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Chinese Nationalists oust the last Qing emperor, Puyi
Chinese Nationalist leader Sun-Yixian rallied the Chinese and overthrew the last emperor of China, Puyi. After Sun-Yixian overthrew Puyi, he became the president of the Republic of China. Sun wanted to establish the "Three Principles of the People," but he did not have the authority of military support to do so. -
World War I begins as Austria declares war on Serbia
The relationship between Austria and Serbia was already tense due to their stuggles for more land and Serbia's attempt to start revolutions in Slavic populations. Austria annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country that Serbia wanted due to its high Slavic population. During this, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sofie was murdered by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Black Hand. When it was discovered that Princip was a Serbian, The Austro-Hungarians delcared war on Serbia. -
U.S Enters the War
The US entered the war on the side of the Allies because of their relations with Britain and the several offenses committed by the Germans. A German U-boat sank the Lusitania, killing 128 US citizens. In addition, Germany sent a telegram to Mexico promising Mexico that Germany would help Mexico "reconquer" their lost land. After this event, the US delcared war on Germany. -
Armistice signed as Allies defeat Central Powers
After the Germans failed to capture Paris after the Second Battle of the Marne, the German's could not keep up their resistance. Following the Second Battle of the Marne, the Germans signed an armistice, or an agreement to stop fighting. -
Gandhi leads Indian campaign of civil disobedience
Gandhi led the Indian campaign of civil disobedience in an effort to gain independence from Britain. Ghandi demanded peace over violence; his followers never would lash out and attack the British. Ghandi preferred to boycott British materials. One famous example of this was the "Salt March," where hundreds of thousands of Indians marched down to the sea to collect their own salt instead of buying British salt. -
Mustafa Kemal transforms Turkey into Republic
Mustafa Kemal first became known as a significant figure after he successfully fought of the Greeks and British from invading Turkey. Kemal became the president of the Republic of Turkey, and he pushed for reforms that would model Turkey's goverment after the United States. Kemal's rule helped the Turks gain a sense of national identity, and in return the Turks referred to him as Ataturk, or the father of the Turks. -
MaoZedong heads Long March
After the Nationalists and Communists oust the last emperor of China, a power struggle emerged: the communists vs. the nationalists. In the beginning of the civil war, the nationalists seemed to be able to defeat the communists. However, the communists managed to retreat to the Caves of Shaanxi. After the retreat, the Japanese invade China after sensing their weakness. The communists and the nationalists were forced to work together to defeat the Japanese.
