-
Assassination of Archduke Fedinand
On the 28th of June Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian throne and his wife Sophie were visiting the Bosnian capital Sarajevo. Whilst they were driving through the city in an open-top car, a young Serbian named Gavrilo Princip, shot and killed both the Archduke and his wife. This picture shows the fatal shot that triggered the outbreak of World War One. -
Austria-Hungray Declares War on Serbia
Here we see a newspaper article written after the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife. This image is very important as it shows the reason behind WWI and marks the beginning of the battle. -
Germany Declares War on Russia
This photo shows German troops moving into war for the first time. -
Germany Declares War on France
This picture shows an advertisment in France announcing the beginning of war and the mobilastion of the army. -
The United Kingdom Declares War on Germany
This image shows a newspaper article in the United Kingdom announcing the beginning of war. -
Austria-Hungary Declares War on Russia
This photograph shows Austro-Hungarian troops waiting in their trench for the order to attack.
On the same day, Serbia Declares War on Russia. -
Japan Declares War on Germany
This photograph shows young, Japenese soldiers preparing for battle after Japan declares war on Germany. -
The Battle of Tannenberg Begins
The Battle of Tannenberg began on the 26th of August, 1914, when the First Army defeated eight divisions of the German 8th Army. As it was allies with France, the Russian commander, Grand Nicholas Duke, had agreed to help the relieve French from the attack of Germany. However the Germans were able to intercept an uncoded message sent between the two Russian commanders. The battle ended on the 30th of August, 1914 with Russia’s capture by Germany. -
The First Battle of Marne Begins
The First Battle of the Marne
marked the beginning of trench warfare in World War One.
General von Kluck decided to change the plan and told the army that they were to swing to the east of Paris instead on moving towards the west. British and French forces gathered along the River Maine to stand against the Germans.
The battle lasted for 5 days ending on the 10th of September, 1914 with the defeat of the Germans. Here we see French troops on the firing line at the First Battle of Marne. -
The Battle of Ypres
During the Battle of Ypres, Britsh and German troops fought around the town of Ypres. As winter approached, the fields turned to mud and the battle started to slow down. Afterwards, the Germans attacked the French with chlorine gas and the terrified soldier fled. Canadian troops however, held handkerchiefs soaked in urine over their faces as gas masks and launched a counterattack.The Battle of Ypres ended with Germany's deafeat.This picture shows soldiers using their homemade gas masks -
The Dardanelles Campaign Begins
The Dardanelles campaign began with six English and four French battleships heading towards the strait. The Turkish were aware that an attack on the strait was a high possibility and with the help of Germany, greatly improved their defense in that area. Many Allied ships were sunk.The remaining ships were pulled back and it was decided that the attack on the Dardanelles would be delayed. In this picture we see the landing of the French and English troops at the Dardnielles. -
The Galliopli Campaign
Early in 1915, the British decided to bombard and take the Gallipoli Peninsula in hope of persuading Russia onto their side. On the 25th of April troops began to land. Australian and New Zealand troops landed at Anzac Cove but the British were only able to land at three of their five planned points around Cape Helles.The battle ended in January 1916 when British, Australian and New Zealand troops were evacuated from the beach. This picture shows the landing of Australian troops at ANZAC Beach. -
The Battle of Verdun Begins
By the winter of 1916, the German General had prepared an attack on the French position. He ordered his troops towards Verdun and began artillery bombardment. On the 25th of February, French reinforcements arrived and they were able to slow down German advance. North Verdun exchanged hands many times. On the 23rd of June, the allies offensive was launched on the Somme River and the attack was called off. This picture shows an arial view of the bombardment of Verdun. -
The Battle of Jutland Begins
The Battle of Jutland was fought in the middle of the North Sea and was the biggest naval engagement of the First World War. It was also the only direct confrontation between the British Grand Fleet and the German High Sea Fleet. The battle ended later that day with a tactical victory for the Germans but a strategic victory for the British as the German High Sea Fleet never ventured into the North Sea on a significant scale again. In this picture we see the Battle of Jutland illustrated. -
The Battle of Somme Begins
On July 1st the British and French launched an attack on the German lines that were positioned along the River Somme in Northern France. On the morning of July 1st, waves of British soldiers were sent over the top however they were shot at and many lives were lost. It was also during this battle that the British used the tank for the first time although they were not very successful. On the 18th of November, the battle was called off. Here we see troops preparing a gun for battle. -
The Battle of Fromelles Begins
The Battle of Fromelles was one of the worst days in Australian history. During this battle Australian troops were at the main battle front of the war. The Germans held a strong position known as the Sugar Loaf salient and the troops aimed to draw German troops away. The battle began with a bombardment and an attack by Australian and British troops. On July 20th, the battle was over. Here we see captured Australian soldiers being marched through a town. -
The Battle of Passchendaele Begins
The Battle of Passchendaele or The Third Battle of Ypres is not only known for the scale of casualties but the mud. Within a few days, rain turned the soil into thick mud. It clogged guns and immobilized tanks and eventually became so deep that soldiers and horses drowned in it. Stalemate dragged on for months battle resumed on 20th of September. British and Canadian Forces eventually captured Passchendaele on 6th of November. Here we see soldiers struggling to fight in the thickening mud. -
The Battle of Caporetto Begins
The Battle of Caporetto was an offensive of Germany and Austria-Hungary against the Italian line to the North of the Isonzo River. The Battle began with a surprise attack by Germany and Austria-Hungary in which they used gas and grenades and took advantage of the damage in the Italian lines. By November 10th the Italian troops had retreated to the Piave River. This battle was one of the most decisive victories in World War I. This picture shows troops in the middle battle. -
The Battle of Cambrai
The Battle of Cambrai was the first battle in history to use tanks. However mechanical failures meant that they were not reliable. The fighting swayed for the duration of the battle without either side gaining land. On the 30th of November however the Germans launched twenty divisions into a counterattack and by the 7th of December had regained all of the land they had lost. Here we see a tank moving into battle. -
The United States Join the War
On April 2nd 1917, President Woodrow Wilson declared war against Germany. He spoke about Germany’s violation of its pledge to suspend unrestricted submarine warfare in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean and its attempts to bring Mexico into an alliance against the United States. He declared these as his reasons for starting war. On the 7th of December, the United States declared war on Austria-Hungary. Here we see young American troops before they entered WWI. -
Russia Signs the Treaty of Brest Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest Litovsk brought an end to the war between Russia and Germany. It was signed so that the Bolsheviks could concentrate on the work they needed to do in Russia itself. At the beginning though, it was not supported by many Russian leaders. It was only when Germany advanced into Russia that it was signed on March the 3rd. In this picture we see those who signed the Treaty of Brest Litovsk. -
The Second Battle of Marne Begins
The Second Battle of Marne began when the German advance reached the Marne River. On the 15th of July, the Germans launched their final drive towards the French capital. The French however were able to hold the German advance with the help of British and American troops. The Allies launched a counter attack on the Germans and were able to push them backwards. The battle ended on the 3rd of August with the defeat of the Germans. This picture shows troops moving thorugh no man's land during battle -
The Battle of Amiens
The Battle of Amiens was a crucial breakthrough for the Allied Forces, launched on the Western front around Amiens. It is known as an ‘all arms battle’ as the Allies made effective use of infantry, artillery tanks and aircraft and led to an advance and the capture of many German soldiers. Here we see troops going 'over the top'. -
Germany signs the Armistice
Germany signed the Armistice at 5.10 on November 11th at Compiegne, France, as instructed by Marshall Ferdinand Foch. Technology allowed the news to reach capital cities by 5:40 and celebration began. However none of the soldiers were told the good news. Ceasefire occurred on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. This shows Germany's reprasentative signing the Armistice. -
The Treaty of Versaille ends WWI
The Treaty of Versailles was part of the peace negotiations at the end of World War One and related to establishing the conditions of peace with Germany. The treaty included the disarmament of Germany, payments of very large reparations to the allies and demilitarization of the Rhineland. Germany reluctantly signed the Treaty of Versailles on the 28th of June. This picture shows the original document of the Treaty of Versailles.
