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Assassination of Francis Ferdinand
Francis Ferdinand was assassinated at Sarajevo by the black hand. Gavrilo Princip was the one to assassinate the austrian Archduke Ferdinand and his wife when they stopped on a corner. -
Austria declared war on Serbia.
The Austrian government blamed the Serbian government for the assassinations of Franz Ferdinand and his wife and declared war on them. -
Germany Declares war on Russia
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Germany Invades Belgium
To execute the Schlieffen Plan, Germany had to go through Belgium in order to invade France. -
The British declared war on Germany
Germany did not withdraw from Belgium and so Britain declared war on Germany as a result. -
The US states they will remain neutral
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson announces the U.S. will remain neutral. -
Battle of Marne and first trenches
First trenches of the western front were built. It was Germany against the French and English. Resulted in an Allied victory -
The First German air raid on Britain
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The unofficial Christmas truce is declared.
It was a series of widespread unofficial ceasfires that took palce along the western front during Christmas -
Germany Declares War Zone around Great Britain
Germany declares a "war zone" around Great Britain, essentially effecting a submarine blockade where even neutral merchant vessels were to be potential targets. -
The Second Battle of Ypres begin
In this battle it is the first time the Germans use poison gas. -
Battle of Gallipoli Begins
The Allies were planning a very decidsive battle and they thought they would win using their navy however they lost and were forced to fight on land, resulting in many deaths -
The Lusitainia Sinks
The US passanger boat was sunk by German U-boats -
Italy joins
Italy joins the war, with the Allies -
Battle of Verdun
it was the longest battle of World War 1 and one of the bloodiest battles fought. -
Romania Enters the War
Romania joined the war on the side of the Allies during April. But within a few months was occupied by Germans and Austrians. -
Battle of Jutland
The largest naval battle of World War One. Although British losses were heavier than the German, the battle had alarmed both the Kaiser and the German Admiral Scheer and they decided to keep their fleet consigned to harbour for the remainder of the war -
Battle of Somme
The battle was followed by a week long artillery bombardment of the German line which was supposed to destroy the barbed wire defences placed along the German line but only actually make a no mans land a mess of mud and craters. The five month long battle resulted in the deaths of 420,000 British soldiers, 200,000 French soldiers and 500,000 German soldiers for a total land gain of just 25 miles. -
Italy declares war on Germany
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Zimmerman Telegram is sent
Germany sends the secret Zimmerman Telegram to Mexico in an effort to entice Mexico to join the war. They said they could have parts of the US if they attacked. -
The United States declares war on Germany.
They ended up joining because the Lusitania was sunk by German U-boats and they also because of the Zimmerman telegram which told Mexico they could have parts of the US if they attacked. -
Vimy Ridge
Greatest battle of World War one led by Canada. The only troops to emerge with Victory were the Canadians -
Greece joins the Allies
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Battle of Passchendaele Begins
sometimes called the third battle of Ypres. The use of Mustard gas caused the alied soldiers burns. The Allies lost 310 000 and the Germans lost 260 000 soldiers -
Haig's Forces storm the Hindenburg Line
Australian and U.S. troops who attacked the heavily fortified town of Bellicourt with tank, aircraft and artillery support. After four days of battle, with heavy losses on both sides, the Germans were forced to retreat. -
German and Russian Peace
The Germans sign a peace treaty with the new Bolshevik government of Russia. The terms of the treaty give Germany huge tracts of land that had been the Ukraine and Poland, and peace on the Eastern Front allows Germany to shift soldiers to the Western Front, causing serious problems for the French, British, and Americans. -
The RAF is formed
The Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service were merged to form the Royal Air Force during the Month of April -
Second Battle of Marne
This battle and its loss led many German commanders to believe that the war had been lost. The armistice was signed about 100 days later. -
Hindenburg Line Collapsed
By the beginning of November the allies had pushed the Germans back beyond the Hindenberg line -
German Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates and flees Germany
Wilhelm was forced to abdicate and sought exile in Holland where he lived for the rest of his life. Riots were breaking out in Germany due to food shortages and war wearineess. The new government sought peace with the allies -
Fighting ends
Germany signs the armistice at Compiegne, France. Fighting ends on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month -
First Airplane Raid
The first German air raid on London took place. The Germans hoped that by making raids on London and the South East, the British Air Force would be forced into protecting the home front rather than attacking the German air force. -
The Treaty of Versailles is signed
The Treaty of Versailles, the document that especially concerned Germany, is signed. The Peace Conference also opens in Paris.
