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Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
Gavrilo Princip, happened to be loitering.Seeing his opportunity, Princip fired into the car, shooting Franz Ferdinand and Sophie at point-blank range. Franz Ferdinand and Sophie lay fatally wounded in their limousine as it rushed to seek help; they both died within the hour. -
Great War Begins
The assassination of Franz Ferdinand triggered the war. Austria-Hungary believed that Serbia was responsible for the assassination and declared war. -
Lusitania Sank
The captain of the Lusitania ignored the British Admiralty’s recommendations. At 2:12 p.m. the ship was hit by an exploding torpedo on its starboard side. The torpedo blast was followed by a larger explosion and the ship sank off the south coast of Ireland in less than 20 minutes. -
Battle of the Somme
It was one of the largest battles of the First World War. Fought between July 1 and November 1, 1916, near the Somme River in France. It was also one of the bloodiest military battles in history. On the first day alone, the British suffered more than 57,000 casualties and by the end of the campaign the Allies and Central Powers lost more than 1.5 million men. -
Wilson Re-elected
During Wilson's speeches he talked about his accomplishments. A favored slogan of his was, "He kept us out of war." Wilson had 49.4% of the popular vote and 277 electoral votes. Hughes had 46.2% of the popular vote and 254 electoral votes -
Zimmerman Note Intercepted
A message from Arthur Zimmermann to the German ambassador to Mexico telling them they wanted to form a Mexican-German alliance between the United States and Germany. -
U.S. Declares War on Germany -
President Wilson asked for a declaration of war against Germany in order to make the world safe for democracy. His request was granted on April 4. -
Selective Service Act
This act required all men in the U.S. between ages 21 and 30 to register for military service. Gave U.S. president power to draft soldiers. -
Convoy System
It was designed to help protect cargo in passenger ships. It was mainly centered on the English Channel, but when the U.S entered the war ships started traveling in deeper open ocean from one end of the Atlantic to the other. -
Espionage Age Passed
Imposed similarly harsh penalties on anyone found guilty of making false statements that interfered with the prosecution of the war; insulting or abusing the U.S. government, the flag, the Constitution or the military; agitating against the production of necessary war materials; or advocating, teaching or defending any of these acts. -
Flu Epidemic
The deadliest in history, infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide—about one-third of the planet’s population—and killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million victims, including some 675,000 Americans. -
Fourteen Point Speech
An address given by Woodrow Wilson delivered before a joint meeting of Congress, during which Wilson outlined his vision for a stable, long-lasting peace in Europe, the Americas and the rest of the world following World War I. In his speech, Wilson itemized 14 strategies to ensure national security and world peace. -
Russia Pulls Out Of War
In December 1917, Germany agreed to an armistice and peace talks with Russia, and Lenin sent Leon Trotsky to Brest-Litovsk in Belarus to negotiate a treaty. The talks broke off after Germany demanded independence for Russian holdings in Eastern Europe, and in February 1918 fighting resumed on the eastern front. With German troops advancing on St. Petersburg, Lenin authorized the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk -
Sedition Act Passed
The Sedition Act extended the Espionage Act. It imposed harsh penalties on anyone found guilty of making false statements that interfered with the prosecution of the war; insulting or abusing the U.S. government, the flag, the Constitution or the military; agitating against the production of necessary war materials; or advocating, teaching or defending any of these acts. -
Germany Signs Armistice
By the end of 1917, the Bolsheviks had seized power in Russia and immediately set about negotiating peace with Germany. In 1918, the infusion of American troops and resources into the western front finally tipped the scale in the Allies’ favor. Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies.
