Create a timeline of important events in WWI to help students understand how it progressed
Storyboard Text
World War I Begins
World War I Begins
World War I Timeline
Germans Introduce Poison Gas
On July 28, Gavrilo Princep assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. This set off a chain of events that led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia. The assassination is considered to be the spark that lit the fuse to the "powder keg" era of WWI.
Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
On April 22, 1915, German troops used more than 150 tons of chlorine gas against two French divisions in Belgium. It was devastating and established a new style of chemical warfare. Due to the slow-moving trench style of combat in WWI, poison gas was an incredibly deadly weapon throughout the war.
The Sinking Of The Lusitania
R.M.S Lusitania
On May 7, 1915, a German submarine fired a torpedo on the British luxury steamship called The Lusitania. 1,195 people died and the attack fueled Anti-German sentiment in the United States. The sinking of the Lusitania is seen by many historians as the pivotal moment that led the US towards entering WWI.
U.S. Declares War On Germany
On April 6, 1917, U.S. Congress formally declared war on Germany. Following the Lusitania and the controversial Zimmerman Telegram, President Woodrow Wilson urged Congress to shift away from neutrality in WWI. Over the next six months, America's involvement helped shift power in the Allies favor.
Treaty of Versailles
TREATY OF PEACEWITH GERMANY(TREATY OF VERSAILLES)Germany is forbidden to maintain or construct any fortifications ... to the west of a line drawn 50 kilometers to the East of the Rhine. The German military forces shall be demobilized and reduced.
On June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed by the Allied Powers and Germany in Versailles, France. Although this treaty put an end to WWI, with the war debts and the order of German de-militarization, it sowed the seeds that led to World War II.