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Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
A teenage Serbian nationalist shoots Ferdinand and his wife during a parade. -
Great War Begins
Alliances began to be formed and more forces began to push the countries into war. They were formed in order to look powerful to prevent weaker countries from attacking. Nationalism and rivalries begin to increase tension, thus starting WWI. -
Kaiser declares "open season" on ships
Germany threatened to sink any ships that were sailing under the Allied powers on open seas. -
Lusitania Sank
German U-boat (submarine) fired a torpedo and sank the Lusitania, which was a British liner in route from New York to England. -
Battle of the Somme
Armies of the British and the French against the Germans. July 1- November 18 1916. The largest battle of WWI. -
Wilson re-elected
President Woodrow Wilson (Democrat) gets re-elected. He was up against Charles Evans Hughes (Republican) -
Zimmerman Note intercepted
The original Zimmerman Telegram was intercepted by British Intelligence. -
Selective Srvice Act
Gave the President permission to increase the amount of military in the U.S. temporarily. -
Convoy System
Organizing ships into groups under the protection of naval ships to provide defense from the Germans. -
Espionage Age passed
Passed to enforce the criminal laws of the U.S. and punish those who have interfered with foreign relations. -
Russia pulls out of the war
The Russian people didn't agree with how the government was handling the limited food and fuel. Then communist leader Lenin wanted to build a communist state, therefore he pulled Russia out of the war. Signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany. -
Fourteen Points Speech
Used to negotiate for peace and to end the war. -
Sedition Act Passed
Extended the Espionage Act of 1917. Covered a broader range of offenses. -
Germany Signs Armistice
Agreement that ended the war. -
Flu Epidemic
Broke out in 1918 and killed more people than the actual war did. About 20-40 million people. Been cited as the most devastating epidemic in world history. -
U.S. declares war on Germany
The U.S. declared war on Germany just hours after Germany attacked Pearl Harbor here in the United States. The votes for war were unanimous.
