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Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were both fatally shot by 19 year old Gavrilo Princip. This is credited as the event that started World War I. -
The Great War Begins
The Great War is also known as World War I. The trigger for the start of the Great War was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Austria-Hungary went to war with Russia, then alliances formed making it a global war. -
Kaiser Wilhelm declares “open season” on ships
Kaiser Wilhelm the German Emperor said that all ships, including merchant ships, sailing in the North Sea under the British, French, or Russian flags, and even those from neutral countries, would be sank. -
Lusitania Sank
A British passenger ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat south of the coast of Ireland in the Celtic Ocean. 1,200 passengers drowned, including 128 Americans. -
Beginning of the Battle of the Somme
The British and the French fought against the German in France at the River Somme. It was the largest battle of the Western front in World War 1, and one of the bloodiest battles in history. There were more than 1.5 million men killed. -
President Woodrow Wilson re-elected
Democratic President Woodrow Wilson defeated Republican Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes. Wilson won the election by almost 600,000 votes. -
End of the Battle of the Somme
The British and the French fought against the German in France at the River Somme. It was the largest battle of the Western front in World War 1, and one of the bloodiest battles in history. There were more than 1.5 million men killed. -
Zimmerman Note Intercepted
The Zimmerman Note was a coded telegram from Germany proposing a German-Mexican Alliance in World War 1. The telegram was intercepted and decoded by the British. It is one of the main reasons Woodrow Wilson used to enter the United States into World War 1. -
US declares war on Germany
President Woodrow Wilson declared war on Germany, because of the sinking of the Lusitania and the Zimmerman Note that was supposed to be sent from Germany to Mexico to form an alliance. -
Selective Service Act
Gave the United States federal government the power to draft men from the United States to build a national army for World War I. -
Convoy system
The British Royal Navy designed the convoy system to protect merchant ships. The convoy system meant that all merchant ships that were crossing the Atlantic Ocean would travel in groups of 10-50 ships under the protection of British war ships and/or planes. -
Espionage Age passed
The Espionage Age was a law passed to prohibit interference with military operations and recruitment, to prevent insubordination in the military, and to prevent the support of United States enemies during wartime. -
Flu Epidemic
The Influenza Virus spread so quickly and was so deadly, that it killed more people than World War I. It killed between 20 and 40 million people. -
Fourteen Points Speech
A speech that was given by President Woodrow Wilson. It was a statement of 14 principles that the United States would use for peace negotiations to end World War I. -
Russia Pulls out of World War I
Vladimir Lenin overthrew the Russian government and wanted to concentrate on making Russia a Communist country, so Lenin signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany that took Russia out of the war. -
Sedition Act Passed
This act was passed to broaden the Espionage Act of 1917. It said that could not express an opinion that made the government or the war effort look bad. It was forbidden to talk badly about the US, the flag, or the military. -
Germany Signs Armistice
The Allies and Germany signed an Armistice saying there would be a ceasefire at 11 a.m. The Armistice said there would be an immediate German withdrawal from enemy territories, disarmament and demobilization of the German military, and the release of Allied prisoners. This is the agreement that ended World War I.
