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The assassination of the royal Austria-Hungary couple
At 11a.m Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie are shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist during an official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. This attack caused Austria-Hungary to put immediate blame on the Serbian government, causing Austria to declare war against Serbia leading to the first world war. This event is relative to the U.S because if it weren't for the assassination, WW1 would have never happened and the U.S would not be involved with the war. -
America's neutrality as WW1 errupts.
Great Britain declares war on Germany. The declaration is necessary on all powers/authorities within the British Empire including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa. As World War I is erupting in Europe, President Woodrow Wilson proclaims the neutrality of the U.S., a position that a vast amount of Americans favored. -
The sinking of the Lusitania
On may 7th 1915, a German U-boat attacked and sank a British line ship called the Lusitania, within 18 minutes the ship had been sunk killing 1,201 people including 128 Americans. Due to this tragedy President Woodrow Wilson subsequently sends four diplomatic (having unbiased judgment and neutrality) protests to Germany. While many American citizens wanted to go to war against Germany due to the sinking, Wilson still wanted to stay neutral and stay away from war. -
Democratic president (Woodrow Wilson) wins the Re-election
Democratic U.S. president Woodrow Wilson defeats former republican associate justice of supreme court, Charles Evan Hughes in the 1916 election. American voters re-elect President Woodrow Wilson on behalf of the slogan, "he kept us out of war." referring to how he kept neutrality during the beginning of world war 1, and did not start any commotion or rivalries. -
Germany wanting an alliance with an American enemy
On January 19th 1917, The British intercepts a telegram sent by Alfred Zimmermann in the German Foreign Office to the German embassies in Washington D.C, and Mexico city. The telegram outlines a plan that Germany had, to make an alliance with Mexico against the U.S. Stating how they would give Mexico tactical support, and most importantly their land back from U.S. The message was than sent to America and made public, causing an outcry from interventionists in the U.S. (Interventionist: Teddy R.) -
America joining in on World War 1
Americans were fed up due to the German government throwing gas into the fire, first they began destroying American trading ships and ships that American citizens were on, then they wanted to make an alliance with their enemy. So on April 6th 1917 America declares war against Germany, joining many other European countries in the World war. -
America making a move.
The first 14,000 U.S. troops landed in France at the port of Saint Nazaire. The landing site had been kept secret to avoid destructions from the German U-boats. The “Doughboys,” as the British referred to the secret American troops. British claimed that the soldiers were at this stage of war untrained, ill-equipped, and far from ready for the difficulties of fighting. -
The Sedition Act
The United States Congress passes the Sedition Act, a piece of designed to protect America’s participation in World War I. The Sedition Act was orchestrated largely by A. Mitchell Palmer, the United States attorney general under President Woodrow Wilson. The act imposed harsh penalties against anyone who is found guilty of making false statements that interfered with the prosecution of the war (such as insulting the U.S. Government). People would be punished with a hefty fine or jail time. -
The war ends
The very last shot had been shot precisely at 11 a.m. on November 11th 1918. There was 2,000 casualties experienced that day by all sides. An armistice was signed between the Germans and the Allies ending ww1. November 11th became a national holiday in the United States to honor those who served in the First World War, and helped bring it to an end. More than 30,000 Americans who died in World war 1 are buried overseas -
Treaty of Versailles
At the Palace of Versailles in France, a treaty had been signed by Germany, made to formally end the war between Germany and to claim peace between them and the victorious allies (France, Great Britain, U.S). People present at this event were the four representatives of the principle allied powers: Clemenceau for France, Wilson for the USA, Lloyd George for Great Britain, and Orlando for Italy. While the German delegation were composed of: Muller, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and a jurist.