Royal irish rifles ration party somme july 1916

World War I, the Treaty of Versailles, and the Great Depression

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    Nationalism

    Great Britain had the strongest navy, was the richest and most industrialized country, had the largest population, and the largest empire. So, it was no wonder they believed in themselves, often to excess.
  • Germany's Blank Check to Austria

    Austria asked Germany to send them a blank check to show full support if Russia were to enter the war. Germany follows through.
  • Imperialism

    Serbian Nationalist Gavrilo Princip assassinated Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. Austria-Hungary believed they were stronger than Serbia, however. So, they issued an ultimatum where they demanded that Serbia renounce their self-governing and follow the rules of Austria-Hungary.
  • Assassination of Franz Ferndinand and Sophie

    Gavrilo Princip assassinated the both of them. This event was one that led directly to the beginning of the war. It pinned Austria-Hungary and Serbia against one another.
  • WWI Begins

    Europe's great powers had collapsed. The Allied Powers were fighting against The Central Powers. Germany was incading France through neutral Belgium, which was a violation of the country's neutrality. Germany assaulted Liege, leaving behind destruction.
  • Miltarism

    German Navy- Germna U-boats were responsible for the sinking of the Lusitania, which drew the US into the war.
  • Sinking of the Lusitania

    German U-boats sink the RMS Lusitania, a Birtish ocean liner en route from New York to Liverpool.
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    Alliances

    The united States joined the Allied powers which consisted of Great Britain, France, Russia, and Italy. The Central Powers were German, Austria-Hungary, The Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.
  • Germany's Resumption of Submarine Warfare

    Germany returns to the policy of unrestricted submarine warfare after it was suspended from pressure from the US and other neutral countries.
  • Zimmerman Telegram

    President Woodrow Wilson learned of the contents of the telegram and told congress that the US should start arming its ships for possible German attacks.
  • US Enters the War

    Germany resumes submarine warfare and offers military alliance to Mexico in the Zimmerman Telegram, which angers the US. U-boats started sinking American ships, so Wilson asked congress for a "war to end all wars".
  • Effects of the War

    The war ended. Germany was forced to pay for the damages and Europe fell into debt from war costs. Also, production of new technologies increased.
  • Treaty of Versailles

    Germany was reassigned boundaries and forced to pay for war damages. German armies were reduced and prohibited from certain classes of weapons.
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    Rise of Hitler

    Hitler attempted to overthrow Germany, but was unsuccessful and sent to prison, where he wrote "Mein Kampf", in which he blamed Germany's problems on weak Government and the Jews. By January 1933, Hitler and his Nazi Party controlled Germany and he became a dictator.
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    Dawes and Young Plans

    The Dawes plan was an attempt to solev war reparations, which gave Germany short term economic benefits through loans from the US. The US realized that Germany could not keep up with the large loans and proposed the Young Plan, which reduced the payments by 20%.
  • Great Depression

    US economy collapsed from war debtand the crash of the stock market. Banks were closing and millions of Americans lost their jobs.