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Period: to
WWI
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The Second Battle of Ypres begins.
During World War I, the Second Battle of Ypres was fought for control of the strategic Flemish town of Ypres in western Belgium. The First Battle of Ypres had been fought about a year earlier. The Second Battle of Ypres was the first massive use by Germany of poison gas on the Western Front.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcAHjtZSTL0 -
British ocean liner Lusitania is torpedoed by a German U-boat.
The bombing of the U-boat came after Germany waged war on the United Kingdom. The German's new submarine-like ships were very technologically advanced. The naval blockade posted by Britain was what sparked earlier tensions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzaMP5ZXryU -
The Battle of Verdun begins.
This battle was fought on the Western Front of France. This was the longest battle fought in WW1. There were an estimated 700,000 casualties.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG3sH5e4ROg -
The Battle of Jutland begins.
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle fought between Britain's Royal Navy Grand Fleet. It was the largest naval battle of the war. The battle was fought off the North coast of Denmarks Jutland peninsula.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/category/history/how-the-battle-of-jutland-pushed-britain-to/ -
The First Battle of the Somme begins.
This battle was fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against German soldiers. It took place on both sides of the upper reaches of the River Somme in France. This battle was very costly for all sides.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqvALkpsfRo -
Zimmermann Telegram intercepted by the British.
The Zimmerman telegram was an encrypted message sent to the Mexican government by Germany. It offered them substantial financial gain if they entered any future US-Germany conflicts as a German ally. British intelligence deciphered the telegram.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXjLEMHbTgo -
Tsar Nicholas II abdicates the throne after a week of riots in the Russian capital of St. Petersburg.
Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the throne during the February Revolution. Tsar Nicholas II was never really trained to rule, or inclined to do so. The former Tsar, his wife, and his children were all shot and killed months later in July.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/tsar-nicholas-execution-romanovs-russian-revolution-centenary-bolsheviks-murder-assassination-a8450546.html -
The United States declares war on Germany.
The United States entered World War I in 1917. On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson went before Congress to request a declaration of war against Germany. The United States later declared war on German ally Austria-Hungary.
https://time.com/4717078/america-wwi-history-video -
President Woodrow Wilson issues his Fourteen Points.
The Fourteen Points speech was a declaration of principles for peace that was to be used for peace negotiations to end World War I. The principles were outlined in a January 8, 1918, speech on war aims and peace terms. President Wilson made the speech to congress.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QUyujJ6iRI -
The Soviet government signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the Central Powers.
The Treaty of Brest-Litovskwas a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, between the new Bolshevik government of Russia and the Central Powers. The treaty ended the Russian participation in the war. Russia also recognized the independence of many smaller territories in the treaty, like Finland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYxtSmZ0l1E -
The Treaty of Versailles ends WWI.
The treaty codified peace terms between the victorious Allies and Germany. The Treaty of Versailles held Germany responsible for starting the war and imposed harsh penalties in terms of loss of territory, massive reparations payments, and demilitarization. The harsh consequences that Germany faced left them bitter, which played into WW2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrYhLNQMRro&vl=en-US
