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(EU) Archduke Franz Ferdinand Shot in Sarajevo
This day, the Archduke of Austria-Hungary along with his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg was shot and killed by Gavrilo Princip. This event is typically considered the spark of World War I. -
(EU) Germany declares war on France
Germany declares war on France, and invades neutral Belgium. Britain then sends an ultimatum, rejected by the Germans, to withdraw from Belgium. -
(EU) Britain vs. Germany
Great Britain declares war on Germany after Germany refused to remove troops from Belgium after they declared war on France and invaded Belgium.This is often seen as the start of WW1. -
(EU/US) President Woodrow Wilson declares US policy of Neutrality
President Woodrow Wilson wants to keep the US out of conflict, not supporting either side of the conflict or disagreement. He wants to keep the US out of World War I because at the time, World War I was erupting in Europe. -
(EU/US) Sinking of the Lusitania Ship
This day, Germany sunk the ship. This caused 1,198 people to perish and 128 of those whom were US citizens. Britain saw this as an act of war. -
(US) Election of Woodrow Wilson
Democratic Woodrow Wilson defeated Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes, the Republican candidate. This was his second term as president. -
(US/EU) Zimmerman Note
This note proposed a military alliance between Germany and Mexico. It forced United States President Woodrow Wilson to reverse his initial position on American involvement in the European conflict and commit the United States to the war against Germany. -
(US/EU) Wilson asks for Declaration of War
President Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany, saying, “The world must be made safe for democracy.” Four days later, Congress voted overwhelmingly in favor of a war declaration. -
(US) Congress passes the Espionage Acts
Two months after the US entered World War I, Congress adopted the Espionage Acts. The Espionage Act gave the federal government increased leverage to prosecute what it considered unruly elements. -
(EU) Spanish Influenza 1918
The Spanish Influenza was an unusually deadly influenza pandemic. It infected 500 million people around the world, including people on remote Pacific islands and in the Arctic. -
(EU) Armistice 1918
Fighting in World War I had stopped, following the signing of an armistice between the Allies and Germany that called for a ceasefire effective at 11 a.m. It was on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
