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Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Princip this was the immediate trigger for World War I. Austria-Hungary, viewing Serbia as responsible, issued an ultimatum that was partially rejected. This led Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia. -
American neutrality in World War I was initially proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914, in order to avoid "entangling alliances," remain impartial, and focus on domestic issues. -
The Battle of the Marne or The Miracle on the Marne to France was the first battle of WW1 that lasted from September 5th to the 12th of the year 1914. The German army invaded France with a plan to win the war in 40 days by occupying Paris and destroying the French and British armies. -
The sinking of the Lusitania caused the deaths of 128 Americans and outraged the public, significantly increasing anti-German sentiment and pressuring the U.S. to move away from neutrality -
The Battle of Verdun was a 10-month-long World War I battle where the French repulsed a major German offensive, resulting in hundreds of casualties on both sides. The battle is famous for its extreme brutality where German forces attempted to "bleed the French white". -
The Sussex Incident led Germany to issue the Sussex Pledge, a promise to end unrestricted submarine warfare, which temporarily eased tensions with the U.S -
The Battle of the Somme was a massive World War I offensive that lasted from July to November 1916, resulting in over a million casualties and minimal territorial gains. It began with a week-long artillery bombardment that failed to destroy German defenses, leading to a disastrous first day for the British army. -
The Zimmermann Telegram was a secret proposal from Germany to Mexico, offering financial support and the return of lost territories if Mexico joined an alliance against the United States. It was intercepted and decoded by British intelligence, which then shared it with the U.S. government. Its publication in the American press caused public outrage, significantly shifting American opinion in favor of entering the war and leading to the U.S. declaration of war on Germany -
Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare was a World War I naval tactic to sink any ship, including passenger vessels, in the waters around Britain to disrupt supply lines and starve Britain into submission. -
The United States entered World War I after years of neutrality. Reasons included Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare, the sinking of the Lusitania, and the interception of the Zimmermann Telegram, the U.S. President Woodrow Wilson requested the declaration of war from Congress, arguing the world must be made "safe for democracy". -
The Selective Service Act is a law that allows the U.S. government to temporarily expand the military through conscription, or a draft. The most famous version, passed in 1917, required men aged 21 to 45 to register for service. -
The Espionage Act is a U.S. law that criminalizes the disclosure of information that could harm national security, with penalties including imprisonment and fines -
The American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in France was the US army in World War I, arriving in June 1917 under General John J. Pershing. -
President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points were a proposal for world peace laid out in a January 8, 1918, speech to Congress, outlining principles for a post-World War I settlement. -
The importance of the Spanish flu epidemic lies in its massive global death toll, its devastating impact on public health, and the critical lessons it taught the world about pandemics. With an estimated 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide, it killed more people than World War I and World War II combined, infecting about one-third of the human population. -
Russia exited World War I by signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk on March 3, 1918, ending its involvement with the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire). The withdrawal was a direct result of the Russian Revolution, as the new Bolshevik government under Vladimir Lenin prioritized domestic stability over the war, which had caused immense suffering and military losses -
The Sedition Act of 1918 was important because it was used to suppress dissent and anti-war speech during World War I, severely limiting First Amendment freedoms for a period -
The Battle of the Argonne Forest, part of the final Meuse-Argonne Offensive, was important because it was a major factor in forcing Germany to surrender and ending World War I. The offensive was the largest American operation in the war, and the determined Allied and American advance broke through German defenses, stretching their resources and ultimately leading to a German retreat. -
Armistice Day on November 11, 1918, holds immense importance as it marked the end of fighting in World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Its significance lies in ending a devastating conflict, initiating peace negotiations, and setting the stage for future world events -
The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles were critically important because they formally ended World War I, but the treaty's harsh terms on Germany created lasting resentment that contributed to the outbreak of World War II.