US Involvement in WWI

By Auder

  • Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand heir to the Austria-Hungary throne and his wife

    Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand heir to the Austria-Hungary throne and his wife
    Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie are shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist during an official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. The killings sparked a chain of events that led to the outbreak of World War I. The U.S. decided to stay out of the war.

  • Austria-Hungary Declares War

    Austria-Hungary Declares War
    Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia and Russia. This causes countries in Europe to start taking sides as they back their allies. The U.S. declared itself neutral.

  • Germany Declares War

    Germany Declares War
    Germany declares war on neutral Belgium and invades in a right flanking move designed to defeat France quickly. This violates a treaty signed by Prussia respecting Belgian neutrality. As a result of this invasion, Britain declares war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. Canada follows suit and joins the war. U.S President Woodrow Wilson declares policy of American neutrality.