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WW1 begins
Countries throughout Europe made mutual defence agreements that would pull them into battle. Leading up to WW1, we had problems such as imperialism, militarism, nationalism, and the spark of the war, the assassination of the archduke Franz Ferdinand. -
Russia Mobilizes
July 28, 1914 Austria- Hungary declares war on serbia. This causes Russia to begin full mobilization of its troops. Germany was not okay with that so on August 1st germany declared war on Russia. -
Germans fire
Germany shocked Allied soldiers along the western front by firing more than 150 tons of lethal chlorine gas against 2 French colonial divisions. This was the 1st major gas attack by the germans, it devastated the allied lines. -
Lusitania sinks
Germany hit the U.S ship Lusitania causing 1,201 people to die. They say it was because it was an enemy ship carrying mutations. America was furious, causing he to no longer remain neutral spectators. -
Germany limits submarines
Germany returns to the policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. This was in response to the pressure from The United States and other neutral countries. -
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman telegram was a message sent from the German Ambassador to Mexico, proposing an alliance between Mexico and Germany in the case of war between the U.S. and Germany. It was published on the front pages of newspapers across America. In the message, Germany promised Mexico significant financial support, as well as Mexico’s lost territories: Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. This telegram quickly raised tension as it spread throughout the US, and was an eventual factor that lead the U.S. -
United States Enters War
Joining its Allies, (France, Britain, Russia, Italy, Belgium, and Serbia) the U.S. joined the fight lead by General John J. Pershing. More than 2 million soldiers were sent to fight in France. The allied powers had been fighting against Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire before America even joined the war. -
The Selective Service Act
This act authorized the federal government to raise a national army for the American into WWI through the compulsory enlistment of U.S. citizens. This allowed the president to temporarily increase the military establishment of the United States. -
Germany and Russia at Peace
Russia’s involvement in WWI was a disaster that led to Vladimir Lenin’s successful revolution in 1917. That same year, Germany negotiated peace talks with Russia. Germany then demanded independence from Russia’s hold on Eastern Europe, which ended negotiations and resumed fighting on the Eastern Front. With German troops advancing, Lenin finally signed a peace treaty with Germany on March 3, 1918. -
Battle of Belleau Wood
The Battle of Belleau Wood occurred during the German 1918 spring offensive, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S., the French, and the British forces, against an assortment of German units. Although it was an Allied victory, the allies suffered 1,811 casualties. -
Armistice Day
Armistice Day is commemorated every year to mark the Armistice signed between the Allied Forces and Germany in WWI. It is considered a national holiday in many allied nations.
