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Assassination of the Archduke
Franz Ferdinand is assassinated while on a visit to Sarajevo by a Serbian nationalist name Gavrillo Princip. Princip was a member of a group known as "The Black Hand" who despised Austria and viewed the visit as an insult to Serbian pride. -
Germany invades Belgium
As part of the Schlieffen Plan, Germany marches through Belgium to attack France. Britain is now drawn into the war due to the fact that they had an alliance with Belgium promising to protect their neutrality. -
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Battle of Verdun
Battle of Verdun is a major German offensive. -
Battle of Somme
One of the most deadly battles of WWI that lasted from July to November in 1916. New weapons combined with old tactics to lead to massive death tolls. Britain is reported to have lost 60,000 men in 1 day of fighting. -
Treaty of Versailles
The major Allied leaders come together to sign the formal peace treaty ending the war. This treaty places the majority of the blame for the war on Germany and is going to lead to disastrous conditions moving forward in Central Europe.
