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Archduke Franz Ferdinand Assassination
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife are assassinated on their wedding anniversary. They were touring Sarajevo in an open car. They had very low security and a man named Gavrilo Princip shot and killed them both. -
France and Britain Declare War
Germany invades Belgium, so Britain sends an ultimatum to Berlin. Britain declares war on Germany, and France declares war on Germany. Everyone believed that the war would be short, but one man insisted that Germany would not go down without a fight, and it would be a long one. -
The Christmas Truce
On Christmas Eve, many German and British troops sang Christmas carols to each other across the lines. Christmas morning was filled with handshakes and exchanges of gifts among the opposing sides. Some even engaged in a good-natured game of soccer. Many soldiers used this time to retrieve fallen comrades. -
Lusitania Sinks
A passenger liner called the "Lusitania" is sunk by a German submarine. 1,198 people, 128 of them American, are drowned. The ship was torpedoed without warning and sank into the Celtic Sea within 20 minutes. -
Zimmerman Telegram
Germany proposes to Mexico that they side with Germany. Britain decodes the message and notifies the U.S. Woodrow learned of the events and tells congress that the U.S. should start arming its ships against possible German attacks. Public opinion begins to sway in favor of entering the war. -
The First Battle of Gaza
The Allied Powers pushed the Turkish army completely out of the Sinai Peninsula. Those Turkish forces were commanded by the German general Friedrich Kress von Kressenstein. British forces advanced through the cover of fog and cut off the East and Southeast of Gaza. -
Frank Buckles - Enlisting into the Army
Frank tried getting into the army multiple times, but wasn't allowed because he was 18 (you had to be 21). They also told him that he wasn't heavy enough. After lying about his age, he was finally sent to Fort Riley in Kansas to train. After he was sworn into the military in Logan, Colorado and was sent to France to join the ambulance service. -
The Treaty of Versailles
World War I officially ends with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Germany was left out of the discussion and were forced to pay reparations. The German government signed it under protest and German politicians were assassinated by terrorists after they were accused of betrayal.
