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The Age of Imperialism
The Age of Imperialism was a time that was lead by nationalism. Nationalism promoted great pride in one's nation. European nations were racing to capture and control land to share their so called greatness with the world. They were also competing for precious natural resources to get ahead of other nations. -
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Miltarism Leads to an Arms Race
To protect the new colonies that Europeans were taking over they needed a strong military. This is where the idea of Militarism comes in. Europeans were trying to aquire the best military arms to be the strongest protector of their nation. -
The Triple Alliance Formed
Prior to 1914 there were already alliances being formed. The Triple Alliance consisted of Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary. Alliances made countries overconfident and eager to declare war because they knew their alliance members would have to fight alongside them. -
Triple Entente Formed
The Triple Entente was an alliance of France, Britain, and Russia. This was another alliance that would become important during WW1. They entered the war against the Triple Alliance. -
Assassination of the Archduke and Beginning of WW1
Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. He was on a drive through Sarajevo, Bosnia. He was assassinated by a group called the Black Hand. The leader Gavrilo Pricip, a Serbian, shot and killed the Archduke. Soon after Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and this was the beginning of WW1. -
The Blank Check
As tensions between Austria-Hungary and Serbia rose Germany decided to take action. Kaiser Wilhelm told Austria-Hungary that Germany backed any decision that they decided to make against Serbia. This pushed Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia alongside Germany. If Germany had not have made this comment the war may have stayed localized instead of becoming global. -
Germany Invades Neutral Belgium
At the beginning of the war Germany invaded neutral Belgium to get to France on the other side. The did not let anything stop them on thier way killing civilians and destroying anything in sight. British journalists exaggerated German actions. This sparked US desire to go to war. -
Lusitania Ship Sunk by German Forces
The Lusitania was a British cargo ship that was sunk by German U boats.The German forces used unrestricted warfare against any and all ships that were not allies including passenger and cargo ships. This was a blow to America because there were 128 Americans on board the Lusitania when it was sunk. This event added to tension between the US and Germany and only strengthened America's urge to enter the war. -
The Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram was a message sent to Mexico from Germany. It suggested that if the US were to enter the war Mexico should attack the US. Germany promised Mexico would regain land that they lost to America in a previous war. British forces intercepted the message and sent it to American authorities. This was the last straw for any sympathy toward Germany from the US. -
Germany Resumes Unrestricted Warfare
President Wilson bent on keeping peace asked Germany to stop sinking ships. Germany falsely promised not to but continued on doing what they were doing. They kept America out of the war for a short while with these promises. This was another event to add to list of reasons Americans wanted to join the war. -
US Enters WW1
America had finally had enough. President Wilson asked Congress to enter the war on April 2 and on April 6 they approved. America entered the war on the side of the Allies against the Central Powers. Fresh American troops boosted the fighting power of the Allies. America proved to be just what they needed to win the war. -
The Treaty of Versailles is Signed
The Treaty of Versailles was the peace treatry that ended WW1. It placed harsh punishment on Germany. For example Germany was forced to pay war reparations and limit the size of their military. These unfair punishments left Germany bitter. For the rest of the world the treaty made more problems than solved because they couldn't enforce it. -
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Reconstruction of Europe
After WW1 Europe was destroyed and needed to be recontructed. They longed for a strong central government to help thm through this time. This need for leaders gave rise to totalitarian rulers like Adolf Hiltler and Benito Mussolini. Adolf Hitler did great good for Germany but later his dictatorship led them to the start of WW2. -
The League of Nations
The League of Nations was an organization proposed by President Wilson to promote peaceful cooperation between countries. Everyone rejected this plan but Wilson kept pushing. All of the nation except Germany were allowed in. This organization mainly failed because the US did not join. -
The Stock Market Crash
On Black Tuesday Americans lost billions of dollars from the crash of the stock market. Many people lost entire fortunes. People rushed the banks and withdrew any money they had left in fear of losing it all. In turn this forced banks to close because too much money was being taken out at once. America had gone from a booming economy to an economic collapse in the blink of an eye. -
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The Great Depression
During WW1 America was a prosperous nation. It had a surplus of crops, a growing economy, and jobs were on the rise. After the Stock Market Crash however everything took a turn for the worst. Employers fired workers to save themselves from bankrupcy. Farmers no longer made profit on their wartime surplus because of price drops and there was no need for extras. Families suffered and starved because of uneven distribution of wealth. This lasted until the world began to focus its attention on WW2. -
WW2 Begins
On this day WW2 began. New technology, new strategies, and new leaders made this war different from any other war ever fought. WW2 became the most destructive war in history.
