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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was shot by a Bosnian serb nationalist on June 28, 1914. His assassiantion caused other major events that led to the outbreak of WWI. -
WWI Begins & US Reaction
The spark that started WWI was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. This insident between a Bosnian terrorist and the heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, was the last straw and led to the outbreak of the war. The US not being involved yet at this point merely felt strong and secure as a spectator. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
On May 7, 1915 German submarines sunk the British ship the Lusitania near the coast of Ireland. Americans were angered at the fact that by torpedoing the ship, 128 Americans were killed. The Eastern United States urged for the US to enter the war, but Wilson was not willing to make a mistake and enter the war, so he resorted to other ways of making peace with the Germans. -
Arabic Pledge
Germany continued to use unrestricted submarine warfare and torpedoed a ship with two Americans on board. President Wilson grew angry, and Germany fearing that the US would join the war, agreed to warn non-military ships 30 minutes in advance to allow passengers to evacuate. -
Pancho Villa Raids Mexico
Pancho Villa was against the Mexican President Carranza and tried to start a war between Carranza and US President Wilson, by dragging 16 American mining engineers out of a train passing through northern Mexico and then later going to Columbus, New Mwxico and murdering another 19 Americans. The American and Mexican armies did collide at one point and later feeling the tension along with Germany, they retreated. -
Sussex Pledge
Agreement made between Germany and the US, where Germany stated that they would issue a warning before sinking any merchant and passenger ships. Through this agreement Germans were trying to keep the US from joining the war. -
"He Kept Us Out of War"
"He kept us out of war" was Wilson's campaign slogan when he ran for re-election in 1916. He won the election due to the fact that many of the Mid-Western and Western people did not want to go to war and realized that their safest option was Wilson. -
Resumption of Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Germany had made several pledges agreeing to warn ships of their attacks and on January 31 1917, they decided to state that they would go back to their tactic of unrestricted submarine warfare the next day, February 1st. -
Zimmermann Note
Telegraph sent on January 16, 1917 by German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann, saying that in the event of war with the US, Mexico should be asked to join the war as a German ally. Intercepted by British and released to the press by President Woodrow Wilson on March 1, 1917. Knowledge of this event turned public opinion against Germany and strengthened the idea of the US entering the war. -
Russian Revolution
The Bolsheviks after gaining power in late 1917, removed the country from capitalism in 1918. This resulted in an increase in manpower for Germany, which they wanted to try with Britain, 6 months after the war declaration by the United States, knowing that they would not be present by then. At this point the US had entered the war and had allied with Russia, and France, against mainly Germany.
