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Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand
In an event that is widely acknowledged to have sparked the outbreak of WWI, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is shot to death along with his wife by a Sebian nationalist in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on this day in 1914. -
Battle of Tannenberg
This battle was Russia's worst defeat in WWI. The Germans took all their soldiers and attack the Russian Second Army. Although they were exposed to an attack from the north, they took the risk. The Germans concentrated all their forces on in one area and attacked the Russian Second Army on the left flank. The Germans defeated the Russians, and soon they were in retreat. Around 50,000 of the Russian Army were killed or injured. -
First Battle of the Marne
It was French General Joffre who decided it was time for the Allies to counterattack the Germans. As the Germans advanced, their armies became strung out and a large gap grew between the First and Second armies. The Allies took advantage of this gap and charged between the two armies splitting the German forces. Then they attacked from all sides confusing the Germans. After a few days, the Germans were forced to retreat. -
First Battle of Ypres
On October 19, 1914, near the Belgian city of Ypres, the Allied and German forces began the first of what would be three battles to control the city and its advantageous positions on the north coast of Belgium during the First World War. -
Second Battle of Ypres
The Second Battle of Ypres was a battle fought for control of the strategic Flemish town of Ypres in western Belgium in the spring of 1915. It was the first time Germany used poisoned gas on a large scale of the Western Front. -
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was the longest lasting single battle of WWI. The casualties and the impact the had on the French Army was a main reason for the British starting the Battle of the Somme. The Battle of Verdun started on February 21and ended December 16, 1916. It was to make General Philippe Pétain a hero in France. -
Battle of Gallipoli
The Battle of Gallipoli was one of the Allies great disasters in WWI. It was thought up by Winston Churchill to end the war early by creating a new war front that the Ottomans could not cope with. -
Battle of Arras
The Battle of Arras was the British against the German. The British Commander was Field Marshal Douglas Haig. The German Commander was General Erich Ludendorff. -
Third Battle of Ypres
On July 31, 1917, the Allies launched a renewed assault on German lines, in the much-contested region near Ypres. The attack began more than three months of brutal fighting. -
Battle of Cambrai
The Battle of Cambrai was a British attack that employed new artillery techniques and massed tanks. It was initially very successful with large gains of ground being made, but German reserves brought the advance to a stop. Ten days later, a counter-attack regained much ground. -
Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme was one of the largest battles of World War One. It was fought between July 1 and November 1, 1918, near the Somme River in France. On the first day alone, the British suffered more than 57,000 casualties, and by the end of the campaign the Allies and Central Powers lost more than 1.5 million men. -
Second Battle of the Marne
In 1918, near the Marne River in France, the Germans began what would be their final offensive push of World War One. Dubbed the Second Battle of the Marne, the conflict ended several days later in a big victory for the Alies.
