Because Wisconsin had such a large German-American population, entry into the war was a divisive issue. Many political leaders advocated neutrality, but once the U.S. entered the war in 1917 on the side of Britain and France, more than 118,000 Wisconsin citizens served in the military and countless others on the home front scrimped, saved, and contributed money to various war organizations. View more information elsewhere at wisconsinhistory.org.

View pictures relating to World War, 1914-1918 at Wisconsin Historical Images.

View related articles at Wisconsin Magazine of History Archives.

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[Source: Turning Points in Wisconsin History]