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Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife are assassinated. -
Emperor Franz Joseph
Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. -
The Ottoman Empire signs a secret alliance with Germany
The Ottoman Empire signs a secret alliance with Germany agreeing to enter the war once Germany declares war on Russia. They formally enter the war several months later on October 28, 1914, when they bomb Russian seaports. Bulgaria joins the Central Powers on October 15, 1915. -
Germany declares war on neutral Belgium
Germany declares war on neutral Belgium and invades Belgium and Luxembourg as part of the Schlieffen Plan. As a result, Britain declares war on Germany. -
Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia
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The United States declares neutrality in the war
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The German army defeats Russia
The German army defeats Russia at the Battle of Tannenberg -
The Race to the Sea ends
The Race to the Sea ends when the Germans withdraw at the 1st Battle of Ypres. -
Unofficial Christmas truce is declared
An unofficial Christmas truce is declared by German and Allied soldiers in the trenches along the Western Front -
Germans use gas
The Germans use poison gas at the 2nd battle of Ypres. -
Armenian Genocide begins
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Allies begin a nine-month battle
Allies begin a nine-month battle for the Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli -
A German U-boat sinks
A German U-boat sinks the Lusitania killing 1,198 civilians, including 128 Americans -
Italy Joins the Allies
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British nurse is executed
British nurse, Edith Cavell, is executed by the Germans. -
The Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun is fought resulting in an estimated one million casualties -
The British introduce the tank
The British introduce the tank during the Battle of Somme. The battle results in an estimated one million casualties -
Woodrow Wilson re-elected
Woodrow Wilson is re-elected President of the United States -
British cryptographers decipher a telegram
British cryptographers decipher a telegram from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmerman to the German Minister of Mexico -
The Germans resume unrestricted submarine warfare.
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Tsar Nicholas II of Russia abdicates
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President Wilson asks the U.S. Congress
President Wilson asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war against Germany. -
The 3rd battle of Ypres
The 3rd battle of Ypres, also known as Passchendaele, results in minor gains for the Allies and a total of 700,000 casualties -
The Balfour Declaration is presented in London
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President Wilson outlines
President Wilson outlines his Fourteen Points in a speech before Congress -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk is signed between Russia and Germany -
Germans are stopped on the banks
Germans on the banks of the Marne near Paris are stopped by American forces at Chateau-Thierry -
Germans invade France
German invasion of France is halted at the First Battle of Marne. -
Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany abdicates
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Emperor Karl of Austria abdicates
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War on the Western Front ends
At eleven o’clock on this day, war on the Western Front ends as Germany and the Allies sign an Armistice. -
Treaty of Versailles is signed
Germany and Allies sign the Treaty of Versailles. The U.S. Senate later refuses to ratify it -
Treaty of Sevres ends the war
The Treaty of Sevres ends the war on the Eastern Front with the Ottoman Empire.