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Period: to
World War 1
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Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia
On June 28th, 1914 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia due to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Austria-Hungary started the conflict to inflict punishment to Serbia for the assassination. This event mark the start to World War 1. -
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
On June 28, 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria- Hungary, was assassinated in Bosnia by Gavrilo Princip. Princip was a member of a terrorist group called the Black Hand. They sent the hit on Archduke Franz Ferdinand because they decided that he was a threat to Serbian and their independence. This assassination was ultimately the spark to the start of WW1. -
Germany Invades Belgium
After declaring war on France, Germany was determined to defeat France first and then fully concentrate all its forces against Russia. German troops had to invade Belgium in order to get to France. Germany had the plan to knock out France before Russia could fully mobilize their army. -
Battle of Mons
The battle of Mons was the first European clash since the 1815's. In the final of four "Battles of the Frontier" held in the first few weeks of World War 1, the British forces were overpowered and forced to retreat. Giving the Germans a strategic win. However, there were 1,600 British and 5,000 Germans casualties reported at the end of The Battle Of Mons. -
The Battle of Tannenberg
The Battle of Tannenberg was a battle between Russia and Germany. Germany came out victorious in this battle which was a major defeat for Russia. The Germans took 92,000 prisoners and 300,000 Russian soldiers were wounded or killed. -
The invention of poisonous gas
The first effective use of poison gas was on the Western Front. This was a chemical weapon in Germany's arsenal made of chlorine gas. This weapon can cause irritated lung tissues and may also cause death. This weapon was significant because there was no technology to protect the soldiers from a weapon such as this. -
The Sinking of the Lusitania
The Lusitania was a British cruise liner, but was torpedoed by a German submarine. Out of the 1,959 passengers, only 1,195 died, including 123 americans. This showed the U.S that Germany was an enemy and that they couldn't be trusted. -
Battle of Verdun
During World War 1, the battle of Verdun was one of the longest ongoing disputes in the war. This was a battle of the French and the Germans along the Western Front. This battle lasted from January to December of 1916 and had nearly 1 million deaths on both sides combined. -
The Battle of Somme
The Battle of Somme was a joint operation between the British and the French forces on the Western Front. This battle was the second longest battle of World War 1. This battle was extremely deadly, destructive and had many casualties. -
Zimmerman Telegram
On January 17th, 1917, the German Foreign Office sent the Zimmerman Telegram. A diplomatic message to Mexico suggesting an alliance to help fight along Germany against the U.S. Germany offered assistance in gaining back Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico if Mexico coincided with Germany. However, Mexico refused the offer to go against the U.S. -
The Russian Revolution
After two years of endless losing for Russia, the people began to feel towards the outcome of their wars and the country's leaders. Russia launched a rebellion under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin, which urged Russia to try and negotiate an armistice with the Central Powers to let the advance their forces to their allies on the Western Front. -
United States enters the war
On April 4, 1917, president Woodrow Wilson of the United States had requested congress to allow the ability to enter the war and declare war on Germany. The U.S later declared war on Germany on December 7th, 1917. With the entry of the war, the defeat of Germany was more possible with the involvement of the U.S. -
Selective Service Act
The U.S were suffering due to the lack of manpower on the armies. They also weren't gaining any attraction from volunteers. The Selective Service Act was created and passed on May 18th, 1917 to try and gain more bodies to fight in the war. The Act was perceived to be an act of honor to fight for your country. -
Armistice
After over four long years of bloody warfare and millions of casualties. Battle on the Western Front ceased on November 11th, 1918. The Armistice between Germany and the Allies was a step taken in the direction of ending the war, regardless if there was fighting elsewhere, there was improvement made. -
The Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles officially ended the war between Germany and the Allied Powers. Germany was held responsible for starting the war and had to pay off all the damages caused over the four years of fighting. Germany had to limit there army to 100,000 men and had to give up all overseas colonies.