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Franz Ferdinand Assassination
The assassination of the Archduke triggered the beginning of World War I. -
Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia
Austria-Hungary blames Serbia for the death of the Archduke and declares war on them. -
First Use of Gas as a Weapon by the Germans
In April, Germany used poison gas on the Allied troops. This weapon could seriously injure and kill the soldiers that breathed it. After this attack, the Allies started to use the poison gas. Soldiers started to carry gas mask to protect themselves. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
On May 7 1915, a German submarine sunk the Lusitania. The U-Boat torpedoed the ship and killed more than 1,000 people. Out of the 1,000 people dead, 128 of them were American citizens. This angered President Wilson and led to the U.S. entering the war. -
Wilson Re-elected; Pledged American Neutrality
President Wilson still wanted to stay out of the war. ''He kept us out of war." was a phrase that the Democrats's used to campaign Wilson's re-run. Wilson defeated Charles Evans Hughes, his Republican candidate, by a hair. -
U.S. Declares War
President Wilson decided that he couldn't stay neutral. On April 2, he asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany. Congress decided that the nation should defend itself, so they passed the declaration. Wilson signed it on April 6, 1917. -
Zimmerman Note
In January, British agents happened to intersect a telegram sent by Arthur Zimmermann. The telegram was for Mexico from Germany. Germany asked for an alliance with Mexico and to go against the U.S. if America entered the war. -
Bolsheviks Led by Lenin Overthrow the Russian Government
In March, Nicholas II gave up the throne as Russia's ruler, in Russia's first revolution. In November, riots broke out because of the new Russian government and how they were dealing with the war. The Bolsheviks overthrew this government. They didn't want to be in the war. -
War Ends
On November 11, the armistice officially began. It happened on the 11th month, on the 11th hour, on the 11th day. Germany had agreed to withdraw their forces on land and their fleet of ships. They also agreed to surrender a lot of equipment. -
The Treaty of Versailles
The Allied and Germany signed the treaty. The treaty had some harsh terms. Germany had to take full responsibility for the war. They had to pay the Allies billions of dollars. It also had to give up its overseas colonies and some of European territory.
