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Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, occurred on 28 June 1914 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, when they were mortally wounded by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb member of Young Bosnia. -
Austria Declares War
On July 28th, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. This effectively began World War I. -
Germany Declares War
Germany declares war on Russia, escalating World War I. Germany later declares war on France. -
Beginning of the Western Front
In many ways, the beginning of the Western Front occurred when Germany declared war on France. This heavily escalated World War I and resulted in many other countries being involved. -
Entry of ANZACS into World War I
Australia and New Zealand's involvement in the war began when Britain and Germany went to war on 4th of August, 1914, and both Prime Minister Joseph Cook and Opposition Leader Andrew Fisher, who were in the midst of an election campaign, pledged full support for Britain. -
Beginning of Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign of 1915-16, also known as the Battle of Gallipoli or the Dardanelles Campaign, was an unsuccessful attempt by the Allied Powers to control the sea route from Europe to Russia during World War I. The campaign began with a failed naval attack by British and French ships on the Dardanelles Straits in February-March 1915 and continued with a major land invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula on April 25. -
End of Battle of Gallipoli
The British government authorized the evacuation to begin from Sulva Bay on December 7; the last troops left Helles on January 9, 1916. In all, some 480,000 Allied forces took part in the Gallipoli Campaign, at a cost of more than 250,000 casualties, including some 46,000 dead. On the Turkish side, the campaign also cost an estimated 250,000 casualties, with 65,000 killed. -
Beginning of the Battle of Somme
The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 November 1916 on both sides of the upper reaches of the River Somme in France. -
First Referendum of Conscription in Australia
The 1916 Australian plebiscite was held on 28 October 1916. It was the first non-binding Australian plebiscite, and contained one question concerning military service. This plebiscite was held due to Prime Minister Billy Hughes' desire to conscript young Australian men for overseas service during World War I. -
End of the Battle of Somme
The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 November 1916 on both sides of the upper reaches of the River Somme in France. -
USA Enters the War
On June 26, the first 14,000 U.S. infantry troops landed in France to begin training for combat. After four years of bloody stalemate along the western front, the entrance of America’s well-supplied forces into the conflict marked a major turning point in the war and helped the Allies to victory. -
Second Referendum of Conscription in Australia
The 1917 Australian plebiscite was held on 20 December 1917. It contained just the one question. -
Beginning of the Ludendorff Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive, or Kaiserschlacht, also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during the First World War, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914. -
End of the Ludendorff Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive, or Kaiserschlacht, also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during the First World War, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914. -
The Armistice -- Ceasefire
The Armistice was the ceasefire that ended hostilities between the Allies and Germany on the 11th of November 1918. The Armistice did not end the First World War itself, but it was the agreement which stopped the fighting on the Western Front while the terms of the permanent peace were discussed. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919 in Versailles, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which had directly led to the war. The other Central Powers on the German side signed separate treaties.
