World War 1 By eaisbet Jun 28, 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife are assassinated in Sarajevo Jul 28, 1914 Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia Aug 3, 1914 Germany declares war on France Aug 6, 1914 Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia Aug 30, 1914 Germans achieve great victory at the Battle of Tennenberg Sep 5, 1914 First battle of Marne halts the German invasion of France Feb 4, 1915 Germany declares a submarine blockade of Great Britain May 7, 1915 German U-Boats sink the Lusitania; 128 American citizens perish Feb 21, 1916 The Battle of Verdun begins Apr 19, 1916 President Woodrow Wilson publically warns Germany to stop unrestricted submarine warfare Jul 1, 1916 Battle of Somme begins Nov 7, 1916 Woodrow Wilson re-elected president of the United States Jan 19, 1917 German secretary Zimmermann's telegram to Mexico intercepted by the British Feb 1, 1917 Germany again declares unrestricted submarine warfare Apr 6, 1917 President wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany May 18, 1917 The US passed the Selective Service Act Jul 3, 1917 The first wave of the American Expeditionary Force lands in France Nov 7, 1917 Bolshevik Socialists, led by Lenin, overthrow Russian government Dec 3, 1917 The new Russian government sign an armistice with Germany Jan 8, 1918 President Wilson declares his 14 Points as the path to permanent world peace Apr 22, 1918 Baron von Richthofen, the "Red Baron," is killed in a dog-fight May 31, 1918 German army is stopped by American forces at Chateau-Thierry Aug 8, 1918 Allied counter offensive on the Somme push the German army into retreat mode Nov 9, 1918 German Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates his throne Nov 11, 1918 At eleven o'clock on this historic date the guns went silent as Germany surrenders