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Archduke Assassination
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
An escalation of threats and mobilization orders followed the incident, leading by mid-August to the outbreak of World War I -
Peace´s end
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the tenuous peace between Europe’s great powers collapsed. -
A week later...
Within a week, Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain and Serbia had lined up against Austria-Hungary and Germany, and World War I had begun. -
Countries who took part on the war
The “Great War” pitted the Central Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire against the Allied forces of Great Britain, the United States, France, Russia, Italy and Japan. -
World War I Begins
German troops under Erich Ludendorff crossed the border into Belgium, in violation of that country’s neutrality. In the first battle of World War I, the Germans used the most powerful weapons in their arsenal–enormous siege cannons–to capture the city by August 15. -
Lusitania Sinks
A German submarine sinks the passenger liner Lusitania. The ship carries 1,198 people, 128 of them Americans. -
First Tanks
The British employ the first tanks ever used in battle, at Delville Wood. -
Submarines Back
Germany resumes unrestricted submarine warfare in European waterways. This act, more than any other, draws the United States into the war and causes the eventual defeat of Germany. -
Wilson For War
British President Wilson outlines his case for war to Congress. -
U.S. Enters War
Congress authorizes a declaration of war against Germany. The United States enters World War I on the side of France and Britain. -
Selective Service Act
Congress passes the Selective Service Act authorizing the draft. President Wilson claims he sees no other option and signs the bill into law. -
Germany and Russia Peace
The Germans sign a peace treaty with the new Bolshevik government of Russia. -
Battle of Cantigny
The Battle of Cantigny is the first major American offensive of the war. -
Chateau-Thierry
The Americans attack the Germans at Chateau-Thierry. This battle would morph into the larger Battle of Belleau Wood. -
Battle of Belleau Wood
The Battle of Belleau Wood begins as the U.S. Marine Corps attacks the Germans across an open field of wheat, suffering huge casualties. -
Belleau Wood Ends
It ends with the final expulsion of the Germans from the wood, which marks the farthest German advance on Paris. The area has changed hands six times during the three-week battle, which has caused nearly 10,000 American casualties. -
Battle of St. Mihiel
300,000 American troops under the direct command of General Pershing fling themselves into the German lines. -
Wilhelm Abdicates
Kaiser Wilhelm abdicates, ending all German hope for a victory. He and his retinue quietly slip over the border into the Netherlands where he lives out the remainder of his life in relative peace and writes a self-promoting memoir defending his actions in the war. -
Armistice Day
An Armistice is signed ending fighting on the Western Front. Ending the Firts World War.
