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Serbian Archduke Ferdinand is assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia by a Bosnian nationalist protesting Serbian expansion.
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The official start of WWI with Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war against Serbia.
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The first battle of the war - Allied forces and German forces clash over the invasion of Belgium.
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The start of German pressure on Allies in the Atlantic through submarine warfare against merchant vessels.
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British passenger ship RMS Lusitania is sunk by German U-boats in the Atlantic, killing 1,200 civilians.
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One of the longest and bloodiest battles of the war where French troops repulsed a major German attack.
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The only large-scale naval battle of WWI, fought between Britain's Royal Navy Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet where neither side won a decisive victory.
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One of the bloodiest battles of WWI, fought between Allied and German forces on the banks of the River Somme in France.
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A German telegram intercepted by British code-breakers meant for Mexican leaders that asked Mexico to declare war on the US.
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The United States declares war on Germany and the rest of the Central Powers.
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The United States passes the Selective Service Act, which drafted men in the US military.
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The armistice indicating the end of the war was signed in France, officially ending World War One.
