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Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated
Archduke Franz Ferdinand heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife are assassinated in Sarajevo. -
The Battle of the Frontiers
27,000 French soldiers die on this single day in an offensive thrust to the east of Paris, towards the German borders. -
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Battle of Tennenberg
German army, led by Erich Ludendorff and Paul von Hindenburg achieves its greatest victory of the war on the Eastern front against Russia at the Battle of Tennenberg. -
First trenches of the Western front are dug.
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Total War
War becomes "Total War" with German Zeppelin air raid on England -
U-boat sinks the Lusitania
1,198 civilians, including 128 Americans die. -
Germany stops sinking ships
Germany responds to U.S. anger by ceasing to sink ships without warning. -
British Gas attacks
British use gas in battle near Loos, but shifting winds cause 60,000 British casualties. -
Period: to
Battle of Verdun
The longest battle of the war, the Battle of Verdun, is fought to a draw with an estimated one million casualties. -
Woodrow Wilson re-elected
Woodrow Wilson re-elected President of the United States with campaign slogan: "He kept us out of the war" -
German Ship Sinking returns
Germany again declares unrestricted submarine warfare. -
Period: to
French attack Chemin des Dames
French launch disastrous offensive at Chemin des Dames, advancing only 500 yards at the cost of 250,000 plus casualties. -
The United States draft
The United States passes the Selective Service Act empowering the Federal Government to draft men for the armed forces. -
American Expeditionary Force lands in France
The first wave of the American Expeditionary Force lands in France. -
America's first shot in French trench warfare
American troops in France fire their first shot in trench warfare. -
Period: to
Influenza
Two waves of influenza kill more people than did the war. -
Germans launch the first of five major offensives
Germans launch the first of five major offensives to win the war before American troops appear in the trenches. German advance is finally stopped in late June -
The Red Baron is killed
Baron von Richthofen, "the Red Baron" is killed in air dog-fight. -
President Wilson sends troops into Russia.
President Wilson agrees to co-operate with Allies in sending "volunteer" troops into Russia. -
Treaty of Versailles is signed
Peace Treaty signed by German delegates and Allies in Versailles.
