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Franz Ferdinand was assasinated on this day in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Serbian nationalist group.
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Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the assasination. They sent a letter to Serbia listing their demands. After Sebia refused, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.
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Russia was mobolizing their armed forces because they knew that Germany would declare war on them because they had agreed to protect Serbia. Mobolizing means to gather their armed forces and start preparing for the war.
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Russia was preparing for the war because they agreed to protect Serbia. Germany had to side with its ally, so they declared war on Russia on this day.
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Germany knew France was an ally of Russia. Thus, Germany declared war on France on this day.
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On this day, Germany hoped to march through Belgium to get to Russia. However, the Belgians held out for three weeks against the Germans.
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Germany violated a 1839 treaty guaranteeing Belguim's neutrality. Since Britian had a plegde to protect Beluim, Britian declared war on Germany.
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Since Russia was an ally of Serbia, Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia.
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Since France and Britian were allies of Russia, they declared war on Austria-Hungary on this day.
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Japan was a rival of Germany. Therefore they joined the Allies on this day.
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The Germans were hoping to march right into Paris and take it. However, the British and French stopped the Germans and fought the Battle of Marne, which saved Paris from the Germans.
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The Ottoman Empire (Turkish) joined Germany and Austria-Hungary on this day.
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Germany did not like American aid to Britian. Therefore, ont his day Germany announced they would sink any vessels entering or leaving British ports.
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Poison gas was a very deadly weapon. It could seriously injure or kill anyone who breathed it.
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On this day, a German U-boat torpedoed the British passenger liner Lusitania off the coast of Ireland. About 1,000 people died, including 128 Americans.
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On this day, one of the longest and bloodest battles in the war was fought, the Battle of Verdun. 750,000 soldiers lost their lives, but no territory was gained.
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On this day, the Battle of Somme was fought in norhern France. The Allies only gained about 7 miles.
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The British government intercepted a secret telegram from Germany to Mexico asking them to join Germany against America. Newspapers published this telegram on this day, making many Americans very angry.
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On this day, the Bolsheviks overthrew the democratic Russian government. The Bolsheviks wanted to end Russia's participation in the war to vocus on there new government.
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Wilson thought that if Germany would win, there would be no balance of power in Europe and no one would support the Monroe Doctrine which means America would not be protected. After realizing this, He declared war on Germany.
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The U.S. wished defend its rights and be a great world power. As a result congress passed a declaration of war and Wilson signed it on this day.
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On this day, the Selective Service Act was passed. This act was passed because the Untied States had to raise an army very quickly.
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France needed a lot of help in the war. On this day, we sent over troops to help them. It took many months for them to get ready, but when they finally were, the Americans turned around the war.
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On this day, Vladimir Lenin took Russia out of the war.
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Woodrow Wilson had an idea for a peace plan, the Fourteen Points. Several of these points concerned the boundaries in Europe.
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On this day, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed by Vladimir Lenin and Germany. Russia surrendered Poland, the Ukraine, and other territory.
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During this time, Germany and Austria-Hungary pushed the Allies back to within 40 miles of Paris. After this, it looked like Germany might win the war.
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On this day, the American Expidetionary Force, led by John J. Pershing, fought on the Marne River. This helped turn back a German offensive.
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On this day, the German government asked Wilson for an armistice. An armistice is an agreement to end the fighting.
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On this day, the war had finally stopped. Germany agreed to surrender a lot of equiptment, all land forces east of the Rhine River, and its fleet to the Baltic Sea.
