-
Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife are assassinated in Sarajevo by Bosnian Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip. The Austro-Hungarian government suspects involvement by Serbia and gives that country an ultimatum that would strip Serbia of its independence. Serbia rejects Austria’s demands.
-
After receiving a “blank check” from Germany regarding Germany’s unconditional support for Austria-Hungary, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. Russia, seen as the “protector” of Serbia, begins mobilizing its army to defend Serbia against Austrian aggression.
-
Germany declares war on Russia. Russia calls on France, its alliance partner, to mobilize its forces.
-
Germany declares war on France and invades neutral Belgium according to the Schleiffen Plan; Germany hoped to knock France out of the war before Russia could finish mobilizing its army and therefore avoid a two-front war. Britain, who had signed a treaty with Belgium promising protection, gives an ultimatum to the Germans to withdraw from Belgium. It is ignored.
-
Great Britain declares war on Germany. Canada, as a member of the British Empire, is automatically included in the declaration of war.
-
The Canadian government passes the War Measures Act. The Act gave the Canadian government the power to detain anyone considered “a threat” to the safety of the country. Thousands of “enemy aliens”-Ukrainians, Germans, etc.- were arrested and placed in detention camps in western Canada.
-
After a series of defeats and terrible losses in men, French and British forces stop the advancing Germans at the Battle of the Marne. The two opposing sides dig in, and soon a system of trenches stretch from the Channel coast in France to the Swiss border.
-
Turkey enters the war on the side of Germany. The war now spreads to the Middle East where both France and Britain are interested in expanding their areas of control.
-
A British Empire force made up of Australians and New Zealanders attack the Turks at Gallipoli in the Dardanelles as part of Winston Churchill’s plan to knock Turkey out of the war. The attack eventually fails.
-
Second Battle of Ypres. The Germans first use poison gas in an attempt to break through the British and French front lines. They are stopped with the help of Canadian troops who are in action for the first time in the war.
-
The Turkish government begins the deportation and eventual massacre of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire. Between 600,000 to a million Armenians die in this genocide.
-
A German submarine sinks the ocean liner Lusitania off the coast of Ireland, killing many Americans. The United States threatens to enter the war if Germany does not halt its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. Germany agrees.
-
Italy, despite being a member of the Triple Alliance, declares war on Austria and Germany as a result of a secret agreement with Britain France promising Austrian territory to Italy.
-
The German Army launches a massive attack on the French fortress city of Verdun, hoping to “bleed France white.” Each side lost over a half a million men in the worst example of trench warfare during the war.
-
Battle of the Somme. British General Douglas Haig launches the biggest British attack of the war up to then. British and Empire soldiers, including the Canadians, go “over the top” to attack the German trenches in the Somme region of France. By the end of the first day, over 50,000 British and Empire troops have been killed or wounded. The battle continues until November for very little gain in territory.
-
A series of revolutions in Russia force the autocratic Czar Nicholas II to abdicate in favor of a provisional government which is then overthrown by Lenin and his Bolsheviks.
-
The United States declares war on Germany and its allies.
-
The Canadian Army launches a successful attack against German positions at Vimy Ridge in France. Under the command of Canadian General Arthur Currie, the Canadians take the ridge in one of the few successful offensives of the war. Canada’ contribution to the war effort is now being recognized by the British.
-
British launch a major offensive in the Paschendaele region of Belgium, hoping to win a decisive victory over the Germans. Although Canadian troops manage to capture the destroyed town of Pashendaele, the offensive is not successful, resulting in almost half a million casualties. The British and French Armies are at the point of exhaustion and now wait for fresh American troops to arrive.
-
Canada introduces the Military Service Act, a law that forces Canadian men to join the armed services. The act was introduced because of heavy losses in France and a slowdown in the number of volunteers. The act is extremely unpopular in Quebec, who feel the war is being fought for Britain’s imperialistic aims.
-
The Belgian relief ship Imo collides with the French explosives freighter Mont Blanc, causing a massive explosion that destroys most of Halifax harbor. It is the largest man-made explosion until the testing of the atomic bomb in 1945.
-
U.S. President Wilson makes a speech outlining his “14 Points” to ensure a just and lasting peace throughout the world. Significant points include the end to secret treaties, national self-determination, and freedom of the seas.
-
German Generals Hindenburg and Ludendorff launch Operation Michael, a final attempt to break the British and French before the arrival of American forces in France. They are eventually stopped, and the Allies take the offensive, and the Germans begin their retreat.
-
The Germans and the new Bolshevik government of Russia sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The treaty finishes the war in the East and allows Germany to move troops to the Western Front for a new spring offensive. Russia loses the Ukraine and the Baltic states as well as being forced to pay an indemnity to the Germans. The Allies are angry at Russia’s withdrawal from the war and cut relations with the Bolsheviks.
-
Germany asks for an armistice based on U.S. President Wilson’s 14 Points.
-
The German Navy mutinies at its Kiel Naval Base. The threat of possible revolution in Germany forces its government to accept the Allies’ surrender terms in order to preserve order at home.
-
Turkey surrenders. The Ottoman Empire collapses after almost 600 years of power.
-
Austria-Hungary surrenders. Almost overnight, the empire breaks apart.
-
Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany abdicates and leaves for exile in Holland. Germany becomes a republic and sends representatives to the Allies to discuss armistice terms.
-
Germany surrenders to the Allied powers. The fighting on the Western Front has finished after 4 long, bloody years and millions of casualties. Hours before the armistice takes effect, Canadian troops capture Mons, Belgium, the city where the war started for the British in 1914.
-
The Paris Peace Conference begins. The “Big Three”- U.S. President Wilson, British Prime Minister Lloyd George, and French Premier Georges Clemenceau-dominate the conference but all have different aims.
-
Germany, against her will, signs the Treaty of Versailles. Canada signs separately from Great Britain, a sign that Canada has gained greater autonomy for her contributions to victory in World War One. The Treaty of Versailles creates great bitterness in Germany, especially the “War Guilt” clause and the demand to pay reparations to the victors.
-
The League of Nations holds its first General Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. Its purpose is to maintain world peace through the idea of collective security. Against the wishes of the United States, Canada is given a separate seat at the League, further evidence of Canada’s growing independence from Great Britain. However, the League is crippled almost from the start as the United States votes against joining , and Germany and the Soviet Union are denied membership.
-
France and Belgium occupy the Rhineland and the Ruhr coal mines as punishment for Germany’s nonpayment of reparations as ordered by the Treaty of Versailles. The Germans respond using non-violence, but the German economy is disrupted, leading to hyperinflation and the collapse of the German economy.
-
Great Britain takes over Palestine from Turkey as part of the mandate system. Britain faces resistance from the Arab population and from Jewish immigrants. Palestine later becomes Israel in 1948.
-
Stock Market Crash in New York signals the beginning of the Great Depression. Germany’s economy is shattered, resulting in massive unemployment and political unrest between the Communists and Adolph Hitler’s National Socialist(Nazi) Party.
-
Japan invades Manchuria: Lytton Commission condemns Japanese aggression; in response, Japan withdraws from the League of Nations.
-
Hitler is named Chancellor of Germany. After the death of President Field Marshal Paul Von Hindenburg, Hitler assumes complete control, naming himself as the sole leader of Germany. He rejects the Treaty of Versailles and begins full-scale rearming of the German military.
-
Hitler withdraws Germany from the League of Nations
-
Austrian Nazis, with the support of Germany, attempt to take over power in Vienna by murdering Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dolfuss. Italy protects Austria and threatens war with Germany. The coup is unsuccessful-this time.
-
The Nazi government passes the Reich Citizenship Law-the infamous “Nuremberg Laws”-restricting the rights of Jews and banning relations between German Jews and Germans of “pure” blood. These laws are the first steps towards the violent persecution of the Jews leading to the Holocaust.
-
Italy invades Ethiopia. The League of Nations condemns Italy and attempts to impose sanctions, but Great Britain and France attempt to make secret deal with Italy. The embargo is ineffective, and the League’s reputation is shaken.
-
Against the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler’s newly reorganized Army re-occupies the Rhineland while the League of Nations make no attempt to stop the Germans. This is the first of Hitler’s territorial grabs that will lead to the start of World War II.
-
Against the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler orders the reoccupation of the Rhineland, expecting war with Great Britain and France. Both nations do nothing to stop him.
-
The Spanish Civil War begins between fascist forces led by General Francisco Franco and the socialist Republican government of Spain. Germany and Italy aid the Fascists, the Soviet Union sends help to the Republicans, but the Western democracies remain neutral. The Germans and Italians use the war to test out new weapons and tactics.
-
The Rome-Berlin Axis is formed, creating a military alliance between Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.
-
Japan invades China and occupies the coastal areas with much brutality leading to the infamous “rape of Nanjing” that same year. The United States and Great Britain place trade sanctions against Japan, further straining its economy.
-
The Anschluss or union of Germany and Austria takes place, an action forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles. Austria is now under Nazi rule and the immediate persecution of the Austrian Jews begins.
-
The Munich Agreement is signed, giving the Czech Sudetenland to Germany after Hitler threatens to go to war. Britain and France pressure Czechoslovakia to given in to Germany, effectively stripping the Czechs of any protection against Germany. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain proclaims “Peace in our time”, and the policy of appeasement towards Germany continues.
-
Hitler occupies the rest of Czechoslovakia, convinced that Britain and France will not stop him. Again he is proven right, but now Britain and France realize appeasement is a failure and begin organizing military alliances with other nations like Poland.
-
Italy invades Albania.
-
The Germans and the Soviets-both bitter enemies- sign a nonaggression pact, stunning the Western democracies and allowing Hitler to move ahead with his next plan of conquest.
-
Germany invades Poland in a rapid attack using armored vehicles and aircraft in the war’s first “Blitzkrieg” or lightning war. . World War II begins.
-
Great Britain and France declare war on Germany. Italy and the United States remain neutral at this time. Canada declares war on Germany on September 10th, 1939.
-
The Soviet Union invades Finland in what becomes known as the “Winter War”. The Finns put up resistance until March 1940.
-
Lend-Lease Agreement is signed by American President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The agreement allows Britain to get all the war material they need from the U.S. to be repaid or returned at a later date.
-
Germany invades Norway and Denmark.
-
Germany invades the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France.
-
Evacuation at Dunkirk, France. British ships rescue over 330,000 British and Allied troops from the beaches, rescuing the bulk of the British Army from defeat.
-
France surrenders to Germany. Britain is left to face Germany alone.
-
Battle of Britain takes place as the German Luftwaffe(air force) and the British Royal Air Force fight for control of England’s skies before a planned German invasion. The Germans are forced to stop their air attacks, Germany’s first defeat of the war. The battle also saw the first successful use of radar.
-
Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact, creating the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis.
-
The German invasion of the Soviet Union begins. This brings the Soviet Union on the side of Great Britain and her Allies.
-
Japan occupies French Indochina, causing the U.S. to freeze Japanese assets in America and to place an oil embargo on the Japanese, pushing the Japanese to plan for war against the West.
-
In simultaneous assaults, the Japanese attack Pearl Harbour, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. America and Great Britain declare war on December 8 while Germany declares war on America on December 11.
-
Nazi officials and SS officers hold the Wannsee Conference to decide the “Final Solution”-the extermination of all the Jews in Europe.
-
The Battle of Midway stops the Japanese advance across the Pacific Ocean. It is Japan’s first major defeat.
-
U.S. begin their “island hopping” campaign in the Pacific with the invasion of the island of Guadalcanal.
-
Canadian forces in England attack the German-held port of Dieppe in France and suffer heavy losses. Later, mistakes from Dieppe were studied in order to prepare for the future invasion of France by the Allies.
-
Battle of Stalingrad occurs. The German 6th Army is surrounded in the city by the Soviets and destroyed. It is the worst defeat so far for the German Army and the beginning of the end for the Nazis.
-
British defeat a German Army at Alamein in Egypt while American soldiers invade French North Africa in Operation “Torch”.
-
The Jewish population of the Warsaw ghetto rise up against the German occupiers but are crushed and the survivors sent to extermination camps at Auschwitz and Sobibor.
-
Allies win the Battle of the Atlantic when German U-boats withdraw after suffering terrible losses.
-
Allied forces including Canadians invade the island of Sicily and knock Italy out of the war.
-
Great Britain and the United States launch both day and night bombing raids against German industrial and urban centers, climaxing with the firebombing of Dresden in February 1945.
-
The Allied forces launch Operation Overlord, the invasion of occupied France. Canadians land successfully at Juno Beach after first suffering heavy casualties.
-
Hitler and his wife commit suicide in their Berlin bunker.
-
Germany surrenders unconditionally to the Allies. The war in Europe is over.
-
In the New Mexico desert, the U.S. successfully explodes the world’s first atomic bomb.
-
The Potsdam Declaration is signed demanding Japan’s unconditional surrender and a promise that the Soviet Union would join in the war against Japan.
