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Austria-Hungary takes Bosnia
In 1908, Austria-Hungary took over the Turkish province of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serbia had wanted to claim the land for themselves since many Serbians had been living in the area. Tensions began to rise, and the two countries called upon others, who the deemed as allies, to help fight alongside them. As Serbia's hatred for Austria-Hungary began to spread, many hate groups had formed and started to think of ways to get revenge on Austria for taking away what they thought was theirs. -
The Archduke Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, are Murdered.
Serbia's nationalism had grown considerably over the past few years, and many of the groups created from the hatred of Austria-Hungary had been thinking of ways to show Austria how serious they were about the threats made against them. On June 14, 1914, as the Archduke and his wife had been traveling to inspect armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina. While touring in their car, a Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip, fired at the Archduke and his wife. -
The Beginning of WWI
After the Archduke and his wife had been killed, a rapid down spiral of events happened that changed everything. Many saw this as a mistake of the Serbian government, and Austria-Hungary had seen this as an opportunity to justify any attacks they had planned. At the time, Austria-Hungary had called upon its ally, Germany, to help fight. Serbia, sensing a war approaching, received offered help from its allies, France, Great Britain, Russia, and later on the U.S. -
Militarism
With tensions high, both countries had called to build up arms. They, along with their allies, were preparing for the worst situations they thought would happen. Germany and Russia had been the countries to gather as much military power as possible. Parliment and the politicians in Germany had virtually no say in the construction of the military. In Russia, generals forced and threatened the Czar in mobilizing their military. -
Germany's Blank Check
A week after the assassination of the Archduke, the Austrian minister had sent an envoy to Germany. In the message, Austria had expressed their need to call action against the rising threat in the Balkan region. Feeling pressured by personal feelings and the Austrian ambassador, the German ambassador had brought forth the unsteady promise of alliance. -
Great Britain became involved
After Germany had secretly devoted itself to supporting Austria-Hungary, the monarchy had sent harsh terms to Serbia that they tried to enforce. Certain that they were facing war conditions, Serbia called upon their allies to help arm them and fight. Soon enough, France, Great Britain, and Russia joined with Serbia against Austria-Hungary. -
Sinking of Lusitania
On May 7, 1915, a German u-boat sank the RMS Lusitania, a British ship on the route from New York to Liver Pool in England. Out of 1,900 passengers, 1,100 had died, 120 of which were Americans. -
Zimmerman Note
On January 11, the German minister had sent a telegram to the Mexican ambassador. Sent through a secured line meant for peace negotiations, the telegram stated that there would be great rewards for Mexico if they proposed their own alliance with Japan. This was message was intercepted and published to an American papers on February 24th. -
Submarine Warfare
In February of 1915, Germany had announced that it would continue with its unrestricted warfare, but many people, including the British and U.S., did not expect Germany to attack them. Germany, only promising through words, stated that the sinking of U.S. ships would come to a stop. Continuing their submarine warfare, it became clear that the attacks would not stop. This lead to the U.S. considering the possibility of joining the war. -
The Impact of America
After Russia had left the war, the U.S. had stepped in and brought many troops, full of men willing to serve. Other countries had been surprised at the everlasting supply of young men, willing and ready to help contribute to the war. Off the field, America had many other civilians left, all wanting to help and participate in the war effort any way they can. Many worked to produce materials needed for the troops. Ranging from food to guns -
The U.S. Becomes Involved
Watching Germany continue to use their policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, the U.S. became very concerned about the possibility of entering the war. When the Zimmerman telegram was intercepted, this angered the American people very much and was considered the turning point for them.This act of secrecy had convinced President Wilson, congress, and the people that neutrality was no longer an option. -
Effects of WWI
By November 1918, the war had ended. By the end, the Austria-Hungary empire had fallen and the monarchies in Germany and Russia had ended. Inflation had gone up due to the surplus of supplies left unused and unable to be sold. Because many people did not want to waste their scarce amount of money, inflation seemed to skyrocket to prices that made even the simplest of items unavailable. Worldwide, roughly 17 million deaths and around 20 million people were wounded. -
The Treaty of Versailles
On June 28, exactly 5 years of the assassination, the Treaty of Versailles was signed by the Allies and all who were involved. The treaty put very harsh rules and conditions on Germany and blamed them for starting the war. They were forced to pay reparations, around 20 billion gold marks, be stripped of their military and only be allowed to keep 100,000 men, and had to give back all of the land it had conquered during the war time. -
The Dawes Plan and Young Plan
The Dawes plan and Young plan are very similar to each other, they both reviewed Germany's reparations. The Dawes plan temporarily reduced the payments until the economy had taken a turn for the better. The Young plan took a final review and made a final settlement with Germany. Over time, the payment was reduced and went to 121 billion gold marks. -
The Great Depression
Since there was a great amount of surplus in the U.S. that was unsold, prices of these items had risen.The level of unemployment among farmers and people living in rural areas had started the depression scare Over the years, many people were taking their money out of investments and stock markets to try to preserve it. Because of the constant withdrawal of money, the stock market crashed and sent many people into a worldwide panic. Banks closed down and the level of unemployment skyrocketed. -
The Rise of Hitler
After fighting in WWI and having a clean bill of health, Hitler took advantage of the lack of confidence in the government and took office. He spoke with charm, speaking of change and a new, better life. He appealed to the lower class, the younger generation, and to those without jobs, and at this time, many people had lost their jobs and unable to work. Being compelled by his charm and charisma, the people had voted to elect Hitler to become a chancellor.
