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Franco-Prussian War
Also reffered to as the Franco-German war, was a war centered on the Prussian ambitions to expand the German Unification. This war was fought for the throne of Spain, which was left open and vaccant after the Spanish Revolution in 1868. -
Alexander III Succeeds Father
When he succeeded his father, Alexander II, he halted all reforms in Russia. In Alexander III's rule, he clung to the principles of autocracy, where he had total and complete power. Anyone who decided to question his absolute power or worship outside the Russian church was considered dangerous. -
Bloody Sunday
In Russia on January 22, 1905, 200,000 workers and their families stormed the winter palace of the czar. They carried a petition asking for improved working conditions, more personal freedom, and an elected national legislature. But when the czar heard about his visit, he ordered them to be fired upon. More than 1,000 were injured, and several hundred were killed. -
Two Rival Camps exist in Europe
By 1907, two alliances existed in Europe, the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente. On the side of the Triple Alliance was Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The other, the Triple Entente, consisted of Great Britain, France, and Russia. However, once the war started Italy would switch sides. -
Start Of World War 1
World War 1, the first conflict that went global, started after years of risng tension. It is also known as the "Great War", because it was the largest the world had seen. Introduced during this war, was the method of trench warfare. Trench warfare made the battles often end in stalemate, which seemed to be the theme of the war. -
Trench Warfare Introduced
Early in the battle, soldiers on both sides began digging out massive stretches of trench in the ground. They did this so that not only could they be protected by the ground and have a set place to fire, but it was also much more effiecient than the old methods. -
Gallipoli Campaign
In 1915, the allies had a plan known as the Gallipoli Cmpaign to take control of Constantinople, defeat the Turks, and establish a supply line to Russia. British, Australian, New Zealand, and French troops all worked to together to defend this plan, and eventually in turned into yet another bloody stalemate. -
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Used by Germany, Unrestricted Submarine Warfare was the method of having your submarines sink without warning any ships in the waters. This was started in 1917 after the war moved mostly to the seas, and Germany felt they could receive an advantage. This technique later led to America joining the war on the side of the allies. -
Provisional Government In Russia
Civil unrest in Russia during the war forced their leader to step down, leaving power available. A provisional government was then put in place, and pledged to continue fighting the war, but Russia had lost nearly 5.5 million troops and the army stopped fighting entirely. 8 months after the new government, a revolution began in Russia. -
First Paris Peace Conference
After the fighting had stopped and World War 1 had ended, the peace terms still needed to be worked out. To attend to this problem, meetings would be held in the Palace of Versailles and delegates representing 32 countries would come to attend. However, little was ever worked out in these meetings. -
Treaty Of Versailles
The Treaty Of Versailles helped put an end to the constant arguing between the French, British, and U.S. This treaty created a league of nations that had an internation association whose goal was to keep peace among nations. However, along with the creation of the League Of Nations, the treaty also punished Germany after they already lost in the war. -
Stalin Takes Control
After Lenin suffered a stroke in 1922, the struggle for power began for many. In 1922, as just the general secretary of the communist party, Joseph Stalin worked behing the scenes and moved his supporters into positions of power. This would make his climb to success easier. Lenin died in 1924, but shortly before warned everyone Stalin was dangerous. By 1928 however, he was in complete control of the communist party. -
Great Purge
Stalin launched the Great Purge in 1937, a campaign of terror aimed at getting rid of anyone who threatened his absolute power. Thousands who helped stage the revolution in 1917 stood trial, but they were all sent to labor camps or executed. By the end of the Purge in 1938, Joseph Stalin was estimated to be responsible for around 11 million deaths.
