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Period: to
WW1
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the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand was scheduled to visit Sarajevo in June of 1914. The black hand killed the heir to the Austrohungarian throne in Sarajevo set off a chain of allies and declared of war. -
Austria-Hungary's Ultimatum to Serbia
A month after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. On July 23,1914 Austria-Hungary's issued Serbia with an ultimatum containing concrete demands in order to prevent an escalation, triggering war. -
Britain Declares war on Germany
On August 8, 1914 Britain declared war on Germany. The declaration was a result of German refusal to remove troops from neutral Belgium. Britain's involvement expanded the conflict into a global war, its empire and naval power. -
The First Battle of the Marne
An offensive during World War I by the French army and the British Expeditionary Force against the advancing Germans who had invaded Belgium and northeastern France and were within 30 miles of Paris. Ending hopes for a quick German victory. -
The Race to the Sea
September -October 1914
The 'Race to the Sea' is significant because it forced both sides to dig a line of unbroken trenches northwards to the coast.The Race to the Sea is a bit of a misnomer in that the competing powers weren't trying to reach the French and Belgian coasts ahead of one another. Mostly a series of attacks from each side trying to turn the other's flank, something neither force was able to achieve. -
The Gallipoli campaign
19 February 1915 to 9 January 1916
The Gallipoli campaign was the land-based element of a strategy intended to allow Allied ships to pass through the Dardanelles, capture Constantinople (now Istanbul) and ultimately knock Ottoman Turkey out of the war. -
The Sinking of the Lusitania
The German sinking of this passenger ship with American citizens on board inflamed international outrage and helped turn public opinion against Germany, particularly in the then-neutral United States. -
Italy Joins the Allies
Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary, entering World War I on the side of the Allies created a new front line and increased pressure on Austria-HUngary. -
The Battle of the Somme
1 July- 18 November 1916
A major Allied offensive, notable for its heavy causalities and the first use of tanks, highlighted the futility of trench warfare. -
The Battle of Verdun
21 February to 18 December 1916
A massive German offensive aimed at "bleeding France white". It was one of the longest, bloodiest, and most-ferocious battles of the war -
The Zimmerman Telegram
This telegram, written by German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann, is a coded message sent to Mexico, proposing a military alliance against the United States -
The Russian Revolution
Russia was losing WW1 to Germany. The war's human and economic toll resulted in the monarchy losing legitimacy leading to its overthrow in February 1917. In November 1917 Communists came to power through a military coup, starting a revolutionary transformation of the Russian society and economy. -
The United States Enters the War
Germany's resumption of submarine attacks on passenger and merchant ships in 1917 became the primary motivation behind Wilson's decision to lead the United States into World War I. -
The Armistice
Armistice on the Western Front. On Nov. 11, 1918, after more than four years of horrific fighting and the loss of millions of lives, the guns on the Western Front fell silent. Although fighting continued elsewhere, the armistice between Germany and the Allies was the first step to ending World War I. -
The Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was signed by Germany and the Allied Nations on June 28, 1919, formally ending World War One. The terms of the treaty required that Germany pay financial reparations, disarm, lose territory, and give up all of its overseas colonies.