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Assassination!
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie are assassinated in Sarajevo -
Russia Mobilizes
Russia mobilizes for war to defend Serbia -
Germany Declares War; Secret Treaty
Germany declares war on Russia; Germany and Ottoman Empire sign a secret alliance treaty -
World War I begins
Germany invades Belgium, World War I begins -
Montenegro declares war on Austria-Hungary
Montenegro declares war on Austria-Hungary -
Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia
Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia -
Great Britain declares war on Germany
Great Britain declares war on Germany -
France declares war on Austria-Hungary
France declares war on Austria-Hungary -
Great Britain declares war on Austria-Hungary
Great Britain declares war on Austria-Hungary -
Battle of Mons
English troops engage German ones for the first time. It is considered to be the last battle of the "frontiers" -
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Battle of Tannenberg
German and Russian forces fight. The Russians overwhelmingly lose. Only 10,000 (of 150,000 escape, with 92,000 taken prisoner) -
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First Battle of the Marne
Germany against France. It marks the beginning of trench warfare and the end of the German march in France -
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First Battle of Aisne
Allied counter-offensive as the Germans retreated from the Battle of the Marne -
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Battle of Albert (1914)
Aftermath of the Battle of the Marne and the First Battle of Aisne but a part of the Race to the Sea -
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First Battle of Ypres
Fought in Ypres, located in Belgium -
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Battle of Neuve Chapelle
British offensive that broke through the German lines in France, but the success was not able to be capitalized upon. -
Gas Attack!!
Germans fire shells with chlorine gas—1st time large amounts of gas are used in battle—and resulted in the near collapse of the French. The Germans were unable to take advantage of the breach -
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Gallipoli Campaign/ Dardanelles Campaign
Failed invasion of the Ottoman Empire. 480,000 allied forces took part, with 250,000 casualties and 46,000 dead (compared to the 250,000 casualties and 65,000 killed on the side of the Ottomans). -
Lusitania Sunk!
Sinking of the Lusitania by the German U-boat -
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2nd Battle of Artois
French/ British attack on German line near Artois, resulted in loss for the allies: British lost 50,000, French lost 48,000, and the Germans lost 24,000 -
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Battles of Isonzo
A series of 12 battles along the Italian front near the Isonzo river -
Germany suspends unrestricted submarine warfare
This is an attempt to keep US out of the war, but it limits Germany’s ability to keep Britain and France out of the war. -
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Battle of Artois-Loos (Third Battle of Artois)
Third Battle of Artois fought by French but combined with British battle of Loos (meant to complement the Second battle of Champagne). Last attempt to overpower Germany with sheer numbers -
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Battle of Verdun
Largest and longest battle of the First World War. Estimated casualties on both sides were roughly equal at about 600,000-700,000. -
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Battle of Jutland
Naval Battle in Baltic Sea. Germans lost 1 battleship, 1 battlecruiser, 4 light cruisers, and 3 destroyers (2550 casualties), whereas the British lost 3 battleships, 3 battlecruisers, and 8 destroyers (6100 casualties). British quickly repair ships. German fleet had to be reconstructed and not in shape to invade Baltic seas again. -
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Second Battle of Albert
First two weeks of the English-French offensive operations in the battle of the Somme -
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Battle of the Somme
One of the largest and bloodiest battles of World War I. It was the first great offensive by the British. (British had 57,000 casualties on the first day alone; but French only lost 2,000 with fewer people and resources). Both sides would lose more than 1.5 million men total. -
First tanks used by British at Delville Wood.(Battle of Flers-Courcelette)
First tanks used by British at Delville Wood. Battle of -
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Battle of Flers-Courcelette
Fought during the Battle of the Somme. Deployed the first tanks. -
Zimmerman Note/ Telegraph
German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmerman sends a telegram to his ambassador in Mexico instructing him to propose to the Mexican government an alliance against the United States. -
First Battle of Gaza
Egytian Expeditionary Force attacks the Ottoman Empire in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. British Defeat (4000 casualties compared to the 2500 of the Turks) -
Wilson addresses Congress
Wilson addresses Congress asks for a declaration of war. -
US declares war on Germany
US declares war on Germany -
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Battle of Arras (Second Battle of Arras)
British amass the longest advance since trench warfare began before both sides were bogged down again. British lost 160,000 casualties and Germany lost 125,000 -
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Second Battle of the Aisne
Main part of the Nivelle Offensive. French suffer 187,000 casualties. -
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Second Battle of Gaza
Egyptian Expeditionary Force is once again repulsed. 6,000 casualties compared to the 2,000 on the side of the Turks -
Selective Service Act passed—authorized the draft
Selective Service Act passed—authorized the draft -
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Battle of Messines
The British offensive had the goal of capturing Messines ridge. Some of the explosions were heard as far away as London, England. It was the first battle since 1914 where defenders had more casualties than those attacking (25,000 vs 17,000). -
First American troops land in France
First American troops land in France -
Greece declares war on the Central Powers
Greece declares war on the Central Powers -
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Battle of Passchendaele (Third Battle of Ypres)
Goal was for the Allied forces to control the ridges east of Ypres, which was vital for the German supply lines. Became known for its mud (so much men and horses drowned in the trenches and mud. -
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Battle of Caporetto
Battle between Austria-Hungary and Italy on the Italian front. -
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Third Battle of Gaza
British victory and some after force Ottomans out of Gaza and reach Jerusalem by Dec 9th. -
Allies agree to establish a Supreme War Council at Versailles
Allies agree to establish a Supreme War Council at Versailles -
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Battle of Cambrai
British attack followed by the biggest German counter-attack since 1914. Cambrai was an important supply point for the Germans. -
US declares war on Austria-Hungary
US declares war on Austria-Hungary -
Germany and Russia sign Peace Treaty
Germany and Russia sign Peace Treaty: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Russia agrees to get out of the war, giving up vast amounts of land, portions of their economy and industry, and people to get out of the war. -
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Third Battle of the Aisne
German offensive (spring/ summer of 1918) focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames ridge before US troops arrived. It was one of a series of attacks called the Kaiserschlacht. -
Battle of Hamel (Hemel)
Austrian 4th Division and four US companies fought using peaceful penetration tactics to accomplish victory. They captured the town in two hours and captured 1500 enemy soldiers -
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Second Battle of the Marne (Battle of Reims)
It was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during WW I. Germany met defeat when the French and American forces counterattacked and overwhelmed the right front -
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Second Battle of the Marne
Germany's last major offensive on the Western Front -
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Battle of Amiens (Third Battle of Picardy)
It is the opening phase of the Hundred Days offensive that would lead to the end of WWI.
http://spartacus-educational.com/FWWamiens.JPG -
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Third Battle of Albert
Served as the opening push to the Second Battle of the Somme. Started shortly after the Battle of Amiens was stopped on the 12th (and concluded on the 15th). In this battle, 108,000 US troops participated. Continues in the Second Battle of Bapaume. -
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Battle of St. Mihiel
The St. Mihiel Salient was the site chosen for the US Army's first offensive under General John Pershing.300,000 US and (later) 110,000 French troops took part in the assault and captured the town. -
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Meuse-Argonne Offensive (Maas-Argonne Offensive; Battle of Argonne Forest)
It was the largest battles (and most deadly due to inexperience and poor tactics in the early phases of the offensive) in US history involving 1.2 million soldiers and one of a series of attacks known as the Hundred Days Offensive that brought an end to the war. Soldiers were commanded by Gen. John Pershing. 28,000 Germans and 26,277 Americans lost their lives. -
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Battle of Canal du Nord
One battle in the Hundred Days Offensive aimed at capturing the incomplete portion of the Canal du Nord. It began one day after the Meuse-Argonne offensive, one day before an offensive in Flanders, and two days before the Battle of St. Quentin canal. -
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Battle of Vittorio Veneto
Battle marked the end of war along the Italian front and the dissolution of the Austria-Hungarian Empire and contributed to the end of the war two weeks later. -
Wilson reads the Armistice terms to Congress
Wilson reads the Armistice terms to Congress -
Kaiser Wilhelm abdicates and escapes to the Netherlands
Kaiser Wilhelm abdicates and escapes to the Netherlands -
Armistice Day!!
Armistice Day: an armistice is signed to end fighting on the Western Front. All fighting stops at 11:11 am
