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The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
The Archduke was shot by a Serbian terrorist. His assassination provoked chain of events that 37 days later would lead to the First World War. -
WW1 begins & US reaction
The immediate cause of World War I was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. Also the alliances, imperialism, militarism, nationalism led us to WW1. As World War I begins in Europe, President Woodrow Wilson formally states the neutrality of the United States, a position that a vast majority of Americans favored, on August 4, 1914. On April 2, President Wilson appeared before Congress and called for a declaration of war against Germany. -
Sinking for the Lusitania
The sinking of the Lusitania was a contributing factor for the United States entry into WW1. The ship was sunk on May 7, 1915 by a German U-boat. Over 1100 lives were lost, including 128 Americans. The Lusitania was carrying forty-two hundred cases of small arms ammunition, a fact the Germans used to justify the sinking. But the Americans were swept by anger at this act of "mass murder" and "piracy". -
Arabic Pledge
Due to the pressure put on Germany following the Sinking of the Lusitania and the Arabic, Germany issued the Arabic pledge. This pledge was a promise made by the German Empire during World War I to limit unrestricted submarine warfare. -
Pancho Villa Raids Mexico
In March 9, 1916, several hundred Mexican guerrillas under the command of Francisco "Pancho" Villa cross the U.S.-Mexican border and attack the small border town of Columbus, New Mexico. Seventeen Americans were killed in the raid, and the center of town was burned. It was unknown if Pancho Villa participated in the attack, but President Woodrow Wilson ordered the U.S. Army into Mexico to capture the rebel leader dead or alive -
Sussex Pledge
The French ship the Sussex was sunk without warning while crossing the English Channel. This attack violated the Arabic Pledge to warn passenger ships before firing. While no Americans were killed, the event prompted Wilson to issue an ultimatum to Germany. If it continued unrestricted submarine warfare, America would break diplomatic relations and enter the war. Germany responded by promising not to sink passenger ships. This promise became known as the Sussex pledge. -
'He kept us out of war"
He kept us out of the war' is a slogan used by former US president Woodrow Wilson during the 1916 US election. This slogan helped Wilson get re-elected as president. -
Resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare
German response to the "Peace without victory" address. The military declared that they would wage unrestricted submarine warfare on the United States; meaning that they could and would sink any and all American ships -
ZImmermann Note
The British government intercepted a telegram from Arthur Zimmermann, a German ambassador in Mexico. The telegram proposed an alliance between Germany and Mexico in case America entered the war. Germany promised financial support and the return of Mexican territories Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. This telegram completely changed American views on entering the war -
Russian Revolution
Led by women, farmers and underpaid workers, a group of revolutionaries toppled the regime in the winter of 1917. This would mark the beginning of a violent process of civil war. The Czar was removed. This took Russia out of WWI.
