-
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife
This event is seen as the event the triggered the war. On this day Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie were shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist during a visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. He visited that place to inspect the imperial armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The killing of Franz Ferdinand was thought out by a group of young individuals called the black hand. -
Austrian-Hungarian Empire Declares War on Serbia
Exactly one month after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife. Austria was threatened by Serbian, Austria-Hungary declared that due to the assassinations was to prepare for a possible military invasion of Serbia. Austria gained an ally with Germany before the invasion. They gave Serbia an ultimatum that all anti-Austrian propaganda within Serbia be suppressed, and that Austria-Hungary be allowed to conduct its own investigation into the archduke’s killing. They followed all but one. -
Germany Invades Belgium
Germany tries to capture Paris by passing through neutral countries, the German army then demanded free passage through Belgium. The Belgian government refused, but the German troops invaded them. The Belgian troops tried to fight them but soon declared that they were no match to Germany. The Germany army quickly advanced and continued their mission, -
Battle of Tannenberg
A German victory fought at Tannenberg. Russia however suffered a big loss-almost an entire army and 400 guns. Their commander ended up committing suicide. The defeat had very poor leadership and communication. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
A German U-boat torpedoed and sank the RMS Lusitania May 7, 1915. It was a British ocean liner. There were many passengers and crew members on board, and more than 1,100 perished, including more than 120 Americans. About "two years would pass before the United States formally entered World War I, but the sinking of the Lusitania played a significant role in turning public opinion against Germany, both in the United States and abroad." -
Battle of Verdun
The longest battle of WW1. The impact the battle had on the French Army was a primary reason for the British starting the Battle of the Somme. The German Chief of General Staff wanted to “bleed France white” by attacking a narrow stretch of land that was a historic sentiment for the French. The French did not want their historic marks to be harmed in any way and they fought hard to keep it that way. The French ended up with a victory as the German army suffered many losses. -
Russia Leaves the War
Czar Nicholas II left his throne to a temporary government, but that didn't help the food shortages. Lenin then wanted to concentrate on building up a communist state and decided to get Russia out of the war. He accomplished this by agreeing to the Treaty of Brest-Litvosk with Germany. "This treaty gave Germany the territory of Ukraine, Finland and Polish and Baltic territories. Germany on the other hand had to remove their army from Russian lands." -
America Enters the War
On April 6, 1917, the U.S. joined its allies-Britain, France, and Russia. "The war brought about change in America. For example, women, many of whom had been active supporters of the war to preserve democracy." However, most Americans' did not support the U.S. going into war because they wanted to stay neutral. -
Battle of Saint Mihiel
Allied victory and the first U.S. led offensive in World War I. It was also the first major use of the U.S. Army Air Service. "The attack proved successful because the German command made the decision to abandon the salient and greatly lifted the morale and confidence of Pershing’s young army." -
World War 1 Ends
At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Great War ends. Germany, at loss of manpower and supplies, signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car outside Compiégne, France. "The First World War left nine million soldiers dead and 21 million wounded, with Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, France, and Great Britain each losing nearly a million or more lives."
