-
Allies
In World War I, the group of nations—originally
consisting of Great Britain, France, and Russia and later joined
by the United States, Italy, and others—that opposed the Central
Powers -
Central Powers
The group of nations—led by Germany,
Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire—that opposed the
Allies in World War I -
1914 Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Heir to the Austrian throne, he visited Sarajevo. Serbian nationalist
Gavrilo Princip stepped from the crowd and shot the
Archduke and his wife Sophie. Princip was a member of the
Black Hand, an organization promoting Serbian nationalism.
On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared what was expected to be a
short war against Serbia. -
Sinking of British liner Lusitania
One of the worst disasters occurred on May 7, 1915, when a U-boat sank the British liner Lusitania off the southern coast of Ireland. Of the 1,198 persons lost, 128 were Americans. The Germans defended their action onthe grounds that the liner carried ammunition. Despite Germany’s explanation, Americans became outraged with Germany, turning against the Central Powers. -
Sinking of British liner Arabic
Three months later, in August 1915, a U-boat sank another British liner, the Arabic, drowning two Americans. Again the United States protested, and this time Germany agreed not to sink any more passenger ships. -
Sinking of French Passenger Liner Sussex
In March 1916 Germany broke its promise and torpedoed an unarmed French passenger steamer, the Sussex. The Sussex sank, and about 80 passengers, including Americans, were killed or injured -
Battle of the Somme
First battle, British suffered 60,000 casualties the first day alone. -
Selective Service Act of 1917
The act required men to register with the government in order to be randomly selected for military service. -
Zimmermann Note
A telegram from the German foreign minister to the German ambassador in Mexico that was intercepted by British agents. The
telegram proposed an alliance between Mexico and Germany. -
Convoy System
A system in which a heavy guard of destroyers escorted merchant ships back and forth across the Atlantic in groups, preventing shipping loss. -
Second Battle of the Marne
U.S. troops played a major role in throwing back German attacks at Château-Thierry and Belleau Wood. In July and August, they helped win the Second Battle of the Marne. The tide had turned
against the Central Powers. -
War Industries Board
It was established in 1917 and reorganized in 1918 under the leadership of Bernard M. Baruch. The board encouraged companies to use mass-production techniques to increase efficiency. -
Espionage and Sedition Acts
In June 1917 Congress passed the Espionage Act, and in May 1918 it passed the Sedition Act. Under the Espionage and Sedition Acts a person could be fined up to $10,000 and sentenced to 20 years in jail for interfering with the war effort or for saying anything disloyal, profane, or abusive about the government or the war effort. -
Austria- Hungary Surrenders to the Allies
On November 3, 1918, Austria-Hungary surrendered to the Allies. That same day, German sailors mutinied against government authority. -
Establishment of German Republic
On November 9, socialist leaders in the capital, Berlin, established a German republic. The kaiser gave up the throne. -
Cease-fire and Armistice
The Germans were too exhausted to continue fighting. So at the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day, in the eleventh month of 1918, Germany agreed to a cease-fire and signed the armistice, or truce,
that ended the war. -
National War Labor Board
To deal with disputes between management and labor, President Wilson established the National War Labor Board in 1918. -
Food Administration
To help produce and conserve food, Wilson set up the Food Administration under Herbert Hoover. -
Committee on Public Information
To popularize the war, the government set up the nation’s first propaganda agency, the Committee on Public Information (CPI). Propaganda is a kind of biased communication designed to influence people’s thoughts and actions. The head of the CPI was a former muckraking journalist named George Creel. -
Schlieffen Plan
On August 3, 1914, Germany invaded Belgium, following
a strategy known as the Schlieffen Plan. This plan called
for a holding action against Russia, combined with a quick
drive through Belgium to Paris; after France had fallen, the
two German armies would defeat Russia.