1900-1920 timeline

  • Roosevelt Corollary

    President Theodore Roosevelt passed this policy in 1904. It was an addition to the Monro Doctrine that explained the United States had a right to put a militarily stop to any attempts from foreign countries to intrude upon Latin American countries.
  • Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

    An unidentified Bosnian Serb assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in 1914. This was the first of many events that led to the start of WW1.
  • WW1 begins

    In July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia which marked the start of World War 1.
  • Lusitania Sunk

    Lusitania, a British boat, was sunk by a German U-boat in 1915. When this boat sunk, all of the passengers aboard died, including over 100 American citizens. This greatly infuriated Americans, but the US government still held true to its claim of neutrality for a couple more months.
  • Zimmerman telegram

    Arthur Zimmermann, a German minister, sent this telegram to Heinrich Eckhardt, a German minister in Mexico. In short, the telegram was a message to the Mexican government that promised them American land in exchange for Mexico's assistance in the war. This was one of America's 'final straws' that caused the country to break neutrality.
  • Bolshevik Revolution

    In this Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks, the future Soviet Union Communist Party, overthrew the czarist Russian powers and took control of the country themselves.
  • US Enters WW1

    On this date, the US Senate agreed to declare war on Germany, marking America's entrance to WW1.
  • Creel Committee Creation

    This committee was designed to spread wartime propaganda to create enthusiasm about America's entrance to the war.
  • Selective Service Act

    This Act forced men aged 21-30 to enroll in mandatory military service.
  • End of WW1

    In November 1918, the Allies began to pull towards victory, and Germany agreed to a ceasefire to halt the war.
  • Treaty of Versailles

    The Treaty of Versailles marked the official end of WW1. This treaty gave Germany the blame for the war and, as punishment, Germany lost territory, paid for damages, and lost rights to its military force.
  • League of Nations

    This organization included countries like America, the United Nations, France, and many others. These countries strived to maintain world peace by dealing with global issues diplomatically rather than by physical force.