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Archduke Assassinated
Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was visiting Sarajevo, Bosnia with his wife and chose to ignore the warnings of anti-Austrian unrest. The two were riding in their open car through Sarajevo when Gavrilo Princip shot and killed them both. Francis Joseph, Archduke's uncle and the current ruler of Austria, was urged to take action against Serbia for the assassination so he sent them an ultimatum to which they did not fully agree. On July 28, 1914, Austria declared war on Serbia. -
Russia Mobilizes
Russia mobilized it's army to fight against Austria-Hungary in order to help its ally, Serbia. This drove the rest of the European Powers to mobilize as well which inevitably led to hostility. -
Germany Declares War on Russia & France
As a result of Russia's mobilization, Germany declared war which led Russia to appeal to France who was eager to avenge their defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. Germany demanded that France stay out of the conflict, but they did not comply, so Germany then declared war on France. -
Germany Invades Belgium
In order to carry out their Schlieffen Plan, Germany had to get behind French lines. However, the only way to do this was to go through neutral Belgium who had signed a treaty with Britain and other European Powers guaranteeing their neutrality. Germany's invasion of Belgium outraged many people, including Britain. -
World War 1 Begins
There were many factors contributing to the start of WWI including nationalism, imperialism, militarism, and alliances. However, the main event said to have sparked the war was when the Archduke was assassinated and Austria declared war on Serbia. -
Britain Declares War on Germany
Germany's invasion of neutral Belgium outraged Britain who had signed a treaty to guarantee their neutrality. As a result of this, Britain declared war on Germany. -
Use of Poison Gas
Poison gas was first used by Germany and then by the Allies. It induced blindness, choking, agonizing burns and blisters, and was potentially fatal. Soldiers were eventually given masks, but the gas remained a huge hazard of the war. -
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Battle of Gallipoli
The Ottoman Turks had joined the Central Powers in late October of 1914 and were then able to cut off Allied supply lines to Russia through the Dardanelles. In 1915, the Allies sent a massive force of troops to open up the strait but were then trapped by the Turkish troops. The Allies finally withdrew from the Dardanelles after suffering more than 200,000 casualties over 10 months. -
Lusitania Sinks
The ship carrying about 1,100 people, 128 Americans, was torpedoed by a German U-boat and was part of what led the U.S. to enter WWI. It strained diplomatic relations between Germany and the U.S. and fueled anti-German sentiment in the U.S. and Britain.
https://www.history.com/news/how-the-sinking-of-lusitania-changed-wwi -
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German Submarines
Kaiser Wilhelm suspended unrestricted submarine warfare on Sept. 18, 1915 due to the international outrage over neutral passenger liners being sunk by German subs and as an attempt to keep the U.S. out of the war. On Feb. 1, 1917, Germany resumed submarine warfare in European waterways which further drew the U.S. into the war and eventually led to Germany's defeat. -
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Battle of Verdun
The battle of Verdun was fought between the French and German armies and eventually ended in a French victory. It was the longest battle in WWI with over 500,000 casualties. -
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Battle of the Somme
This battle was an Allied offensive fought between the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place on both sides of the Somme River and within one day of fighting, almost 60,000 British soldiers were killed or wounded. Over 1 million soldiers were killed by the time the battle ended with neither side victorious. -
Russian Revolution
The war took a toll on Russia and public confidence had eroded. Bread riots broke out in St. Petersburg which led to a revolution that took down the Russian monarchy. -
U.S. Enters the War
President Wilson presented his case for war to Congress on Apr. 2, 1917 and it was authorized on Apr. 6 which meant that the U.S. had now declared war on Germany. America entered WWI on the side of the Allies with Britain and France. -
Selective Service Act
Congress passed the Selective Service Act in May of 1917 which authorized the draft. The draft was heavily criticized but was needed in order to continue fighting in the war. As President Wilson said, he saw no other option. -
Russia Withdraws From the War
V. I. Lenin signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany in early 1918 that ended their participation in WWI. The withdrawal of Russia from the war had a large impact, especially since it meant that Germany could focus on its forces on the Western Front. -
Wilhelm Abdicates
Kaiser Wilhelm abdicates which ends all hope for a German victory. Crossed over the Netherland border where he lived and wrote a memoir defending his actions in the war.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/kaiser-wilhelm-ii -
Armistice Ends WWI
German government sought armistice to end the fighting after being pushed to the brink of collapse with other countries asking for peace as well. The war ended at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918. -
Treaty of Versailles
Germany was forced to sign the treaty that essentially made them accept full blame for causing the war. It also made them pay huge reparations that totaled about $30 million. Paying the reparations further damaged Germany's economy and acted as fuel towards the start of WWII.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/treaty-of-versailles-1 -
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Paris Peace Conference
Leaders of the Allies met at the Paris Peace Conference to discuss the fate of Europe after the war. Three of the strong leaders at the conference, Woodrow Wilson, Georges Clemenceau, and David Lloyd George, became know as the "Big Three". This is where the League of Nations and Treaty of Versailles were founded.
