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(EU) Archduke Franz Ferdinand Assassinated in Sarajevo
On this day, the Archduke of Austria-Hungary was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip. This event is often considered the spark for WWI, which would grow because of entangling alliances. -
(EU)Germany Declares War on France
Germany was planning to attack Russia but they knew that France would be alliances with Russia. So they decided to start a war with France. -
(EU) Britain Declares War on Germany
German refused to remove troops from neutral Belgium. United Kingdom had signed the Treaty of London, which guaranteed British and French defence of Belgium sovereignty. This is one of the decisions that started WWI -
Christmas Truce
Christmas truce was an unofficial ceasefire, that happened in the Western Front during WWI. Soldiers from both sides emerged from the trenches and shared gestures of goodwill. It's nice to know that not even a war can stop people from having Christmas spirit and how even though they were enemies they had fun and laughed together. -
(EU) Poison Gas
Germany, when fighting in the war, introduced this weapon and put in shock many people. Not only was this gas poisonous, but it killed many people. This is significant to WWI because I think this is a technology that had the most impact than all the other weapons used in the war, it killed many soldiers and helped the allies out a lot. -
(EU) The Sinking of Lusitania
German U-boat torpedoed the British-owned luxury steamship Lusitania. The disaster immediately strained relations between Germany and the neutral United States. -
(US) Wilson Re-elected
This election took place while WWI was being fought in Europe.The Republican candidate Hughes criticized Wilson for not taking the “necessary preparations” to face the conflict in Europe, which only strengthened Wilson’s image as the anti-war candidate. People then started saying that Wilson kept them out of war, and that he was a peacemaker. Which then led to him being elected again. This is significant because Wilson is the one that will later on lead America to war. -
(EU/US) ZImmerman Note
The zimmerman note 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. It was some type of secret communication from the Germany people to Mexico to make alliances. It is significant because this is what kind of caused the U.S to go to war. -
(US) Wilson asks for Declaration of War
President Wilson wanted to declare war against Germany, telling congress that “The world must be made safe for democracy.” President Wilson told congress that Germany gave them many reasons as to why the US should enter the war. This is an important event to know about because although it wasn't really a spark to the start of WWI, it helps us understand why Wilson wanted to go to war after he said that the US should remain out of it. -
(US) America Enters the War
President Wilson would lead the United States into World War I after Germany’s aggressive and unrelenting wartime tactics left him no choice. Although the US wasn't prepared for war they ended up having a lot of soldiers to fight in the war. This wasn't a spark that started WWI but it's important to know that ones country went to war and how it affected and helped its allies with the war. -
(US) Congress passes the Espionage Acts
It was an act that prohibited anyone from sharing any information intended to interfere with the U.S. armed forces prosecution of the war. Or to promote the success of the country’s enemies. If someone were to do this than the punishment would be harsh, like 20 years in prison or a $10,000 fine. -
(EU/US) US Combat Forces Arrive in France
This was the first time in history that the US sent soldiers to fight on foreign grounds. The soldiers went on boats to go to France, they would either end up fight in France or somewhere else. America wasn't really prepared to fight in the war so they recruited a lot of people (Selective Service Act). But the fact that there came a time when the US was ready to fight and to send out soldiers to foreign land is an important thing to know. -
(US) Spanish Influenza
Thought to have started in Kansas, killed over 50 million people worldwide from 1918-1920. This virus killed more people than the war. This is significant to the war because as the war ended, surviving solders returned home bringing influenza with them. Which, had a significant impact on how the virus spread around the world. -
(EU) Armistice
The German government approached the United States with a request for an armistice. The signing of the armistice was greeted with varied responses. Some people felt relieved while others felt sad about losing their loved ones. This is significant because this armistice is what kind of stopped the war. -
(EU) The Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles ended war with Germany and its allied powers. This was one of the most important peace treaties in the war because this is what brought war to an end, which is why it's very significant in the war.
