World War I Timeline

  • Red Scare

    widespread unhappiness with peace process in 1919 America, fears of socialism fueled by the Communist takeover in Russia and labor unrest at home
  • Assasination of Archduke Ferdinand

    His assassination in Sarajevo set in motion the events that started World War I.
  • Powder Keg

    called this because one spark could cause the whole continent to explode
  • Lusitania

    American boat that was sunk by the German U-boats; made America consider entering WWI
  • Militarism, Imperialism, Nationalism, Alliance System lead to war

    were the causes of WWI in Europe and for America
  • "He kept us out of war"

    Wilson's campaign slogan for his second term.
  • Zimmermann Telegram

    a secret document to Mexico that said Germany would help them regain lost territories in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico if they joined the war on the Central Powers side
  • Russian Overthrow of Czar

    The rebels, Bolsheviks/communitsts, overthrew the czar which made russia exit the war.
  • General Pershing and American Expeditionary force

  • Russian Revolution

    Communists not involved
    Led by women, farmers and underpaid workers, a group of revolutionaries toppled the regime in the winter of 1917. This would mark the beginning of a violent process of civil war. The Czar was removed. This took Russia out of WWI
  • Xenophobia

    intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries.
  • Sedition Act

    Made it a crime to utter, print, write, or publish any disloyal info about the US government
  • Selective Service Act

    This 1917 law provided for the registration of all American men between the ages of 21 and 30 for a military draft. By the end of WWI, 24.2 had registered; 2.8 had been inducted into the army. Age limit was later changed to 18 to 45.
  • Espionage Act

    provided for imprisonment of up to 20 years for persons who either tried to incite rebellion in the armed forces or obstruct the operation of the draft
  • War Industry Board Created

    Managed the transition of the US from a consumer economy to a war economy.
  • Fourteen Points

    the war aims outlined by President Wilson in 1918, which he believed would promote lasting peace; called for self-determination, freedom of the seas, free trade, end to secret agreements, reduction of arms and a league of nations
  • Influenza Pandemic

    Mass epidemic of the influenza that killed over 40,000 people.
  • Schenck v US

    Supreme Court upheld constitutionality of Espionage Act, case involving a man who had been imprisoned for distributing pamphlets against the draft
  • Great Migration

    500,000 African Americans migrated to the northern industrial states to find work.
  • Big Four Meets

    David Lloyd George of Britain, Georges Clemenceau of France, Vittorio Orlando of Italy, Wilson of US eventually compromised on many of his fourteen points
  • Treaty of Versailles

    Germany was disarmed and stripped of its colonies, forced to admit guilt for the war, accept French occupation of Rhineland, pay huge sum of reparations, territories taken by Allies from Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, given independence, signers of treaty would join League of Nations, NEVER RATIFIED BY US, separate peace with Germany