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After the Balkan states of Bosnia and Herzegovina were annexed from Turkey into the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Serbs and Croats were enraged, forming a group called The Black Hand. A Serbian nationalist student (and Black Hand member), Gavrilo Princip, assassinated the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife (after 2 failed atempts) as they were making an inspection during a national day in Bosnia.
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After the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife, the Serbian government was believed to be behind it, causing the Austrian government to declare war on Serbia.
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Germany assumed Russia would mobilize to help Austria if necessary (although they were aligned with Serbia) but to their surprise, they did not. Germany then declared war on Russia, then France, pouring into Belgium under the Schleiffen Plan, causing Sir Edward Grey (the British foreign secretary) to demand Germany with an ultimatum to withdraw from the neutral Belgium. Germany didn't withdraw, causing Great Britain to declare war on Germany.
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Due to the help given by Turkey towards the German attack on Russia, all three countries declared war on Turkey, regardless of alliances.
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Two German Zeppelin airships named L3 and L4 dropped bombs on Great Yarmouth and Kings Lynn.
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Germans first use chloride poisonous gas.
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After word of the Lusitania sinking came along, and the death toll of 1,198 deaths of the 1,962 passengers (with 128 of the deaths being Americans) there was an outcry of rage from Americans and Brits alike towards Germany's U-boat campaign.
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Italy joins the War on the side of the Allies.
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The only large-scale naval battle due to German forces having to port by a British naval blockade, hoping to destroy the blockade ship by ship, but the British admiral, Beatty, sent in a smaller for to combat the Germans (as he was familiar with the tactics) with brief fire, causing the Germans to retreat. The Germans and Brits met agains later, with inconclusive results, but the German ships did heavy damage to the British ships before withdrawing once more.
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The Germans started an attack on the French at Verdun in order to "bleed the French dry". Nine months of fighting produced an inclusive result, causing 430,000 casualties for the Germans, and 540,000 on the French.
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There as a week long bombardment of the German line to destroy barbed wire defences, but made "No Man's Land" filled with mud and craters. the five month battle left 420,000 British soldiers dead (60,000) on the first day, 200,000 French soldiers dead, and 500,000 German soldiers dead.
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Romania entered the war on the side of the Allies, but became occupied by Germans and Austrians in a few months during the war.
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Despite warnings from the likes of President Woodrow Wilson, Germany continued to use their submarines, and would later sink American ships, leading to the stepping stones of the U.S. joining the World War.
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After the German U-boats sunk U.S. ships, the United States was pushed close to the edge, but the Zimmerman Note was what tipped it over, the U.S. finally declaring war on Germany.
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Through fierce and bloody battles the 52nd Alpine Division managed to capture the top of Mount Ortigara, until the Austrian-Hungarian command sent trained reinforcements which took it back.
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Winston Churchill was voted to be the Minister of Munitions due to Lloyd George's decision of having Churchill in the cabinet after the heavy defeat at Passchendale.
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After the successful revolution of the Bolsheviks, the Russians signed an Armistice with Germany at Brest-Litovsk, stating that Russia had to surrender Poland, Ukraine, and other regions. Also, they had to stop Socialist propaganda towards Germany and pay 300 million (over 5 million U.S. dollars) roubles towards repatriation of Russian soldiers.
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The Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service merge to form the Royal Air Force.
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The British general, Douglas Haig ordered the attack of the German sector at Amiens. On the first day Allied troops advanced eight miles and caused 27,000 casualties, and dealt a fatal blow to the German cause.
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The Armistice is signed, marking a complete victory for the Allies, and a defeat (not necessarily a surrender) for Germany, putting the war to an end.
