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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Description: Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist.
Significance: This event triggered the July Crisis, leading to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia and setting off a chain reaction of European alliances.
Location: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina -
July Crisis & Austro-Hungarian Ultimatum
Description: Austria-Hungary issued a harsh ultimatum to Serbia, demanding an end of anti-Austrian activities. Serbia partially accepted but refused to agree completely..
Significance: The diplomatic failure escalated tensions, pushing Europe toward war while Austria-Hungary prepared for war
Location: Vienna, Austria-Hungary -
Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia
Description: Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, marking the official start of World War I.
Significance: Russia mobilized to defend Serbia by activating the alliance system. Germany supported Austria-Hungary and France and Britain were pulled into the conflict.
Location: Belgrade, Serbia -
Germany Declares War on Russia & France
Description: Germany declared war on Russia (Aug 1) and France (Aug 3) under the Schlieffen Plan.
Significance: Expanded the war into a continental conflict, and drew in major European powers.
Location: Berlin, Germany -
Germany Invades Belgium; Britain Enters the War
Description: Germany invaded neutral Belgium to get through French defenses. Britain declared war in defense of Belgian neutrality.
Significance: Globalized the war, and started to draw in the British Empire. This loss for Germany led to years of trench warfare.
Location: Liège, Belgium -
Trench Warfare Begins
Description: By late 1914 both sides dug elaborate trench systems stretching from Switzerland to the North Sea.
Significance: Symbolizes the stalemate that's happening between both sides and the horrific conditions of the Western Front. Millions of people die for minimal progress in war.
Location: Western Front (France/Belgium) -
First Battle of the Marne
Description: Allied forces halted the German advance near Paris using taxis to transport troops.
Significance: Ended Germany’s hopes for a quick victory, this shifted the war's way of fighting, leading to trench warfare.
Location: Marne River, France -
Gallipoli Campaign Begins
Description: Allied forces (including ANZAC troops) launched a failed amphibious invasion of Ottoman Turkey.
Significance: Demonstrated the difficulty of attacking the Central Powers. Shows how difficult breaking the stalemate became.
Location: Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey -
Sinking of the RMS Lusitania
Description: A German U-boat torpedoed the British passenger ship, killing 1,198, including 128 Americans.
Significance: Angered the United States against Germany and thus fueled U.S. entry into the war.
Location: Off the coast of Ireland -
Battle of Verdun Begins
Description: Germany launched a massive offensive to “bleed France white.” The battle lasted 10 months.
Significance: Symbolized the brutality of trench warfare and the reality of how this war will pan out, with over 700,000 casualties.
Location: Verdun, France -
Battle of the Somme Begins
Description: British and French forces attacked German lines, suffering 57,000 British casualties on the first day.
Significance: The use of tanks further supported the idea that this war was costly in human resources.
Location: Somme River, France -
Zimmermann Telegram Intercepted
Description: Germany proposed a military alliance with Mexico against the U.S. via secret telegram. British intelligence intercepted it.
Significance: Outraged American public opinion and influenced the government, leading to U.S. entry into the war.
Location: London, UK (intercepted) -
Russian February Revolution
Description: Protests in Petrograd forced Tsar Nicholas II to leave government position as emperor, Ending the Romonav Dynasty.
Significance: Led to the provisional government's rise and Bolshevik takeover
Location: Petrograd, Russia -
U.S. Enters World War I
Description: The U.S. declared war on Germany after unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmerman Telegram
Significance: The U.S. came into the war to provide manpower and resources. The US joining the war effort shifted the war in favor of the Allies
Location: Washington D.C U.S -
Bolshevik October Revolution
Description: Lenin's Bolshevik party overthrew the provisional government, He and his party established a communist regime.
Significance: Russia withdrew from World War 1, Germany was capable of focusing on fighting the Western Front.
Location: Petrograd, Russia -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Description: Russia signed a punitive peace treaty with the central powers, giving up what territories were claimed.
Significance: Ended Russia's involvement with WWI
Location: Brest-Litovsk -
German Spring Offensive
Description: In the spring of 1918, Germany made one last big push to break through Allied defenses before American troops could fully join the fight. This offensive lasted from March 21 to July 18.
Significance: At first, Germany made some progress, but the advance eventually stalled. The effort drained their resources and left them vulnerable, their defeat comes soon after.
Location: Western Front, France. -
Second Battle of the Marne
Description: From mid-July to early August 1918, the Allies launched a counterattack against the German forces near the Marne River.
Significance: This battle stopped Germany’s advance for good and marked the start of the Allies’ Hundred Days Offensive, which ultimately led to Germany’s collapse.
Location: Marne River, France. -
Armistice of Compiègne
Description: On November 11, 1918, Germany signed an armistice agreement in the Compiègne Forest, effectively ending the fighting on the Western Front.
Significance: This agreement brought World War I to a close and paved the way for peace negotiations, including the Treaty of Versailles.
Location: Compiègne Forest, France. -
Treaty of Versailles Signed
Description: On June 28, 1919, the Allied powers forced Germany to sign the Treaty of Versailles, which demanded heavy reparations and stripped Germany of significant territory.
Significance: The treaty’s harsh terms left Germany economically crippled and deeply resentful, creating conditions that contributed to the rise of Nazism and the outbreak of World War II.
Location: Versailles, France.