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In June of 1918, the archduke of Austria and his wife were traveling to Bosnia-Herzegovina. During their travel, a failed attempt on his life was made by a member of the Black Hand, a terrorist group who sought to kill the archduke. Several members were arrested after this failed terrorist attack, while the archduke and his wife continued travelling. Later, however, while the his car was stuck in traffic, a lasting member of the black hand fatally shot the archduke and his wife. -
A military engagement during WWI between France and Germany, fought in France, Verdun. Considered the longest and bloodiest battles of the war, with French casualties amounting to about 400,00 and German casualties amounting to about 350,000. A majority of battles fought during WWI took place in France. Germany often targeted the French, with the battle of Verdun being just one of the many military offensives launched on France by the Germans. -
In January 1919, around 30 nations convened in Paris, France to establish the terms of peace after WWI during a conference. Led to the formation of the Treaty of Versailles and the formation of the League of Nations. It was a major political event at the time as there were very important political discussions occurring during the conference between many officials from different nations. -
The Treaty of Versailles codified peace terms between the victorious Allies and Germany and effectively declared the end of WWI. It held Germany responsible for starting the war and imposed harsh penalties in terms of loss of territory, massive reparations payments and demilitarization. Economic distress and resentment of the treaty within Germany helped fuel the ultra-nationalist sentiment that led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party, as well as the coming of WWII. -
The stock market crash of 1929 was a major economic disaster which impacts were most seen in the United States. The overall cause of this stock market crash can be chalked up to a rise in unemployment, low wages, an excess of bank loans, and the proliferation debt. On October 29th, 1929 stock prices collapsed completely. Billions of dollars were lost, wiping out thousands of investors. By 1933, nearly half of America’s banks had failed, and unemployment was approaching 15 million people. -
On January 30, 1933, Hindenburg, president of Germany, offered Adolf Hitler the chancellorship of Germany. The rise of Hitler is an example of how Germans interacted socially during the interwar period. Hitler built his political campaign and gained followers by using the anger, despair, and dissatisfaction of the German people to unite under his rule. After the treaty of Versailles, the German economy was ruined by hyper-inflation and the German people were very resentful and dissatisfied. -
The Holocaust was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe, around two-thirds of Europe's Jewish population. This was a major cultural event during WWII as Nazi Germany specifically targeted members of a religious group. Since millions of Jews died during the Holocaust, it left a significant impact on Jewish culture which lasts to this day. -
The Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada. This was a major technological advancement in history as nuclear weapons were the strongest military weapon the world had ever seen. Those with nuclear technology and weaponry gained an obvious tactical advantage over those who did not, and it remains as such to this day. -
With the use of two nuclear weapons and a declaration of war on Japan by the Soviet Union, Japan was backed into a corner as their situation became dire. Recognizing that victory was impossible, the Japanese government accepted Allied surrender terms without qualifications on August 14, 1945. When news of Japan’s surrender was announced on August 14, celebrations erupted across the United States. The United Kingdom announced that its official V-J Day would be the next day, August 15, 1945.