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Arch Duke Frank Ferdinand Assasinated
Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian Empire, was killed along with his wife during a drive while visiting Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia. This event is generally accepted by historians as being the immediate cause of the First World War, though tensions had been previously building. -
GermansPromise Support fro Austrians
Kaiser William II of Germany promises German support for their Austrian allies against Serbia. -
Austria Declares War of Siberia
Because the assassination was commited by Serbs, Austria declares war on Serbia. -
Germany Declares War on Russia
Germany declares war on the Russians, who are compeled to defend Serbia. -
The Scheifflin Plan
The Germans declared war on France and implemented their invasion of Belgium, part of their Scheifflen Plan. The Plan was intended to bring about a swift victory for Germany in the event of a two-front war. It concentrated on exploiting the differences in the amount of time neighboring countries would need to prepare for war. The Belgium army was swept aside easily enough, however, the French held off the German forces. With the failure of the Schleiffen Plan, trench warfare ensued. -
Britain declares war on Germany
Britain joins its French and Russian allies -
Russian Defeated at tannenburg and masurian lakes
The invading Russian and German armies battled in East Prussia at the start of the war. This battle is considered one of the most clean-cut German victories throughout the war, however, the Russian distraction in the east played a part in the failure of the Schleiffen Plan. -
The Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne was fought during September of 1914. Casualties were high on both sides. The French lost about 250,000 soldiers, as did the Germans. The BEF lost about 13,000 men as well. This battle signifies the beginning of full-blown trench warfare, which would dominate the front throughout the rest of the war. The French managed to save Paris, however, and Germany's Schleiffen Plan had failed. -
Turkey Enters the War on Germany's Side
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First Zeppelin Raid on Britain
Zepplins were a relatively new technology. The models built in 1914 had five machine guns and could carry 4,400 lbs. of bombs. Their maximum speed was 136 kph and they could reach a height of 4,250 metres. this particular raid took place over the east coast of England. Yarmouth and King's Lynn were both bombed.