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Assasination of Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, and his wife, had decided to inspect troops in Bosnia. The date chosen for the inspection was a national day in Bosnia. The Black Hand, a nationalist group, supplied a group of Serbian students with weapons.
Gavrilo Princip assassinated the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand and his wife, when their open car stopped at a corner on its way out of the town. -
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The outbreak of the war
From the end of the 19th century, and especially during the first decade of the 20th century, increased tensions between the major European powers eventually resulted in the First World War.
On one side you had the Triple Entente, formed by Britain, France and Russia. On the other side, there were Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. -
Austro-Hungary declares war on Serbia
The Austrian government blamed the Serbian government for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife and declared war on Serbia. Russia joins to protect Sebia and called on France to mobilise as well. -
Germany declares war on Russia
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Germany declares war on France
Germany declared war on France. German troops poured into Belgium as directed under the Schleiffen Plan, drawn up in 1905. The British foreign secretary, Sir Edward Grey, sent an ultimatum to Germany demanding their withdrawal from the neutral Belgium. -
Britain joins the war
Germany did not withdraw from Belgium and Britain declared war on Germany. Only Italy remains neutral. -
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War of movement
The war began on the Western Front when the German army attacked France through Belgium and Luxembourg (the Schlieffen Plan). The Germans hoped to win quickly, so they would be able to then concentrate on the Eastern Front. -
Battle of Tannenberg
The Russian army marched into Prussia. However, it was difficult to get supplies to the soldiers. The Germans, on the other hand, used their railway system to surround the Russian Second army at Tannenberg before its commander could realize what was happening. The Germans won. -
Stoping Austria-Hungarys' advance
The Russians recover and reach the border of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the Balkans, Serbia stopped Austria-Hungary's advance. -
Battle of the Marne
The Germans, having passed through neutral Belgium (the rape of Belgium) and being only 48 km away from Paris, were stopped by Britain and France. Belgians answered by destroying railway lines to slow the transport of German supplies. -
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Trench warfare
After the battle of Marne, the Western Front became immobile. Trenches were built from Switzerland to the North Sea. The Triple Alliance became the Central Powers, and united with Bulgaria, Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. The Triple Entente became the Allied Powers as they united with Italy. -
The start of chemical warfare
The Second Battle of Ypres began. The German army initiated the modern era of chemical warfare by launching a chlorine attack on Allied trenches. By war’s end, both sides have used massive quantities of chemical weapons. -
The sinking of the Luisitania
The British ocean liner Lusitania is torpedoed by a German U-boat. It sank in just 18 minutes, and nearly 1,200 people were killed, including 128 U.S. citizens (which played a role in the US entering the conflict). The ship carried over 170 tons of rifle ammunition and artillery shells, and Germany felt fully justified in treating the Lusitania as a legitimate target in a declared war zone. -
Battle of Verdun
For over 10 months, the French and German armies fought at Verdun. By the battle’s conclusion, entire French villages had been wiped from the map; they were subsequently memorialized as having “died for France.” It was the longest battle. -
Battle of the Somme
The British offensive intended to draw German attention from Verdun, and in that regard only could it be considered a success. July 1 marks the single bloodiest day in the history of the British army, for around 200.000 were killed on action. Four and a half months later, when the Somme campaign ended, the combined deaths of both sides topped 1,000,000. It is remembered as the bloodiest battle. -
German submarine warfare
Germany adopted a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Great Britain. -
Russia abandons the war
Tsar Nicholas II abdicates the throne after a week of riots in the Russian capital of St. Petersburg. The Russian Revolution saw the overthrow of the Romanov dynasty and, ultimately, the rise to power of Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks. -
The US declares war on Germany
President Woodrow Wilson stated that Germany's practice of unrestricted warfare and the “Zimmermann Telegram” were key in abandoning the county's long-standing policy of neutrality. Although the war had been fought in colonies, this made it a truly global event. -
Brest-Litovsk Treaty
The Soviet government made peace with the Central Powers by agreeing to the Brest-Litovsk Treaty. Russia surrendered its claim to Ukraine, to its Polish and Baltic territories, and to Finland. -
Armstice between the Ottomans and the Allies
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Austria-Hungary exits war
By the end of October 1918, the Austro-Hungarian Army was so fatigued that its commanders were forced to seek a ceasefire. On 28 October, Austria-Hungary began to negotiate a truce but hesitated to sign the text of the armistice. However, they finally agreed. -
Armstice between Germany and the Allies
Germany and the Allies conclude an armistice. -
Abdication of the Kaiser
The Germans were defeated on the Western Front at the Second Battle of the Marne. There were revolts in the German army and navy, as well as workers' demonstrations against the government. As a result, the Kaiser abdicated and Germany surrendered.
