-
The trigger event that started WW1. A teenage Serbian revolutionary shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie on their visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. -
Directly after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia and they begin shelling the capital, Belgrade. -
Germany invades Luxembourg and Belgium. France invades Alsace. British forces arrive in France. Nations allied against Germany were eventually to include Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Rhodesia, Romania, Greece, France, Belgium, United States, Canada, Serbia, India, Portugal, Montenegro, and Poland. -
Austria-Hungary invades Russia, officially beginning battle on the Eastern Front of WW1. -
During The First Battle of the Marne, Allied forces, consisting of French and British troops, launched a counter-offensive that halted German advance into France- saving Paris from capture. -
Germany begins a naval blockade, declaring the water around the British Isles as a "war zone". The blockade was intended to target enemy merchant vessels but also put neutral ships at risk, a policy that provoked a strong protest from the United States. -
Allied forces, primarily Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), the British, and the French, landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula with the goal to seize control of the Dardanelles strait to open a sea route to Constantinople and knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war, but the campaign ultimately ended in Ottoman victory. -
German submarine sinks passenger liner Lusitania during crossing from New York to Liverpool, killing 128 Americans. -
Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary, entering WW1 on the side of the Allied powers. This decision followed Italy's neutrality at the war's start, its secret signing of the Treaty of London with Britain, France, and Russia on Apr 26, 1915, and its desire for territorial gains promised by Allies. -
Germany begins its attack on Verdun with a massive artillery bombardment and an infantry assault that marked the start of one of the longest and bloodiest battles of WW1. The attack was launched by the German 5th Army with the goal of "bleeding the French white". -
The Naval Battle of Jutland was the largest naval Battle of WW|, fought between British and German fleets. Though the British lost more ships and sailors, they retained control of the North Sea and maintained their naval blockade of Germany. -
The Allied offensive that began the Battle of the Somme started with a massive British and French assault against German forces on Northern France. Despite a week-long artillery bombardment, the attack on the first day was a catastrophic failure for the British, resulting in nearly 60,000 casualties. -
The Battle of Verdun- the longest engagement of WW| ends after 10 months. The massive loss of life at Verdun includes 143,000 German dead out of 337,000 casualties, to France's 162,440 out of 337,231 would come to symbolize the bloody nature of trench warfare on the Western Front. -
The Zimmerman Telegram was a secret message from Germany to Mexico, proposing a military alliance against the United States in the event of U.S. entry into WW1. The message was intercepted and published by the British, the telegram promised Mexico financial support and the chance to reclaim Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. -
The United States severs diplomatic relations with Germany after Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare. This action was a direct response to Germany's violation of the "Sussex pledge," which had previously limited attacks on passenger and merchant ships. -
The United States declares war on Germany after President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war. Key factors leading to the declaration were Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare, which included attacks on American ships, and the interception of the Zimmerman Telegram. -
General John J. Pershing and his staff arrive in Liverpool, meeting with British leaders, advocating for the creation of a separate U.S. Army rather than having U.S. troops dispersed among British and French commands. -
The first American combat forces arrive in France, landing at the port of Saint-Nazaire. These initial troops, part of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) under General John J. Pershing, required significant training to be prepared for the front lines. -
The American Expeditionary Forces were created in response the the United States entering WW1. Led by General John J. Pershing, the AEF was the main U.S. military force sent to Europe to fight alongside the Allies against the Central Powers. -
Russia signs an armistice with the Central Powers following the Bolshevik Revolution, which ended fighting on the Eastern Front. This was a preliminary agreement that led to the formal Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. -
Pres. Woodrow Wilson presented his Fourteen Points to a joint session of Congress. The address outlined his vision for a stable, long-lasting peace in the world following WW1. -
Russia signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk to end its participation in WW1. Signed under duress after a German advance, the Treaty forced Russia to cede vast territories to the Central Powers. -
Germany launches its final major offensive during the Second Battle of Marne. The offensive was a final attempt to break the Allied lines, but it was ultimately defeated by a strong Allied counterattack. -
The Battle of Cantigny was a significant U.S. win, as it marked the first major American offensive. U.S. forces captured the French village in just 45 minutes, and then successfully held it against repeated German counterattacks. -
American troops, under General John J. Pershing, successfully eliminated a German salient that had been in place for four years, though it was made easier by a pre-existing German withdrawal. -
The Allied forces began the Meuse-Argonne offensive with the America First Army launching the attack between the Argonne Forest and the Meuse River in northern France. The largest and deadliest Battle in U.S. military history. -
Germany signs the armistice with the Allies ending WW1, effective 11 a.m. that day. The agreement was signed in a railway carriage in the Compiègne Forest of France by German delegates and Allied Commander Marshal Ferdinand Foch. The armistice required Germany to disarm, withdraw its troops, and surrender captured territory, effectively ending the war. -
British and American forces enter Germany after the armistice entered WW1. American troops entered through Trier, while British forces crossed the border near Eupen as part of the slow process of extricating the German army from occupied territories. These occupation forces would remain in Germany until 1923 (Americans) and 1929 (British) -
The Peace conference began to establish and list the terms of peace after WW1. The conference was led by the "Big Four"- David Lloyd George-UK, Georges Clemenceau-France, Woodrow Wilson-US, and Vittorio Orlando-Italy. This conference resulted in multiple treaties, most notably the Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended the war with Germany. The conference also aimed to determine new national borders, set international relations principles, and create the League of Nations. -
The initial draft was completed and published during the Paris Peace Conference. Led by Woodrow Wilson, the draft was later revised and adopted. -
German and Allied representatives sign the Treaty of Versailles in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles to officially end WW1. Facing a threat of renewed hostilities, the German delegates ultimately agreed to the harsh terms, which required Germany to pay reparations, disarm, lose territory, and give up its colonies. The Treaty also called for the creation of the League of Nations. -
The US Senate fails to ratify the Treaty of Versailles due to opposition from both isolationists and reservationists, who feared it would entangle the United States in foreign conflicts and infringe on U.S. sovereignty, primarily through the League of Nations. President Woodrow Wilson's refusal to compromise with Republican opposition, particularly Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Henry Cabot Lodge, was a major factor. The Treaty was ultimately rejected in March 1920. -
The Treaty of Versailles takes effect after being signed by Germany and the Allied Powers on June 28th, 1919. It's implementation established the terms for peace following WW1, including the creation of the League of Nations, the transfer of German territories, and the requirement for Germany to pay war reparations. -
The United States Senate failed to ratify the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, rejecting it twice. The Senate rejected the treaty in November 1919, and a second, "clean" version also failed in March 1920, with one vote falling short of the required two-thirds majority.