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A Serbian fanatic, Gavrilo Princip, assassinated Archduke Franz-Ferdinand of Austria, the heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife in Sarajevo.
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Worried that military action against Serbia would attract Russian attention an Austro-Hungarian envoy is sent to meet with Kaiser Wilhelm II, the emperor of Germany, to convey Austria’s concerns. the Kaiser, being cousings with the Russian Tsar, Nicholas II, was confident he could smooth it out diplomatically with Russia. Nevertheless, he pledged that if Russian troops attacked Austria-Hungary, Germany would come to there aid. This is known as Germany's Blank Check.
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Austria declares war against Serbia - igniting World War I.
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The Shlieffen Plan took advantage of an expected difference between Germany's, Russia's, and France's speed in preparing for war. The plan was to avoid a two-front war by concentrating troops in the West to quickly defeat the French, then place those troops to the East to face the Russians before they had time to mobilize fully. The Schlieffen Plan was created by Count Alfred von Schlieffen and modified by Helmuth von Moltke the Younger.
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More than two million men came into combat. As the Germans advanced toward Paris, a gap emerged between the German armies. The Allied commanders seized the opportunity to split the German forces by moving into the gap. On September 9, the German armies, unable to maintain their position on the Marne, began to fall back. British and French forces pursued the Germans driving them back forty-five miles to the River Aisne.
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April 25, 1915 the Allies land a multinational force on the Gallipoli peninsula.
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A German U-boat sank the Lustinania. 1,198 civilians, including 128 Americans died.
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The longest battle of the war, was fought lasing until Decemeber 18. Etimated one million casualties.
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First tanks used by the British. Lasted until November, incurring over 1 million casualties.
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President Wilson asks Congress to declare war on Germany. On April 6, 1917, the U.S.A officially joined the war in Europe.
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The first wave of the American Expeditionary Force lands in France.
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Russian Tsar is overthrown and new Russian government sings armistice with Germany.
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At eleven o'clock on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, the war ends as Germany and Allies sign an Armistice.
