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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
The leader of Austria-Hungary was shot and killed in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip. Him and his wife were both killed They were on an official visit to the Bosnian Capital of Sarajevo. The killings sparked a chain of events including the start of World War I -
Austria-Hungary Declares War
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on this day. Austria-Hungary was feeling threatened by Serbian ambition, And they determined the proper response for the assassinations was to declare war and prepare the military for war. -
Germany Declares War on Russia
Germany Declared war on Russia because of the alliance they had with Austria-Hungary, which meant they would go after Russia. Also Germany had seen the mobilization of the Russian troops as a war threat. -
Germany Declares War on France and Invades Belgium
Germany declared war on France and invaded Russia according to the Schlieffen Plan. The plan was to minimize the German Army and take the French and Belgians out. -
Battle of Tannenberg
Germany had a crushing victory over Russia in the Battle of Tannenberg. By the time the Russian's commander could see what was happening the Germans had already surrounded their second army. Russia lost over 125,000 men due to death and imprisonment. -
Lusitania is Sunk
The Germans waged submarine warfare when they sunk the Lusitania holding many U.S. passengers. This is one of the big reasons the United States joined in with World War I -
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was inconclusive with both the Germans and French losing many casualties. Fighting was for 9 months and Germany lost 430,000 men and the French lost 540,000 men. -
First Tanks
The first tanks appeared during the Battle of Somme. The tanks were an important part to the British controlling the Western front. The tanks broke the stalemate of trench warfare. -
U.S.A Declares War on Germany
The United States declared war on Germany in response to the sinking of the Lusitania. All of the ships being traded with Britain would be easy targets for the Germans unrestricted submarine warfare so something needed to be done according to the U.S. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles ended the state of war between Germany and the allied powers. It's what brought World War I to an end. The treaty of Versailles also demanded for the surrender of Germany.
