-
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to Austria-Hungary's throne, and his wife, Sophie, are assassinated
by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip while the couple were visiting Sarajevo. -
Period: to
world war 1
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
(heir to the Austro–Hungarian
throne) and his wife
are assassinated
in Sarajevo,
Bosnia–Herzegovina -
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
-
Germany declares war on Russia.
-
Germany declares war on France.
-
he United Kingdom declares war on Germany, after Germany invades Belgium.
-
Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia and Serbia declares war on Germany.
-
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson announces the U.S. will remain neutral.
-
The Battle of Tannenberg begins.
-
The First Battle of the Marne begins. Trench warfare begins as soldiers on both sides dig in.
-
Battle of Ypres begins.
-
The United Kingdom announces that the North Sea is a military area, effectively creating a blockade of goods into Germany.
-
The unofficial Christmas truce is declared.
-
Germany declares a "war zone" around Great Britain, essentially effecting a submarine blockade where even neutral merchant vessels were to be potential targets.
-
The Dardanelles Campaign begins.
-
The Second Battle of Ypres begins. It is during this battle that the Germans first use poison gas.
-
The Battle of Gallipoli begins
-
The British ocean liner RMS Lusitania is sunk by German U-boat, U-20
-
Tsar Nicholas II takes personal control over Russia's armies.
-
The Battle of Verdun begins
The Battle of Verdun was the longest battle of World War I and was one of the bloodiest -
The Battle of Jutland, the major naval battle of the war, begins.
-
The Battle of the Somme begins. During the Battle of the Somme, tanks are first introduced into battle.
-
Germany sends the secret Zimmerman Telegram to Mexico in an effort to entice Mexico to join the war. The British intercept and decipher the coded message
-
Russian Tsar Nicholas II abdicates
-
Russian Tsar Nicholas II abdicates
-
The Battle of Passchendaele (also known as the Third Battle of Ypres) begins.
-
The Bolsheviks successfully overthrow the Russian government during the 1917 Russian Revolution.
-
The armistice agreed upon between the new Russian government and the Central Powers goes into effect.
-
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson issues his Fourteen Points to peace.
-
Russia signs the Treaty of Brest Litovsk, which is a peace treaty between Russia and the Central Powers.
-
Germany launches the Spring Offensive.
-
German flying ace, Baron Manfred von Richthofen (more commonly known as the Red Baron), is shot down.
-
The Second Battle of the Marne begins
-
German Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates and flees Germany.
-
Germany signs the armistice at Compiegne, France. Fighting ends on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month (i.e. 11 a.m. on November 11).
-
The Treaty of Versailles officially ends WWI.