-
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Countess Sophie's Wedding
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie Chotek decided they would be get married despite Sophies status. Sophie was not quite a commoner but came from distant Czech nobles, because of her unclear status many did not approve of their relationship. Because of her status Sophie would later be treated unfairly very often, she was not allowed to sit or walk near her husband and would not have an escort like her husband. Despite the petty treatment Sophie decided to remain married to her love, Ferdinand. -
The First Flamethrower
The very first flamethrower was invented during World War 1 by a man named Richard Fiedler. After submitting his designs and prototype to the German army Richard created one of the most effective weapons in history. The flamethrower would later be used by the Germans against the British to get enemy soldiers out of their trenches and into the open where there was no cover. The Germans would also go on to use the powerful weapon in over 300 different battles during the war. -
Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie Chotek of Austria visited Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital. Several Bosnians planned to bomb the car but it bounced off and rolled under another car. Unharmed in the explosion, Ferdinand and Sophie decided to continue their visit. Ferdinand's car turned onto the wrong street were Gavrilo Princip was coincidentally standing. He pulled out a pistol and shot two bullets hitting Ferdinand in the neck and Sophie in the abdomen and they both die minutes later. -
World War 1 Begins
On July 28, 1914 World War 1 officially starts, exactly a month after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The Central Powers Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire waged war against the Allied Powers which consisted of Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan and the United States. Germany was the first to make a move when their troops set out to Belgium. Germany believed Belgium would be an easy win and could proceed to subdue their main target, France. -
Period: to
Gallipoli Campaign
The Gallipoli Campaign or also very well known as the Dardanelles Campaign, and the Battle of Gallipoli was when the Allied Powers tried and failed to an important ocean route from Europe to Russia. The Gallipoli Campaign kicked off with a failure of an ocean attack from the British and French on the Dardanelles Straits in February through March of 1915. The British and French continued to attempt to invade but connoted to be unsuccessful because of their lack of knowledge of the land. -
Lusitania Sinks
The Lusitania was a British ocean liner that was suddenly sunk by the torpedos of a German submarine near Ireland. The boat sank in twenty minutes in the Celtic Sea and approximately 1,120 of 1,960 passengers drowned, 128 of which were American. Upon hearing the news America was not happy but Germany defended themselves and their actions. Germany stated that they warned that they would attack boats who intruded the war zone around Britain whether they were involved in the conflicts or not. -
Period: to
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was fought in Northeast France and was a very long battle, the longest of World War 1, at 300 days long. The two sides of the battle were the Germans and the French. The Germans planned to attack Verdun because it had a lot of historical importance to the French. Although that attack was massive and sudden the Germans did end up losing because they underestimated the livelihood of the French army as well as their amazing endurance and recovery during the battle. -
Period: to
Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme otherwise known as the Somme Offensive was a battle in France during World War 1. The battle was fought between the British and French against the German over a span of approximately 5 months. The Battle of the Somme has a reputation of one of the bloodiest and most violent battles during World War 1. The Battle of the Somme stretched very far with a punishing 15-mile long front with the purpose of aiding the French in weakening the German army. -
Russia withdraws from war
Russia withdrew from world war one shorty after the October revolution that took place inside of the Russian Revolution of 1917. Russia had too much on their plate after dealing with their own countries' inner changes. Russia's government, the Bolsheviks, signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the central powers. The central powers consisted of German Empire, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire, signing the treaty signaled the official end of Russia's place in world war 1. -
Zimmermann Note
The Zimmermann Note also known as the Zimmermann Cable or Zimmermann Telegram was written by a foreign German secretary named Arthur Zimmermann. The note was written in a special code of secret diplomatic communication, it was intercepted by British code breakers. When the note was decrypted it was said from Germany to Mexico as a proposal to join military forces and become allies. Together Germany and Mexico plotted an attack on the U.S. with Germany providing military and finances for Mexico. -
Period: to
Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution of 1917 was very violet and ended imperial rule that had been around for many years before. Inside of the Russian Revolution is actually two revolutions. The first was in March, 1917 where the imperial style government was overthrown. The second was in November, 1917 when a new line, the Bolsheviks were put into a place of power. The Bolsheviks won the people's favor with their campaign " peace, land, and bread" which held the promise to meet the needs of the people. -
U.S. enters the war
Although a great majority of Americans weren't in favor of joining the war and wanted to remain neutral, that is not what happened. On April 6, 1917, the United States jumped into the war and teamed up with Britain, Russia, and France. Originally, the United States wanted to steer clear of all of this conflict and support President Woodrow Wilson's policy of staying completely neutral. Nevertheless, over two million U.S. soldiers fought in France under Major General John J. Pershing. -
The Battle of Chateau-Thierry
The Battle of Chateau-Thierry was fought in France and a small portion was fought in Belgium. This battle was the first action made by the AEF or American Expeditionary Forces. In this event the Americans teamed up with the French and worked together under Major General John J. Pershing, also recognized by his nickname Black Jack. Together the French and the Americans fought German forces and pushed them back past the river so that they did not advance any further. -
Period: to
the Argonne Battle
The Argonne battle, also known as the battles of Meuse-Argonne, Meuse-Argonne Campaign, or Meuse-Argonne Offensive was a battle in France. The battle itself lasted 47 days and continued to the end of the war when the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, the end of World War 1.The battle was an incredibly huge part of the final allied offensive that took place during World War 1. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was also a major turning point because it ended a streak of German victories. -
Armistice
The British, French and American armies continued to fight and destroy the Central Powers. All but Germany had agreed and signed to the Armistice, Germany was very stubborn and did not give in until Kiel was taken by the Allied Powers. The Kaiser at the time stepped down and went to the Netherlands in exile and the German republic declared their peace and on November 11, 1918 at 5 o’clock AM. The Armistice was signed but the fighting on the front lines did not stop until 11 o’clock AM. -
Treaty of Versailles Signed
The Treaty of Versailles signalled the end of the war between Germany and the Allied Powers. The Allied Powers consisted of Russia, Britain, France, and the United States. The treaty included 15 parts and over 400 articles, most of which made it so Germany could not regroup and jump right back into warfare. The treaty was signed and initiated the official end of world war 1, exactly 5 years since the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie which is what initially started the war. -
The Origin of the Kotex Sanitary Napkin
Cellucotton, a very absorbent and fibrous material that is made from processed wood pulp was a known material. Many countries used the material in their bandages for soldiers in World War 1 but when the war ended they were left with a large surplus. Until Kotex invented the first disposable sanitary napkin. Kotex is the first brand of sanitary napkins in the U.S. ever and revolutionized the way women in the past, present and future handled their mensuration for decades and decades to come. -
First meeting of the league of Nations
The League of nations' first meeting was on January 16, 1920. the League of Nations otherwise known as LN or LoN was an international and intergovernmental organization who wanted to work toward lasting world peace. The main objectives of the League of Nations where to prevent more wars using collective security, arms control, and negotiation first before even thinking about advancing onto different methods of settling disputes. The league of nations would later lead to the Treaty of Versailles.
