The Great War and the Impact of World War I

By lkim1

  • Chinese Nationalists oust the last Qing emperor, Puyi

    Pushing for modernization and nationalization, the Kuomintang, or the Nationalist Party, overthrew the last emperor of the Qing dynasty. Sun Yixian became their first great leader.

  • World War I begins as Austria declares war on Serbia

    When a Serbian rebel shot and killed the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Austria declared war on Serbia. This caused a domino effect in the rest of Europe. Soon, most of Europe was locked in battle.

  • US Enters the war

    Germany had a policy called "unrestricted submarine warfare" that stated they would sink any ship without warning in the waters around Britain. They sank a British ship Lusitania, containing 128 US citizens. Germany agreed to stop the policy after a strong protest from President Woodrow Wilson. However, they returned to it and sank three American ships. After the US intercepted a telegram from Germany to Mexico offering to reconquer lost land in return for their support, the US entered the war.

  • Armistice signed as Allies defeat Central Powers

    After the Second Battle of Marne and the defeat of the Germans, the Central Powers began to crumble. One by one, they surrendered. In Germany, the soldiers rebeled, Kaiser Wilhelm II stepped down, and Germany declared itself a republic. The new German government met with a French Commander and signed an armistice, or an agreement to stop fighting.

  • Gandhi leads Indian campaign of civil disobedience

    Mohandas Gandhi emerged as the leader of the Indian independence movement. He gained many followers and urged the Indian National Congress to follow a policy of noncooperation with the British called civil disobedience, or the deliberate and public refusal to obey an unjust law, and nonviolence as the means to achieve independence. He led India on boycotts, strikes, and demonstrations.

  • Mustafa Kemal transforms Turkey into Republic

    When Greek soldiers invaded Turkey, the Turkish sultan was powerless to stop them. However, Mustafa Kemal successfully led the Turkish nationalists in fighting back. After overthrowing the sultan, Kemal became the president of the new Republic of Turkey. He brought many positive reforms.

  • MaoZedong heads Long March

    During the Chinese civil war between the Nationalists and the Communists, the Nationalists, led by Jiang Jieshi, surrounded the Communist establishment in the hills of south-central Chinai. Outnumbered, the Communist forces fled. Their jouney was called the Long March. Thousands died in the 6,000 mile trek.