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Archduke killed
Archduke Franz Ferdinand heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife are assassinated in Sarajevo. -
Period: to
World War I
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Austria Hungary war on Serbia
Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. -
Russia helps Serbia
As an ally of Serbia, Russia announces full mobilization of her armed forces. -
Germany declares war on Russia
Germany mobilizes her armed forces and declares war on Russia. -
Germany Declares war on France
Germany declares war on France. -
Germany declares war on Belgium
Germany declares war on neutral Belgium and invades in a right flanking move designed to defeat France quickly. As a result of this invasion, Britain declares war on Germany. -
Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia
Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia. -
27,000 soldiers killed
"The Battle of the Frontiers" -- 27,000 French soldiers die on this single day in an offensive thrust to the east of Paris, towards the German borders. -
German army on the move
German army, led by Erich Ludendorff and Paul von Hindenburg achieves its greatest victory of the war on the Eastern front against Russia at the Battle of Tennenberg. -
German army halts
First Battle of the Marne halts German invasion in France. -
Trenches
First trenches of the Western front are dug. -
Truce
Unofficial Christmas Truce declared by soldiers in the trenches along the Western Front. -
Air raids
War becomes "Total War" with German Zeppelin air raid on England -
submarine blockade
Germany declares a submarine blockade of Great Britain. Any ship approaching England is considered a legitimate target. -
battle for Gallipoli
Allies begin nine-month battle for the Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli. -
Lusitania sinks
U-boat sinks the Lusitania. 1,198 civilians, including 128 Americans die. -
Germany responds with no warning
Germany responds to U.S. anger by ceasing to sink ships without warning. -
Russian armies controlled by Tsar Nicholas
Tsar Nicholas takes command of the Russian armies. -
Gasses used in battle
British use gas in battle near Loos, but shifting winds cause 60,000 British casualties. -
British Expeditionary Force gets new leader
Sir Douglas Haig becomes commander of British Expeditionary Force. -
Allies withdraw from Gallipoli
Allies begin withdrawal of troops from Gallipoli. -
conscription law
British conscription law goes into effect -
Battle of Verdun
The longest battle of the war, the Battle of Verdun, is fought to a draw with an estimated one million casualties. -
Canada
Canadians take Vimy Ridge -
US talks to Germany
US President Wilson publicly warns Germany not to continue unrestricted submarine warfare policies -
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland, the only major naval engagement of the war is fought with no clear winner. -
Battle of Somme
The Battle of the Somme results in an estimated one million casualties and no breakthrough for the Allies. British introduce the tank, an effective weapon but far to few to make much of a difference. -
New President
Woodrow Wilson re-elected President of the United States with campaign slogan: "He kept us out of the war" -
New Prime Minister
David Lloyd George becomes Prime Minister of Britain. -
Murder
Rasputin, the self-avowed holy man and confidant to the Tsarina, is murdered by relatives of the Tsar. -
Mexico is urged to enter war
Reich Foreign Secretary Zimmermann's telegram to Mexico urging her entry into war against the United States is discovered and translated by the British. -
Germany
Germany again declares unrestricted submarine warfare. -
Provisional government in declared
Tsar Nicholas II of Russia abdicates. Provisional government is declared. -
US wants war with Germay
President Wilson asks Congress for a declaration of war with Imperial Germany -
France
French launch disastrous offensive at Chemin des Dames, advancing only 500 yards at the cost of 250,000 plus casualties. -
French soliders mutiny
Over half a million French soldiers mutiny, or "go on strike" and refuse to continue the failed offensive. -
Selective Service Act
The United States passes the Selective Service Act empowering the Federal Government to draft men for the armed forces. -
Russia
Russian Army lead by Alexander Kerensky begins last -- and disastrous -- offensive in Galicia. -
Americans land in France
The first wave of the American Expeditionary Force lands in France. -
Third battle of Ypres
Third Battle of Ypres, known as Passchendaele, results in minor gains, but still no breakthrough in the Western front at the cost of 700,000 casualties for both sides. -
Trenches
American troops in France fire their first shot in trench warfare. -
Government Overthrown
Bolshevik socialists, led by Lenin, overthrow Kerensky's government. -
new Russian Government
The new Russian government, represented by Leon Trotsky, signs an armistice with Germany. -
British caputres Jerusalem
British capture Jerusalem from the Turks and her Arab allies. -
Disease
Two waves of influenza kill more people than did the war -
14 points for world peace
President Woodrow Wilson declares his 14 points as the path to permanent world peace. -
Germany
Germans launch the first of five major offensives to win the war before American troops appear in the trenches. German advance is finally stopped in late June -
Red Baron killed
Baron von Richthofen, "the Red Baron" is killed in air dog-fight -
America stops German advance
British and Australian troops stop the German advance near Amiens. -
German shell hits Paris
German shells land on Paris. -
America stops Germany again
Germans on the banks of the Marne near Paris are stopped by American forces at Chateau-Thierry. -
German troops move to western fronts
German troops being shipped from the Eastern to Western Front begin to desert in large numbers from their transport trains -
Bolsheviks kill former Tsar and family
Former Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, children, and members of his entourage are murdered by the Bolsheviks. -
America helps allies
President Wilson agrees to co-operate with Allies in sending "volunteer" troops into Russia. -
Germany pushed back
Allied counter offensives on the Somme push the German army back and into retreat -
German forces broken through
Allied troops break through the German fortifications at the Hindenberg line. -
German sailors mutiny at port
German sailors mutiny at port when asked to sail and fight a hopeless navel battle. -
Turks sign armistice
Turks sign armistice -
Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates.
Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates. -
German Republic
A German republic is founded. -
WAR ENDS!
At eleven o'clock on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, the war ends as Germany and Allies sign an Armistice. -
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