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Franz Ferdinand assassinated
Riding in an open motorcade, through the streets of Sarajevo, Franz Ferdinand was shot at point blank range. His wife, Sophie, was also killed by the assassin, Gavrilo Princip. This caused Austria-Hungary to take action against Serbia. Them having allies caused a world war. -
Germany declares war on Russia
Austria-Hungary was planning to move to Russian frontier, as Russia planned to move along German frontier in Poland. The German ambassador had given the Russian government 12 hours to cancel plans of attack, or Germany would mobilize. After time expired, Germany declared war on Russia at 7:10 p.m. -
The Schlieffen Plan
Germany declared war on France and invaded Belgium. Germany installed the Schlieffen Plan. It failed when Russia quickly mobilized it's army, but France didn't; the Schlieffen Plan assumed France could be beaten quickly and Russia would take longer to mobilize it's army. -
Britain declares war on Germany
In repsonse to Hitler's invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Germany then sunk Athenia (British ocean liner), killing 112 people, including 28 americans. U.S. remained neutral, while Britain began unsuccessfully bombing German ships. -
Woodrow Wilson announces U.S. will remain neutral
U.S. president Woodrow Wilson addressed Congress and the public of nuetrality. Wilson urged Americans to not take sides, so the policy wouldn't be interrupted. Wilson wanted the nation to remain in a state of peace. -
First Battle of Marne begins
The German army was 30 miles out of Paris, when French forces, along with some British, prepared themselves. Trench warfare was introduced, and became a huge part of the war. A surprised, failing German army suffered defeat to the French. -
The Christmas Truce
Even though the war had been going on for only a short period of time, it was a very destructive one. But on Christmas Eve, German and British troops sang to eachother from a distance. On Christmas morning, some Germans left their trenches, as did the hesitant Allies. They shook hands and some even exchanged gifts, to celebrate the holiday. -
First air raid in Britain
Britain suffered its first deaths from the air when two German zeppelins dropped bombs on the eastern coast of England. A zeppelin was a motor-driven, rigid airship. One of the three zeppelins failed to attack the coastal England towns. -
"Lusitania" sunk by German U-boat
The Lusitania, a fast passenger boat, set out for Liverpool, England. The Germans suspected it was carrying arms to Britain. A U-boat shot two missiles at the ship, sinking it within minutes. !,100 lives were taken, 120 of those being American. -
Battle of Verdun begins
German Chief of Staff, Erich von Falkenhayn, planned to launch an attack on Verdun, a historic piece of land that contained numerous forts. He planned to terminate a large portion of the French army. Both sides suffered heavy losses, making it one of the longest, bloodiest battles in history. It ended on Dec. 16, 1916. -
John J Pershing appointed commander of AEF
Frederick Funston, the previous commander of the AEF, died suddenly of a heart attack. This left Pershing to be the new commander. Pershing kept the position until 1918. -
U.S. declares war on Germany
On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson stood before Congress and asked for a declaration of war against Germany to "make the world safe for democracy." On April 4, 1917, Congress granted Wilson's request. Wilson feared that the U.S. would permanently lose humanity and tolerance, but he had to make the right decision. -
John J Pershing opened First Army headquarters
The French and British wanted to deplete the armies. Pershing strongly disagreed. He believed strongly in forming an independent army. He had to allow his men to fight under French generals to stop the Germans in the Marne, but still opened the first army headquarters. -
1917 Russian Revolution
In 1917, two revolutions took place in Russia, ending imperialism rules and putting in political and social changes that led to the formation of the Soviet Union. Many issues occurred, leading to Nicholas II becoming the last Russian czar. A few months later, the new provisional government was overthrown by radical Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin. -
Woodrow Wilson 14 Points to Peace speech
On January 8, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson stood before congress and gave a speech, called "The 14 Points." Wilson was hoping to end the war peacefully and ensure it couldn't happen again. His fourteenth point, the most important, advocated for an international organization that would keep peace among nations. This organization was created and called the League of Nations. -
Pershing leads Meuse-Argonne offensive of 1918
The Meuse-Argonne offensive was one of the bloodies battles in history. John J Pershing's American Expeditionary Force (AEF) was planned to lead the attack.It became the largest offensive led by Americans in World War I. Pershing called off the Meuse-Argonne offensive on September 30, but it resumed 4 days later. -
Germany signs armistice at Compiegne, France
This day, known as Armistice Day, marked the end of the war. On the western front, war continued, as technology didn't allow those troops to receive the information yet. General John J. Pershing believed that the armistice was being soft on the Germans, so he supported commanders who wanted to keep fighting, even thought they knew the armistice had been signed. Pershing stood in front of the House of Representative Committee but wasn't charged. -
John J Pershing opposes armistice
John Pershing was the only allied commander who opposed the armistice. He urged continuous pressure on the Germans until unconditional surrender. He later stood in front of the House of Representatives Committee, but wasn't charged. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, as a peace settlement between the Allies and Germans. This long document officially ended World War I. However, the conditions were so "demanding" to Germany that many people say it led to the rise of the Nazis and World War II. -
Pershing stands before HOR committee
Almost a year after 'Armistice Day', John Pershing was testifying before the House of Representatives committee. He was treated very respectfully, since he showed great heroics and bravery during the war. He was asked if he led the troops into continuous battle, even after the armistice signed. Pershing said that he did, but he did so because it couldn't be confirmed that it had been signed, and he didn't know if the enemy would continue fighting or not. Pershing was not charged.
