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Wilson for war
President Wilson outlines his case for war to the congress. After German u boats sank three American merchant ships without warning, Wilson decided to go to war alongside the allies. -
Battle of Belleau Wood
The U.S marine corps attack Germany across open wheat fields suffering huge casualties in the process. -
The Russo-Bulgarian Military convention
An agreement between Russia and newly created Bulgaria was made, to ensure that Russia had Bulgarian support and in return Russia would protection. In the terms of the agreement, Bulgaria would only have to go to war if Austria-Hungary attacked its borders. -
World War I begins
Germany invades Belgium, officially starting the war -
Period: to
Beginning to end of WWI
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Entente Cordiale
An informal agreement between France and Britain. All past disputes were settled and put aside between the two countries. France recognised British ownership of Egypt and Britain recognised French ownership of Morocco. Disputes of fishing rights were settled as well and disputes over Siam (Thailand) were also settled. The decided that they would defend each other if any of the central powers attacked their borders. -
Schlieffen Plan
Alfred Von Schlieffen made a plan to quickly invade France by breeching Belgium Borders and taking Paris from the north. The plan should have technically worked however Belgium had made an alliance with Britain, thus when German troops attempted to invade Belgium, Britain declared war on Germany, defeating Germany before they got to the French borders. -
Triple Entente
France, Britain and Russia formed an alliance, they agreed that they would defend each other if the central powers posed any threats to their borders. -
Archduke Assassination
Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip where he was shot dead. His death sparks the start of World War I. -
Russia mobilizes
Russia Mobilizes in order to protect its ally, Serbia, from Austria-Hungary. This in turn, leads to a chain reaction of all European great powers, which then lead to hostilities between the central powers and the allies. -
Germans fire
For the first time large amounts of gas (chlorine gas) are fired at German enemy lines, this gives the German’s a significant advantage as a majoring of the French troops were taken out by the gas, rendering their army nearly useless. However, despite this sudden advantage, the Germans were unable to exploit this sudden change in power even though the French army were weakened significantly. -
Gallipoli (ANZACs)
While still in training in Egypt the first australian division and the New Zealand division later included the first light horse brigade were reformed into the Anzacs and sent to the shores of Gallipoli just north of Gaba Tepe later known as Anzac cove -
Lusitania Sinks
A German submarine sinks a passenger line in British water carrying 1, 198, this included 128 Americans, after the sinking of the Lusitania support for U.S to join the war increased. -
Germany limits submarines
After international outrage over the sinking of the Lusitania Germany limits Submarine use, however, this in turn allows the U.S and Britain to send supplies back and forth easily. However, the only reason the Germans limited submarine use was to stop the U.S from entering the war. -
First tanks
The British deploy the first ever tanks used in battle at Delvile Wood, however, the tanks do not perform as well as expected and are only useful for breaking through barbed wire fences and to clear paths for the soldiers. They were still primitive. -
Submarines are back
Germany allows their submarines back into british waters and this in turn, causes the U.S to enter the war and the eventual defeat of Germany. -
Zimmerman Telegram
There is a telegram given to president Wilson from Germany asking for Mexico to side with the central powers, stating that they will give return all the ‘lost provinces’ of Texas and the American southwest. Mexico declines the offer and the U.S is outraged at the interference in the western hemisphere. The support for America entering the war is increasing more and more. -
U.S enters the war
The unites states of America congress authorizes a declaration of war against Germany. The U.S enters the war siding with France and Britain. -
Selective Service Act
This included conscription and temporarily increasing the military establishment of America. The act was drafted and put in place shortly after the U.S entered the war and was canceled at the end of it. -
Germany and Russia peace
A peace treaty with the new Bolshevik government of Russia was signed with Germany. The terms of this treaty gave Germany and the central powers huge amounts of land that had once been Ukraine and Poland and peace on the eastern fronts. Because of this treaty Germany was able to shift all its soldiers to the western fronts focusing more on them and causing problems for the French, British and the U.S. -
Battle of Cantigny
This battle was the first major battle involving the U.S and although it was small in scale the Americans fought well and continued onto larger attacks against Germany -
Chateau –Thierry
The Americans attack the Germans at Chateau – Thierry, this battle would then morph into the larger battle of Belleau Wood. -
Belleau Wood ends
The battle ends with the final explosion of the Germans from the wood, it also marked the farthest German advance on Paris. Both sides suffered massive numbers of casualties as the land changed hands 6 times over the period of the three-week battle, the battle nearly caused 10 000 U.S deaths. -
Wilhelm Abdicates
Kaiser Wilhelm Abdicates ending all hope for a German victory, he then slips over the border to live his life out in the Netherlands. Later in is life he also wrote a book defending his actions during the war. -
Armistice
The agreement between all the countries that the fighting would stop (a truce) the terms of the armistice for Germany were as follows the withdrawal of German troop to behind their own borders, the cessation of hostilities between the countries, the preservation of infrastructure, the exchange of prisoners, a promise of reparations, the disposition of German warships and submarines and conditions for prolonging or terminating the armistice. -
Battle of Mihiel
This battle begins when 300 000 American troops under direct command of general Pershing ‘fling’ themselves into the German lines. The battle went better than expected as the allies caught the Germans off guard and half way through retreating, therefore all their artillery as disorganised, the battle was a success and it created a stature of the U.S in the eyes of the British and the French.