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First Battle of the Marne
This was an attack by the french army and the British Expeditionary Force attacked Germany Because they invaded Belgium and Northeast France. The Germans didn't achieve their goals of completely defeating the french so now they were forced onto the defensive. The outcome was the end of the war of movement that had dominated the first world war. -
The Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand was driving in a motorcade through a crowd of people and in the crowd there was some Serbian Nationalists who were planning on bombing him. One of the men in the crowd pulled out a bomb and tossed it at the car containing Franz and his wife. The Bomb bounced off Franz Ferdinand's arm and then the top off the car and into the street behind them. Later they were driving and they made a wrong turn and one of the Arabian Nationalists was on the street and seen them and shot them. -
Battle of the Ypres
On October 18th the German Fourth Army began to attack Belgian forces that were deployed along the canal.The Germans managed to form a bridgehead at Tervaete and forced Belgian to retreat back. The Belgian army was beginning to weaken and they feared a German breakthrough so they opened the canal on October 25th and flooded the low country between Canal and the Railway. The German fourth army was obligated to retreat on October 29th. -
The Unofficial Christmas Truce
On Christmas Eve The German and British troops began to sign Christmas carols to each other across the lines. At dawn on Christmas day Day some German soldiers came out from their trenches and approached the Allied lines and called out "Merry Christmas" at first the allied soldiers thought it was a trick but when they noticed they were unarmed they climbed out and shook hands. They sang carols and exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum pudding. They also played a game of soccer all together. -
Triple Alliance begins invasion of Gallipoli
An unsuccessful attempt to control the sea route from Europe to Russia by the Allied powers. It began with a failed naval attack by British and French ships on the Dardanelles Straits. Then there was a major land invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula this involved British and French troops as well as divisions of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Allied forces had suffered lots of casualties and didn't make it far from their initial landing site. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
On May 7th the Lusitania ship was near the coast of Ireland. The German submarine U 2 fired a torpedo that slammed into the side of the Lusitania. There was a second explosion that ripped the liner apart but where it came from was unknown. the ship started to think quickly and the life boats started crashing into people on deck. the Ship sunk within 18 minutes and 1,119 people out of the 1,924 aboard the ship died. -
Second Battle of Ypres
German was attacking Russia in the east. This was the first major battle fought by Canadian Troops. It took place outside of the Belgium city Ypres. During the battle the Germans released gas against the French 45th division on the left of the Canadians. The gas was a huge green-yellow cloud that was several kilometers long. When it reached the french the troops either suffocated or fled because the chlorine in the gas burned their eyes and throats. -
First use of poison gas
Aprill 22 1915,The German forces fired more than 150 tons of lethal chlorine gas against two French colonial divisions at Ypres, Belgium shocking the Allied soldiers along the western front. Toxic smoke has occasionally used in wars and in 1912 the french used small amounts of tear gas in police operations but nothing this big. When the outbreak of WWI started the Germans began to develop chemical weapon.Because it was winter and cold out most of the gas froze but 1,000 men were still killed. -
In Flanders Field
John McCrae's close friend and former student Alexis Helmer was killed. That night John Recited memories of them. He wrote this poem to remember Alexis. While he was writing it people say his face was tired and calm and looked around from time to time at Helmers grave. He finished this poem within minutes. The poem was an exact description of the scene in front of them. -
Battle of Verdun
This was the largest and the longest battle fought. It was fought on the western front between the German and French armies.The impact the battle had on the French Army was the primary reasons for the British starting the battle of the Somme.The attack on Verdun started because the German Chief of General staff, Von Falkenhayn made a plan. He wanted to "bleed France white" by launching a massive German attack on a historic sentiment for the french on a long narrow stretch of land. -
First tanks used
The British sent 49 tanks into battle and many broke down but almost a third of them succeeded.The tanks were first used at the Battle of Flers and then used at the Battle of Sommes but had less success. The tank was highly unreliable because it was a new machine but it dd a great deal of damage to help end horrors of trench warfare and it helped bring back some mobility to the western front.By 1918 France and Britain had produced 6,506 between them and Germany had only produced 20. -
Conscription Crisis of 1917
When war started in 1914 it caused patriotic fervor in Canada. Everyone got into war effort and volunteers flocked the recruiting station. They were all determined to contribute. 400,000 Canadians volunteered and fewer than one in twenty were french and 70% were recent immigrants from Britain. -
German Declared unrestricted submarine warfare
Unrestricted submarine warfare was first introduced into the war in early 1915. The Germans declared the area around the British Isles a war zone. This meant that all merchant ships, including those from neutral countries would be attacked by the German navy. After this a bunch of attacks on merchant ships happened. -
Zimmerman Telegram
A message from the German foreing secretary, Arthur Zimmerman, to the German ambassador to Mexico proposing an alliance between Mexico and Germany in the case of a war between the United States and Germany. -
USA enters war
The U.S joined its allies Britain, France, and Russia. More than 2 million U.S soldiers fought in France. Many Americans wanted to stay neutral and were not in favor of the U.S joining the war. Disagreements over territory and boundaries in Europe and other issues came to head with the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand and exactly a month later a war broke out.The war brought change to the women in America.They now had the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 -
Germany and Russia sign peace deal
In Brest-Litovsk Russia signed a treaty with Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria (the central powers) ending its participation in the war. With the November 11 armistice ending World War I and marking the Allies' Victory over Germany, The treat was annulled. Germany was forced to give up the Territory they gained from the Treaty. -
German Spring Offensive
A massive German attack on the on the western front ordered by Luderndorff. The Spring offensive was Germany's attempt to end the war. Russia gave Germany 500,000 troops to help them put an end to this war. The British knew that there was going to be a major German attack so they reinforced their positions near the coast and the french strengthened their positions along the south of the British. throughout this war the German army had been severely weakened. The french knew this and attacked. -
Second Battle of Marne
The last major offense on the Western Front made by the Germans. General Erich Ludendorff conceived another offensive to draw the French Troops away from the Flanders front. He intended to split the French armies but the French General had seen it coming so he put a French force somewhere the Germans would not be expecting them. German offensives were called off but that same day Allied troops attacked the Germans large salient taking the Germans by surprise. 3 days later the Germans retreated. -
Hundred Days Offensive
A series of major battles on the Western Front. The allies launched a series of offensives against the Central Powers. The Allied advance began the Canadian Corps and was assigned the task of spearheading an attack on an important salient near Amiens on August 8th. Utter secrecy was vital because Germany believed any movements of the Canadian troops was a sign of imminent attack. -
Armistice Day
Every year on November 11th, On the 11th Hour, People remember those who fought in the war. This day commemorates the signing the armistice between the Allies and and Germany. Some hostilities still continued in some areas but the armistice essentially brought an end to four years of fighting in WWI. The armistice was signed in Ferdinand Foch's railway carriage in the forest of Compiegne just north of Paris.
