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The Spark of World War I
Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand was assassinated by the Black Hand terrorist group. He was assassinated in Sarajevo. His assassination was the spark of World War I. -
Official Start
The official beginning of WWI is when Germany invaded Belgium. Great Britain then declared war on Germany. Then, Germany declares war on Belgium. -
Sinking of Lusitania
A German submarine sunk the British passenger ship, the Lusitania. The wreck killed nearly 1,200 passengers, including 128 Americans. Americans saw the sinking as a terrorist attack, instead of an act of war. President Wilson tried to extinguish the chaos, and he sent protests to Germany insisting that they stop putting citizens in danger. -
Zimmermann's Support
Zimmermann stated his full support for the military’s decision to go through with unrestricted submarine warfare. This warfare eventually led to the U.S. entering the war in 1917. Unrestricted submarine warfare was a very controversial topic during this time. -
Arthur Zimmermann Promoted
Zimmermann was appointed Foreign Secretary. He was qualified for the job but he got it mainly because of his support for the military rulers. He was the first non-aristocrat to serve as foreign secretary. -
Zimmermann Telegram
Arthur Zimmermann sent a telegram (now known as Zimmermann’s Telegram) to the German Embassy in Mexico. The telegram offered German support for Mexico to invade the United States. The telegram was intercepted by the British, who sent it to U.S. president, Woodrow Wilson. -
Zimmermann's Speech
In March of 1917, Zimmermann gave a speech regarding the telegram. He stated that what he did was not wrong, and that he was merely suggesting that Mexico and Germany become allies only if the U.S. joined the war against Germany. Before the speech, the citizens of the U.S. doubted that the telegram was real, and after the speech, the citizens were wanting war more than before. -
United States Enters War
The United States declares war on Germany on April 6, 1917. They joined the war on the side of France and Britain. The reasons for joining include the Zimmerman Telegram, the German’s sinking the Lusitania, and the desire to spread democracy to other nations. -
Selective Service Act
Congress passed Selective Service Act, which authorized the draft system. The act required all men between the ages of 21-30 to register for the military. There was a lot of controversy over the act, many thought it was a violation of democratic and republican principles. However, Wilson still signed it into law. -
Zimmermann's Resignation
Arthur Zimmermann remained in office a few months after his speech. He resigned from being Germany’s State Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Zimmermann was forced to resign because of the outcome of the telegram. -
Peace Between Germany and Russia
A peace treaty is signed by Germany with the new Bolshevik government of Russia. The terms of the treaty offered Germany huge plots of land that used to be Ukraine and Poland. It also gave them peace on the Eastern Front that allowed Germany to shift soldiers to the Western Front. -
Germany's Last Offensive
The German’s started a massive attack along the Western Front in March of 1918. It began with gas attacks and a huge artillery bombardment. Germans pushed towards Paris, but American and French troops blocked their drive. -
Battle of Cantigny
This battle was the first major American offensive of World War I. Even though the battle was small, the Americans fought courageously. They went on to fight larger battles against Germany. -
The Battle of the Argonne Forest
With the German drive stalled, the supreme commander of the Allied forces ordered massive counterattacks against the Americans. Germany inflicted heavy casualties, but the Americans destroyed German defenses. After that, the Germans began to retreat. -
The Fighting Ends
The fighting stops on November 11, at 11 a.m. On November 9, Germany became a republic. Two days after, the government signed an armistice to stop the fighting. -
Officially Over
The official ending of World War I happened when the Treaty of Versailles was signed. Negotiations on the treaty lasted five months. The treaty held Germany responsible for the whole war, leaving them with the cost of reparations.
