World War I
By: Cameron Foil
The 1800's
1870- Prussia forced France to give up territory along the German border
1894- Russia and France sign the Franco-Russian Alliance
- The new alliance alarmed Russian leaders, who feared that Germany intended to expand eastward. In addition, Russia and Austria-Hungary were competing for influence in southeastern Europe. A common interest in opposing Germany and Austria-Hungary led Russia and France to sign the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1894. Under the alliance, the two nations promised to come to each other’s aid in a war against the Triple Alliance.
1898- Germany began building a large modern navy
- By the late 1800s, Germany had clearly become Europe’s strongest nation. In 1898 Germany began building a large modern navy. The buildup threatened the British, who rushed to build warships. By the early 1900s, Britain and Germany were engaged in an arms race.
1900's
August 31, 1907- Triple Entente
1908- Austria Hungry annexed Bosina
Russia supported the Serbs, but Austria-Hungary worked to limit Serbia’s growth. In 1908 Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia, which had belonged to the Ottoman Empire, outraging the Serbs. The annexation demonstrated that Austria-Hungary had no intention of letting the Slavic people in its empire become independent.
June 1914- Assassination Of Franz Ferdinand
Feburary 1915- Germans announced that they would use submarines to sink without warning any ship they found in the waters around Britain
They made this decision b/c of the British blockade. Supplies would go to British ports for war effort, they would be hidden as passenger ships.
May 7, 1915- U-boat sunk the Lusitania
The U.S. is going to be outraged that innocent American lives were lost even though they were not in the war. There were 1000 passengers including 128 Americans killed. The government did not feel ready to declare war. Wilson petitions Germany to stop attacks on civilian ships.
January 1917-German official sends a telegram to German ambassador in Mexico
- Wilson campaigned that he will keep us out of war, won re-elections a narrow victory. A year later the German official sends a telegram to German ambassador in Mexico, we will support you if you side with Germany, if they reconquer the land they lost in Texas. British intercepts this telegram and tells U.S.
Feburary 1, 1917- Germany resumed unrestricted warfare.
March 1917- riots broke out in Russia
- This causing Czar Nicholas II leader of Russia Empire to abdicate his throne, thus causing the Russian Revolution to begin. The government took control and the leaders wanted Russia to stay in war. The citizens were starving, so they did not want to be a part of the war.
April 2, 1917- Wilson petitions to congress to go into war
May 18, 1917- Selective Service Act
June 15, 1917- Espionage Act
July 4, 1917- AEF (american expedition forces) arrives in Paris
November 1917- Vladimir Lenin's Bolshevik party
March 3, 1918- "Treaty of Brest-Litovsk", Lenin compromised with Germany
March 21, 1918- Germany last offense
May 16, 1918- Sedition Act
The Sedition Act was passed by the congress to help protect America's participation in World War I.
June 1, 1918- Block of German Drive
September 26, 1918- Battle of Argonne Forest
Most massive American offensive for American expeditionary forces. Launched in region between the Muse river and Argon forest. German inflected many heavy casualties, their position slowly fell the American's advancing troops.