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After the Balkan states of Bosnia and Herzegovenia had been taken from Turkey by the Austro-Hungarian Empire tensions were high as many Serbs and Croats wanted thses states to stay apart of Turkey. In an attempt to settle the trouble brewing Austria sent Franz Ferdinand andhis wife, who are members of the Austrian Royal Family, decided to tour Bosnia.
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The plan to settle Bosnia backfired however, the date chosen for the tour was a national day in Bosnia which was seen as an insult to not only Bosnians but to the Serbians and Croats who didnt want to see there country swollowed up by the Austrian Empire. So as the Austrian pair were driving through the town of Sarajevo they were shot by Gavrilo Princip in a plan coordinated by a serbian nationalist group known as the Black Hand. This assaination played a large factor in the triggering of WW1
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Through this assasination and the Alliance System which was in place in Europe around this period of time came the tipping point of World War 1. Austria declared war on Serbia, which bought Russia into the war, which then set of a huge chain reaction which saw countries like the USA and Australia into the the chaos, this is how WW1 truely became a "World War"
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Australia was not involved directly in the Assasination of Franz Ferdinand. However, Australia and many other nations were involved in the aftermath of the assasination which later became known as World War One. At this period of time Australia had just become a Federation and the nation was still young, which meant that it still was strongly influenced by Britain. So as Britain got caught up in the war through the Alliance System, so did Australia.
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20 events of WW1 with the Assisnation of Franz Ferdinand detailed at large
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The Austrian government blamed the Serbian government for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife and declared war on Serbia.
Although Russia was allied with Serbia, Germany did not believe that it would follow through with the war and offered to support Austria if necessary. However, Russia did mobilise and, through their alliance with France, called on the French to get ready for war. The alliance system and Europe at this time was how WW1 involved nearly every country in Europe. -
Germany declares war on Russia through their backup of Austria
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Germany declared war on France. German troops poured into Belgium as directed under the Schleiffen Plan,which was to invade France via neutral Belgium, drawn up in 1905. The British foreign secretary, Sir Edward Grey, sent an ultimatum to Germany demanding their withdrawal from the neutral Belgium.
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Germany did not withdraw from Belgium and Britain declared war on Germany
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The first big bad bombing blimps know as "Zepplins" appear over the coast of Britain
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The western most position where opposing armies face each other. In the first World War this was the line along which German and British and French soldiers faced each other. It stretched from Belgium in the North to Switzerland in the South. The bringing of the holidays also bought the beginning of Trench Warfare
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ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corpes) invade the shores of Gallipoli to try to take Forts troubling Russian forces, the invasion fails however, and the Allies take many casulties.
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There outraged protests from the United States at the German U-boat campaign, when the Lusitania, which had many American passengers aboard, was sank. The Germans moderated their U-boat campaign.
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Italy joins Britain and the "Triple Entente"
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The Germans mounted an attack on the French at Verdun designed to 'bleed the French dry'. Although the fighting continued for nine months, the battle was inconclusive.
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This was the only truly large-scale naval battle of the war. German forces, confined to port by a British naval blockade, came out in the hope of splitting the British fleet and destroying it ship by ship. However, the British admiral, Beatty, sent a smaller force to lure the German's into the range of Admiral Jellicoe's main fleet. Although Beatty's idea worked, the exchange of fire was brief and the German's withdrew.
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Casualties were enormous on both sides with the Germans losing 430,000 men and the French 540,000
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The first German air raid on London took place. The Germans hoped that by making raids on London and the South East, the British Air Force would be forced into protecting the home front rather than attacking the German air force.
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In Germany, orders were given to step up the U-boat campaign. All allied or neutral ships were to be sunk on sight and in one month almost a million tons of shipping was sunk. Neutral countries became reluctant to ship goods to Britain and Lloyd George ordered all ships carrying provisions to Britain to be given a convoy.
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The United States of America declared war on Germany in response to the sinking, by German U boats,of US ships.
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Following the successful revolution by the Russians, the Russians signed an Armistice with Germany at Brest-Litovsk. The terms of the treaty were harsh: Russia had to surrender Poland, the Ukraine and other regions. They had to stop all Socialist propaganda directed at Germany and pay 300 million roubles for the repatriation of Russian prisoners.
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The allies had taken almost all of German-occupied France and part of Belgium
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The allies had successfully pushed the Turkish army back and the Turks were forced to ask for an armistice. The terms of the armistice treaty allowed the allies access to the Dardenelles.
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By the beginning of November the allies had pushed the Germans back beyond the Hindenberg line.
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The Armstice with Germany is signed bringing a monstorous debt to Germany and the End of the "War to end all Wars"
