-
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand was shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist during an official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. The killings led to the outbreak of World War One by early August. -
Great War Begins
The assassination of Franz Ferdinand was what started World War One. -
Kaiser declares "open season" on ships
Kaiser Wilhelm announced the North Sea as a war zone, in which all merchant ships, including those from neutral countries, could be sunk without warning. -
Kaiser declares "open season" on ships
Kaiser Wilhelm announced the North Sea as a war zone, in which all merchant ships, including those from neutral countries, could be sunk without warning. -
Lusitania Sank
The Lusitania sank during the first world war when Germany waged submarine warfare against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the British Royal Navy blockaded Germany. -
Lusitania Sank
The Lusitania was torpedoed without warning by a German submarine off the south coast of Ireland. -
Battle of the Somme
The first day of the Somme resulted in 57,470 British casualties, greater than the total combined British casualties in the Crimean, Boer, and Korean Wars. -
Wilson Re-elected
Woodrow Wilson was the first Democratic president since Andrew Jackson to be elected for two consecutive terms of office when he defeated Supreme Court Justice Charles Hughes in the 1916 Presidential Election. -
Zimmerman Note Intercepted
The Zimmerman Telegram was a secret diplomatic communication issued from the German office that proposed a military alliance between Germany and Mexico in the event of United States entering World War One against Germany. -
U.S. declares war on Germany
President Wilson appeared before congress and aksed for a declaration of war against Germany in order to "make the world safe for democracy." -
Selective Service Act
The Selective Service Act authorized the federal government to raise a national army for the American entry into World War One through the enlistment of people. -
Convoy System
The Convoy System involved organizing ships into larger groups under the protection of armed naval vessels to provide better defense and countermeasures against German U-boat attacks. -
Espionage Act Passed
The Espionage Act prohibited many forms of speech, including any disloyal, profane, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States. -
Russia pulls out of the war
A group of Communists led by Vladimir Lenin overthrew the government and created a Communist government. Lenin wanted to concentrate on building up a communist state and wanted Russia to pull out of the war. -
Period: to
Flu Epidemic
The Flu Epidemic killed more people than World War One at an average of 20 to 40 million people. It was known as the "Spanish Flu" or "La Grippe." -
Fourteen Points Speech
The Fourteen Points Speech was to assure the country that World War One was being fought for a moral cause and for a lasting peace in Europe. -
Sedition Act Passed
The Sedition Act was a piece of legistation designed to protect America's participation in World War One. -
Germany Signs Armistice
The fighting in World War One came to an end with the signing of an armistice between the Allies and Germany that called for a ceasefire effect at 11 a.m. on the 11 hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
