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(EU) Archduke Franz Ferdinand Shot in Sarajevo
Archduke of Austria-Hungary was shot by Gavrilo Princip. This event is often considered the spark for World War 1, which would grow because of entangling alliances. -
WWI begins
World War I begins when Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. -
(EU) Germany declares war on France
First, Britain and France declare war on Germany (September 1, 1939). in response to Hitler's invasion of Poland, Britain and France, both allies of the overrun nation immediately declare war on Germany (September 3, 1939). They were also working under orders not to harm German civilians. -
(EU/US)President Woodrow Wilson declares US policy of Neutrality
President Woodrow Wilson declared that the United States would remain “impartial in thought as well as in action.” ... Several U.S. ships on their way to British ports were damaged or sunk by German mines. -
First Battle of the Marne begins
The Germans had advanced to within 30 miles of Paris, but over the next two days, the French are reinforced by 6,000 infantrymen who are transported to the front by hundreds of taxis. The Germans dig in north of the Aisne River, and the trench warfare that is to typify the Western Front for the next four years begins. -
The Second Battle of Ypres begins
The German army initiates the modern era of chemical warfare by launching a chlorine attack on Allied trenches. Some 5,000 French and Algerian troops are killed. By war’s end, both sides have used massive quantities of chemical weapons, causing an estimated 1,300,000 casualties, including 91,000 fatalities. -
(EU)Landings begin on the Gallipoli Peninsula at Cape Helles (British 29th and Royal Naval divisions) and at ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Cove.
The attempt to force the Dardanelles and capture the Ottoman capital at Constantinople (now Istanbul) is a disaster almost from the outset. Altogether, the Allies suffered more than 200,000 casualties during the subsequent nine-month campaign. The failed offensive becomes the war’s signal event for Australian and New Zealand troops and eventually leads to the collapse of the British government. -
(US/EU)Sinking of the Lusitania
A German U-boat torpedoed the British-owned steamship Lusitania, killing 1,128 people including 128 Americans, on May 7, 1915. The disaster set off a chain of events that led to the U.S. entering World War I. -
Woodrow Wilson elected President
Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), the 28th U.S. president, served in office from 1913 to 1921 and led America through World War I -
(EU/US)Zimmerman Note
The Zimmermann Telegram (or Zimmermann Note or Zimmerman Cable) was a secret diplomatic communication issued from the German Foreign Office. -
Wilson asks for declaration of war
On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany, saying, “The world must be made safe for democracy.” Four days later, Congress voted overwhelmingly in favor of a war declaration. -
(EU/US)America Enters the War /Congress votes for declaration of war
America Declares War on Germany, 1917. At 8:30 on the evening of April 2, 1917, President Wilson appeared before a joint session of Congress and asked for a declaration of war against Germany in order to "make the world safe for democracy." On April 4, Congress granted Wilson's request.
