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Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
Was the Immediate Cause of World War One -
Great War Begins
The main causes of the war were militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism, but the event that sparked the beginning of the war was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. -
Kaiser declares "open season" on ships
Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm announced its "open season" policy, that they would use their navy to sink all ships in the North Sea without warning -
Lusitania sank
A German U-boat, following their "Open Season" policy, torpedoed and sank a British ocean liner called the Lusitania. More than 1,100 people died aboard the ship, and more than 120 of those people were Americans. The sinking of the Lusitania was a major turning point of the public opinion of Germany. -
Battle of the Somme
One of the Largest battles of World War One. It was fought between July 1, and November 1, near the Somme River in France. This battle is also one of the bloodiest battles in history. By the end of the battle, more than 1.5 million men were killed. -
Wilson Re-elected
Woodrow Wilson's motto was "He kept us out of war". This was useful because there were many people against the war, which made them support him even more. -
Zimmerman note Intercepted
The Zimmerman Telegram was sent from the German Foreign office. The message was supposed to go to Mexico offering them all of the land that they lost during their war with the US if they attacked the US. the note was intercepted by America, and we declared war on Germany. -
US Declares War on Germany
President Wilson requested that Congress declare war on Germany because they had violated their pledge to stop unrestricted submarine warfare in the North Atlantic, and they had also tried to ally with Mexico against the United States. -
Selective Service Act
The Selective Service Act gave the U.S. president the power to draft soldiers into the military. -
Convoy System
British Navy introduced a system where all merchant ships crossing the Atlantic would travel in groups under the protection of the Navy, to protect against German U-boats. -
Espionage Act Passed
Made it a crime for any person to speak out against the war or promote the success of the country's enemies. -
Russia Pulls Out of War
The main reason that Russia exited WW1 was because of the Russian Revolution. The Russian government was taken over by the Bolsheviks, who did not support the war effort against Germany. -
Flu Epidemic
The influenza pandemic of 1918 killed more people than World War 1 did. It is estimated that the epidemic killed between 20 and 40 million people. -
Fourteen Points Speech
A statement of principles for world peace that was used for negotiations to end the war. -
Sedition Act Passed
Extended the Espionage Act to cover a broader range of offenses. The act imposed harsh penalties on anyone found guilty of making false statements that were insulting or abusing the U.S. government, the flag, constitution, or the military -
Germany Signs Armistice
Signed on the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The armistice ended the fighting along the Western Front. The signing of the armistice officially ended World War 1.
