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Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
The Archduke of the Austro-Hungarian empire was assassinated which led to them declaring war on serbia. kickstarting the war as unknown alliances were brought into effect. -
First Battle of the Marne
The first battle of the marne was one of the fist battles fought in WW1 and was an offensive by the germans to invade france and win the war in 40 days by taking paris. -
Gallipoli Campaign
The Gallipoli Campaign was a majorly unsuccessful attempt by allied forces to gain an upper hand in WW1. The allies attempted an invasion of the Ottoman Empire on the peninsula of Gallipoli. The campaign was eventually abandoned and land forces were withdrawn but not before hundreds of thousands of men lost their lives. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
The Lusitania was a civilian ship which had several americans on board at time it was sunk by German U-Boats. The attack was seen as unjustified and is one of the major reasons the US joined the war. Germany justified the attack by stating that the Lusitania was carrying military weapons which was confirmed to be true. -
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Battle of Verdun
The battle of verdun was the longest battle of WW1 lasting almost a full year. The battle happened near the french city of Verdun as the french fiercely defended the city. A saying french soldiers used during this battle was "ils ne passeront pas" (they shall not pass). -
Battle of Jutland
The battle of Jutland was the only major naval battle of WW1. This battle saw british and german fleets come into battle with a new class of battleship known as Dreadnoughts which were extremely expensive to make and due to this made the countries that had them to be less likely to use them in a battle. -
Brusilov Offensive
The Brusilov offensive was a major Russian offensive that saw the central powers be pushed back. although this victory came at a tremendous loss of life which contributed to the soon to occur Russian Revolution. This offensive showed the people of russia that the deeply unpopular Russian government is willing to throw soldiers at a problem that may or may not have congruent value. -
Battle of the Somme
The battle of the somme was the bloodiest battle of WW1 and ended in a very costly victory for the allies as they managed to gain 6 miles of land although they did not achieve the main goal of the offensive. -
Battle of Flers-Courcelette
The Battle of Flers-Courcelette was a sub battle that happened during the wider Battle of the Somme. This battle saw the German lines successfully defend against the British offensive although the allies did manage to inflict heavy casualties on the German front lines and capture the strategic village of Courcelette. this battle also saw the first use of tanks. -
The Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram was a telegram that germany sent to Mexico asking them to attack America which was intercepted by the British and shown to US intelligence. This was the event that led to the US joining WW1. -
Russian (Bolshevik) Revolution
The Russian revolution was an uprising among the common people known as serfs instigated and led by communist leader Vladimir Lenin the revolution saw the monarchy replaced by a communist dictatorship that pulled Russia out of the war. -
German Spring Offensive
The German spring offensive was a series of attacks designed to punch through allied lines and defeat both britain and france at once before American soldiers were able to cross the atlantic to reinforce the allied lines. The germans were able to gain a large amount of land but they were largely unsuccessful in achieving their goals and would lose all the progress they had gained during the allied 100 days counteroffensive. -
Battle of Belleau Wood
The battle of belleau wood was a major allied victory that saw the german lines be halted and pushed back. This battle was a major Allied victory and became an important part of US Marine lore due to the crucial role they played in both winning the battle and the fact that it coined the nickname "devil dogs" that is still used today. -
Hundred Days Offensive
The 100 days offensive was a series of allied victories that undid all of the progress gained by germany during the German Spring Offensive as well as pushing them back past the Hindenburg line. This counteroffensive was a massive gain for the allies although it cost a significant amount of lives to achieve. -
Armistice Day
Armistice day marked the end of WW1. on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 Germany was forced to sign the treaty of Versailles, ending the first World War.