Professor Michael S. Neiberg joins LancasterHistory.org on January 25 to discuss The Path to War: How the First World War Created Modern America. As we observe the centennial of the war, the effects of the pivot from peace to war still resonate. The First World War transformed the United States into a financial powerhouse and global player, despite the reassertion of isolationism in the years that followed. Examining the social, political, and financial forces at work as well as the role of public opinion and popular culture, Neiberg will offer both a compelling narrative and the inescapable conclusion that World War I was no parenthetical exception in the American story but a moment of national self-determination. Michael Neiberg will address the path to American entry into World War I, and will touch upon connections to the southeastern Pennsylvania home front, which was home to many “hyphenated citizens” of Irish and German descent that wrestled with what it meant to be American.

Michael S. Neiberg is the inaugural Chair of War Studies in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the United States Army War College. His published work specializes on the First and Second World Wars, notably the American and French experiences. He is the author of many books, including Dance of the Furies: Europe and the Outbreak of World War I and Potsdam: The End of World War II and the Remaking of Europe. He is currently based in Pennsylvania.

Event Information
This event takes place on Thursday, January 25, 2017 in Ryder Hall at LancasterHistory.org, 230 N. President Avenue. A reception begins at 4pm, followed by the main presentation at 4:30pm. Free and open to the public.