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Assassination of Franz Ferdinand.
In the city of Sarajevo, the Arch-Duke, heir to the Austria-Hungarian empire's throne, was
assassinated by a Slav nationalist, Gabrielo Princip. This is the spark that ignites WWI as we
know it today. -
Austria-Hungarian Ultimatum.
After the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the Austria-Hungarian empire sends an
ultimatum to Serbia, after the suspicion of involvement in the event. However, this was
rejected by Serbia, and as a result, Austria-Hungary declared war. -
British Ultimatum
After the Germans started marching through Belgium, whose neutrality is guaranteed by the
British, an Ultimatum is sent from London to Berlin demanding immediate withdrawal from
Belgian territories. This request was ignored and was later followed by Britain declaring war
on Germany. -
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Battle of Tannenberg
After the Russian Army tried to advance into East Prussia, they ran into a significant defeat
by the Germans, led by General Von Hindenburg. The Germans take about 90.000 Russian
prisoners and the Russians lose about a third of a million soldiers. -
H.M.S Pathfinder is sunk
The H.M.S Pathfinder naval battleship becomes the first victim of new technology on the
German side. It was shot down by a torpedo fired by a U-boat, a new enemy to Britain’s
powerful naval strength. -
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1st Battle of Ypres
The first clash after the Allies and Germany raced towards the sea, in order to outflank each
other. The Allies prevent a German breakthrough into France. Both sides suffered significant
losses in human lives. The two armies dig trenches afterward on the French front, and this
marks the beginning of Trench Warfare in WWI. -
Belgrade is occupied by Austria-Hungary
After many attempts by the Austria-Hungarian army, the city of Belgrade was occupied. But
the Serbs launched a counter-attack at the Battle of Kolubara, which has driven Austria-
Hungarian army out of Belgrade once more. -
Alleged Christmas Truce
At the western front, the soldiers from each side started to meet in the no man's land
territories under unofficial treaties. They did activities like football, drinking, and smoking. -
German zeppelin raids on Great Britain
This was the first zeppelin attack in history where the Germans bombed British costal towns from zeppelins. Their advantage was that at night they were undetectable, but they were flammable because of the hydrogen gas in its balloon part. -
Battle of Dogger Bank
In this battle the British navy sinks one German cruiser, by this time the British have formed a blockade to keep imported supply out of germany. As a response the Germans made their own blockade near the coasts of Britain which was crucial because Britain mostly relies on imported goods. -
Dardanelles
British and French send warships to the Dardanelles to threaten Constantinople which is the capital of the Ottoman empire. Later on the 25th of April they come back to try to reach Constantinapole but they face fierce Turkish resistance, as a cause the Turks start the deportation of ethnic Armenians because they believe that they are collaborating with the Allies, over one million people died, as the Allies said “it was a crime against humanity”. -
Fall of Premysl
Russians defeat the Hungarians. Hungarians suffer huge losses and reach 2 million casualties. -
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Battles of Ypres
These battles happened on the western front where the Germans used poisonous gas for the first time against th eAllies. Although it was successful because it opened a hole in the Allies, the Germans failed to take advantage of it. -
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Italy joins the war
Italy joins the Allied powers because the British and French promise that if they win Italy can get territories from Austria-Hungary. When they win Italy gets nearly nothing. -
R.M.S: Louisiana sunk
The British passenger-liner going from New York to Liverpool is sunk by a German U-boat, 1198 passengers and crew died from which 128 were Americans. As a cause Wodroow Wilson and the Americans were furious, the only problem was that the boat carried war supplies of which the passengers did not know of. -
Great autumn offensive
It was a huge series of battles initiated by the Allies, like the Third battle of Artois and the Second Battle of Campagne. The British also used gas, but in the end this offensive caused enormous losses on both sides and it did not change too much territory. -
Salonika landings
Allied troops land in Salonika which is in Greece, to open a new front against the Central Powers, and to bring aid to Serbia. Sadly for them they came too late because Bulgaria joined the war on the side of the Central powers, and their joint offensive wins over Serbia in two months, so the Serbian army had to escape through the mountains. -
Belgrade falls
Allies abandon the Gallipoli campaign and 83,000 troops are secretly evacuated without alerting Turkish forces, no man is lost. These was the best executed plants of the war. 1915 was a bad year for the Allies because they suffered huge losses, but there was no sight of peace so they tried getting ready for new battles. -
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Verden bulge
The French system of fortresses.
4 months long campaign.
Almost a million soldiers died here. -
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Battle of Jutland
Germany lost almost all of its colonies. -
The Brusilov Offensive
Russians launched the Brusilov offensive 1916, which stopped the lack of supplies and reinforcements.
Huge damage to the military of Austria-Hungary. -
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Somme offensive
The British introduced tanks here, although it was ineffective.
It became a battle of attrition.
Airplanes also took part in the war for the first time. -
The Kingdom of Romania declares war on the Central Powers, entering the war on the side of the Allies.
The Romania attack was stopped and the monarchy invaded the major part of Romania. -
SS Housatonic
An American cargo ship, the S.S. Housatonic was sunk as a result of Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare. It added another motivating factor for the US to act on her grievances against Germany. -
Zimmerman Telegram
Britain transmitted the Zimmerman Telegram, which they had intercepted from Germany, to further polarize US President Woodrow Wilson’s outlook on the Central Powers. In the telegram, Arthur Zimmerman, the German foreign secretary, encouraged Mexico to attack America in case she joins the war. -
America enters the WW1
Due to excessive German provocation, America enters the war on the Allies side. The entry of new resources amid an attrition war meant an insurmountable advantage to the Allies. -
The Nivelle Offensive
French General, Robert Nivelle, launched an attack on the Western Front, aiming to smite a decisive victory over Germany in the region. However, the high hopes he vested in the prospect of winning were overturned by mass casualties, and the reluctance, even mutinous actions, of French soldiers towards fighting. -
July Offensive
The new Provisional Government of Russia ordered a mass attack on the Eastern front, called the July Offensive. However, the Russian troops sustained a major blow, due to war weariness, along with the diminishing morale and discipline of the army. -
Battle of Aqaba
Previously Britain promised Arab independence in exchange for their cooperation against the Turks. As a result, Arab rebels captured the port of Aqaba, enabling them to link up with British troops, while it also provided a crucial foothold for future advances toward the Ottoman Empire. -
Reichstag Peace Resolution
A majority within the Reichstag voted in favor of reconciliation of peace with the Allied forces. It had signaled a momentous rift between domestic consensus and the High Command of Germany. Despite the decisive majority to end the war, the High Command declined the proposal, turning the country into what can be considered a military dictatorship. -
Third Battle of Ypres
Allied troops wanted to conduct a war-winning breakthrough against the Central Powers on Belgian grounds, namely the Third Battle of Ypres. After three months of bloody combat, the place became synonymous with filth and blood, finally coming to an end with a strenuous Allied victory. -
Zionism
British foreign secretary, Arthur Balfour, issued the Balfour Declaration, where he expressed his support for the creation of a national home for the Jews in Palestine. It was made to grant the support of the Jews by baiting them with the idea of Jerusalem, and ostensibly thank them for their contributions to the war. However, Britain made contradicting promises to the Arabs as well, which later became the backbone of enmity between the two groups. -
The Second Russian Revolution
The Second Russian Revolution brought Lenin to power, who was resolved to end the country’s involvement in the First World War. It not only weakened the Allied forces in terms of resources and protection on the Eastern front, but it also gave a negative example to the exhausted soldiers, who wanted to cease fighting once and for all. -
Battle of Cambrai
Britain attacked the Central Powers at Cambrai, which became notorious for being the first major tank assault in history. Although Allied forces came out victoriously, it was not because of the advantage of tanks, as they were relatively primitive at the time. -
Battle of Jerusalem
Following a British victory at Gaza, Allied forces could capture Palestine. In the same month, General Allenby led British troops into Jerusalem, ending 400 years of Ottoman rule in the region. -
President Wilson's fourteen points.
The Fourteen Points were a set of diplomatic principles presented by President Wilson with the aim of establishing a lasting peace after the conflict. The Fourteen Points were based on Wilson's belief that the world had to be made safe for democracy, and that national self-determination should be promoted in order to prevent future conflicts. Although the Fourteen Points were not fully implemented, they did play a role in the negotiations that led to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. -
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German Spring offensives
The offensives were aimed at breaking through the Allied lines on the Western Front and achieving a decisive victory for Germany before the arrival of large numbers of American troops.The heavy losses sustained by the German Army during the offensives, combined with the arrival of fresh American forces, led to the collapse of the German Army and the end of the war in November 1918. -
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Second Battle of the Marne
The Second Battle of the Marne was a turning point in the war, as it marked the end of the German Army's ability to launch large-scale offensives and the beginning of the Allied counteroffensive that would eventually lead to the end of the war. -
Execution of the Romanov family
On the night of July 16-17, 1918, the entire family, including Nicholas, his wife Alexandra, and their five children, were brutally murdered by a firing squad in the basement of the house. The execution of the Romanov family was a pivotal event in the early years of the Soviet Union and remains a controversial and tragic episode in Russian history. -
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Battle of Amiens
It was a decisive victory for the Allied forces, who were led by the British Army and included troops from Australia, Canada, and France. The battle was part of a larger Allied offensive, known as the Hundred Days Offensive, which was aimed at driving the German Army back and bringing an end to the war. The battle was notable for the successful use of new tactics, such as the use of tanks, which allowed the Allies to achieve a swift and decisive victory. -
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Battle of Megiddo
It was a decisive victory for the British, who were able to capture the city of Damascus and effectively end Ottoman rule in Palestine. The victory at Megiddo was seen as a key turning point in the war and played a significant role in the eventual Allied victory in World War I. -
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The Battle of Vittorio Veneto
It was a decisive victory for the Italian Army, who were able to drive the Austro-Hungarian Army back and capture the city of Vittorio Veneto. The battle was the last major engagement of World War I on the Italian Front and marked the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. -
Armistice of 11 November 1918
An agreement that ended fighting on the Western Front between the Allies and Germany in World War I. he terms of the armistice called for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of German forces from occupied territories, and the eventual transfer of territory and armaments to the Allies.