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Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
The assassination of Franz Ferdinand from Austria-Hungary. Assassination of the soon to be ruler was considered an act of terrorism from Serbia. This was the immediate cause of WWI because shortly after, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia and Allies jump in to support Austria-Hungary. -
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Battle of Tannenberg
The Battle of Tannenberg was fought between Germany and Russia in the first month of World War I. Germany won this battle. In addition to the loss, Germany caused an almost complete destruction of the Russian Second Army and the suicide of its commanding general Alexander Samsonov. -
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Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne was a fight between the Allies (Britain and France) and Germany. This battle was fought because Germany had invaded Belgium and France, only 30 miles from Paris. The Germans were defeated in this battle and resulted in enacting their tactic of trench warfare that would last for the next three years of the now two-front war. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner that was used to declare "unrestricted submarine warfare" from Germany. Germany attacked the Lusitania because it was believed to be carrying war supplies. The attack from the German U-Boat killed 1000 people including 130 Americans. The loss of 130 American lives is one of the events that prompted America to declare war on Germany in 1917. -
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Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was the largest and longest battles of WWI on the Western Front. This battle was fought between German and French forces in north-eastern France. The multitude of casualties the French suffered and to further stretch German forces were the reasons the British caused the Battle of the Somme. -
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Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme was fought by the British and French Empire against the German Empire. This battle was caused by the British to relieve pressure on the French army and cause the German army to struggle. Although it may have helped the army, the battle took place at the River Somme in France. The Battle of the Somme was one of the bloodiest battle in British history. -
The Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman telegram was a secret message sent to Mexico from Germany that was intercepted by the United States. The telegram proposed an alliance against the U.S. to get territory lost from the Spanish-American War if they won. America becomes outraged by this message and is the final act before Congress declaring war on Germany in April of 1917. -
Beginning of the Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution began under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin. The first act, in March, was to overthrow their imperialistic government and the second act, in November, was to place the communist Bolsheviks in power. Another change Russia realized they had to make was a military advancement. World War I proved to Russians that their military was no longer a match against other influential countries. -
Congress Declares War on Germany
In response to the Zimmerman telegram, Congress declares war on Germany. America sent 2.8 million soldiers, often called "doughboys" because of abundance of supplies. Within months of the American troops arriving to the battlefield, the war was over. -
Selective Service Act
The Selective Service Act was enacted to authorize the United States federal government to raise a national army for service in World War I. This act is often called the draft and still occurs today. Today, just as in this time, men aged 18 and older must register with selective service to acknowledge that if need be, they will be sent to war. -
Wilson's 14 Points Speech
Woodrow Wilson gave the 14 points speech which revealed his plan for long lasting peace. This long lasting peace was his way of saying his plan for foreign policy. The ideas conveyed in this speech conflict with European desires to punish Germany for causing World War I. European countries desire to punish Germany although they were not the immediate cause of the war and will make Germans wish to retaliate for just that reason. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
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The Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was a contract that formally ended WWI after Germany's surrender. This treaty outlined the terms of peace and listed the guidelines for Germany after the war because of the damage they had done. Germany was forced to accept full responsibility for the war, lost all of its territories, had to pay reparation payments to the Allies, and was very limited on their military. These conditions destroyed the German economy and caused Germans to suffer tremendously from poverty. -
The Mandate System
The Mandate System was the compromise between the Allies on the division of former German territories. This idea was created in the treaties to end World War I and also included Turkish colonies. Great Britain divided the Middle East for their territory. Britain took Iraq, Jordan, and Palestine while France obtained Syria and Lebanon.
