-
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand and his wife assassinated by Gavrilo Princip of Serbia. -
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia
Austria chooses war against Serbia after death of their Archduke. -
Germany declares war on Russia
Germany invades the Soviet Union, "to ensure the generations to come." -
Germany declares war on France
Germany invades neutral Belgium. -
Great Britain declares war on Germany
First British troops set foot on France. -
Great Britain and France declare war on Austria-Hungary.
Serbia is also invaded by Austria-Hungary. -
Battle of Mons
First major battle of WWI -
2 British ships sunk by German squadron
German naval squadron commanded by Vice-Admiral Maximilian von Spee sinks two British armored cruisers with all aboard off the southern coast of Chile. -
Germany declared the waters about the British Isles a "war zone"
Submarines destroy every enemy vessel they find. -
The Armenian Genocide
Ottoman government's systematic extermination of 1.5 million Armenians -
Treaty of London
Secret pact between the Triple Entente and Italy -
Britain's Lusitania is destroyed by Germany.
British ocean liner Lusitania is torpedoed without warning by a German submarine off the south coast of Ireland. -
The Battle of Somme
Battle fought by the armies of the British Empire and France against the German Empire. One of the bloodiest battles in history. Big loss for Britain. -
HMHS Britannic sinks due to an explosion
HMHS Britannic sinks in the Aegean Sea after a mine explodes, killing 30 people -
The Battle of Rafa
Occurs near the Egyptian border near Palestine. -
German Secretary Arthur Zimmermann admits the "Zimmermann Telegram" is genuine.
Generates support for the US declaration of war on Germany in April. -
US declares war on Germany, entering World War I
US enters the conflict in Europe -
First American troops land in France
The first 14,000 U.S. infantry troops land in France at the port of Saint Nazaire. -
China declares war on Germany & Austria
-
Gen Pershing & US troops see action on Western Front for 1st time
October Revolution -
Fourteen Points
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson outlined the United States' war aims in a speech given to Congress
