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Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and wife Sophie are assassinated by a Bosnian Serb nationalist in Sarajevo.
These killings sparked a chain of events that led to the outbreak of World War I. After the attack, Austria-Hungary immediately blamed the Serbian government, and Russia supported Serbia. Austria then asked for assurances that Germany would be on its side against Russia and its allies, which included France and Great Britain. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the peace between Europe’s powers collapsed, beginning World War I.
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Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
After Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. This is what officially started World War I. Austria-Hungary decided that the proper response to the assassinations was to prepare for a possible military invasion of Serbia. After securing an alliance with Germany, Austria-Hungary confronted Serbia. In the following days, the rest of Europe looked on fearing that this would turn into a continent-wide war. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXAZJrxwjPg -
Germany declares war on Russia.
After Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia’s government quickly responded to try to prevent the nation's occupation. To do so Russia began to mobilize and Germany replied with an ultimatum. This was to either stop or to go to war. The next dar Germany declared war on Russia. This was the first declaration of war between two very strong powers.
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Germany declares war on France.
Closely after Germany declared war on Russia, they declared war on France. This happened because France was an ally of Russia. Germany knew that if they went after any one of the Allied Powers that they would have to deal with all of them, so Germany declared war. This led to many declarations of war from the allied and central powers. -
Britain declares war on Germany.
After Germany declares war on Britain, Britain responds with its own declaration of war. This comes after the British were presented with an ultimatum by the Germans. To avoid being surrounded by Russia and France, the German military had doomed Belgium to an invasion. Belgium’s neutrality had been guaranteed by Britain, leading them to declare war. This can be viewed by some as the beginning of the war.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/britains-declaration-of-war-on-germany.html -
Russia declares war on Austria-Hungary.
After Britain declared war on Germany, Russia followed suit and declared war on Austria-Hungary. This declaration of war was one of the last major ones of the first wave of declarations. This declaration started to really show which side each country stands on. -
First Battle of the Marne begins.
The Battle of the Marne occurred within the first month of the war. This battle was between the French and German forces. This battle saved Paris and disrupted Germany's plans. It was the first significant Allied victory in the war.
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The British begin a naval blockade of Germany.
The British blockade of Germany was important during WWI because Britain tried to use its powerful navy to push Germany into resignation. Britian hoped to cut them off from supplies. This successfully limited Germany from being able to properly feed their people, leaving them weaker. In a German attempt to end Britain’s control of the sea they launched a campaign of submarine warfare. This convinced the U.S. to join the Allied Powers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60APT_8OPzg -
An unofficial truce is declared between the two sides at Christmas.
On Christmas in 1914, soldiers from both the British and German trenches call a truce to celebrate the holiday. It was an entire day without fighting where men exchanged "gifts" and were able to retrieve fallen soldiers from the battlefield. It showed that underneath the war there was still humanity in these soldiers.
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The Second Battle of Ypres begins.
This battle was between the Germans and the Allied troops. This was the first battle where chemical warfare was introduced. This was the Germans' only offensive of the year. The chemical gas weapons pushed the allied powers back continually.
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British ocean liner Lusitania is torpedoed by a German U-boat.
A German U-boat torpedoed the British steamship, Lusitania. The torpedo killed 1,195 people, including 128 Americans. The attack on a ship with civilians aboard was a shock to everyone. The backlash stirred anti-German sentiment in America. https://youtu.be/M5z4I3aIn7E -
The Battle of Verdun begins.
This battle was started with a shot from a German gun. This was a ten-month battle between the French and the Germans. This made the Battle of Verdun the longest battle of World War I. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdihcCMAuE8 -
The Battle of Jutland begins.
This battle started when the British naval force confronted a group of German ships. The units opened fire on each other, beginning the Battle of Jutland. Both sides suffered major losses. This was the greatest naval battle of World War I. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY4Ho5ha5KQ -
First Battle of the Somme begins.
This battle began when British soldiers arrived expecting to find the way cleared for them from a previous attack. Instead, they were met with active German gunfire. This battle had the heaviest day of casualties in British military history. It was over four months long, yet the Allies only advanced five miles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PcPanwHzZ8 -
Zimmermann Telegram intercepted by the British.
The Zimmermann Telegram was a message from the German foreign secretary to the German ambassador in Mexico. It was about a Mexican-German alliance in the case of war between the United States and Germany. But when it was intercepted by the British, it was published on the front pages of newspapers across America. The day after, the president proposed arming its ships against possible German attacks. https://youtu.be/407TyyOt3Kk -
Tsar Nicholas II abdicates the throne after a week of riots in the Russian capital of St. Petersburg.
Czar Nicholas II was forced to relinquish the throne. Then ordered by the insurgents, a provincial government was put in his place. After this, a death sentence was passed on Nicholas, his family, and several of his servants. https://youtu.be/diq9kVSMhcQ -
United States declares war on Germany.
This began when the president asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany. Congress granted the request, and the United States was officially at war with Germany. This happened in response to the Lusitania, the Zimmerman Telegram, and the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany. This put the American citizens in the trenches of Europe instead of the previous neutral ground at home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT8YfWzd_zQ -
President Woodrow Wilson issues his Fourteen Points.
The Fourteen Points by President Woodrow Wilson were delivered before a joint meeting of Congress. Wilson outlined his vision for stable and long-lasting peace for the whole world following World War I. This idea led to the League of Nations, followed by the United Nations after World War II.
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The Soviet government signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the Central Powers.
This treaty was signed by Russia and the Central powers ending their participation in World War 1. Before being altered by the Treaty of Versailles, Russia had to give up about 1 million square miles of their former territory to Germany. This caused Russia to lose most of its resources. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOIrdAh6MWw -
The Treaty of Versailles ends WWI
The Treaty of Versailles was signed marking the end of World War I. The treaty held Germany responsible for starting the war and imposed harsh penalties on them. They lost land, money, and their military. In the end, the total number of casualties in World War I was about 40 million. https://youtu.be/vrYhLNQMRro
