, wars of attrition, trench warfare, poison gas, hunger, cold, mud, disease, ...... The British and the French could not see the end of the war, and they were increasingly losing confidence in victory, while the people at home were suffering from the war, the economy was withered, and the national strength had bottomed out.

Badly wounded, bleeding, and exhausted, France sat on the ground, bandaging its wounds, gasping for breath, and looking around with blank eyes, where was the way out and retreat? Where is the savior for reinforcements? -- The United States, the United States! Only the United States can save France, and only the United States can use its strength and justice to forcibly end the war!

In fact, from the very beginning, both sides did not neglect and despise the United States, which had become the most powerful and prosperous industrial country at that time, and both sides wanted to enlist his help and join, at least to maintain his neutral position. However, in the later diplomatic, espionage, and propaganda wars between the two sides in the United States, the Germans made one after another tricks, while the Allied counter-espionage and anti-propaganda side achieved successive victories.

However, Germany was completely red-eyed, lost its reason and grace, and its cruelty and ruthlessness in seeking only ends and means aroused the resentment of the Americans, and the anti-German tide rose wave after wave. Beginning in 1915, German submarines fired torpedoes at merchant ships carrying American nationals. The British naval blockade required ships to stop, be inspected and confiscate contraband, and to be a bit of a gentleman and play cards according to certain rules; But the German approach was to sink the merchant ship without warning from the submarine. Moreover, for every "victory" of German submarines, there were always Americans who died for it. This is undoubtedly a stupid provocation. What's even crazier and even more stupid is that after the defeat in the Battle of Jutland, Germany, which lost its sea supremacy, began to launch an "unrestricted submarine war", regardless of the cargo ships of the neutral countries of the belligerents, not to mention the attack! At this point, it can be said that the Germans are completely insane. Germany's crazy move can be said to have completely angered the United States and made the United States completely fall to the side of the Entente.

Moreover, out of the consideration of the self-interest of the United States, it is more in the interests of the United States to join the Entente side, especially after the Chinese Empire entered the war, the strength of the Chinese Empire is even feared by the Americans. If the Allied side led by Hua Deo won the war, not to mention the war loans that the United States had lent to Britain, France, and other countries amounting to tens of billions of dollars. After the war, it is also very likely that the Chinese Empire will dominate the world, because the European powers at this time have been extremely weakened, but the Chinese Empire has successfully occupied the vast British colonies in this war. It is foreseeable that a new empire on which the sun never sets will appear, which is an outcome that the Americans do not want to see, so in this respect, it is inevitable that the Americans will fall to the side of the Entente.

President Wilson shouted in Congress: "We must create a secure world for democracy." For the peace and happiness it cherishes, the United States can shed its blood and do everything it can! God bless America, it has no choice! ”

Although the words are high-sounding, they are actually just to safeguard the interests of the United States. It's just fighting for the greater good of the United States.

As a powerful industrial country, the Chinese Empire never underestimated this potential adversary. Especially Ren Chao, as a traverser. He knew very well in his heart that once the US warplanes were in operation, they would be able to exert great power. Therefore, in order to avoid the United States from entering the war, or to delay the entry of the United States into the war, the Chinese Empire has been making corresponding efforts. It is hoped that the United States can be co-opted to join the side of the Allies, or that the United States can be dragged as far as possible so that it can continue to maintain a neutral status.

The Chinese Empire repeatedly promised that it would never threaten the position of the United States after the war, recognized the hegemony of the United States in the Americas, and promised not to meddle in American affairs after the war. But this effort ultimately failed.

Although many Americans also realized that once they entered the war, they would inevitably face the powerful opponent of the Chinese Empire, and the strength of the Chinese Empire made Americans fearful. But there were also many contradictions between the Chinese Empire and the United States. In the past decade, the Chinese Empire has gradually risen to prominence and rapidly developed into a powerful industrial country. The rise of the Chinese Empire constantly infringed on the interests of the United States and competed for the American market. This led to a fierce conflict between the Chinese Empire and the United States. As far as the Americans are concerned, only by defeating Huaxia as an opponent can their interests be guaranteed, and the most direct way to defeat Huaxia is to completely defeat Huaxia from the battlefield.

Therefore, in the end, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives narrowly passed the proposal to enter the war, and completely tilted to the side of the Entente. In late October 1916, the United States officially declared war on the Chinese Empire, the German Empire, Austria-Hungary and other Allied blocs.

The entry of the United States into the war further increased the scale of the war, and all the major powers of every continent of the world participated in the largest war in history.

At this time, in the European theater, the weather began to deteriorate in the autumn, and due to the continuous rain and muddy roads, the fighting gradually subsided, and by November it was completely stopped, and the battle plans of Britain and France were declared defeated.

The Battle of the Somme was the largest battle of the First World War to date. There were about 1.34 million casualties on both sides, including more than 450,000 British troops, more than 340,000 French troops, and 538,000 German troops. The British and French forces failed to achieve the goal of breaking through the German defense line, but pinned down the German attack on Verdun and further weakened the German army.

The Battle of the Somme was a typical positional battle of the First World War, with heavy casualties on both sides. Whether it is the troops and weapons invested by both sides, it is the largest battle in this war. The British had 54 divisions, the French 32, and the Germans 67. The British and French forces suffered 794,000 casualties and failed to break through the enemy's defenses, advancing only 5~12 kilometers. The Germans lost 538,000 men, and although they lost 240 square kilometers of trench positions, they managed to intercept the strategic targets of the Entente.

From a political point of view, the Battle of the Somme directly led to a change in the government's cabinet. David? Lloyd? George was appointed Britain's new prime minister, and a new cabinet was announced, with the young Churchill among the members. (To be continued......)