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Period: to
World War One
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Archduke Assassination
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to Austria-Hungary's throne, and his wife, Sophie, are assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip while the couple were visiting Sarajevo. -
Germany Invade Belgium/The War Begins
The war officially begins with Germany invading Belgium. -
Battle of Tannenberg
Germans defeated the Russian army on its way to invade Russia. -
Lusitania Sunk
British ocean liner, RMS Lusitania, was identified and torpedoed by a German U-20 U-boat. The sinking took away 128 American lives. It also contributed to negative public view of Germany, and American entry into World War I. It was later found out that the ship carried munitions for the British. -
Germany Limits Submarines
Reacting to international outrage at the sinking of the Lusitania and other neutral passenger lines, Kaiser Wilhelm suspends unrestricted submarine warfare. This is an attempt to keep the United States out of the war, but it severely hampers German efforts to prevent American supplies from reaching France and Britain. -
Battle of Jutland
Naval battle between British and Germans that ended up as a tie. -
Brusilov Offensive
The Brusilov Offensive, also known as the "June Advance", of June-September 1916 was the Russian Empire's greatest feat of arms during World War I, and among the most lethal offensives in world history. -
Zimmerman Telegram
British intelligence gives Wilson the so-called Zimmermann Telegram, a message from German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmermann proposing that Mexico side with Germany in case of war between Germany and the United States. In return, Germany promises to return to Mexico the "lost provinces" of Texas and much of the rest of the American Southwest. Mexico declines the offer, but the outrage at this interference in the Western Hemisphere pushes American public opinion to support entering the war. -
US Enters War
USA enters the war. -
Selective Service Act
Congress passes the Selective Service Act authorizing the draft. Although criticized for destroying democracy at home while fighting for it abroad, President Wilson claims he sees no other option and signs the bill into law. -
Germany and Russia Peace
The Germans sign a peace treaty with the new Bolshevik government of Russia. The terms of the treaty give Germany huge tracts of land that had been the Ukraine and Poland, and peace on the Eastern Front allows Germany to shift soldiers to the Western Front, causing serious problems for the French, British, and Americans. -
Germany signs armistice with Allies
World War One is officially over -
Treaty of Versailles signed
The Treaty of Versailles is officially signed with everything the Allied Powers put on the Axis Powers
