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Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated while visiting Sarajevo, Bosnia. He was next in line to the Austro-Hungarian throne. The killings set off decades old tensions in Europe and started WWI -
Sinking of the Lusitania
The Lusitania, a British passenger ship, was torpedoed by a German U-boat killing 1,000 people near the coast of Ireland. 128 of the passengers were Americans. -
The U.S. enters the war
Because Germany had made it difficult to stay neutral, Wilson requested a declaration of war against Germany. On April 6, 1917, the declaration was passed by Congress then signed by Wilson. Military drafting began after the Selective Service Act was passed on May 18. -
The Sedition Act
The Sedition Act, which was passed by Congress in 1918, stated that "saying, printing, or writing anything negative about the U.S. government was a crime". Out of the thousands of people who were convicted, two were challenged and heard by the Supreme Court. There was a lot of question if it contradicted the Constitution and defied a person's right of free speech. -
WWI ends
In late 1918, World War I was finally taking a toll on the Central Powers. The Ottoman Empire was on the verge of collapse, and protests in Austria-Hungary split apart the centuries-old empire. By early November, the Ottoman Empire and Austria-Hungary had abandoned Germany and acquiesced to the Allies allowing Germany's leaders to realize how slim their chances of winning were. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, between the U.S. and Germany. Under its circumstances, Germany removed all land forces to the west of the Rhine River, withdrew fleets on the Baltic Sea, and ceded huge amounts of equipment. -
Making Peace
In January of 1919, leaders from 27 nations met for a peace conference after World War I concluded. It is here that Wilson outlined his Fourteen Point Plan. -
Senate rejects League of Nations
The League of Nations was created by Woodrow Wilson in his Fourteen Points plan. Its purpose was to serve as a peacemaker by respecting and protecting the independence of each nation. The United States was hesitant about joining the League because if a war was going on elsewhere, the United States' defenses would be compromised.
In 1920, the United States voted on rejecting the Treaty.
