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Russia mobilized its vast army to intervene against Austria-Hungary in favor of the ally, Serbia. Russia did not want to seem vulnerable to another European country and promised to support France.
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Germany invaded Belgium. Germany wanted to declare war on France, but first needed a free passage across Belgium. Belgium didn't favor one side over the other, so Germany forcefully occupied the country as an enemy.
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World War One was sparked with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which sparked a chain of events. Serbian nationalists trigger alliance system of Europe.
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Germans fire shells filled w/ chlorine gas at allied lines. First-time large amounts of gas were used in battle.
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German submarine sinks the Lusitania. The ship carried 1,198 people and 128 of them were Americans. This angered the US.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lusitania-sinks -
British employ the first tanks ever used in battle at Delville Wood. The tanks were a battlefield weapon, attacking the Germans.
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Germany resumes unrestricted submarine warfare in European waterways. This draws the US into the war and causes the defeat of Germany.
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British intelligence gives Wilson the Zimmerman Telegram, which was a message from German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmerman proposing that Mexico side w/ Germany. Mexico declined and it pushed American public opinion to support entering the war. The message helped draw the US into the war.
https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/zimmermann -
Wilson outlines his case for war to Congress. He wants to go to war. On April 4, the Senate voted yes and the House of Representatives delivered yes also. Formally announcing US into WWI.
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Congress authorizes the declaration of war against Germany. Us enters WWI on side of France & Britain.
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Congress passes the SSA (Selective Service Act) authorizing the draft. Wilson doesn't see another option and signs the bill into law. Was criticized for destroying democracy back at home.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-congress-passes-selective-service-act -
First major American offensive of the war. 4,000 US soldiers capture the village of Cantigny from the German enemy.
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Americans attack the Germans at Chateau-Thierry and it would change into the large Battle of Belleau Wood.
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Began as the US Marine Corps attacked the Germans across an open field of wheat, which suffered huge casualties.
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Ends with a final explosion of the Germans from the wood and that marked the farthest German advanced on Paris. The area had changed hands six times and that caused 10,000 American casualties.
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Began with 300,000 American troops under the direct command of General Pershing fling themselves into the German lines.
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Kaiser Wilhelm abdicates and ending all German hope for victory.
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Armistice is signed which ended the fighting on the Western Front.
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Despite Wilson's Fourteen Points, Germany effectively crippled by British and French demands. Austria-Hungary is dismantled.
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Was developed to solve disputes between countries before they erupted into open warfare.
