World War 1

By lmathis23

  • The Election of President Woodrow Wilson

    Wilson defeated incumbent Republican William Howard Taft and third-party nominee Theodore Roosevelt to easily win the 1912 United States presidential election, becoming the first Southerner to do so since 1848.

  • The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

    The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie in Sarajevo eventually led to the outbreak of the First World War.

  • America Proclaims Neutrality

    President Woodrow Wilson declared U.S. neutrality on, and many Americans saw little reason to entangle themselves in what they viewed as European quarreling and intrigue.

  • The Battle of the Marne

    First Battle of the Marne was a great strategic victory, as it enabled the French to continue the war

  • The Sinking of the Lusitania

    The sinking of RMS Lusitania caused international outrage and helped turn public opinion against Germany, particularly in the then-neutral United States.

  • The Battle of the Verdun

    Ultimately, the French resistance at Verdun proved a turning point, halting the German advance. The heavy German losses at Verdun combined with even greater casualties suffered on the Somme also created a manpower crisis within the German army that would become increasingly difficult to resolve as the war progressed.

  • The Sussex Incident

    Torpedoing of a French cross-Channel passenger steamer, the Sussex, by a German submarine, leaving 80 casualties, including two Americans wounded

  • The Battle of the Somme

    A more professional and effective army emerged from the battle. And the tactics developed there, including the use of tanks and creeping barrages, laid some of the foundations of the Allies' successes in 1918. The Somme also succeeded in relieving the pressure on the French at Verdun.

  • Re-election of president Woodrow Wilson

    Another burst of legislation followed in 1916. One new law prohibited child labor; another limited railroad workers to an eight-hour day. By virtue of this legislation and the slogan “he kept us out of war,” Wilson narrowly won re-election.

  • The Interception of the Zimmermann Telegram

    British signals intelligence intercepted and decrypted a coded German telegram from German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann that was intended for Germany's ambassador to Mexico.

  • The Declaration of New Unrestricted Submarine Warfare by Germany

    Bethmann Hollweg went before the German Reichstag government and made the announcement that unrestricted submarine warfare would resume the next day, February 1: "The destructive designs of our opponents cannot be expressed more strongly.

  • The United States Enters World War I

    The U.S. Senate voted in support of the measure to declare war on Germany. The House concurred two days later. The United States later declared war on German ally Austria-Hungary on December 7, 1917.

  • The Selective Service Act

    Authorized the United States federal government to raise a national army for service in World War I through conscription.

  • The Espionage Act

    Broadly sought to crack down on wartime activities considered dangerous or disloyal.

  • The Landing of the American Expeditionary Force in France

    The AEF helped the French Army on the Western Front during the Aisne Offensive and fought its major actions in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

  • The Fourteen Points by President Wilson

    Designed as guidelines for the rebuilding of the postwar world, the points included Wilson's ideas regarding nations' conduct of foreign policy.

  • The Beginning of the Spanish Flu Epidemic

    A virus that spread easily and infected people throughout the world. Because the virus was new, very few people, if any, had some immunity to the disease.

  • Russia Pulls Out of World War I

    This allowed the Central Powers to shift resources to the Western Front, increasing pressure on the Allies.

  • The Passing of the Sedition Act

    Tightened restrictions on foreign-born Americans and limited speech critical of the government.

  • The Battle of Argonne Forest

    It was one of the attacks that brought an end to the War

  • Armistice Day Ends World War I

    The armistice between Germany and the Allies was the first step to ending World War I.

  • The Paris Peace Conference & Treaty of Versailles

    The Treaty of Versailles, one of several treaties, held Germany responsible for the war, leading to reparations and territorial losses. The treaty's harsh terms are often linked to the rise of World War II. The conference also led to the creation of the League of Nations and a major redrawing of Europe's map.