World War I

Triple Alliance and Triple Entente Formed

Dec 31, 1907

The Triple Alliance was an alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. It was created to isolate France. A later name for this alliance was the Central Powers. The Triple Entente was an alliance between Great Britain, France, and Russia, originated by Britain to check Germany's power. A later name for this alliance was the Allies. By the end of 1907, any disagreement between these two powers could pull all of Europe into war.

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Jun 28, 1914

During a visit to Sarajevo, Bosnia, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife, Sophie, were shot at and killed. The assassin was Gavrilo Princip, a 19-year-old Serbian. The assassination gave Austria an excuse to punish Serbia. Austria presented Serbia with an ultimatum containing impossible demands. When Serbia could not meet these demands, Austria declared war on Serbia. This would begin World War I.

Schlieffen Plan

Jul 31, 1914

The Schlieffen Plan was designed by General Alfred Graf von Schlieffen, a German. The first step of this plan was to quickly capture Paris and defeat France. Then, the Germans would turn their attention to the Russians. It appeared this plan would succeed until the French attacked the Germans near the Marne River, defeating them after four days of fighting. A quick victory against France was no longer possible.

First Battle of Marne

Sep 5, 1914

The First Battle of Marne was the first major battle on the Western Front. It occurred when the French counterattacked the tired German army near the Marne River. The Allies pushed the Germans back 40 to 50 miles, defeating them after four days of fighting. Paris was no longer in danger of being captured, but the Germans had taken a large portion of northeastern France. This defeat forced Germany to fight a war on two fronts.

Gallipoli Campaign

Feb 28, 1915

The Gallipoli Campaign was a plan created by the Allies. The Allies hoped to capture the Dardanelles, an area of the Ottoman Empire, and establish a supply line to Russia. However, local Turkish troops met the Allies with a strong defense, turning the battle into another stalemate. In December of 1915, the Allies retreated. A supply line to Russia had not been established.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

May 7, 1915

In 1917, Germany had begun working and building more modern and advanced submarines to use in warfare. They announced that they would sink any ship present in the ocean around Great Britain without warning. On May 7, 1915, the sent a British passenger ship to the bottom of the sea. This attack left 1,198 people dead, 128 of which included US citizens.

US Enters the War

Apr 2, 1917

Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare enraged the United States when over 100 US citizens were killed by an attack on a British passenger ship. Then, in February 1917, US officials intercepted a telegram coming from Germany which told the Mexican government that they would aid Mexico in reclaiming the land taken from them by the US if Mexico would become Germany's ally. Finally, unable to stay out any longer, the US entered the war.

Russia Withdraws from War

Mar 31, 1918

Czar Nicholas was forced to step down from the Russian throne in March 1917. This was mostly due to shortages in food and fuel caused by the war. A new government was put in his place which wanted to keep fighting the war. However, the Russian army had been put through many hardships and nearly 5.5 million soldiers had be hurt, killed, or taken hostage. Because of this, the Russian army refused to fight any longer.

War Ends- Armistice Signed

Nov 11, 1918

At this point, Russia had already left the war and the German military was weakened. They had a shortage of men and food. The Central Powers began to weaken as well. Then, soon after Kaiser Wilhelm II stepped down on November 9, 1918, Germany declared itself a republic. The new German government met with a French commander and signed an armistice, which was an agreement to stop fighting. This marked the end of World War I.

Treaty of Versailles

Jun 28, 1919

After the war, representatives from four countries known as the Big Four met in Versailles. These representatives were from Great Britain, the United States, Italy, and France. The Treaty of Versailles was the compromise that wsa finally reached between these four nations. This treaty punished Germany through loss of land and the instillation of restrictions on their military. It also created the League of Nations, which was supposed to maintain peace throughout the nations.