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the killing of archduck franz ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife are assassinated. -
emperor
Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. -
the ottoman empire
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 sea ports. Bulgaria joins the Central Powers on October 15, 1915. -
belgium gets invaded
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. -
russia at war
Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia -
neutrality
The United States declares neutrality in the war. -
battle of tannenberg
The German army defeats Russia at the Battle of Tannenberg. -
invasion of France
9/10/1914 - German invasion of France is halted at the First Battle of Marne. -
the race to the sea
The Race to the Sea ends when the Germans withdraw at the 1st Battle of Ypres. -
christmas
Unofficial Christmas truce is declared by German and Allied soldiers in the trenches along the Western Front. -
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the battle of verdun
The Battle of Verdun is fought resulting in an estimated one million casualties. -
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poison gas
The Germans use poison gas at the 2nd battle of Ypres. -
genocide
Armenian Genocide begins. -
battles in gallipoli
Allies begin a nine-month battle for the Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli. -
u boat
A German U-boat sinks the Lusitania killing 1,198 civilians, including 128 Americans. -
italy
Italy Joins the Allies. -
british nurse
British nurse, Edith Cavell, is executed by the Germans. -
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the first tanks
The British introduce the tank during the Battle of Somme. The battle results in an estimated one million casualties. -
wood row wilson
Woodrow Wilson is re-elected President of the United States. -
British colect telegram
British cryptographers decipher a telegram from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmerman to the German Minister of Mexico. -
submarine warfare
The Germans resume unrestricted submarine warfare. -
tsar
Tsar Nicholas II of Russia abdicates. -
president wilson
President Wilson asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war against Germany. -
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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. -
balfour declaration
The Balfour Declaration is presented in London. -
14 points in a speech
President Wilson outlines his Fourteen Points in a speech before Congress. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk is signed between Russia and Germany. -
german on the banks
Germans on the banks of the Marne near Paris are stopped by American forces at Chateau-Thierry. -
kaiser wilhelm II
Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany abdicates. -
karl
Emperor Karl of Austria abdicates. -
singing of an armistice
At eleven o’clock on this day, war on the Western Front ends as Germany and the Allies sign an Armistice. -
treaty of versailles
Germany and Allies sign the Treaty of Versailles. The U.S. Senate later refuses to ratify it. -
treaty of sevres
The Treaty of Sevres ends the war on the Eastern Front with the Ottoman Empire.