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Assanination of Archduke Franz Ferdinanad
The Assanination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand has been said as the beginning of World War 1. Franz and his wife Sophia were killed in Sarajevo, the capital of the Austria-Hungarian province of Bosnia and Herzegovin. The assasin Gavrilo Princip fired two bullets one at Franz and one at Sophie. -
Austria-Hungary declare war on Serbia
Austria-Hungary declare war on Serbia after Serbian Nationalist Gavrilo Princip assasinates Austria-Hungary's heir to the throne Archduke Franz Ferdinand while visiting sarajevo. -
Germany declares war on Russia
Germany declares war on Russia because Russia are allies with Serbia who are at war with Austria-Hunagary. Germany and Russia were both mobilizing troops near the border so it was just a matter of time before one country declared war on the other. -
Germany declare war on France-The Schliffen Plan
If war broke out Germany knew France would attack as they were allies with Russia. Germany didn't want this as if this happened they would be facing war on two fronts. So Germany used the Schlieffen Plan. This was created by Alfred Von Shlieffen in 1905 to help stop Germany going to war on two fronts. The plan was two quickly defeat France so Germany could go to the eastern front for a major offense on Russia, the main threat. -
The United Kingdom declares war on Germany
The UK declares war on Germany because according to the Schlieffen plan germany invade Belgium, and Belgium are allies with the UK. While invading Belgium, Germany are held up by the Belgium army and British forces. Russia mobilize in ten days which force to withdraw some German troops from the Schlieffen plan and send them to defend Germany's eastern border. -
Austria-Hungary declare war on Russia
Austria-Hungary declare war on Russia because their allies Germany have just declared war on Russia. -
Serbia declare war on Germany
Serbia declare war on Germany because of there war with Russia and there war with France. All the major forces were now gunning against Germany. -
The Battle of Tannenberg begins
The battle of Tannenburg is said to have been Russias worst defeat in WW1. The battle happened in the first few days of WW1 and was quickly over as the German troops surrounded the Russians. This was a mistake made by the Russian general Samsanov because of a lack of communication and the German's ease in which they could intercept those messages that said where the troops were heading. -
Battle of Marne
The battle of marne began when the French staged a suprise attack against the Germans in The Marne river valley of France. The French got some help from British troops to help halt the Germans from progressing. Both side dug down and made trenches. Because of the Germans loss they could not eliminate the second front of WW1, this is why the war lasted years rather than months. -
Australia capture German New Guniea
Australia's job sent from the British was to capture and secure German New Guinea by capturing or destroying the radio stations and coal stations supporting the German East Asia Squadron. -
Battle of Ypres
Ypres was the centre of battles due to its strategic position. Whoever contolled this town in WW1 controlled the surrounding countryside and all the major roads converged on the town. To the south there was a 500 foot ridge which gave a significant height advantage. -
AIF sail to Egypt
First Division of the AIF sailed from Western Australia to Egypt. Some of which went on to fight in Gallipoli and France later on in the war. -
HMAS Sydney sinks German cruiser
HMAS Sydney sinks German cruiser Emden at Cocos Island, Indian Ocean. It was a half-hour long engagement after the two ships encountered each other off Dirk Hartog Island, Western Australia; it resulted in the ships' mutual destruction and sinking. -
Germany declares a "war zone" around Great Britain
Germany declares a "war zone" around Great Britain, essentially effecting a submarine blockade where even neutral merchant vessels were to be potential targets. This is unfortunatly what the Lusitania and its passengers succumed to. -
Australian Gallipoli landing
The Australian Imperial Force land at Gallipoli together with troops from New Zealand, Britain, and France to fight the Turks. The aim was to capture two Turkish forts commanding the narrow straights. On the first when they got off the ships onto the beach they only made it as far as 20 or 30 metres in the first day and they didn't make anymore ground after that. More than 8000 were killed in action, died of wounds or had succumed to disease. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
The Lusitania ocean liner was sunk by a German submarine off the coast of Ireland and left 1198 dead. She sunk to the bottom in a mere 18 minutes with two torpedoes ffrom a German U-boat. -
Battle of Lone Pine
The battle of Lone Pine was intended to distract the Turks while the main troops could breakout from their perimeter. It was a a crushing victory for the ANZAC's. The Australians lost 80 officers and 2197 men in the four days the battle lasted. The attack started at 5.30pm on 6 August with the Australians taking Lone Pine by 6pm, but the battle continued until 10 August as the Turks counter attacked. The Turks lost almost 7000 men of the 16th Division -
Last Australian troops evacuated from Gallipoli
83,000 troops from the battlefields of Suvla Bay at ANZAC Cove in Gallipoli were evacuted all in one night. There were virtually no casualities in this withdrawal and the Turkish were unaware of this evacuation taking place. -
Battle of Verdun
The battel of Verdun was a battle that took place in France on a narrow stratch of land that was historically important to the French. Verdun contained twenty major forts and forty smaller forts. The plan of this attack from Germany was to bleed France white because the knew if these forts were to fall the national humiliation would be too much. The battle lasted 300 days and around 360,000 French and 340,000 Germans died in this bloody battle. -
Battle of Fromelles
The Battle of Fromelles was fought on the western front and was the first major battle to be fought by Australian troops.The attack was intended primarily as a feint to draw German troops away from the Somme offensive then being pursued further to the south. the troops of the 5th Australian and 61st British Divisions attacked at 6 pm and they suffered heavily at the hands of German machine-gunners. The 5th Australian division had 5,553 casualties as Germany only had 1,000. -
Australian soldiers in action at Pozieres, France.
The Australian effort at Pozieres was a striking success. The main buttress of the German line on the battlefield had been broken. Yet except for the Pozieres region, By 27 July the 2nd Australian Division had taken over the whole front at Pozieres. -
Mouquet Farm
The 2nd Division had won the battle but at great price. It was exhausted and its losses had been heavier than any other Australian division had suffered in one tour in the line. In 12 days losses totaled 6,848 officers and men. Five of its battalions each lost between 600 and 700 men. -
Australian Light Horse Brigade in Battle of Romani, Egypt
The 1st Light Horse Brigade played a significant role in turning back the Turkish advance on the canal at the battle of Romani on 4 August. In ensuing days the regiments of the Brigade participated in the immediate follow-up of the defeated Turks, but were soon withdrawn to rest. -
United States declares war on Germany.
After saying they were going to stay neutral in the war the United States declares war on Germany. -
Battle of Bullecourt
Bullecourt is a village in northern France, was one of several villages to be heavily fortified and incorporated into the defences of the Hindenburg Line in 1917. Tanks which were supposed to support the attacking Australian infantry either broke down or were quickly destroyed. Nevertheless, the infantry managed to break into the German defences. Australia suffered 3,300 casualties and 1,170 were taken as German prisoners. -
Soviet Russian government signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Soviet Russian government signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany, formalising the withdrawal of Russia from the War. -
Australians drive Germans from Villers-Bretonneux
The battle of Villers-Bretonneux was a part of the wider battle of the Sommes. in early April the Germans launched an attack to capture the town. The germans had a strong offense so they called the Australian 9th brigade to head sout of Belgium to help the british and french out. Heavy fighting followed which saw the Germans slowly gain the upper hand before a counterattack by British and Australian troops late in the afternoon of 4 April broke up the attack. -
Austria signs armistice with Allies.
Austria signs armitice and is the last country to do so before Germany signs it on November 11. -
WW1 fighting ends
Germany signs the armistice at Compiegne, France. All fighting ends on the Fighting ends on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. This day is now known as Remembrance Day. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Versailles treaty was the peace settlement between Germany and the allied powers that officially ended WW1. When the document was first handed to Germany the instuction were they only had 3 weeks to accept the treaty. The treaty read that Germany was to take full responsibility of the damage caused in WW1, the major land concessions forced upon Germany, the limitation to Germanys army to 100,000 men and that they were to pay for all reparations of the Allied powers.
