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Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassination
Archduke Franz Ferdinand traveled to Sarajevo to inspect imperial armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, This annexation angered many Serbian nationalists who believed the territory should be apart of Serbia rather than Austria-Hungary. When the archduke planned to make an appearance in Serbia, a group of young Serbian nationalists plotted to assassinate him and his wife, and a man names Gavrilo Princip was successful in doing so. -
Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassination URL
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Sinking of the Lusitania
The sinking of the Lusitania was due to confusion by German submarines believing that it was an enemy ship carrying ammunition. The ship was warned to take a different route, but the captain ignored these recommendations and 128 americans were killed in result. This angered Americans and caused Germany to offer to restrict their submarine warfare as long as the U.S. would not declare war against them.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/german-submarine-sinks-lusitania -
National Defense Act
The national defense act signed by Woodrow Wilson expanded the size and scope of the National Guard. It also mandated that the term national guard be used to refer to the combined network of states militias that become the primary reserve force for the US army. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-president-woodrow-wilson-signs-national-defense-act -
Germany renews submarine warfare
Germany renewed their unrestricted submarine warfare because the U.S. had entered the war which meant that Germany needed to use every advantage they had in order to successfully attempt to compete in the war. -
U.S.S Housatonic Sinks
German U-boat commander tells American sailors on board the Housatonic to abandon ship. He is also quoted as saying “You are carrying foodstuffs to an enemy of my country, and though I am sorry, it is my duty to sink you.” -
U.S. breaks diplomatic relations with Germany
The U.S. broke diplomatic relations with Germany because due to the fact that Germany reinforced its unlimited submarine warfare, the U.S. had no choice but to cut the diplomatic relations in order to uphold their honor and dignity as a nation.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-breaks-diplomatic-relations-with-germany -
US Declares War
After Germany decided to engage in unlimited submarine warfare, Woodrow Wilson went to a joint session of Congress to explain how Germany had violated their pledge to suspend unrestricted submarine warfare and that the U.S. should join the war. In result, Congress voted in favor of joining the war.
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/wwi -
First Liberty Loan
Liberty Loans were part of the U.S government's effort to sell war bonds to defray the expense of the war. The first four bond issues were referred to as liberty bonds while the fifth was referred to as the victory bond. -
Selective Service Act
The Selective Service Act was passed by Congress in May of 1917, which the President the power to draft soldiers for the war.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-congress-passes-selective-service-act -
War Industries Board
The War Industries Board was a wartime agency designed to coordinate the war role of American industry. The board controlled all available resources and manufacturing facilities, fixed prices, raised the volume of munitions produced, and brought order out of industrial chaos. https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/political-science-and-government/military-affairs-nonnaval/war-industries -
Lever Food and Fuel Control Act
The Lever Food and Fuel Control Act authorized the president to regulate the price, production, transportation, and allocation of feeds, fuels, beverages, foods, and distilled spirits for the rest of WW1.
https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/lever-food-control-act -
War Revenue Act
The War Revenue Act was an act which increased taxes to unprecedented levels in order to raise more money for the war efforts.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/war-revenue-act-passed-in-u-s -
Second Liberty Loan
Posters were made and intended to be dramatic in order to encourage the American public to continue to support the war financially by buying liberty loans.
https://blogs.loc.gov/picturethis/2017/02/the-bonds-of-liberty-a-world-war-i-liberty-loan-poster/ -
Railroads are nationalized
Nationalization is the process of transforming private assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Industries that are usually subject to nationalization include transport, communications, energy, banking and natural resources.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalization -
The maximum price of steel
The composite price for finished steel as given in the Statistical Abstract of the United States fell 17 per cent during the boom years
https://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1938071800 -
Germans begin massive offensive on the western front
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Germans begin massive offensive on the western front
The withdrawal of Russia from the war after the revolution in October 1917 enabled the German Army to transfer huge reserves of troops and guns to the Western Front. Planning for a spring offensive in 1918 began as early as November 1917. So the main reason for attacking the western front so late was because Russia finally bowed out of the war which gave Germans a better chance to successfully fight the the Western Front. -
First Independent action by the American Expeditionary Force
Led by general John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing the American Expeditionary Force was created to help the ill-prepared United States. By the end of the war, this group had evolved into a modern, combat tested army recognized as one of the best in the world. (https://www.loc.gov/collections/stars-and-stripes/articles-and-essays/a-world-at-war/american-expeditionary-forces/) -
The Battle of Belleau Wood
The Battle Belleau Wood was the first large scale battle fought by American soldiers in World War I. The U.S prevailed on June 26, but at the cost of nearly 10,00 dead wounded or missing in action.
https://www.history.com/ -
Second Battle of the Marne
The Germans began their final offensive push for World War I only to be shut down by the allies led many Americans called the doughboys. (http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/2marne.htm) -
Battle of Meuse-Argonne
Fought along the Meuse river, the Allies were able to exhaust demoralize the German army until the armistice was signed by the Germans. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meuse-Argonne_Offensive) -
Forth Liberty Loan
The Forth Liberty Loan was part of the larger effort by the U.S government to sell war bonds to defray the expense of the war
(https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:jq085t971) -
Armistice
On November 11, 1918 Germany signed the armistice created by the Allies henceforth ending World War I. During the negotiations, the 14 points were brought about as a statement for the principles of peace filling the war. The 14th point was to create a league of nations to fulfil world peace.
(https://www.americanhistoryusa.com/fourteen-points-league-of-nations-wilsons-failed-idealism/)
