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On June 28, 1914 Franz Ferdinand was scheduled to visit Sarajevo (Capital of Bosnia). There, he was assasinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip because of his perceived threat to Serbia. Austria-Hungary was furious and, with Germany's support, declared war on Serbia on July 28.

Citation:

McDermott, Annette. “World War I.” Did Franz Ferdinand's Assassination Cause World War I? | HISTORY, 16 April 2018, https://www.history.com/news/did-franz-ferdinands-assassination-cause-world-war-i. Accessed 28 October 2024.

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On May 7, 1915, the German submarine (U-boat) U-20 torpedoed and sank the Lusitania, a swift-moving British cruise liner traveling from New York to Liverpool, England. Of the 1,959 men, women, and children on board, 1,195 perished, including 123 Americans. This was one of the factor contributing to the entrance of the US into the war two years later.

Citation:

“The Lusitania Disaster | Articles & Essays | Newspaper Pictorials: World War I Rotogravures, 1914-1919 | Digital Collections | Library of Congress.” The Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/collections/world-war-i-rotogravures/articles-and-essays/the-lusitania-disaster/. Accessed 28 October 2024.

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The U.S. entered World War I because Germany started sinking American ships again, killing U.S. citizens, even after promising to stop. The Zimmermann Telegram, where Germany asked Mexico to join the war against the U.S., made things worse. Germany’s actions also hurt American trade, and since they showed no interest in peace, President Wilson asked Congress to declare war to protect the country. So, on April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson went before a joint session of Congress to request a declaration of war against Germany.

Citation:

“Milestones in the History of U.S. Foreign Relations.” Milestones in the History of U.S. Foreign Relations - Office of the Historian, https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/wwi. Accessed 28 October 2024.

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President Woodrow Wilson introduced the 14 Points on January 8, 1918, as a plan for world peace to prevent future wars and guide peace negotiations after World War I. The 14 Points aimed to address the causes of the war by promoting open diplomacy, reducing armaments, ensuring freedom of the seas, and granting self-determination to oppressed nations. Wilson also proposed creating a global organization, later called the League of Nations, to maintain peace through collective security.

Citation:

“Home > President Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points (1918).” National Archives, 8 February 2022, https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/president-woodrow-wilsons-14-points. Accessed 28 October 2024.

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The Treaty of Versailles was signed by Germany and the Allied Nations on June 28, 1919, officially ending World War I. The treaty required Germany to pay reparations, disarm, cede territory, and give up its overseas colonies. It also called for the formation of the League of Nations, an organization strongly supported by President Woodrow Wilson and first outlined in his Fourteen Points speech. Despite Wilson’s efforts, including a national tour to gain support, the U.S. Senate rejected the treaty twice, in 1919 and 1920. In the end, the United States signed a separate peace treaty with Germany in 1921 but never joined the League of Nations.

Citation:

Drexler, Ken. “Research Guides: Treaty of Versailles: Primary Documents in American History: Introduction.” Library of Congress Research Guides, 7 October 2019, https://guides.loc.gov/treaty-of-versailles. Accessed 28 October 2024.