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The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the spark that triggered World War I by setting off a chain reaction of alliances and escalating tensions across Europe. -
American neutrality in World War I was crucial early on because it kept the U.S. out of conflict, preserved economic stability, and allowed the country to later influence the war’s outcome and postwar peace on its own terms. -
The Battle of the Marne was a pivotal turning point in World War I, as it halted the German invasion of France and marked the beginning of a prolonged, deadly stalemate in trench warfare. -
The sinking of the Lusitania was significant because it killed American civilians and increased anti-German sentiment, helping push the United States toward joining World War I.