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Period: to
WW1
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The Assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the presumed heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Bosnian Serb nationalist group the Black Hand. -
Austria-Hungary’s Telegram to Serbia
On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary sent a telegram to Serbia declaring war against them. This telegram marked the official start of the First World War. -
Germany Declares War on Russia
When Russia began preparing for war against Austria-Hungary after its ally Serbia became involved in a war with the country, Germany, Austria-Hungary’s ally, demanded that Russia stop preparing for war. Russia refused to stop its war preparations, leading Germany to declare war against Russia. -
Germany Invades Belgium
Germany declared war on France on August 3, 1914, due to its alliance with Russia. To avoid French fortifications, Germany had to cross Belgium so that it could invade France in the north. Belgian troops refused to let Germany’s troops through, so German troops entered Belgium by force. -
Germany Declares a Warzone Around Britain
On February 4, 1915, Germany declared a warzone around Great Britain in retaliation for Great Britain forming a blockade around Germany. In this warzone, Germany practiced unrestricted submarine warfare against any boats within the zone, including passenger and merchant ships. Germany created the warzone to prevent Britain from getting supplies from merchant ships, hoping to hurt Britain economically. -
The Sinking of the Lusitania
On May 7, 1915, a German U-boat sank the Lusitania, a British passenger ship, killing 1,195, including 123 Americans. The killing of Americans led to the involvement of the U.S., leading it to demand that Germany limit its submarine warfare. Germany agreed to limit its submarine warfare, temporarily limiting its U-boat attacks. -
The Paris Peace Confrence
On January 18, 1919, the prime ministers of Italy, France, Great Britain, and the U.S. president met to discuss the terms of peace after the war. Germany was not invited to this conference and was given no say in the terms of peace due to it being responsible for inciting the war and for much of the damage caused by the war. -
The Battle of The Somme
In 1916 a joint operation between British and French forces took place on the Western Front. In this operation, British and French forces intended to become victorious over Germany. This battle was the longest and most costly battle of the First World War, lasting five months, from July 1- November 18, 1919, with well over 1 million fatalities. -
The Zimmerman Telegram
On January 16, 1917, German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmerman sent a telegram to Mexico, which America intercepted. In this telegram, Zimmerman asked for Mexico to join Germany in an alliance against America if the U.S. were to join the war and in exchange Germany would assist Mexico in regaining territory it lost to the U.S. in the Mexican-American War. Though Mexico refused Zimmerman’s request, this telegram is a factor in what eventually persuaded America to join in the First World War. -
America Enters WW1
On April 6, 1917, persuaded by the Zimmerman Telegram and Germany’s resumption of its unrestricted submarine attacks on passenger and merchant ships, the U.S. joined the First World War, a major turning point in the war. -
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive
From September 26-November 11, 1918, America participated in its first battle of World War One, The Meusse-Argonne Offensive. This Battle took place on the Western Front and was the deadliest campaign in American history. -
The Battle of Mons
The Battle of Mons was the last battle of the First World War, taking place right before The Armistice. In this battle Canadian forces took over the Belgian town of Mons. In doing this they liberated the town, which had been under German occupation since the start of the war. -
The Armistice
On November 11, 1918, after four years of horrific violence and tragedies, the first step to ending the First World War was taken. On that day in 1918, the fighting between Germany and the Allies stopped and the Armistice began. -
The Treaty of Versailles is Signed
On June 28, 1919, The Treaty of Versailles was finally signed by the Allies and Germany, marking the official end of the First World War. In this treaty, Germany was forced to pay massive reparations to the Allies for all of the damage it caused during the war, disarm, lose territory, and give up all of its overseas colonies. Due to this treaty Germany, who once had a large and powerful army, had their army limited to only 100,000 men. -
The War Guilt Clause
At the end of WW1, the Allies blamed Germany for the war. Due to this Germany was forced to sign the War Guilt Clause, which forced Germany to take full responsibility for initiating the war and forced it to pay reparations for all of the damage it caused in the war. This clause forced Germany to pay 132 billion gold marks, or 33 billion U.S. dollars at the time.