WWI & WWII

Declaration of War on Serbia [cause]

Jul 28, 1914

Austria-Hungary used the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife as their justification to submit Serbia to their ultimatum. However, because Serbia agreed to all demands except one, Austria-Hungary broke diplomatic relations with Serbia and mobilized their military against them. Because Russia had a mutual defense alliance with Serbia, it tried to protect its companion. This, in turn, set off other alliances, with other powers joining in the war as well.

Schlieffen Plan [cause]

Aug 3, 1914

Germany's plan, the Schlieffen Plan, called for the quick mobilization of troops knowing that once war was declared on Russia, it would also be at war with France. Its measures included taking Paris, and thus defeating France, and immediately after they'd be transferred to back to Russia. They tried to attack France's rear, but this meant that they'd need to go through Belgium, even with Britain's protection over it. However, the Germans ignored this, bringing Britain into the war.

Battle of Jutland

May 31, 1916

The British and German navies clashed at the North Seas. In the beginning, the British Grand Fleet was lured towards the Germans, but they turned around, instead luring the German fleet northward. When the Germans were close enough, the British fleets opened fire. In the end, both sides claimed victory since Britain had lost more ships, while Germany's fleet was no longer "sea worthy."

Battle of Cantigny

May 28, 1918

This was the first major American offensive in WWI. Troops captured the village of Cantigny, which was the sight of a strong German fortification. The Americans were able to expand their front by about a mile. With their success, they were able to hold their position there, taking around 100 German prisoners.
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Treaty of Versailles [consequence]

Jun 28, 1919

The Treaty of Versailles was signed as a peace treaty after WWI. It required Germany to accept responsibility and guilt for causing the war. It prohibited them from having a navy and air force and limited the size of its army. The French and British also required that Germany must pay for the war's cost in money or something similar. For this reason, Nazis, whom believed that the Aryan race was superior, rose and called for the redemption of Germany by reversing the treaty.

The Great Depression 1929-1939 [consequence]

Oct 29, 1929

After WWI, agriculture was in a depressed state because of overproduction and falling prices. Farmers began to receive reduced income, leading to the decrease in the selling of manufactured goods, in turn causing businesses to cut off workers. Consumer demand no longer satisfied the production of goods, causing unemployment, in which people no longer wished to buy things to survive. People began to struggle for food, clothing, and shelter.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

Dec 7, 1941

Since Americans were confident that the Japanese wouldn't attack so close to home, naval facilities were undefended. However, Japanese planes flew over Pearl Harbor, dropping bombs that destroyed nearly 20 ships. This attack united the Americans and motivated them to go to war.

D-Day

Jun 6, 1944

American, British, and Canadian forces landed along France's heavily fortified coast of Normandy. The Germans were confused in the ranks and the absence of a commander. Hitler believed their plan was to distract German forces from a northern attack, so reinforcements had to be called further from Normandy, which caused delays. Efficient Allied naval support helped troops onto land.

United Nations [consequence]

Oct 24, 1945

The United Nations emerged as an organization dedicated to keeping world peace. The organization's purpose was to maintain international peace and security, as well as friendly relations among the nations of the world. The UN offered a substitute to global reconstruction.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) [consequence]

Apr 4, 1949

The US created the NATO as a regional military alliance against Soviet (Russian) aggression. When it allowed West Germany to rearm, the Soviet Union formed the Warsaw Pact as a countermeasure, and it also matched with the defense policies of NATO. Both these measures, in turn, gave rise to an early cold war between the US and the Soviet Union.