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France in the Scramble for Africa
France had gained control over many countries in west Africa. They did this in order to regain some power after their setbacks that they had experienced prior (losing Alsace-Lorraine to Germany for example). -
Germany and Austria-Hungary Become Allies
After the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the attack and sent a July Ultimatum as an excuse for them to start a war. Germany reached out and said they supported Austria-Hungary and then the two became allies with one another. -
Social Darwinism Influences Nationalism in Germany
Over the course of WW1, Germany began taking lots of precautions like increasing their military before fighting to gain control in as many countries as they could. They felt the need to gain all of this power because of the demand of Social Darwinism which ultimately increased nationalism in the Germans. This nationalism became their drive to keep declaring war on other countries and gaining more power. -
United States Enters WW1
The United States entered the war because of Germany's unauthorized submarine warfare, the Zimmerman note, and to help aid their allies (Britain, France, and Russia). The other countries that were aided by the U.S. were heavily dependent on the U.S.'s ability to help with anything from food to supplies. Due to this, the U.S. was a great help when it came to the victory of the Allied Powers. -
The Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand & wife Sophie were shot by Serbian Nationalist known as Gavrilo Princip when in Sarajevo. This act is what caused a "domino effect" which led to the beginning of WW1. -
Germany's Blank Check to Austria-Hungary
Kaiser Wilhelm II sent a telegram to Berchtold saying that Germany would support A-H when it came to their problems with Serbia that they were dealing with. -
World War 1 Begins
World War 1 broke out back in Europe after tensions from the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand grew worse. A-H had declared war on Serbia, Germany and Russia were at war, and France had begun preparations to defend themselves as well. France eventually got attacked by Germany though Belgium which is what led Great Britain to declare war on Germany. -
The Sinking of the Lusitania
One of Germany's U-boats sunk the Lusitania, killing around 1,100 people. This event caused Americans to shift their views and opinions on Germans; despite the fact they were staying neutral at the time of the sinking. -
Germany's Resumption of Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
The Germans chose to ignore that other countries were not fond of them sinking their ships. They continued to do so because they believed it was a good strategy. This eventually is what led the United States to finally get involved in the war. -
Zimmerman Telegram
Arthur Zimmerman sent a telegram offering aid to Mexico from Germany in order to create an alliance for the war. -
Congress passes the Selective Service Act
President Woodrow Wilson signed this act into law in order to strengthen the United States military in preparation for helping aid the Allies in Europe. -
Effects of WW1
One huge effect of WW1 was the loss of power in Germany, Turkey, Austria-Hungary, and Russia. Another effect of the war was that nationalism had increased in people's own countries; rather than seeking other countries to control. Economic balance was also changed dramatically post-WW1. Another effect was: modern warfare was now a new precedent in the world. Another effect was that many social changes had taken place (like women being able to do a man's job) that would revolutionize the world. -
Treaty of Versailles
The signing of the Treaty of Versailles is what marked the ending of World War 1. The treaty included many setbacks for Germany such as financial reparations, reassigned boundaries, as well as demilitarization to ensure that they would not continue to be as powerful as they were. Also, Germany was not allowed to join the League of Nations until 1926 due to the signing of this treaty. -
The Rise of Hitler
After defeat in WW1 and the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was super embarrassed of all that was to come of their country. Due to all of the repercussions that they faced, they wanted revenge on those who did them wrong; especially Adolf Hitler. After trying to overthrow the government with his Nazi party, many began to pay attention to his ideology and he gained many supporters that believed he would make great change happen. From here, the Nazi party would only grow larger until WW2 struck. -
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The Dawes Plan and the Young Plan
The Dawes Plan was introduced in April of 1924 by Charles G. Dawes from the Reparation Commission. One of the biggest things that the Dawes Plan proposed was to start Germany's payments (that they owed from WW1) at a low price and then gradually increase as their economy stabilized. The Young Plan was proposed in 1929 by Owen D. Young to reduce Germany's total that they had to pay after WW1 and create a deadline of 58 years that they had to meet. -
The Great Depression
Started after the stock market crash on Wall Street that resulted in a huge economic downfall for Americans. The Great Depression lasted until 1939 and left around 15 million people unemployed and caused many banks to fail due to scared investors trying to pull out their money after the crash.
