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Archduke Franz Ferdinand is Assassinated.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie are assassinated in Sarajevo, the Capital of the Austro-Hungarian province Bosnia and Herzegovina by Gavvrilo Princip a member of a group of assassins armed by a Serbian Nationalist group known as the Black Hand. This event was the match that lit the wildfire that was World War 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archduke_Franz_Ferdinand_of_Austria -
Airplane shoots another down with fitted machine Guns
French Pilot Louis Quenault shot down a German Biplane. Making him the first Pilot to shoot another plane down with a machine gun. This action marked a change in the idea of Air Combat. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviation_in_World_War_I -
First Zeppelin Raid on British Soil
After the stalemate on the Western Front in WW1 German troops armed Zeppelin Rigid Airships and carried out the first bombing raid on British Soil. The Idea of the Zeppelin was to instill terror in British Civilians, in the hopes of breaking their spirit. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-27517166
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin_P_Class -
First Use of the Hand Flamethrower in Combat
The Germans during the Great War extensively used Flammenwerfer (Flamethrower troops), they first deployed these troops in Malancourt, France. The Allies also developed Flamethrower troops but didn't use them as extensively as the Germans did. https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Wex
(I know its a link to a video game Wiki, but the photo is accurate.) -
Gas Weapons are first Used
German Artillery first fired Chlorine Gas at French troops in Steenstrate, Belgium. The gas itself killed relatively little compared to other weapons used in WW1 but the phycological effect was not to be underestimated. Gas Weapons were weapons of terror, causing massive amounts of troop displacement when fired. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/100-years-ago-first-gas-attacks-in-wwi/ -
German U-Boat Sinks the Lusitania
A German U-Boat sinks the passenger ship Lusitania killing 1,201 people, 128 of which were Americans. The Germans had assumed that the Lusitania was carrying arms and ammunition to the British from America. This leads to President Widrow Wilson demanding the German Government cease attacking unarmed shipping in the Atlantic Ocean. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-boat
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/german-submarine-sinks-lusitania -
Tank Formations are First Used
The Battle of Cambrai was the first time that Tanks were used in large numbers during the war, they had in the past been used to support infantry attacks. The idea of Tanks was not new, many designs had been created in the past as early as the Medieval Era. It just wasn't practical at the time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanks_in_World_War_I -
Germany signs Armistice Ending WW1
The signing of the Armistice ended the fighting between the Allied Powers and Germany. Officially stopping the conflict and ending the War to End All Wars. It stayed in effect until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armistice_of_11_November_1918 -
Treaty of Versailles Signed
The Treaty of Versailles, signed in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, officially ending the War to End all Wars. The treaty itself was created by representatives of the Big Four, Britain, France, Italy, and the United States. The losers of WW1 had no say in the terms of the treaty. https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Versailles-1919
