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Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and wife Sophie are assassinated by a Bosnian Serb nationalist in Sarajevo.
This event is considered the "spark" or World War I. It was the spark because as the European countries were creating alliances, the tensions grew between all of the countries. Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the Austrian-Hungary throne so when he was assassinated, the alliances allowed the countries to stand up for each other and fight back. -
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
This was the major event following the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. A Serbian terrorist assassinated Ferdinand and Austria-Hungary knew it was time to declare war. The alliances that were formed between Germany and Austria-Hungary allowed the Germans to assist them if Russia aided Serbia in the war. -
Germany declares war on Russia.
This event is the direct followup of Austria Hungary declaring war on Serbia. Russia is an Allie of Serbia and aids them in the war, so Germany declared war on Russia because they are allied to Austria-Hungary. The formation of alliances allowed the countries to declare war on the enemies of each country, creating the ripple effect of war. -
Germany declares war on France.
Germany declaring war on France was a crucial point in the beginning of the war. The Germans knew that they would have to have a strong power move in this war and being the first to initiate war against France was an important move. It allowed the Germans to be the first to start the war against the French as they knew that they would have to fight France and Russia at the same time. -
Britain declares war on Germany
This event was the crucial beginning of World War I. The move came on August 4th when Britain ordered Germany to take their troops out of neutral Belgium, but the Germans refused. "The war telegram, which meant 'Commence hostilities against Germany,' was flashed to the ships and establishments under the White Ensign all over the world.
I... reported to the Prime Minister and the Ministers who were assembled there that the deed was done." — Winston Churchill -
British Naval Blockade on Germany
The British Naval Blockade on Germany was one of the most important moves by Britain for the duration of the entire war. It was important because it slowed down and restricted Germany and the other central powers to receive any imports for goods or food from outside countries on water. The blockade was extremely effective because it starved the central powers into eventually giving up because so many people had died from starvation. -
Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia.
As Russia and Germany were going to war with each other, the Austria-Hungarians decided that it was inevitable to go to war with Russia as they were in alliance with Germany. Austria Hungary was not a very powerful country as Russia was one of the more powerful nations in the war, this meant that Austria would need help from the Germans to fight the Russians. This was also important because Russia was assisting Serbia in its fight against Austria-Hungary, a prime example of the alliance system. -
First battle of Marne
This was one of the most crucial battles in all of the war because it was the beginning of trench warfare. The Germans were 30 miles from France as the British and French armies halted the Germans from entering France. The German's plan was to encircle the French army and capture France, but the allied forces put that offensive to an end. -
Unofficial Truce of Christmas
The unofficial truce of Christmas was an important time for all soldiers and people across Europe. It gave the soldiers and people a brief time of peace and ceasefire as the soldiers left their trenches and gave gestures of kindness towards each other. After this ceasefire though, the tensions rose even higher and the intense warfare rose again. -
Second Battle of Ypres
The Second Battle of Ypres was the followup battle after the First Battle of Ypres was fought the year before. This was a fight over a strategically positioned town in Belgium called Ypres. This fight was a crucial part of the war because it was the beginning of the Germans heavily using poison gas. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
The sinking of the RMS Lusitania can be considered one of the most important and crucial parts of the war. As Germany was being blockaded by Britain, they decided to begin using submarine warfare as a way to counter the blockade. This was also a turning point because the sinking killed over a thousand of the passengers on the ship, and it changed the general perspective of Germany. The sinking of the Lusitania was also crucial because it shocked the United States into joining the allies. -
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was one of the largest battles in WWI. It was a battle between France and Germany at the French city of Verdun. This was one of the most deadly battles because the French had around 400,000 casualties and the Germans had around 300,000. -
Battle of Jutland
This was one of the largest naval battles in WWI. It was an important battle because it destroyed a significant amount of the German and British naval fleet and there was a significant amount of casualties. The British lost 14 ships and a total of 6,000+ casualties while the Germans lost 12 ships and 3,000+ casualties. -
First Battle of Somme
This battle was one of the important battles that made the United States intrigued to join the war. It began the idea that having a strong air force with the ability to strike from above is very important. Although there were many casualties, the allies only gained a few miles into German territory. -
Zimmerman Telegram Intercepted
This telegram was one of the turning points in the war. The Zimmerman telegram was a secret code that the Germans used to send messages across countries to each other. But the British figured the code out and it allowed them to intercept the Zimmerman telegram which was a proposed alliance with Germany and Mexico. This made the United States consider joining the war heavier because if they attacked in Europe, Mexico could attack them back at home. -
Tsar Nicholas abdicates the throne
Tsar Nicholas was in a very controversial position in Russia. His people were not happy with the way that he was running the government and they went on strike to protest for socialist reforms. He was forced to abdicate the throne and the Bolshevik Party took control, being led by Vladimir Lenin. -
United States declares war on Germany
This event was the turning point in the war as the United States was a powerhouse and would be able to assist the allied side in defeating the central powers. After the agreement of submarine warfare was not followed by Germany, the United States thought that there was no other way than to join the war. The European countries were struggling tremendously by the time the United States joined the war, and the U.S. brought supplies and soldiers to the allies that gave them the edge over Germany. -
Woodrow Wilson 14 points
Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points was the declaration by the United States to stop the war and a call for peace. Wilson outlined points that would eventually outline some of the Treaty of Versailles that would stop the war. His most important point was point 14 that explained that there needed to be a worldwide organization to keep peace among countries. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Liovsk was the sign that the end of the war was near. This treaty was between the Central Powers and Russia, ending the participation of Russia in WWI. It was a major loss to Russia as the terms were very harsh. It took away a significant amount of land from Russia, a heavy fine, and many troops were released to fight in different places. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was the final marking of the end of the war. Germany signed the treaty with the Allied Powers to end the participation of Germany in the war. The treaty was very harsh towards Germany, blaming them for the war and making it very hard for them to repay their debts. The Treaty of Versailles and the punishments that it gave Germany was the beginning of Germany building for WW2.
