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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, are assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip while the couple were visiting Sarajevo. This set off a chain of reactions leading directly to World War 1. -
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
One month after the Archduke's assassination, Austria - Hungary declares war on Serbia. -
August 1
Germany declares war on Russia. Russia was allied to Serbia, while Germany was allied to Austria - Hungary. -
Germany declares war on France.
Germany also declares war on France. France and Russia, along with Britain, would go on to create the Triple Entente. -
The U.S declares neutrality
Woodrow Wilson declared that the U.S would remain neutral on August 19th, 1914. -
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United States Neutrality
The United States remained neutral until it declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917. -
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World War 1 Battles
Countries fought battles, declared War Zones, and sunk boats. The first battle was the Battle of Tannenberg. New forms of military power are introduced such as poison gas and tanks. Since this is Honors U.S History and not World History, we won't go too in-depth with this section of time. -
Zimmerman Telegram
Germany sends the secret Zimmerman Telegram to Mexico in an effort to entice Mexico to join the war. The message promises U.S land once they emerge victorious. The British intercept, decipher the message, and eventually inform the United States. -
Russian Tsar Nicholas II abdicates.
Unrest and unhappiness in Russia forces the Tsar to abdicate. Also a pretty notable event, although it doesn't directly affect U.S History. -
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U.S Intervention in WW1
The U.S officially declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917 because of the Zimmerman telegram and Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare. The U.S greatly influenced the Allies victory through reinforcements and supplies. Soon after, the Treaty of Versailles was signed. -
German Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates and flees Germany
Germany is in a state of unrest. -
Germany signs the armistice at Compiegne, France.
Fighting ends on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month (i.e. 11 a.m. on November 11). The War is coming to an end. -
The Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles officially ends the First World War. However, not all is solved yet. The harsh punishments bestowed upon Germany through the Treaty of Versailles will come back to bite the other countries through the form of a second World War. The Great Depression leads to unrest throughout many developed countries, and has citizens craving change. In times like these, countries need a strong leader, and Adolf Hitler was that leader. The rest is history. -
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The Great Depression
The Great Depression was the longest and most severe depression ever experienced by the industrialized Western world. Many factors lead to the Great Depression. For example, once US banks began failing, the banks not only stopped making loans, but they also wanted their money back. This put pressure on European economies, which had not fully recovered from WWI, contributing to the global economic downturn. This economic downturn and unrest spread across the industrialized world, starting WW2. -
WWII starts
The aftermath of WW1, the Treaty of Versailles, and the Great Depression culminates into an even more horrible creation: The Second World War.
