-
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was important to World War I because it triggered a chain reaction of alliances that pulled major European powers into conflict.
-
American neutrality in World War I, declared by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914, was an initial policy of non-intervention in the European conflict due the desire to avoid entanglement in foreign wars, and the country's diverse ethnic makeup. However, this neutrality was compromised by economic ties favoring the Allies, German submarine warfare (including the sinking of the Lusitania), and the Zimmermann Telegram. Ultimately, these factors led the U.S. to declare war on Germany in 1917.
-
The battle, and the last hope for German victory, only lasted a day and resulted in a devastating loss for the German war effort. This was a major success for Americans and the Allies as German forces were pushed away from the area of the Marne River
-
The sinking of the RMS Lusitania on May 7, 1915, was significant because it killed 1,195 people, including 128 Americans, which outraged the U.S. public and fueled anti-German sentiment. This event accelerated the United States' eventual entry into World War I, shifting American public opinion away from the country's neutral stance.
-
The Battle of Verdun was important because it became a symbol of French resistance and a brutal war of attrition that highlighted the horrors of trench warfare. The battle lasted for 10 months, had enormous casualties for both sides ((~500,000) for France, (~400,000) for Germany), and ended with no significant territorial gains, forcing a shift in military tactics toward less static, more coordinated offensives.
-
The Sussex Incident was important because it escalated tensions between the United States and Germany during World War I and led to the short-lived but consequential "Sussex Pledge". The sinking of the Sussex, a French passenger ferry, prompted a U.S. threat to break diplomatic ties, to which Germany responded by promising to limit its use of unrestricted submarine warfare.
-
The Battle of the Somme was important because it resulted in devastating casualties, highlighting the brutality of trench warfare and leading to the end of Britain's "pals battalions". -
The Zimmermann telegram is significant because it was a secret message from Germany to Mexico proposing a military alliance against the United States during World War I, which ultimately helped persuade the U.S. to enter the war. -
Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare was important because it was a key factor in the United States' decision to enter World War I, which ultimately helped the Allies win. The strategy of sinking ships without warning, including civilian and neutral vessels, caused significant civilian casualties and international outrage, particularly after the sinking of the Lusitania. -
The United States' entry into World War I was critically important because its fresh troops and vast economic resources helped tip the balance in favor of the Allied powers, ensuring their victory over Germany. The U.S. provided much-needed financial support to the allies, who were near collapse by 1917, and its industrial output of supplies was decisive. -
The Selective Service Act is important because it established a system of conscription (military draft) and has had a profound impact on U.S. military policy, individual rights, and societal views on national duty. -
The Espionage Act is important because it protects national security information by criminalizing the unauthorized disclosure of defense-related data, but it is also a controversial law that raises concerns about freedom of the press and speech. Passed in 1917, it has been used to prosecute spies and leakers and remains a powerful tool for the government to guard sensitive information, while its application in leak cases has sparked debate over its impact on the public's right to know. -
The American Expeditionary Force (AEF) was important because it provided the critical manpower that helped the Allies win World War I, boosted morale, and allowed the United States to establish itself as a modern military power. The AEF's involvement in key battles like the Meuse-Argonne Offensive was crucial in breaking the stalemate on the Western Front, while the mobilization of its over two million troops demonstrated American logistical capabilities. -
President Wilson's Fourteen Points were important because they served as the basis for the Allied peace negotiations at the end of World War I, aiming to create a lasting and just peace. They called for specific reforms like an end to secret treaties, freedom of the seas, and free trade. Most significantly, the plan proposed a League of Nations to ensure collective security and prevent future wars, though the final Treaty of Versailles diverged significantly from the more idealistic points -
The microscopic killer circled the entire globe in four months, claiming the lives of more than 21 million people. The United States lost 675,000 people to the Spanish flu in 1918-more casualties than World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War combined. Pharmaceutical companies worked around the clock to come up with a vaccine to fight the Spanish flu, but they were too late. The virus disappeared before they could even isolate it. -
Russia's exit from World War I was extremely important because it allowed Germany to shift troops to the Western Front and intensified fighting there, and it was a key factor in the Russian Revolution, which led to the rise of the Bolsheviks, the Russian Civil War, and a new geopolitical landscape in Eastern Europe. The withdrawal through the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk also came with severe territorial losses for Russia. -
The Sedition Act was important for its controversial impact on freedom of speech and the press, and for sparking a major political battle between the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties. -
The Battle of Argonne Forest was important as it was the final Allied offensive of World War I, a massive and deadly campaign for the American Expeditionary Forces, and a crucial factor in the armistice and the war's end. This major engagement helped break through German defenses, leading to their eventual surrender and marking the largest operation in American military history to that point. -
Armistice Day is important because it marked the end of fighting in World War I on November 11, 1918, and is a day of remembrance for the sacrifices made during the war and other conflicts. Although the war officially ended with the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, the 1918 armistice is seen as the symbolic end of the fighting. It is now observed as Veterans Day in the United States and Remembrance Day in other countries, honoring all who have served. -
The Paris Peace Conference (1919) was important because it produced the Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended World War I. The treaty's harsh terms on Germany—including severe military restrictions, territorial losses, and heavy reparations—created significant resentment and destabilized Europe, while its creation of the League of Nations marked an attempt at a new system of international cooperation to prevent future wars.