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Archduke Assassination
The assassination of Archduke Fran Ferdinand sparked World War I. Austria-Hungary blamed the Serbian government for the attack and hoped they could use the incident to settle the Serbian nationalism once and for all. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/archduke-ferdinand-assassinated -
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Since Russia supported Serbia, Austria-Hungary waited to declare war until its leaders received assurance from German leader Kaiser Wilhelm II that Germany would support their cause. Kaiser secretly pledged his support and Austria-Hungary sent an ultimatum to Serbia that was too harsh to accept. This led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia because they now knew they had Germany's support. -
Austria-Hungary Declares War
Serbia was convinced that Austria-Hungary was ready for war so they ordered the Serbian army to mobilize and appeal to Russia for assistance. On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and the peace between Europe's great powers collapsed. -
Russia Mobilizes
Russia mobilizes its army to intervene against Austria-Hungary for its ally Serbia. This starts a chain reaction that leads to the mobilization of the rest of the European Great Powers. -
Battle of Tannenberg
Even though Germany won, Russia's assault forced them to move two corps from the Western Front to the Eastern. This contributed to the German loss in the Battle of the Marne. It also resulted in the suicide of the Russian Second Army's commanding general, Alexander Samsonov. -
First Battle of the Marne
Allied troops made a successful counterattack against the Germans and drove them back to north of the Aisne River. This defeat had the German's plans for a quick victory in France come to a quick end. -
Lusitania Sinks
A German submarine sinks the passenger liner Lusitania. The ship carried 1,198 people and 128 of them were Americans. This caused the U.S. to consider entering the war. -
Germany Limits Submarines
When the Lusitania sunk, Germany suspended unrestricted submarine warfare. This was an attempt to keep the US out of the war, but it effects German efforts to prevent American supplies from reaching France and Britain. -
Gallipoli Campaign
Allied forces led by Britain launched a land invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula. The invasion was a failure and Winston Churchill resigned command and accepted a commission with an infantry battalion in France. -
First Tanks
The British use to first tanks ever in warfare at Delville Wood. They were useful at breaking through barbed wire and clearing paths for the infantry. These tanks failed to be a great weapon that their designers thought they would be but they did spark ideas for future war vehicles. -
Submarines Come Back
Germany starts to use submarines again in European waterways. This is the main reason the United States was drawn into the war and caused defeat of Germany. -
Zimmermann Telegram
British intelligence gave Wilson the Zimmermann Telegram which was a message from German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmermann proposing that Mexico side with Germany in case of war between Germany and the U.S. Germany promised the lost provinces of Texas to Mexico in return. Mexico declines the offer but the outrage in the Western Hemisphere pushed American public opinion to support entering the war https://www.history.com/news/what-was-the-zimmermann-telegram -
U.S. Enters War
Congress authorizes a declaration of war against Germany. The U.S. enters on the side of France and Britain. -
Selective Service Act
Congress passed the Selective Service Act authorizing the draft. President Wilson claims he had no other options and signs the bill into law despite the criticism. This caused a lot of conflict in the U.S. and greatly increased the size of the U.S. Army. https://www.britannica.com/event/Selective-Service-Acts -
Battle of Caporetto
German reinforcements helped Austria-Hungary gain victory. This win caused Italy's allied to offer increases assistance and later British, French, and American troops arrived in the region to take back the Italian Front. -
Peace Between Germany and Russia
Germany signs a peace treaty with the new Bolshevik government of Russia. The treaty gave Germany huge sections of land that had been the Ukraine and Poland. Peace on the Eastern Front allows Germany to shift soldiers to the Western Front which caused serious problems for the French, British, and Americans. -
Battle of Cantigny
This was the first major American offensive of the war. Even though it was on the smaller side, the Americans fought and this leads to larger attacks against German positions. -
Second Battle of the Marne
German troops launched their last offensive of the war attacking French forces. The Allies successfully pushed back the German offensive and launched their own counteroffensive just 3 days later. Germany was forced to call off a planned offensive further north which was their best hope of victory. This battle turned the tide of war towards the Allies. -
Wilhelm Abdicates
Kaiser Wilhelm abdicates which ends all German hope for a victory. Wilhelm and his retinue slipped over the border into the Netherlands where he lived out the rest of his life in peace. -
Treaty of Versailles
This treaty ended WWI but Germany felt tricked into signing the treaty. Years passed and the hatred of the Versailles treaty and its authors continued in Germany and was counted among the causes of WWII.
