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Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
Austrian-Hungarian throne heir Franz Ferdinand is shot in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip and sparks WWI. AH declares war on Serbia, Russia pledges to protect Serbia, Germany declares war on Russia and Serbia, France allies with Russia (Britain not in.) The Alliance System (The Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance) caused this great war around the world. The Allies are Britain, France, Russia, Serbia, Italy, and the US. The Central Powers are AH, Germany and the Ottoman Empire (Old Man of Europe). -
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WWI Timeline
WWI Timeline by Ishaan Thakur -
Invasion of France
Germany wants to eliminate France before Russian forces mobilize. They go through neutral Belgium, which brings Britain into the war. They make a sweeping Schlieffen plan, to quickly sweep through France. France later becomes the Western Front, a series of trench warfare. Germany also sends troops to the Eastern Front in Russia, but leave war since Brest-Litovsk after they sign a treaty with the Red Russians, due to the Bolshevik uprising who overthrew White Russians, supporters of Nicholas II. -
British Blockade of Germany
The British started a blockade on Germany. They contrabanded most goods entering Germany to starve them out. They used the convoy system. Along with the flu epidemic all over the world, this hurt Germany a lot and helped win the war for the allies. Later on, the German would ignore the British Sussex Pledge, which kept the Germans from attacking neutral ships. German U-boats used torpedoes and sunk the Lusitania, which had American passengers which inevitably brought Pershing with his troops. -
Second Battle of the Marne
In this battle, mechanized warfare like tanks was used against the Germans, led by Wilhelm II. Militarism in the early 20th century led to inventions like machine guns, barbed wire, mustard gas and zeppelins (not used in this battle). American troops had declared war for the sinking of the Lusitania as well as the Zimmerman Telegram. Pershing led the troops through the stalemate to stop the German nationalists in trench warfare, because going through the No Man's Land meant death. -
Treaty of Versailles and Effects of War
Armistice Day marks end of fighting. Treaty of Versailles was signed by the Big Four Leaders. The Mandates were split up between Britain and France (Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria). Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia were formed, as well as the USSR as a result. Woodrow Wilson made League of Nations, made Fourteen Points. Failed because Henry Cabot Lodge didn't sign on so US did not join. Vladimir Lenin was turning Russia into a socialist state.
