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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
With already so much tension in Europe between the countries and alliances, this assassination was the final straw. This was the terrorist act that ignited World War I. -
REJECTION
After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Austria gave Serbia a list of demands they were to meet (as the assassinator was from Serbia) and though Serbia accepted most of their demands, Austria was indignant and refused Serbia's offer and declared war. -
The Schlieffen Plan
Created and named after German General Alfred Graf von Schlieffen. This was Germany's plan: many of the army would go west to annihilate France, and then race back east to obliterate Russia. -
Eastern Front Starts Up
With France turning the tides with Germany on the Western Front, Russia back on the Eastern Front had invaded Germany--forcing Germany to fight in both the east and west. -
Western Front's First Clash
Things were going well in Germany's Schlieffen Plan, better than expected. As Germany's victory was within sight, France gained intel where Germany's army was about to strike next and was able to overpower Germany first. -
East and Western Front Battles
In the Western Front, the two armies--France and Germany--had begun to use trench warfare. Conditions were horrible for both sides as they continued to fight.
While on the Eastern Front, Germany's side prevailed against Russia and got back East Prussia and kept Russia out of Austria. -
Battle on the Western Front Continues
Germany and France have been just wiping out each other's men--especially with their war tools: poison gas, large artillery, machine guns, and armored tanks. However, this did not move along the war any faster. Finally, Germany put into motion a full-on attack against France. Both sides lost over 300,000. -
Britain comes into Play
To relieve stress on France, British soldiers attacked Germany in Somme valley. This all led to Germany gaining four miles near Verdun, and the British advancing five miles in Somme valley. -
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Germany issued an unrestricted submarine warfare policy as they created their own submarines. This policy told all ships that neared Britain were going to be attacked and sunk without the exception of neutral and passenger ships this time. The possibility this policy introduced was going to war with the United States. -
Enter United States of America
This day was the day President Wilson of the United States requested of Congress to declare war and join the Allies. -
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
In this month, a communist leader of the name Vladimir Ilyich Lenin took power over Russia and demanded on taking Russia out of the war which had caused his country so much suffering. -
Out goes Russia
Russia offered Germany a truce to take Russia out of the war and in this month, they both had signed the Treated of Brest-Litovsk--officially ending the war between Russia and Germany. This did not go smoothly for Russia, they lost the lands that are currently Finland, Poland, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. -
Second Battle of the Marne
By now, Germany's forces had weakened while the Allies' forces had been freshly strengthened by U.S men. Here at the Second Battle of the Marne, Germans and Allies collided in battle. The Allies had two million American troops and 350 tanks that rode steadily into Germany. The Central Powers then dissolved bit by bit. -
Bittersweet Ending of World War I
After Kaiser was no longer ruling and Germany was declared a republic, representatives of both Germany and France signed an armistice--a mutual agreement to end the fighting. World War I came to an end. -
Peace Terms at the Palace of Versailles
An agreement was reached between the Allied Forces and Germany called the Treaty of Versailles. What this treaty did was create the League of Nations (the Allied Powers--US, Britain, France, Italy, and Japan--became permanent members in the Executive Council within the league) which purposely excluded Germany and Russia. The treaty also had Germany lose territory, gain restrictions on military based operations, and possibly worst of all, have Germany pay the Allies for atonement for the war.