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The Alliance System is Born
In 1864, Prussia began wars to unite the German states into one nations, and in 1871, the German Empire was born. In the process, the Germans made enemies of France. For protection, Germany allied itself with Italy and Austria-Hungary, together called the Triple Alliance. This scared Russia, so they sided with France. Later, they were joined by Britain, and they became the Triple Entente. -
America's Original Decision on WWI
At this point, the war has just begun, and President Wilson has declared the United States to be neutral, hoping to keep the country from being drawn into a foreign war. He didn't just want them to be neutral in action, however, but also in thought. Despite this, many Americans continued to choose sides of the war. -
The First Battle of Marne
The First Battle of Marne was fought from Sept 6-12, 1914, and it was made of the French and British against the Germans. The Germans were trying to capture Paris. This battle ended any hopes the Germans had of successfully bringing the war on the Western Front to an early close. By the end of this battle, about 250,000 French soldiers were killed, and it was about the same for the Germans. Despite these numbers, Paris was saved. -
Unofficial Christmas Truce
The Germans, on their side of the battlefield, began to decorate trees and light candles. Every once in a while they would stop and call out a happy Christmas to those soldiers down in the trenches. Some Germans sang Christmas carols in their language, and then the British would reciprocate. This led to some soldier meeting each other in the middle of No Man's Land, where they all celebrated Christmas together. They exchanged gifts, sang, and even played a game of ball. -
The Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was the longest war of WWI, and it was also one of the bloodiest.The Battle of Verdun began on Feb 21, 1916, and ended Dec 16, 1916. It's also the main cause for the Battle of the Somme a few months later, which was fought mainly in the hopes of forcing the Germans to leave the Verdun area, relieving the French troops stationed there. -
The Battle of Gallipoli
The Battle of Gallipoli began in February 1915 and ended in January of 1916The Russians were being threatened by the Turks and called for relief. So, the British decided to capture Constantinople and align themselves with the Russians, knock Turkey out of the war and get the Balkan states to join the Allies. However, this didn't work and they instead wound up with a lot of casualties - about 300, 000 Turks were lost and the Allies lost around 214,000. -
America Moves Toward WWI
Not long after the war began, Britain used their navy to blockade the Germans, and in response the Germans announced that they would try to sink any ship without warning that they find in the waters around Britain. Later in March of 1916, a German U-boat torpedoed the French ship "Sussex", injuring many Americans who were on board. This angered the United States, not enough to join in the war efforts, but it did lead them onto that path. -
Second Battle of Ypres
This day in history marks the first time the Germans used poison gas in war. Due to the use of gas, more than 1,000 French and Russian soldiers died. This battle ended on May 24. -
Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme began July 1 of 1916. It was during this battle that tanks were first introduced into battle. By the end of the battle, in Nov 1916, the British had lost 420,000, the French nearly 200,000, and the Germans 500,000. -
Treaty of Versailles Ended the War Between Germany and the Allied Powers
The Treaty of Versailles ended the war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on June 28, 1919. This treaty forced the Germans to disarm, concede a good amount of territory, and to repay certain countries that had formed the Entente powers for the loss they suffered during the course of the war.
