-
Triple Alliance is formed between Germany, A-H, Italy.
Triple Alliance was a defensive agreement among A-H, Germany and Italy lasting from 1882 until WWI. These three nations agreed to help defend each other in the event of attack by two or more other great powers (specifically France, Britain, and Russia). A-H and Germany also agreed to help Italy in the event Italy was attacked by France. This established the sides that would fight each other in WWI except that Italy eventually joined the Triple Entente (France, Britain, Russia) -
Germany joins Russia in an alliance.
Called the "Reinsurance Treaty," it was a secret agreement between Germany and Russia crafted by German chancellor Otto Von Bismark which provided that either party would remain neutral if the other became involved in a war with a third great power but that this treaty would not apply if Germany attacked France or Russia attacked A-H. Germany agreed through this treaty to support the Russian spheres of influence in the Balkans (over the Austrians). -
Kaiser Wilhelm II changes foreign policy, forces Bismark to resign.
the young Kaiser Wilhelm II changed long-standing foreign policy and forced Bismark to resign. Bismark had crafted a series of alliances and isolated France, increasing the chances for peace. The kaiser wanted to be more nationalistic and also more expansionist and did not want to maintain the fragile alliances. This led to France-Russian alliance which meant Germany would have to fight a war on two front is it came. -
Kaiser Wilhelm allows alliance with Russia to expire
The Reinsurance Treaty of 1887 was not renewed by Kaiser Wilhelm thus leaving Russia open to engage in a treaty with France. In the event of war, this meant Germany would have to fight on two fronts. France to the west and Russia to the east. -
Russia formed defensive military alliance with France
Military alliance between France and Russia with the understanding it was to remain in place as long as the Triple Alliance was in place. It became part ot the Triple Entente between Britain, France, and Russia, the primary opponents of Germany and A-H in WWI. -
Britain formed entente (alliance) with France
The "Entente Cordiale" was really a diplomatic agreement between Britain and France which resolved long-standing issues involving the colonies of the two countries. It did not initially contain a military alliance between the two nations, this came later. It did, though, end a long period of isolation for Britain and established a partnership with France against the German interest. This sowed the seeds for the war alliance between France and Britain. -
Britain made the Anglo=Russian Entente with Russia, the Triple Entente is now formed
Although the agreement solidified agreements between Britain and Russia in their Central Asia colonies, it more importantly allied the two nations against Germany. It, in addition to the Entente Cordiale and the military alliance between France and Russia, became the Triple Entente. The major power of Europe were now arrayed in alliance against one another, making conditions ripe for a major European war. -
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Gavrilo Princip
Archduke Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist as part of a plot to break Serbia away from the Austrian Empire. This led to A-H mobilizing its army against the Serbs. Under the provisions of the secret 1892 defensive military alliance betwen France and Russia, these countries were then required to mobilize (bec/ a member of the Triple Alliance mobilized). Russian and France mobilized, followed by Germany and WWI began within the month. -
Austria presents Serbia with the ultimatum
Known as the "July Ultimatum," this letter sent to Serbia by Austria required that Serbia respect A-H interests and to prosecute the assassination conspirators, including many officers of the Serbain military. Serbia consulted instead with Russia which said it would mobilize if A-H did, and then Serbia mobilized. A-H mobilized in response to the Serbian mobilization, then Russia mobilized. WWI was about to begin. -
Austria declares war on Bosnia. Russia orders mobilization towards the Austrian border.
Serbian troops crossed the Danube River and threatened the Austrian troop position there. Austrian troops fired over their heads and drove them away. A-H though then declared war and mobilized. Russia followed because of the France-Russian defensive alliance. Germany and France soon followed and now all of the major powers with the exception of Britain and Italy were now mobilized and marching to war. -
Germany declared war on Russia
In response to Russia's mobilization due to A-H's mobilization, Germany, the ally of A-H, declared war on Russia. Germany also demands France to remain neutral but instead Germany mobilizes, setting off their plan to defend Germany in the event of war. This plan involved a fast offensive into France and a defensive war against Russia until France was conquered. -
Germany declares war on France
IN response to France's mobilization, Germany declares war on France and invades neutral Belgium in accordance with the German plan to invade France from Belgium. -
Britain declared war on Germany
In response to Germany's invasion of neutral Belgium, Britain declares war on Germany. All of the major powers are now at war with the exception of Italy. -
German counterattacks the Russians and defeats them at Battle of Tannenberg
The complete encirclement and destruction of an entire Russian army ended the Russian invasion of East Prussia and was the most spectacular German victory of WWI. It stopped the invasion threat to the German homeland from the east. -
Allies attack Germany at the First Battle of the Marne
This Allied counteroffensive ended in victory against the month-long German push to capture Paris. The Germans were winning battle after battle and almost captured Paris but the counterattack by French and English armies pushed the Germans back and set the stage for the four years of trench warfare which followed. If not for this, Germany could have knocked France out early and probably won WWI. -
Ottoman Empire formally joins Central Powers
The Ottoman Empire tried to chose the winning side and picked the wrong one. They chose to join the Triple Alliance (also called the "Central Powers") and entered the war by bombing Russian ports on the Black Sea. Germany hoped a seperate offensive against Russia could be started from the south. -
Battle of Limanowa
Austrian troops, with German assistance, defeat advancing Russian troops and save Vienna. This would have knocked Austria out of the war, leaving Germany virtually isolated. -
Italy joins Entante
Even though Italy had signed the Triple Alliance agreement of 1882, because it was not a defensive war, Italy did not have to honor it. It rather waited to see which side would be victorious. The secret Treaty of London offered Italy territorial concessions it could not refuse. Italy's entry into the war on the side of Britain, France, and Russia offered another southern front against the Triple Alliance. -
Germany sinks the Lusitania
In their first attempt at unrestricted submarine warfare, Germany sinks the passenger ship Lusitania, killing over a thousand, including over one hundred Americans. The US was "neutral" at this time but this aroused emotions against Germany and helped establish that the U.S. would enter the war on the side of Britain, France, and Russia. -
The Gallipoli Campaign
In an attempt to end the stalemate on the Western front, the Allies mounted a campaign against the Turks and Germans defending the Gallipoli Peninsula on the Dardanelles strait. Goal was to take Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, and establish a supply line to Russia. The Allies were forced to abandon the effort after suffering heavy casualites, thus extending the war, not shortening it. -
The Battle of the Somme
This offensive primarily by British troops was an attempt to split the German armies and drive them back into Germany. It was a failure and cost almost a million casualties but set the stage for ultimate victory. -
Unrestricted submarine warfare
The British naval blockade of Germany plus crop failure led to starving conditions in Germany. Germany determined therefore to try to isolate Britain using submarines and starve Britain into submission. Germany declared unrestricted submarine warfare meaning that all ships, including passenger and neutral ships, going to Britain were targets of war. Germany knew this would probably bring the U.S. into the war but decided they could starve Britain into defeat before the U.S. could mobilize. -
The Zimmerman Note
Britian intercepted a telegram to the German ambassador in Mexico from the German foreign minister, Arthur Zimmerman. It described that Germany would help Mexico recapture former Mexican territory from the U.S. if Mexico would help Germany now. Its disclosure outraged America and was the final straw leading the the declaration of war vs. Germany. -
President Woodrow Wilson asks Congress to declare war on Germany
President Wilson asks Congress to declare war on Germany because of Germany's policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, the Zimmerman Note, and America's close ties to Britain. The American public supported the war declaration and it was so declared. -
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ends Russia's involvement in WWI
After the March, 1917 abdication of the Russian throne by Czar Nicholas, the leader of the Communists, Lenin, gained power in Russia. His first act was to seek a peace treaty with Germany even though it was harsh on Russia.
