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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary
Austro-Hungarian leader Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife are assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip, Austria-Hungary suspects Serbia was involved. -
Bombardment of Belgrade
First actual conflict in Austro-Hungarian/Serbian war. -
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Declarations of War
Germany declares war on Russia, France and Belgium.
Britain declares war on Germany.
Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia.
France and Britain declare war on Austria-Hungary.
Japan declares war on Germany.
Austria-Hungary declares war on Belgium. The United States declares its neutrality. -
German Invasion of Belgium and Luxembourg
After declaring its neutrality, Belgium is met with a ultimatum to let the Germans pass, or go to war. They refuse the Germans request and are aided by the British. Germany proceeds to try to invade Belgium and succeeds. -
Italy Declares War on Austria-Hungary
Italy, assured by the allies that they will be compensated after the war, enters the war on the side of the allies. This decision is a very large one because it means Austria-Hungary and Germany are surrounded on almost every side by enemies. -
Battle of Verdun Ends
The battle of Verdun was the longest lasting battle of WWI, taking a whopping 301 days from beginning to end. It was also one of the deadliest, causing the French to suffer 377,231 casualties and the Germans 337,000, a total of 714,231. -
The Hundred Days Offensive
Last large offensive of the war begins at Meuse-Argonne. Throughout the offensive, allied troops perfect their ability to fight against German trenches. The allies, with more troops and equipment, plowed through the German countryside until armistice. -
Treaty of Versailles
Peace treaty between the Allies and Germany, signifying the end of WWI. Today, this treaty is often looked at as a failure, the downsides that this treaty caused actually lead to WWII, instead of forgiveness, Germany was punished. -
League of Nations
A worldwide diplomatic group established to help mediate conflicts between countries. The group previously envisioned by Woodrow Wilson in his 14 points. It was the main precursor to the UN.
