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Franz Ferdinand assassinated
Franz Ferdinand and his wife were shot and killed on June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo. They were visiting an Austrian province, Bosnia, and their assassin was Gavrilo Princip. Austria- Hungary blamed Serbia and declared war on them. -
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia because they wanted to crush the Serbian nationalist movement, and Gavrilo Princip was a Serbian nationalist. -
Russia mobilizes armed forces
Russia, who had agreed to help Serbia, prepared for war. -
Germany declares war on Russia
Because Russia was helping an enemy of Germany's ally, Germany declared war on Russia. -
Germany declares war on France
Since France was an ally of Russia, Germany also declared war on France. -
Germany invades Belgium
Germany invaded Belgium because they had a plan to move across eastern and northern France. The Belgians held out the Germans for three weeks, allowing France and Britain time to prepare for the Germans. -
Britain declares war on Germany
When Germany invaded Belgium, they violated a treaty made in 1839 that gave Belgium neutrality. Since Britain had made a pledge to protect Belgium, they declared war on Germany. -
Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia
Since Russia was an ally of Serbia, Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia. -
France and Britain declare war on Austria-Hungary
Since their ally, Russia, was at war with Austria-Hungary, they both declared war on Austria-Hungary. -
Japan joins the Allied Powers
Japan decided to join France, Britain, and Russia. -
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Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne was fought within 15 miles of Paris. Germany had already beaten Belgium, but the British and French finally stopped the Germans a few miles east of Paris. The French victory boosted the French morale. -
Ottoman Empire joins the Central Powers
The Ottoman Empire joins Germany and Austria-Hungary. -
Britain blockades Germany
America still wanted to remain neutral, so they tried to still trade with both sides. However, Britain had set up a blockade so that American ships could not trade with Germany. -
Poison gas first used
The Germans were the first to use poison gas. The gas would kill or injure anone who breathed it. Soon, the Allies began to use poison gas, and gas masks became necessary. -
Germans use U-boats to sink Lusitania
Germany noticed that America was helping the Allies, so they announced that they would use torpedoes to sink any ship that came into an Allied port. President Wilson told Germany that they would be held responsible for any lives lost, but they didn't listen. The U-boat torpedoed the British passenger ship off the coast of Ireland. More than 1,000 people died including 128 U.S. citizens. -
Italy joins the Allied Powers
Italy also joins France, Britain, Russia, and Japan. -
Period: to
Battle of Verdun
Both sides tried to break up the trench warfare by launching an offensive. Germany made small gains, but whenever they did, the Allied Powers would just catch up and regain anything they had lost. More than 750,000 people died. -
Period: to
Battle of the Somme
Britain and France launched their own offensive. The battle took place in northern France and there were many lives lost. However, the Allies only gained 7 miles -
Germany reverses submarine warfare policy
Germany announced that it would sink all ships on sight, armed or unarmed, sailing to Allied ports. Germany was afraid that this would bring the United States into the war, but they believed they could beat the Allies before they joined. -
Zimmermann telegram published
The British government intercepted a telegram sent by the German foreign minister to Mexico. The telegram proposed that Mexico would help Germany in case the U.S. entered the war. In return, Mexico would get back some of the land they lost to the United States. Americans were outraged. -
Wilson requests declaration of war
After Germany sank four American ships, President Wilson decided that the United States could no longer remain neutral. He stood before Congress and asked for a declaration of war against Germany. -
United States declares war on Central Powers
Congress agreed that if America wanted to remain a big world power, it must defend its rights. 56 members were against war, but the declaration was signed and the United States went to war with Germany. -
Congress passes the Selective Service Act
The Selective Service Act was a military draft. Men from the ages of 18 to 45 were registered in huge numbers. About 3 million men got drafted into the war. Women also worked in noncombat areas such as radio operators, clerks, and nurses. This act had the support of many Americans. -
United States troops arrive in France
General John J. Pershing led the American Expeditionary Force (known as the AEF) to France. People there greeted them with large crowds shouting and cheering for them. When the AEF reached full strength, the British and French wanted them to join their armies, but Pershing wanted to keep them separate. -
Bolsheviks revolt against Russian government
The Bolsheviks were communists who wanted to create a communist government in Russia. The Bolsheviks' leader was Vladimir Lenin, who wanted to pull out of the war so they could create the communist government. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Vladimir Lenin signed this treaty with Germany, pulling Russia out of the war and surrendering Poland, Ukraine, and other territories to them. -
Battle of the Argonne Forest
The Battle of Argonne Forest was seven weeks long, with rain, mud, and fire from German guns blocking the Allies, and there were many casualaties. The Allies eventually broke through into Germany. -
German government suggests armistice
The Germans were being invaded by the Allies and they also were very short on supplies like food and equipment, so they gave up and suggested an armistice to President Wilson. -
Armistice began
Wilson agreed but set certain conditions for the armistice. First, Germany must accept his plan for peace and that they remove all troops from Belgium and France. Finally, the President would only deal with civilian leaders and not the military. -
WAR ENDED
yay :)
