-
Archduke assassination
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife are assassinated. -
Austria declares war
Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. -
Secret alliance
The Ottoman Empire signs a secret alliance with Germany agreeing to enter the war once Germany declares war on Russia. They formally enter the war several months later on October 28,1914 when they bomb Russian sea ports. Bulgaria joins the Central Powers on October 15, 1915. -
Germany invades Belgium
Germany declares war on neutral Belgium and invades Belgium and Luxembourg as part of the Schlieffen Plan. As a result, Britain declares war on Germany. -
Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia.
Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia. -
The U.S. Declares Neutrality
The United States declares neutrality in the war. -
The German army defeats Russia
The German army defeats Russia at the Battle of Tannenberg. -
German advance of France halted
German invasion of France is halted at the First Battle of Marne. -
the race to the sea
The Race to the Sea ends when the Germans withdraw at the 1st Battle of Ypres. -
Christmas truce
Unofficial Christmas truce is declared by German and Allied soldiers in the trenches along the Western Front. -
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide begins. -
9 month battle
Allies begin a nine-month battle for the Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli. -
A German boat sinks
A German U-boat sinks the Lusitania killing 1,198 civilians, including 128 Americans. -
Italy joins the allies
-
Germans use poison gas
The Germans use poison gas at the 2nd battle of Ypres. -
Edith Cavell
British nurse, Edith Cavell, is executed by the Germans. -
Woodrow Wilson Re-elected
Woodrow Wilson is re-elected President of the United States. -
The British Introduce The Tank
The British introduce the tank during the Battle of Somme. The battle results in an estimated one million casualties. -
the battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun is fought resulting in an estimated one million casualties. -
Germany sends a coded message
British cryptographers decipher a telegram from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmerman to the German Minister of Mexico. -
Submarine Warfare
The Germans resume unrestricted submarine warfare. -
Tsar Nicholas II
Tsar Nicholas II of Russia abdicates. -
The U.S. enters the war
President Wilson asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war against Germany. -
the Balfour Declaration
The Balfour Declaration is presented in London. -
The 3rd battle of Ypres
The 3rd battle of Ypres, also known as Passchendaele, results in minor gains for the Allies and a total of 700,000 casualties. -
Fourteen points
President Wilson outlines his Fourteen Points in a speech before Congress. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk is signed between Russia and Germany. -
Germans stopped near Paris by American forces
Germans on the banks of the Marne near Paris are stopped by American forces at Chateau-Thierry -
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany abdicates. -
Emperor Karl of Austria
Emperor Karl of Austria abdicates -
War over
At eleven o’clock on this day, war on the Western Front ends as Germany and the Allies sign an Armistice. -
Treaty of Versailles
Germany and Allies sign the Treaty of Versailles. The U.S. Senate later refuses to ratify it. -
The Treaty of Sevres
The Treaty of Sevres ends the war on the Eastern Front with the Ottoman Empire.