-
The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
The beginning of WW1 began when Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914 in Sarajevo. He was shot along with his wife by a Serbian nationalist. It was Ferdinand’s wedding anniversary and he and his wife were touring Sarajevo when someone threw a petrol bomb at his car. However, this petrol bomb rebounded off the car and didn’t wound the Archduke but wounded an officer and a bystander. Later that day, on the way to visit the injured officer, they were shot at point-blank range. Austria and Hun -
Period: to
World War I
World War I -
Russia mobilizes!
Austrian warships bombarded Belgrade, capital of Serbia on 30th July, 1914. Austro-Hungarian leaders decided that the solution to the Serbian problem was an all-out invasion of the country.
The very next day, 31st July, 1914, Russia react to the Austrian attack on Serbia. Russia, which had close ethnic, religious, and political ties to Serbia, were likely to come to its defense during an invasion. Russia begins full mobilization. -
Beginning of World War I (Germany Invades Belgium)
August 4th, 1914
After the warlike statements made after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28th June, 1914, the Belgian Army (43,000 men) were placed on its borders
The German ultimatum to Belgium (demanding safe passage through to France) on 2nd August gave King Albert and his government the choice of fighting or being conquered. Albert denied the ultimatum declaring that Belgium would uphold its neutrality.
Over a quarter of a million Belgians fled to England, particularly Folk -
Germans fire
German Government agree to Belgian proposal, made through Spanish Government, about the African free trade zone.
The Battle of Charleroi occurred on the 21st - 23rd August 1914 and was fought at the town of Charleroi, between the French Fifth Army and the German Second and Third Armies. The French were moving north to the Sambre river and the Germans were continuing their advance to the south-west after the fall of Namur.
The Germans used shells filled with chlorine gas at Allied lines. This w -
The Christmas Truce
At Christmas 1914 soldiers in the trenches stopped fighting in honour of Christmas as gestures of goodwill between enemies. They sang Christmas songs to each other across the trenches. On Christmas Day, the Allies saw German soldiers step into No-Man lands calling out greetings of “Merry Christmas” in their enemies’ language. The Allies thought this was a trick however when they saw that the Germans were unarmed they came out and shook hands. They exchanged presents, sang carols together and eve -
First tanks
The first army tanks were produced by committee members of the imperial defence ‘Ernest Winton and William Hankey.’
They explained the idea to Winston Churchill and suggested the concept of an ‘armoured war vehicle.’
It was following that suggested idea that Churchill asked the ‘landship committee’ to produce a prototype version of this armoured war vehicle.
The production remained as secret, telling people that they would be used for carrying water on the battlefield.
The first tank created w -
United States Enter World War I
April 6th, 1917
Many Americans were not in favour of the U.S. entering the war and wanted to remain neutral.
After two and a half years of efforts by President Woodrow Wilson to keep the United States neutral, they joined World War I on the side of the Allies (France, Britain etc.)
In 1915, the British passenger liner the Lusitania was sunk by a German submarine, killing 128 Americans and further heightening tensions.
At the beginning of 1917 Germany decided to resume attacking every commercial -
Battle of Cantigy
This was the 1st major American offense to ‘World War 1’ against the Germans.
Under the power of ‘Major Robert Lee Bullard’ the American army were ordered to capture the Village of Cantigny.
During the attack the French aided the Americans by providing air cover, 368 heavy guns, trench mortars and flame throwers.
Later twelve French tanks proceeded into the village after the Americans following a two-hour artillery barrage.
The American received 1067 casualties that day and captured 100 Germa
