British machine gun unit p

WORLD WAR I Annotated Timeline

  • Germany declared war on Russia

    Germany declared war on Russia
    Germany declared war on Russia.
  • Germany declared war on France

    Germany declared war on France
    Sir Edward Grey, sent
    an ultimatum to Germany demanding their withdrawal from the neutral Belgium.
  • British declaration of war

    British declaration of war
    Germany did not withdraw from Belgium and Britain declared war on Germany.
  • Turkey

    Turkey
    Turkey entered the war on the side of the central powers and gave help to a German naval bombardment of Russia.
  • Zeppelin bombing

    Zeppelin bombing
    Zeppelin airships dropped bombs on Yarmouth.
  • Zeppelins

    Zeppelins
    Zeppelins began attacking London.
  • Lusitania sunk

    Lusitania sunk
    There outraged protests from the United States at the German U-boat campaign, when the
    Lusitania, which had many American passengers aboard, was sank. The Germans
    moderated their U-boat campaign.
  • Italy

    Italy
    Italy entered the war on the side of the Allies.
  • Battle of Verdun

    Battle of Verdun
    The Germans mounted an attack on the French at Verdun designed to 'bleed the French dry'. Although the fighting continued for nine months, the battle was inconclusive.
  • Romania enter the war

    Romania enter the war
    Romania joined the war on the side of the Allies. But within a few months was occupied by Germans and Austrians.
  • Battle of the Somme

    Battle of the Somme
    The battle was preceded by a week long artillery bombardment of the German line which was supposed to destroy the barbed wire defences placed along the German line but only actually succeeded in making no mans land a mess of mud and craters.
  • First Aeroplane raid

    First Aeroplane raid
    The first German air raid on London took place. The Germans hoped that by making raids on London and the South East, the British Air Force would be forced into protecting the home front rather than attacking the German air force.
  • USA declares war on Germany

    USA declares war on Germany
    The United States of America declared war on Germany in response to the sinking, byGerman U boats, of US ships.
  • W.front Passchendale

    W.front Passchendale
    The operation commanded by the French General, Nivelle, went wrong and caused the loss of many French soldiers. Haig protested to the British government and advocated trying his own scheme for a breakthrough.
  • W. Front Cambrai

    W. Front Cambrai
    The British took a large force of tanks across the barbed wire and machine gun posts at Cambrai.
  • Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

    Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
    Following the successful revolution by the Bolsheviks, the Russians signed an Armistice with Germany at Brest-Litovsk.
  • Battle of Amiens

    Battle of Amiens
    The British general, Haig, ordered the attack of the German sector at Amiens. At the same time the news came through that the allies had broken through from Salonika and forced Bulgaria to sue for peace.
  • Armistice with Turkey

    Armistice with Turkey
    The allies had successfully pushed the Turkish army back and the Turks were forced to ask for an armistice. The terms of the armistice treaty allowed the allies access to the Dardenelles.
  • Kaiser abdicated

    Kaiser abdicated
    Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated.
  • Armistice signed

    Armistice signed
    At 11 am, in the French town of Redonthes, the Armistice was signed bringing the war to an end.