World War 1 Timeline

  • Germany declared war on Russia

    Germany declared war on Russia
    Germany declared war on Russia
  • British declaration of war

    British declaration of war
    Germany did not withdraw from Belgium and Britain declared war on Germany .
  • Japan declared war on Germany

    Japan declared war on Germany
    Japan declared war on Germany through her alliance with Great Britain , signed in 1902
  • Britain and France declared war on Turkey

    Britain and France declared war on Turkey
    Britain and France, Russia's allies, declared war on Turkey , because of the help given to the Germany attack on Russia
  • Zeppeln bombing

    Zeppeln bombing
    Zeppelin airships dropped bombs on Yarmouth
  • Winston Churchill resigns

    Winston Churchill resigns
    Winston Churchill, critical of the Dardenelles campaign, resigned his post as First Lord of the Admiralty. He rejoined the army as a battalion commander
  • Second battle of ypres

    Second battle of ypres
    Poison gas was used for the first time during this battle. The gas, fired by the Germans claimed many British casualties
  • Lusitania sunk

    Lusitania sunk
    There outraged protests from the United States at the German U-boat campaign, when the Lusitania, which had many American passengers abroad, was sank. The Germans moderated their U-boat campaign
  • Winston Churchill

    Winston Churchill
    Winston Churchill served in Belgium as lieutenant colonel of the Royal Scots Fusiliers
  • Romania entered the war

    Romania entered the war
    Romania joined the war on the side of the Allies. But within a few months was occupied by Germans and Austrians
  • Battle of Verdun

    Battle of Verdun
    The Germans mounted an attack on the French at Verdun designed to ' bleed the French dry'. Although the fighting continued for nine months, the battle was inconclusive. Casualties were enormous on both sides with the German losing 430,00 men and the French 540,000
  • First Aeroplane raid

    First Aeroplane raid
    The first German air raid on London took place. The Germans hoped that by making raids on London and the South East , the British Air Force would be forced into protecting the home front rather than attacking the German air force
  • W. Front Cambrai

    W. Front Cambrai
    The British took a large force of tanks across the barbed wire and machine gun posts at Cambrai
  • Churchill Minister of Munitions

    Churchill Minister of Munitions
    Following the heavy defeat at Passchendale, Lloyd George decided that he wanted Churchill in the Cabinet. Churchill was duly appointed Minister of Munitions
  • Reinforcements sent to Italy

    Reinforcements sent to Italy
    The Italians had lost many men trying to hold the line between Italy and the Central Powers. British and French reinforcements were sent to hold the line
  • USA declares war on Germany

    USA declares war on Germany
    The United States of America declared war on Germany in response to the sinking, by German U boats, of US ships
  • RAF formed

    RAF formed
    The Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service were merged to form the Royal Air Force
  • Allies recover France and Belgium

    Allies recover France and Belgium
    The allies had taken almost all of German-occupied France and part of Belgium
  • Kaiser abdicated

    Kaiser abdicated
    Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated
  • Armistice signed

    Armistice signed
    At 11 am , in French town of Redonthes, the Armistice was signed bringing the war to an end