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Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie the Duchess of Hohenburg, are killed by Bosnian Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip. This was the spark that begun the war.
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The Archduke of Austria Hungary being assassinated lead to the start of the war. It starts between Austria and Serbia but soon pulls in many other countries.
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The German invasion on France is stopped in the first battle of Marne.Germans are forced to the north side of the river, causing the the Schlieffen Plan to fail.
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Germany warns that neutral vessels in British waters would be destroyed. There would not always be a warning either.
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In the second Battle of Ypres, Germans use the first attack with chlorine gas. They manage to kill around 10,000 allied troops, and it is the first successful attack with chlorine gas on the western front.
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The Lusitania, a Cunard passenger ship sinks in British waters. A total of 1,198 drown, including many women and children and 124 U.S. citizens.
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After the March 24 sinking of the passenger ship, Sussex, Woodrow Wilson again threatened breaking off relations with Germany. Sussex Pledge is made.
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In an effort to draw German troops away from Verdun, the Allies mount a major offensive that opens with a large-scale artillery barrage that lasts five days.The casualty count is horrific: 419,000 British, 194,000 French and 650,000 Germans.
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Thirty-six tanks are secretly shipped to the front and used in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, near the Somme. However, mechanical malfunctions and inexperienced crews greatly hampered the tanks’ effectiveness.
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The Germans feel they have no other choice: the submarine is the only weapon that gives them an advantage over their enemies. Kaiser Wilhelm II gives an order: “To all U-boats – Sink on Sight.”
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President Wilson tells a joint session of Congress that Germany’s policy of unrestricted U-boat warfare poses an unacceptable threat to “freedom of the seas.”
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Intercepted weeks earlier by the British intelligence service, the United States is alerted about the Zimmermann Telegram, which reveals the german plot against America. German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmerman promises the return of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona to Mexico as reward.
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The peace plan includes independence for Poland, restoration of Belgian independence, the return of Alsace-Lorraine to France, an end to secret diplomacy, autonomy of subject nationalities and the formation of a League of Nations.
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Treaty of Brest-Litovsk is signed by Soviet Russia and Germany. Germany sets harsh terms: Russia yields 34% of its population, 32% of its farmland, 50% of its industrial holdings and 90% of its coal mines.
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Clocks are set forward one hour. The Congressional Act for “saving” daylight accompanies food, fuel, and other conservation programs
