-
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Assassinated
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. Russia sided with Britain, France, and Serbia against Germany and Austria-Hungary. The United States remained neutral until 1917 but supplied Russia, Britain, and other allies with war material. -
Great Britain declares war on Germany
The declaration is binding on all Dominions within the British Empire including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa. -
German U-Boat torpedoes the British passenger liner Lusitania
A German U-Boat torpedoes the British passenger liner Lusitania off the Irish coast. It sinks in 18 minutes, drowning 1,201 persons, including 128 Americans. President Woodrow Wilson subsequently sends four diplomatic protests to Germany. -
American voters re-elect President Woodrow Wilson
American voters re-elect President Woodrow Wilson who had campaigned on the slogan, "He kept us out of war." -
The British intercept a telegram
The British intercept a telegram sent by Alfred Zimmermann in the German Foreign Office to the German embassies in Washington, D.C., and Mexico City. Its message outlines plans for an alliance between Germany and Mexico against the United States. Germany would provide tactical support while Mexico would benefit by expanding into the American Southwest, retrieving territories that had once been part of Mexico. -
The United States of America declares war on Germany.
The United States of America declares war on Germany. -
The first American troops land in France.
The first American troops land in France. -
The Sedition Act of 1918
The act was passed in preparation for an anticipated war with France, the Alien and Sedition Acts tightened restrictions on foreign-born Americans and limited speech critical of the government. In 1798, the United States stood on the brink of war with France. -
World War I Ends
An armistice was signed between the Germans and the Allies, ending World War I. -
The Versailles Peace Treaty
At the Palace of Versailles in France, a German delegation signs the Treaty formally ending the war. Its 230 pages contain terms that have little in common with Wilson's Fourteen Points as the Germans had hoped. Germans back home react with mass demonstrations against the perceived harshness, especially clauses that assess sole blame for the war on Germany.