If another world war broke out, nearly a third of Americans say they would volunteer to serve in the armed forces
November 11, 2018 will mark not only Veteran’s Day, but also the 100th anniversary of the day World War 1 officially ended. When it comes to the history of World War I, 10% of Americans say they know “a lot,” while 45% say they know “a fair amount,” according to new data from YouGov Omnibus. Another 38% admitted that they don’t know “very much” and 7% say they know “nothing at all” about WWI.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Americans say that they believe it’s “very” or “somewhat” likely that another world war will happen within the next 40 years. Those who say they know “a lot” about WWI were more likely (69%) to say it’s somewhat or very likely that another world war will happen within 40 years.
If another world war were to break out, close to one-third (31%) of Americans say they would be “very” or “somewhat” willing to volunteer in the armed forces, though a larger contingent (42%) say they would be “not at all” willing to volunteer for the war.
Were there to be a draft, one-quarter (24%) say they would actively try and avoid being drafted. About half (52%) say they don’t think it’s likely that the armed forces would try and draft them in the first place due to factors like age and disability.
The official American entry into WWI was on April 6, 1917, more than two and a half years after the war had started. Nearly one-third (32%) say that the US made the correct choice getting involved at this point, but one in five (20%) say the country should have gotten involved sooner.
Over half (56%) of Americans say that the country’s involvement in WWI is something that Americans should be proud of, while only 11% say it’s something Americans should regret. Those who say they know “a lot” tend to be more opinionated, compared to the total population, 33% of whom said they “don’t know” whether the US should be proud or regretful.
When it comes to who takes the blame for the outbreak of WWI, the most common answer among Americans was “Germany and Austria-Hungary were mostly to blame for the outbreak of the war,” with 38% choosing this answer. Only 6% say that Britain, France and Russia were to blame, while 23% say both sides were equally to blame.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) say that American schools do a poor job teaching the history of WWI to children. Only 5% said schools teach the history “very well,” while 15% say schools teach the history “somewhat well.”
See full results here.
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Image: Getty
