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The Archduke's Assassination
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated in the Bosnian city of Sarajevo. (1, 2) -
Austria-Hungary enters the War
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia due to their failure to consent to the demands by Austria-Hungary in an unyielding ultimatum. (1) -
Russian Mobilization
Russia wanted to support Serbia's cause and Czar Nicholas ordered a full mobilization of the Russian Army.(1) -
Germany Enters the War
Germany declares war on Russia due to the mobilization of the Russian Army and allegiance. (1,2) -
Germany invades Belgium
Following the Schlieffen Plan, Germany's plan for war against France and Russia, Germany invades Belgium. (2) -
Great Britain declares war on Germany
Germany violated Belgium's neutrality so since Great Britain was their ally, Great Britain declared war on Germany. (1,2) -
Germany declares war on France
As per the Schlieffen Plan, Germany declares war on France the day after invading Belgium. (2) -
Russia invades East Prussia
Germany launches a counter-offensive to push Russia back when Russia invades East Prussia. This started the fighting on the Eastern Front. (6) -
Battle of Tannenberg
The Russians were defeated because their 2 armies split, making communicating.Over 50,000 Russian soldiers were killed and 92,000 taken prisoners. It was called the Battle of Tannenberg after terrible defeat there in the Middle Ages. For propaganda purposes, the Germans felt it would show their return to power. (4, 8) -
1st Battle of the Marne
The Allies ended Germany's invasion of France. This ended the Schlieffen Plan. It also introduced trench warfare, which resulted in halting movement and become stuck in trenches for years. (6, 7) -
North Sea Blockade
The British declared the North Sea to be a British military zone. All ships had to go to British ports to be searched. This led to the fall of German economy from lack of raw materials and foodstuffs. (5) -
The Battle of Lodz
This occurred on the Eastern Front in Poland. It prevented Russian attack from entering German land. (6) -
POW Camps
In Mauthausen Camp in Austria-Hungary, some prisoners were mistreated. There were too many prisoners. Up to 186 prisonersdiedof typhus each day. (12) -
The Battle of Gallipoli
Indian and New Zealand troops fought together in Gallipoli. 3000 Indian soldiers fought and over half of them were killed. (11) -
The Armenian Genocide (Armenian Holocaust)
The Ottoman government systematically exterminated 1.5 million Armenians, many of them were citizens within the Ottoman Empire. (3, 12) -
The sinking of Lusitania
The Lusitania was torpedoed of the coast of Ireland by a German submarine. Many Americans were killed, so Americans shifted from neutral to pro-Allies. New soldiers were recruited with the saying "Remember the Lusitania." (4, 5, 7) -
The Zeppelin Raid on London
Germany killed 28 and wounding 60 more in it's first Zeppelin raid on London. This made British civilians scared and angry and want to fight the Germans. (5) -
The Battle of Jutland
This was the greatest battleship battle. The Royal Navy defeated the German High Seas fleet. (6) -
The Battle of Loos
This battle in France on the Western Front. It was first time that the British used poison gas and the first mass engagement of New Army units. (6) -
Edith Cavell's death
She was a British nurse who saved lives from both sides of the battlefield. She was arrested for treason and killed by the Germans, thus becoming the face of anti-German propaganda. (4, 12) -
The Battle of Verdun
This was the longest battle of World War 1. By the end, 700,000 men were dead. (11) -
The Battle of the Somme
This battle was fought in northern France and was one of the bloodiest in the WW1. The British and French armies fought Germany for 5 months on a 15-mile front. (7, 8, 11) -
The Battle of the Somme film
This was a 1916 British documentary and propaganda war film. It shows the British Army in the Battle of the Somme. It shows trench warfare, marching infantry, artillery firing on German positions. (4) -
The Battle of the Delville Wood
The Battle of Delville Wood was an example of supreme sacrifice and heroism. It remained the most costly action the South African Brigade fought on the Western Front. (11) -
The Russian Revolution
The Great War put a strain on Russia, created food shortages and a loss of work. Riots and mutiny led to Czar Nicholas to abdicate in February 1917. Thus the Russian Revolution began the next month. (3, 9) -
Conscription chaos
In Canada, an election victory by the Union government made it possible to impose conscription to help support the war. Riots broke out because of peoples' opposition to this. (3) -
Support at home
When the U.S. entered the war, civilians were very supportive. Women went to work, extra crops were planted, and propaganda campaigns were created to raise money and troops. (5, 10) -
The Bolshevik Revolution
Vladimir Lenin took control of the Russian government. Lenin said Russia was at peace and called for them to exit the war. (9) -
The Espionage Act
United States Congress makes it a crime to interfere with military recruitment. This caused controversy because of its impact on free speech. (12) -
Russian Provisional Government established
When Czar Nicholas abdicated, the Romanov dynasty comes to an end and a democratically inclined provisional government is created. (9) -
The U.S. enters World War I
Submarine warfare by Germany, propaganda and interest in power, and the U.S. investment in Great Britain and France made the U.S. enter the war to help stop Germany's advancement. (4, 5, 7, 10) -
The Battle of Vimy Ridge
This battle is a turning point in Canadian history, where the four Canadian divisions fought together as a unified fighting force for the first time. (7, 8) -
The Battle of Arras
This battle was an attack on the German defenses by British Canadians, South Africans, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and Australian troops The battle started on 9 April 1917. It ended in a stalemate. (6, 11) -
The Battle of Messines
The British had 19 mines that looked like a ‘pillar of fire’, killing 10,000 Germans and wounding 17,000 men. They gained control of the high ground by Ypres.(8) -
The Third Battle of Ypres
The British wanted to destroy German U-boat bases. Unexpected heavy rainfall made the British retreat. (8) -
The July Days in the Russian Revolution
Workers and soldiers of Petrograd had demonstrations against the Provisional Government. This caused a decline of Bolshevik influence and helped form a new Provisional Government. (3, 9) -
The Sedition Act of 1918
This extended the Espionage Act of 1917. It declared that people and/or countries could not speak negatively about the government or the war. (12) -
14 Point Speech
This was President Wilson's speech given to Congress. He said World War I was being fought for a moral purpose and called for peace in Europe. (14) -
The Brest-Litovsk Treaty
Russia pulled out of the war with the signing of the Brest-Litovsk treaty. It also gave Germany some land and coal resources. (9) -
Kaiserschlacht
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht (Kaiser's Battle), was a series of German attacks along the Western Front. The Germans wanted victory before the United States used all their resources to defeat them. (10) -
The Zeebrugge Raid
This was an effort by the Royal Navy to prevent German ships from leaving the port. (6) -
The North Sea Barrage
This was a large minefield from the Orkney Islands to Norway by the U.S.Navy. It was to stop the movement of German U-boats. (10) -
The Second Battle of the Marne
This was the last major German offensive on the Western Front. The Allies defeated the Germans. This was the start of the unstoppable advance which led to Germany's ultimate surrender. (10). -
Treaty of Mudros
This treaty was signed at the port of Mudros, andwasbetween the Ottoman Empire and Great Britain (representing the Allied powers) marking the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I. (18) -
Armistice signed
Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies. This ended the war that left 9 million soldiers dead and 5 million civilians dead as well. (11, 19, 20). -
The Egyptian Revolution
After the World War I armistice on 11/17/18, a delegation of Egyptian nationalist activists led by Saad Zaghlul wanted to end the British Protectorate in Egypt and Sudan, have representation at the peace conference in Paris. (3, 19) -
Paris Peace Conference (Germany)
Germany wanted to present but they were not allowed. Negotiations were made without them and their desires for military and their empire were gone. (13) -
Paris Peace Conference (Great Britain)
Great Britain wanted control of German colonies, Germany to pay reparations,,a balanced punishment, have money to pay for British goods, and of course, revenge. (13) -
Paris Peace Conference (United States)
President Woodrow Wilson wanted an end to secret treaties, freedom of the oceans, formation of a League of Nations, and peace/prevention of any more wars. (13) -
Paris Peace Conference (France)
George Clemenceau argued for Germany to be disarmed, gain coal mines, reparations, cripple German politics,control the left bank of the Rhineland, and of course,revenge. (13) -
Paris Peace Conference (Italy)
Vittorio Orlando wanted Great Britain and France to keep their promise to give Italy a lot of territory. (13) -
Hitler's German Workers Party Membership
The German Worker's Party was founded because they thought the Treaty of Versailles was way too unfair. Hitler became a member, became leader, and then to his involvement in World War II and the Nazi party. (14) -
The Treaty of Versailles
This treaty said that Germany had to accept blame for starting the war, pay huge reparations, and lose lots of territory, including colonies. (14, 16, 17, 18) -
The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye
This treaty concluded World War I and was signed by representatives of Austria on one side and the Allied Powers on the other. It reduced population, territory, and resources, resulting in a weakened economy. (16, 17, 18) -
The Senate Rejects the Treaty of Versailles
This rejection was based primarily on objections to the League of Nations. Also, the U.S. would never ratify this treaty or join the League of Nations.(15) -
The Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine
This treaty was signed with Bulgaria after the war ended. Like Germany and Austria, Bulgaria was required to reduce its army. The Bulgarian Army was limited to 20,000 men. (16,18) -
United States Recession
The Depression was a deflationary recession in the United States and other countries, 14 months after the end of World War I. The deflation was large relative to the accompanying decline in real product.(17,19) -
The Treaty of Trianon
This was the peace agreement to formally end World War I between most of the Allies of World War I and the Kingdom of Hungary. The treaty regulated the status of an independent Hungarian state and defined its borders. (16,17, 18) -
The Treaty of Severes
This was a treaty between the victorious Allied powers and the government of Ottoman Turkey. The treaty abolished the Ottoman Empire and made Turkey renounce all rights over Arab Asia and North Africa. (16, 18) -
First League of Nations Meeting
In Geneva (a neutral location), the League of Nations was started without the United States. Small nations and large nations were asked to join.42 nations were represented. (15) -
The Waste Land
This is a long poem(434 lines) by T. S. Eliot, widely regarded as one of the most important poems of the 20th century and a central work of modernist poetry. (20) -
the Treaty of Rapallo
This was an agreement signed between Germany and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic where both renounced all territorial and financial claims against the other following the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. (15) -
Occupation of the German Ruhr Valley
Belgium and France occupy the Ruhr Valley in Germany. This was because Germany did not finish paying reparations from the Treaty of Versailles. (14, 17) -
German Hyperinflation
The German mark suffered hyperinflation and caused considerable internal politica land economic instability in the country. Banknotes became so useless that children played with them. (17, 19) -
Picasso's Pipes of Pan
Picasso condensed and simplified his style after the upheaval of World War I. He wanted to “return to order” in Europe which was a part of a reaction “against the excesses and violent originalities of prewar movements such as cubism, expressionism and primitivism."(20) -
The Great Gatsby
This is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby explores themes of decadence, idealism, resistance to change, social upheaval, and excess, creating a portrait of the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties It reflects the feelings of the Lost Generation. (20) -
The Sun Also Rises
Hemingway presents his idea that the "Lost Generation", considered to have been decadent, dissolute, and irretrievably damaged by World War I, was in fact resilient and strong. (20) -
The "Lost Generation"
Gertrude Stein made up this term. It referred to a group of of American writers who lived in Paris in the 1920's and 1930's.They were disillusioned by the senseless killings in World War I. They were cynical and disdainful of the morality and propriety of their elders. (20) -
Spanish Civil War
The Senate rejection of League of Nations had many long term effects. The League was very weak. It failed to respond to the direct military intervention of Germany and Italy in the Spanish Civil War. (15) -
World War 2 starts
The Treaty of Versailles put economic stress and created strife in Germany. Germany was also mad at being rejected by the League of Nations.This led to the start of another war. (14,15, 19)
