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Austrian Emperor Ferdinand abdicates the throne as part of a plan to end the Hungarian Revolutions of 1848 – his nephew Franz Joseph I became emperor
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Split the Austrian Empire into two separate states: Austria (also called Cisleithania) and Hungary (also called Transleithania), each had their own constitutions, their own systems of government, and their own monarchial structures; the Austrian Emperor and the Hungarian King would henceforth be the same person: Franz Josef, meaning FJ would be crowned King of Hungary in a lavish ceremony; joint ministries would also govern defense, foreign affairs, and finance
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France declares war on Prussia, kicking off the Franco-Prussian War
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the German Empire officially comes into being, ruled by the King of Prussia
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the Government of National Defense (France) negotiates an armistice with the Prussians
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Germany’s Otto von Bismarck negotiated the Dual Alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary; the two promised each other support in case of attack by Russia and each promised benevolent neutrality if one of them was attacked by another European power
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the Triple Alliance was formed between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy; the agreement, negotiated by Germany’s Otto von Bismarck, had each member promise mutual support in the event of an attack by any other power
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Germany and Russia signed the secret diplomatic agreement, known as the Reinsurance Treaty, engineered by Germany’s Otto von Bismarck – the agreement was that each party would remain neutral if the other became involved in a war with a third great power, unless Russia attacked Austria-Hungary
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Wilhelm ascends to the throne and becomes Kaiser Wilhelm II of Prussia and Germany
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Austro-Hungarian Crown Prince Rudolf, Emperor Franz Josef’s only son, commits suicide at his hunting lodge with his lover
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Prussian Foreign Minister, Otto von Bismarck, resigns at the insistence of Kaiser Wilhelm II, this meant much of the diplomatic work Bismarck had done like the Reinsurance Treaty went without renewal
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Emperor Franz Josef’s younger brother Archduke Karl Ludwig and next in line for the throne of Austria-Hungary, dies of typhoid fever – this means Archduke Karl Ludwig’s son Franz Ferdinand becomes the heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian throne
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Empress Sisi of Austria-Hungary is stabbed to death in Geneva, Switzerland by Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni
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Japan declared war on Russia, kicking off the Russo-Japanese War – which was due to the rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire in Manchuria and Korea
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a series of agreements between the United Kingdom and the French Republic were signed, strengthening Anglo-French relations – The most important feature of the agreement was that it recognized that Great Britain was in full control of Egypt and likewise France in Morocco (with the proviso that France's eventual dispositions for Morocco include reasonable allowance for Spain's interests there).
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Bloody Sunday/ Red Sunday– spurred by the losses in the Russo-Japanese War, unarmed demonstrators marched towards the Winter Palace to present a petition to Tsar Nicholas II and were fired upon by soldiers of the Imperial Guard, kicking off the Russian Revolution of 1905
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German Kaiser Wilhelm II Met with representatives of Sultan Abdelaziz, expressing his support for Moroccan sovereignty – a direct challenge to the French who had a large military presence in Morocco
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the Treaty of Portsmouth was signed by the Russians and Japanese, overseen by the United States, ending the Russo-Japanese War
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the Algeciras Conference of 13 nations was called to settle the dispute later known as the Tangier Crisis (First Moroccan Crisis) Germany’s actions served to bring pervious rivals France and Britain together in their stance against Germany, showing the strength of the Entente Cordials
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Austria-Hungary announced the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, territories formerly under the Ottoman Empire
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after a boycott of Austro-Hungarian goods, Austria-Hungary settled the matter of the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Bulgarian independence with the Ottoman Empire with a treaty; Austria-Hungary agreed to pay the Ottoman Empire for Bosnia-Herzegovina, but the Bulgarian independence would not be reversed
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Franco-German Accord signed; Germany accepted France’s claim to Morocco in return for territory in the French Equatorial African colony of Middle Congo
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Sultan Abd al-Hafid signed the Treaty of Fez, allowing France to establish a full protectorate over Morocco, ending what remained of Morocco’s formal independence – this brought the end to the Agadir Crisis (Second Moroccan Crisis); the crisis drew Britain and France closer together as well as deepened the division between Britain and Germany
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while visiting the capital Sarajevo of the newly annexed Bosnia, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife Sophie are shot dead by Gavrilo Princip, a member of Young Bosnia and one of a group of assassins organized and armed by the Black Hand – a secret military society formed by officers in the Army of the Kingdom of Serbia
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Austria-Hungary issues the July Ultimatum at Germany’s urging, assuring Germany that the conditions of the ultimatum as such that the possibility of its rejection is practically assured; the ultimatum had a deadline of July 25
