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WW1
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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
On June 28th, 1914, Austrian Archduke was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Prior to this, he escaped a bombing attempt that was meant to hit his car, but his driver successfully maneuvered out of the way before it hit them. Although he wasn't injured, many bystanders were, so he canceled his meeting to visit them in the hospital. On the way there, his driver took a wrong turn, leading to Gavrilo Princip assassinating Franz Ferdinand and his wife. -
Austria-Hungary Declares War On Serbia
One month after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for supporting the assassin, Gavrilo Princip, who was a part of a Serbian nationalist group. This causes everyone to form alliance with each other triggering the start of WW1. -
Germany Declares War On France & Russia
On August 1, 1914, Germany declared war on France and Russia. Germany saw how powerful they were and wanted to prevent them from becoming a united together. This allowed Germany to fight on two different fronts. With this happening, it raised the tension within everyone, creating an even larger war. -
First Battle of The Marne
The first battle of WW1 was the Battle of Marne, which started on September 5, 1914, and ended on September 12. It was one of the most important battles because of the victory it gave to the Allies. The Germans planned to invade France for a quick win, but it ultimately backfired and put them in trench warfare for many years. -
Ottoman Empire Joins Central Powers
On October 31, 1914, the Ottoman Empire joins the Central Powers and enters the war. The Ottomans attacked Russia, causing Russian allies to declare war on them. They had hopes to take back the territory they lost and gain power. But, with them being in major battles, their empire soon fell apart after the war. -
Attack On Lusitania
On May 7, 1915, German U-boats sank the British passenger ship Lusitania. The ship was carrying over 1,100 passengers, including 128 Americans, many of them dying from the attack. Germany had warned ships that traveled in the war zone would be targeted, but this was not taken over well by the Americans. This was one of the main reasons for America joining the war. -
Germany's Attack On Verdun
February 21, 1916 marks the start of one of the longest and bloodiest wars, which lasted for about 10 months. Germany wanted to weaken the French before they became too powerful by forcing them to fight. After many long months, the battle ended on December 18, 1916, with neither side winning the battle and over 700,000 casualties from both sides combined. -
Battle of The Somme
The Battle of the Somme started on July 1, 1916, and was one of the deadliest battles during WW1. It was fought between the British and French forces against Germany. The plan was to go through the Germans line to take off the pressure on the French at Verdun. Despite the Allies getting the victory, there were over 1 million casualties on both sides at the end of the 5-month battle. -
Zimmermann Telegram
On January 17, 1917, Germany sent Mexico a secret message called the Zimmermann Telegram. Germany made a promise to help Mexico get back the land it had lost to the U.S. but only on the condition that they join the war against America. The British informed President Wilson about the message, making America enraged. As a result of the news, they declared war on Germany. -
America Enters The War
United States entered the war on April 6, 1917. The breaking point for America entering the war was, Germany violating its pledge to stop unrestricted submarine warfare, and trying to get Mexico to turn against the United States. With U.S. entering the war they provided the Allied Powers, with supplies, equipment, weapons and food. -
American Troops Arrive in France
American troops arrived in France on June 24, 1917, marking the beginning of their involvement in the war. The first group arriving in France had 14,000 soldiers, giving hope to the Allied forces. Soon after, there were over 1 million American troops that were in France, and half of them were fighting on the front lines. -
Wilson's Fourteen Points
President Woodrow Wilson proposed the idea of Fourteen Points on January 8, 1918. This consisted of ideas to bring peace after WW1. The important point he suggested was the League of Nations, which was an organization to prevent any future conflicts. Although many did not agree with his points, some of his ideas influenced the Treaty of Versailles. -
Russia Leaves The War
Russia withdrew from the war on March 3, 1918, after signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. They agreed to give up large amounts of land in exchange for peace. The new Bolshevik government made the executive decision to leave the war, allowing them to put there full attention on solving problems at home. Russia leaving meant there was no more Eastern Front allowing Germany to shift to the Western Front. -
Armistice
On November 11, 1918 the Armistice was signed, putting an end to the fighting. This made Germany withdraw from their territory at the Western Front. While the battles ended leaders from USA, Italy, France, and Britain worked on The Treaty of Versailles to end the war. -
The Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, and officially ended the war. It was an agreement between Germany and the Allied Powers. The treaty forced Germany to take full responsibility for starting the war, pay reparations, and return territory back to France. It had also limited Germany's military to prevent any further conflicts.