Unit 7 War Timelines (War of 1898, WWI, WWII)

(1895) Cubans begin a revolution against Spanish rule
(1897) McKinley takes office and demands that Spain enforce peace in Cuba
(1897) a liberal Spanish government takes office in Spain
(Feb. 1898) Hearst’s New York Journal publishes letter from a Spanish minister belittling McKinley
(Feb. 1898) the U.S. Maine sinks in Havana’s harbor
(Mar. 1898) it is determined (falsely) that the U.S. Maine sank due to an underwater mine
(Mar. 27, 1898) McKinley demands that Spain make peace negotiations with Cuban rebels, with the United States as mediators

(Apr. 24, 1898) the United States declares war on Spain
(May 1, 1898) American ships corner and destroy the Spanish fleet in the Philippine Manila Bay
(July 1, 1898) the main battle of the war, which the U.S. and Cuba win
(July 3, 1898) a disastrous attempt for the Spanish in which they tried to smash through an American blockade
(July, 1898) Congress votes to annex Hawaii
(August 1, 1898) the Philippine city of Manila falls
(August 12, 1899) Spain surrenders to the U.S. and Cuba
(December 10, 1898) the Treaty of Paris of 1898 is signed, in which Spain agrees to give up control of Cuba, give Guam and Puerto Rico to the US, and agrees to sell the Philippines to the US for 20 million dollars
(1899) start of the Philippine-American War

(1914) Europe officially at war
(1914) Britain imposes naval blockade of Central Powers, blocking their business with the US, though the Allies’ subsequent business with the US more than made up for it
(1915) Germany torpedoes British luxury liner Lusitania
(1916) Germany agrees to the Sussex Pledge: it won’t target passenger liners or ships unless it knows said ships have munitions on board
(1917) Germany breaks the Sussex Pledge, and Wilson breaks off diplomatic relations with Germany
(1917) the US intercepts the Zimmerman telegram

(Apr. 1917) the US declares war on Germany
(Apr. 1917) Wilson forms the Committee on Public Information (CPI)
(June 1917) the Espionage Act of 1917 passed
(July 1917) the War Industries Board (WIB) established
(Nov. 1917) Russia falls to the Bolshevik Revolution
(Mar. 1918) Russia signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, ceding lands to the Central Powers in exchange for peace with them
(Apr. 1918) National War Labor Board established
(May 1918) Sedition Act of 1918 passed
(Nov. 1918) Germany signs an armistice, ending the Great War
(1919) the Treaty of Versailles is created

(1935-1939) Appeasement
- (1935) Hitler rebuilds the German army/navy despite the fact that the Treaty of Versailles prevented it
- (1936) Hitler remilitarized the Rhineland with no response