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Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
Gavrilo Princip killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand. -
Great War Begins
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Kaiser declares “open season” on ships
The Kaiser declares unrestricted submarine warfare around the British Isles. -
Lusitania sank
The British ocean liner Lusitania is torpedoed without warning by a German submarine off the south coast of Ireland. -
Period: to
Battle of the Somme
British & French vs German Empire. British Commander in Chief Sir Douglas Haig calls a halt to his army's offensive near the Somme River in northwestern France, ending the epic Battle of the Somme after more than four months of bloody conflict. -
Wilson Re-elected
President Woodrow Wilson of the United States is re-elected for his second term. -
Zimmerman Note Intercepted
Woodrow Wilson learned of the telegram’s contents, he proposed to Congress that the U.S. should start arming its ships against possible German attacks. -
US Declares War on Germany
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Selective Service Act
Authorized the federal government to raise a national army for the American entry into World War I through the compulsory enlistment of people. -
Introduction of the Convoy System
Driven by the spectacular success of the German U-boat submarines and their attacks on Allied and neutral ships at sea, the British Royal Navy introduces a newly created convoy system, whereby all merchant ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean would travel in groups under the protection of the British navy. -
Espionage Act Passed
Prohibited many forms of speech, including "any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States -
Russia Pulls out of the War
Vladmir Lenin successfully led a communist revolution, and negotiated a treaty with Germany. -
Flu Epidemic
Killed more people than WWI, at somewhere between 20 and 40 million people. -
Fourteen Points Speech
Wilson itemized 14 strategies to ensure national security and world peace. -
Sedition Act Passed
Expanded on Espionage Act. -
The Great War Ends
Germany signs armistice with the Allied Powers ending WWI.
