The Great War By gettinbiscuits Jun 28, 1914 Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo Mar 28, 1915 The Falaba becomes the first passenger ship sunk by German U-boat Apr 22, 1915 Second Battle of Ypres: first use of poison gas (Germans) May 7, 1915 The Lusitania is sunk by German U-Boat; 128 American civilians perish Feb 21, 1916 Battle of Verdun begins (longest battle of the war) Mar 24, 1916 The Sussex is sunk by German U-Boat; results in the issue of the Sussex Pledge Jun 1, 1916 Battle of the Somme begins; first use of tanks in combat by British (huge failure) Nov 7, 1916 U.S. President Woodrow Wilson wins reelection Dec 18, 1916 Battle of Verdun ends Jan 19, 1917 The Zimmermann telegram is published in U.S. Newspapers Jan 19 Jan 31, 1917 Germany revokes the Sussex pledge and resumes unrestricted submarine warfare Jan 31 Feb 3, 1917 U.S. breaks off diplomatic relations with Germany Mar 15, 1917 Tsar Nicolas II abdicates the Russian throne during Russian Revolution mar 15 Apr 6, 1917 U.S. declares war on Germany Jun 15, 1917 Congress passes the Espionage Act Jul 31, 1917 Third Battle of Ypres begins; by its end, over 250,000 are dead july 31 Nov 12, 1917 Battle of Cambrai begins;first British offensive designed around use of the tank Dec 7, 1917 U.S. declares war on Austria-Hungary Jan 18, 1918 President Wilson makes the “Fourteen Points” speech to Congress Mar 3, 1918 Russia and Germany sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, removing Russia from the war Jul 16, 1918 Tsar Nicholas II and his family are murdered by the Bolsheviks Nov 9, 1918 Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany abdicates the throne Nov 11, 1918 Armistice day—fighting ceases at 11 am; over 8.5 million soldiers are dead Nov 11 Jan 18, 1919 Peace negotiations begin in Paris Jun 28, 1919 The Treaty of Versailles is signed Jun 4, 1921 U.S. signs separate peace treaty with Hungary Aug 24, 1921 U.S. signs separate peace treaty with Germany Sep 10, 1921 U.S. signs separate peace treaty with Austria