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Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand was the heir to Austria Hungary's throne. His assassination was important because it is the reason why World War I was started. -
Great War Begins
The trigger for this war was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and it started when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. -
Kaiser declares "Open Season" on ships
Kaiser Wilhelm stated that the North Sea was a war zone where are merchant ships, even ones from neutral countries, could be sunk without warning. -
Lusitania sank
A German U-Boat torpedoed and sank the RMS Lusitania ship. It has been revealed that the reason for the attack was because the Lusitania was carrying 173 tons of war munitions for Britain, which justified the Germans to take charge. -
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Battle of the Somme
This was a battle in World War I that was fought by the armies of the British and French empires, who were fighting against the German empire. -
Wilson was Reelected
In the Presidential Election of 1916, Woodrow Wilson was reelected after he won the election against Republican candidate and Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans. -
Zimmerman Note Intercepted
In a telegram, Zimmerman instructed the ambassador to offer financial aid to Mexico if it agreed to enter as a German ally in any future U.S. against Germany conflict. -
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U.S. Declares War on Germany
President Wilson appeared before Congress and asked for a declaration of war on Germany in attempt to "make the world a safer place for democracy." On April 4, Congress approved and granted his request. -
Selective Service Act
This act authorized the government to raise a national army so America could enter into World War I by requiring people to enlist. -
Convoy System
The British Royal Navy introduced this system, where all merchant ships would travel in groups to cross the Atlantic Ocean and be under the protection of the British navy. -
Espionage Act was passed
The Espionage Act was a federal law passed shortly after the U.S. entered into World War I. It provided penalties of being imprisoned for 20 years or fined up to $10,000 for people that were convicted for interfering with recruiting people for the military. -
Russia Pulls Out of the War
A group of Communists led by Vladimir Lenin overthrew the government and created a Communist government. Lenin pulled Russia out of World War I because he wanted to concentrate on building a strong Communist state. -
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Flu Epidemic
This epidemic killed 20 to 40 million people, which was more than the Great War (World War I). It has been cited as the most devastating epidemic that has been recorded in world history. -
Fourteen Points Speech
President Woodrow Wilson gave this speech to outline the principles of peace that would be used for peace negotiations as an attempt to end World War I. -
Sedition Act passed
This act extended the Espionage Act to cover a broader range of offenses, mainly focusing on how the speech and expression of opinion would affect the government or war effort in a negative way. -
Germany Signs Armistice
This was an armistice between the Allies and Germany during World War I and was the agreement that ended the fighting on the Western Front.
