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Franz Ferdinand Assassination
Arch Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated while visiting Sarajevo, Bosnia. he was next in line for the Austro-Hungarian throne. The killings set off decades of old tensions in Europe and started WWI -
Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914. Europe's alliance system caused the conflict to spread quickly. Russia, which was Serbia's protector, prepared for war. Germany then came to the side of Austria-Hungary. Germany declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914, and then declared war on France, Russia's ally, on August 3. A day later, Germany invaded Belgium. Great Britain, honoring a pledge to protect Belgium, declared war on Germany. -
First use of gas as weapon by the Germans
The gas could kill or seriously injure anyone who breathed it. After the Germans had introduced gas to the battlefield, the Allies began to use poison gas as well. To protect themselves, soldiers began carrying gas masks. -
Sinking of Lusitania
A German U-boat torpedoed the British passenger liner called the Lusitania near the coast of Ireland. a German U-boat torpedoed the British passenger liner called the Lusitania near the coast of Ireland. -
Wison reelected
President Wilson still hoped to stay out of the war. Antiwar sentiment remained strong. Some Americans saw the nation's military buildup as a step toward entering the war. The phrase "He [Wilson] Kept Us Out of War" became the Democrats' campaign slogan in 1916. Wilson, however, only narrowly defeated the Republican candidate, Charles Evans Hughes. -
Zimmermann Note
A few weeks later, British agents intercepted a secret telegram sent by the German foreign minister, Arthur Zimmermann. The telegram was bound for Mexico. It offered a German alliance with Mexico against the United States in the event the Americans entered the war. The Zimmermann Note angered Americans and set off a new wave of anti-German feeling in the United States. -
U.S. declares war
President Wilson decided the United States could no longer remain neutral. On the cold, rainy evening of April 2, 1917, he asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany. After some debate, Congress decided that the nation had to defend its rights if it wished to remain a world power. Congress passed a declaration of war, and Wilson signed it on April 6. -
Bolsheviks overthrows Russian government
In November 1917, riots broke out over the new Russian government's handling of the war and the scarcity of food and fuel. A group called the Bolsheviks overthrew this government. Led by Vladimir Lenin, the Bolsheviks wanted to pull out of the war so they could focus on setting up a new Communist state. -
War ends
The armistice began on November 11, 1918—at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month. Under its terms, Germany agreed to withdraw all land forces west of the Rhine River, to withdraw its fleet to the Baltic Sea, and to surrender huge amounts of equipment. The guns fell silent and the fighting stopped. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Allies and Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919. Under its harsh terms, Germany had to accept full responsibility for the conflict. It had to pay the Allies billions of dollars. It had to disarm completely and give up its overseas colonies and some territory in Europe. The treaty also carved up the Austrio-Hungarian and Russian Empires. It created some new nations and restored old ones. Border disputes, however, would lead to future conflicts.
