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Archduke Assassination
Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated in Sarajevo. His death is the event that sparks World War I. -
Russian Revolution
Russia mobilizes its vast army to intervene against Austria-Hungary in favor of its ally, Serbia. This move starts a chain reaction that leads to the mobilization of the rest of the European Great Powers, and inevitably to the outbreak of hostilities. -
World War I Begins
Germany invades Belgium, beginning World War I. -
Lusitania Sinks
A German submarine sinks the passenger liner Lusitania. The ship carries 1,198 people, 128 of them Americans. -
Arabic Pledge
After the US reaction to the sinking of this British liner in August 1915, the Germans agreed not to sink unarmed ships without warning. -
Resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare
Reacting to international outrage at the sinking of the Lusitania and other neutral passenger lines, Kaiser Wilhelm suspends unrestricted submarine warfare. This is an attempt to keep the United States out of the war, but it severely hampers German efforts to prevent American supplies from reaching France and Britain. -
Pancho Villa raids Mexico
started a crisis with the US by murdering 18 US citizens in Santa Vsabel, Mexico, he had more than 500 men when he crossed the international border. -
Sussex Pledge
the 1916 Wilson statement to Berlin informing them to renounce the practice of sinking merchantmen without warning or risk a break in diplomatic relations -
He kept us out of war
Wilson rode to the Democratic presidential nomination and election in 1916 on the back of this slogan -
Zimmermann Note
Message sent by Arthur Zimmermann to german Ambassador to mexico, heinrich Von Eckardt. Germany sent Mexico the note so that Mexico would join them, because the Us had entered the war, but wav intersected and decoded by the British.
