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Franz Ferdinand asassinated in Sarajevo
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Autro-Hungary is assasinated by members of the Black Hand gang in Sarajevo. -
Period: to
WW1
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Austria declares war on serbia
Austria declares war against Serbia in response to the assination on Franz Ferdinand -
Germany Declares War on Russia
Germany come to Austria's aid and declare war on Russia -
Germany declares war on France
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Britain declares war on Germany
Britain threatens war if Germany does not withdraw its troops from Belgium lands. Germany does not comply and Britain declares war -
The Battle of Marne
The Battle took place in France as the German forces approached the outskirts of Paris. This Battle lasted from the 5th to the 13th of September and resulted in the halting of the German advance on Paris. This ultimately led to the development of trench warfare. -
The First Battle of Ypres
The Battle took place from the 19th of October to the 22nd of November as British and German Forces attempted to control the town. However neither side was able to claim victory and it stayed this way for years to come. -
Second Battle of Ypres
German and Allied forces attempted to gain the advantage in the area. However at the end of the battle on 25th of May neither side had gained much ground for the staggering losses on both sides with the Allies losing over 70,000 men killed, wounded or missing. -
Battle of Loos
This was the first major offensive by the Allied Armies. However despite their numerical superiority and better equipment the German forces managed to contain the Allied armies and the assault was called off on the 14th of October -
Conscription Introduced in Britain
Over 3,000,000 men volunteered to serve in the British Armed Forces during the first two years of the war. Due to heavy losses at the Western Front the government decided in 1916 to introduce conscription.The Military Service Act of January 1916 specified that single men between the ages of 18 and 41 were liable to be called-up for military service unless they were widowed with children or ministers of religion -
Battle of Verdun Begins
German forces attempt to destroy the fortifications at Verdun and defeat the French forces there. This would have opened the way for the German army to make a renewed assault on Paris. However by the 20 December the attack was called off with the Germans having very little to show for it. The Germans suffered over 400,000 casualties while the French suffered over 500,000. -
Battle of the Somme
Allied forces launch a major offensive against the German positions near the Somme river in France. This was the largest battle of the war with over 1,000,000 men wounded or killed in the action. At the end of the offensive on the 18th November the Allies had advanced along a 30mile strip that had only managed to penetrate 7miles into German territory at the most. -
America Declares War on Germany
On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson went before a joint session of Congress to request a declaration of war against Germany. Wilson cited Germany’s violation of its pledge to suspend unrestricted submarine warfare in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean, as well as its attempts to entice Mexico into an alliance against the United States, as his reasons for declaring war -
Third Battle Ypres (Battle of Passchendale)
Nicknamed the battle of the mud by the soldiers who fought it, the battle of Ypres was launched by Haig in an attempt to break through to Flanders and the U-Boat pens along the Belgian coast. However although the town of Passchendale was conquered the allies did not make any significant gains and paid dearly for it, 310,000 were either killed or wounded by 10th November. Heavy rains turned the battle field into a swamp with soldiers struggling to move and tanks becoming stuck. -
The Spring Offensive (First Phase)
Germans launh spring offensive after receiving reinforcements from the East as the war there is finished. The Germans gain large amounts of territory but due to lack of reserves are unable to push through and complete their objective of cutting the BEF off from the rest of the Allied armies in France. However by the 5th the attack was called off and many of the elite stormtroopers were killed. These soldiers were unable to be replaced. -
The Spring Offensive (Fourth Phase)
This time the German advance along the Matz River was impressive, resulting in an advance of 9 miles despite fierce French and American resistance. At Compiègne, a sudden French counter-attack on 11 June, by four divisions and 150 tanks with no preliminary bombardment, caught the Germans by surprise and halted their advance. The Germans called off the attack the following day. -
100 Day Offensive by the Allies
The last Offensive of the Great War drove the Germans back beyond the Hindenburg line to the Borders of Germany. The German Empire collapsed and the First world war ended on the 11th of November at 11 am with an armistice. -
End of the War
The Armistice is signed. The War is now over.
