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Archduke Assanination
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by Germany . While he was in Sarajevo. He was the nephew of Emperor Franz Josef and heir to the Austria-Hungarian Empire. He was shot along side his wife. This event sparked the outbreak of WWI. -
Austria vs. Serbia
The Austrian government blamed the Serbian government for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife. So they declared war on Serbia. Although Russia was allied with Serbia, Germany did not believe that they would mobilize.Germany offered to support Austria if necessary. Russia did mobilize and they had France mobilize as well. -
Germany Continues
Germany declares war on Russia. Russia was preparing to mobilize along the German frontier in Poland. In St. Peters-burg the German ambassador presented the Russian government with another demand. Russia had 12 hours (until noon Saturday) to suspend all war measures against Germany and Austria-Hungary or Germany would mobilize its forces. Russia refused there offer and the war broke out. -
Battle of Tannenberg
The Russian army marched into Prussia. The differences in railway gauge between Russia and Prussia it was difficult for the Russians to get supplies through to their men. The Germans, on the other hand, used their railway system to surround the Russian Second army at Tannenberg before it’s commander could realise what was happening. The battle was a heavy defeat for the Russians with thousands of men killed, & 125,000 taken prisoner. -
Germany declared war on France
Germany declared war on France. German troops poured into Belgium as directed under the Schleiffen Plan. Which drawn up in 1905. The British foreign secretary, Sir Edward Grey, sent an ultimatum to Germany. That demanded their withdrawal from the neutral Belgium. -
Zeppelins
The use of airships by the Germans increased. Zeppelins began attacking London. They were also used for naval reconnaissance, to attack London. The smaller balloons were used for reconnaissance along the Western Front. They were only stopped when the introduction of hydroplanes shot them down. -
Battle of Verdun
The battle of Verdun was the longest battle in WWI. The French repulsed a major German offensive in this war, It was the bloodiest, and most ferocious war of all the wars. French causalities amounted to about 400,000. Germans causalities amounted to about 350,000. -
Battle of Jutland
The only truly large-scale naval battle of the war. German forces, confined to port by a British naval blockade, in the hope of splitting the British fleet and destroying it ship by ship. However, the British admiral, Beatty, aware that the German tactics were the same as those used by Nelson at Trafalgar, sent a smaller force to lure the German’s into the range of Admiral Jellicoe’s main fleet. Although Beatty’s idea worked, the exchange of fire was brief and the German’s withdrew. -
Battle of Somme
This battle was costly and largely unsuccessful. Allied offensive on the western Front during WWI. The horrific bloodshed on the first day of the battle became a metaphor for futile and indiscriminate slaughter. On July first 11 divisions of the British fourth army began to attack a front extending 15 miles from Serra to Bemusement. -
Battle of Jutland Part 2
The British and German naval forces met again but the battle was inconclusive. The German ships did a great deal of damage to British ships before once again withdrawing and the British Admiral Jellicoe decided not to give chase. Although British losses were heavier than the German, the battle had alarmed both the Kaiser and the German Admiral Scheer and they decided to keep their fleet consigned to harbor for the remainder of the war. -
Lloyd George Prime Minister
Lloyd George became Prime Minister of the war time coalition. His war cabinet, unlike that of his predecessor, met every day. However, there was considerable disagreement among the members of the Cabinet, especially between Lloyd George and his war secretary, Sir Douglas Haig. Lloyd George suspected Haig of squandering life needlessly and was suspicious of his demands for more men and freedom of action in the field. -
German U-boat campaign
In Germany, orders were given to step up the U-boat campaign. All allied or neutral ships were to be sunk on sight. In one month almost a million tons of shipping was sunk. Neutral countries became reluctant to ship goods to Britain. Lloyd George ordered all ships carrying provisions to Britain to be given a convoy. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Following the successful revolution by the Bolsheviks. The Russians signed an Armistice with Germany at Brest-Litovsk. The terms of the treaty were harsh: Russia had to surrender Poland, the Ukraine and other regions. They had to stop all Socialist propaganda directed at Germany. They also had topay 300 million roubles for the repatriation of Russian prisoners.
