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Assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and wife by Bosnian Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip
Austro-Hungarian government blamed Serbian government -
Germany announces support for Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary seeks German support for war in case of Russian militarism
Germany announces full support for Austro-Hungary if they retaliate Serbia -
Austria-Hungary gives Serbia ultimatum
Austria-Hungary demands Serbia find and eliminate terrorist organizations in Serbia; Serbia refuses -
Russia Promises Support to Serbia
Russia promises to help Serbia if attacked by Austro-Hungary -
Beginning of World War I; Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia
Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia -
Russia mobilizes troops
Russia mobilizes troops to support Serbia to its borders with Germany and Austro-Hungary -
Germany Declares War on Serbia; Germany Enters War
Germany Declares War on Serbia due to alliance with Austria-Hungary; Germany Enters War -
Germany Declares War on France; France Enters War
French first to employ tear gas, using grenades filled with ethyl bromoacetate or chloroacetate on German -
Great Britain Declares War on Germany; Great Britain Enters War
Great Britain Declares War on Germany; Great Britain Enters War -
Germany invades Belgium, Belgium Enters War; Schlieffen Plan
Germany invades Belgium, Belgium Enters War
Schlieffen Plan: strategy for Germany to avoid fighting at its eastern and western fronts simultaneously
Designed meticulously to deal a swift "right hook" attack on France then advance to Russia
Devised by Count Alfred von Schlieffen, chief of Imperial German General Staff
Assumed Russia was slow and France was weak
Failed -
Austria-Hungary Declares War on Russia
Austria-Hungary Declares War on Russia -
Japan Declares War on Germany, Japan Enters War
Japan Declares War on Germany, Japan Enters War -
Battle of Tannenberg Begins
Russians defeated
First battle fought on Eastern Front
Outnumbered Germans victorious over Russians
Germany’s greatest victory
Diverted Germans from attacking France
General Alexander Samsonov and Russian Second Army defeated by Germans and most slaughtered or captured -
Period: to
Battle of Tannenberg
Russians defeated
First battle fought on Eastern Front
Outnumbered Germans victorious over Russians
Germany’s greatest victory
Diverted Germans from attacking France
General Alexander Samsonov and Russian Second Army defeated by Germans and most slaughtered or captured -
Ottoman Empire Enters World War I
Ottoman Empire/Turkey enters war on Central Powers side and helps Germany attack on Russian naval bases -
Battle of Marne Begins
Battle of Marne begins
major strategic defeat of Germans
Allies stop German invasion of Paris
marked end of Schlieffen Plan and prevented German plan for swift and decisive victory
General Michel Maunoury and French 6th Army forced German 2nd Army and General Karl von Bulow to retreat
Beginning of trench warfare -
Period: to
Battle of Marne
Battle of Marne begins
major strategic defeat of Germans
Allies stop German invasion of Paris
marked end of Schlieffen Plan and prevented German plan for swift and decisive victory
General Michel Maunoury and French 6th Army forced German 2nd Army and General Karl von Bulow to retreat
Beginning of trench warfare -
First German Aircraft Shot Down by Allied Plane
First German Aircraft Shot Down by Allied Plane -
First German Chemical Warfare Usage
Germany’s earliest use of chemical weapons, fired shells with lung irritant dianisidine chlorosulfate at British army at Neuve-Chapelle -
Christmas Truce
Christmas Truce
Cease-fire between forces on the Western Front -
First Instance of Large-Scale Use of Gas As Weapon
Germany fired shells with liquid xylyl bromide tear gas on Russians in Battle of Bolimov
Instead of vaporizing, it froze so failed to have desired effect -
Germany Initiates Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
all merchant ships would be subject to attack if in British waters -
Second Battle of Ypres Begins; Chlorine Gas Usage
Second Battle of Ypres
first full-scale deployment of deadly chemical warfare agents
first successful gas attack
used chlorine gas on French army
created by Fritz Haber
Chlorine First Killing Agent -
Sinking of Lusitania Ship
Sinking of passenger ship Lusitania
torpedoed by German U-boat submarine commanded by Kapitanleutnant Walther Schwieger
total of 1,198 drown, 128 US citizens -
Italy Enters WW1, Declares War on Austria-Hungary
Italy Enters WW1, Declares War on Austria-Hungary -
First Zeppelin Raid on London
First Zeppelin Raid on London
German army officer Count Ferdinand Zeppelin developed Zeppelin which had five machine guns and could carry 2000 kg bombs but extremely vulnerable to attack and bad weather -
Germany Suspends Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Germany suspends policy of unrestricted submarine warfare due to worldwide outrage -
Bulgaria Enters War, Joins Central Powers
Bulgaria enters war on side of Central Powers
declares war on Serbia -
British First Usage of Gas at Battle of Loos
British first use of gas at Battle of Loos, used chlorine gas
attempt was disaster, wind caused it to linger in no man’s land or blow back on British trenches -
Phosgene Introduced As Chemical Weapon
Germans first use phosgene on Allied troops in Belgium
more potent killing agent but symptoms took 24 hours -
Battle of Verdun Begins
one of longest and most savage WW1 battles
lasted until 19 December 1916 -
Period: to
Battle of Verdun
one of longest and most savage WW1 battles lasting until 19 December 1916 -
Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
largest naval battle of World War 1
Britain’s Royal Navy Grand Fleet and German Navy’s High Seas Fleet fought to a draw, though both sides claimed victory
Stopped Germans from challenging British control of North Sea
Confirmed British naval dominance and secured its control of shipping lanes -
Brusilov Offensive Begins
Most successful Russian offensive and one of most successful breakthrough operations of World War 1
Led by Russian commander Aleksei Brusilov
Short, sharp artillery bombardment and shock troops to exploit weak points
Last major Russian offensive of war -
Period: to
Brusilov Offensive
Most successful Russian offensive and one of most successful breakthrough operations of World War 1
Led by Russian commander Aleksei Brusilov
Short, sharp artillery bombardment and shock troops to exploit weak points
Last major Russian offensive of war -
Battle of Somme Begins
joint operation between British and French against Germans Intended to achieve decisive victory over Germany
First day was bloodiest day in British military history -
Period: to
Battle of Somme
joint operation between British and French against Germans intended to achieve decisive victory over Germany -
First use of British Tanks
First use of British tanks at Flers-Courcelette -
US President Woodrow Wilson Re-Elected
Ran on slogans "He kept us out of war" and "America First" -
First Use of Mustard Gas as Chemical Warfare Agent
First Use of Mustard Gas as Chemical Warfare Agent
Developed by German Chemist Fritz Haber
Used by German army against British and Canadian soldiers near Ypres, Belgium -
Great Britain Intercepts Zimmermann Telegram
Zimmermann Telegram from Germany to Mexico intercepted by Britain and communicated to US -
US severs Diplomatic Relations with Germany
US severs Diplomatic Relations with Germany after Germany resumes unrestricted submarine warfare -
US Alerted About Zimmermann Telegram
US informed about Zimmermann Telegram from Germany to Mexico -
Germany Sinks SS Aztec
Germany sinks SS Aztec
SS Aztec US cargo ship bound for France
28 Americans drown -
US Enters War, Declares War Against Germany
US enters war, declares war against Germany, passed by Senate -
Selective Service Act Authorized
US Congress authorizes Selective Service Act, initiating first draft since Civil War -
First US Troops Land in France
First American troops land in France
American Expeditionary Force (AEF) led by Commander-in-Chief John J Pershing -
Third Battle of Ypres Begins
terrible conditions with heavy rain led to terrible problems and impossible use of tanks
German first effective use mustard gas as a vesicant/blistering agent
although not effective killing age, caused internal and external bleeding and attacked bronchial tubes -
Period: to
Third Battle of Ypres/Passchendaele
terrible conditions with heavy rain led to terrible problems and impossible use of tanks
German first effective use mustard gas as a vesicant/blistering agent
although not effective killing age, caused internal and external bleeding and attacked bronchial tubes -
Use of Mustard Gas by Allies
Allies begin using mustard gas against German troops -
President Wilson Announces 14 Point Peace Program
Wilson outlined vision for stable, long-lasting peace in Europe
guidelines for rebuilding of postwar world -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Russia Leaves War
Russia and Germany sign Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, officially removed Russia from World War I -
Period: to
German Spring Offensives
Calculated gamble for Germany in trying to tip balance on Western Front once and for all
German offensives tactical successes but strategic failures -
US War Department Authorizes Chemical Warfare Service
US War department authorizes Chemical Warfare Service(CWS)
Major General William L. Sibert served as first director
CWS coordinates all aspects of chemical warfare including administration, research, gas defense, gas offensive, development and medical training -
Period: to
Battle of Amiens
Start of Hundred Days campaign, four-month period of Allied success, Allied counter-attack
British Expeditionary Force (BEF) combining scientific artillery methods and flexible infantry firepower with use of tanks and aircraft -
Period: to
Battle of Megiddo
British Lieutenant-General Sir Edmund Allenby led Egyptian Expeditionary Forces (EEF), led to collapse of Ottoman Turkish Forces -
Period: to
Us Meuse-Argonne Offensive
Marshal Ferdinand Foch ordered General John Pershing leading AEF attack to attempt to cut-off entire German Second Army
largest offensive in US history, major role in bringing end to war
Allied troops break through Hindenburg Line
British first usage of mustard gas
Fought until End of War -
Germany Requests Armistice, Allies Refuse
Germany requests armistice, Allies refuse
German Chancellor Prince Maximillian requests immediate armistice with terms to President Wilson
German government of Max von Baden asked President Woodrow Wilson for a ceasefire on 4th October, 1918.
Baden: "It was made clear by both the Germans and Austrians that this was not a surrender, not even an offer of armistice terms, but an attempt to end the war without any preconditions that might be harmful to Germany or Austria." -
Period: to
Battle of Vittorio Veneto
Italian Army heavily defeats Austro-Hungarian forces, brought dissolution of Austro-Hungarian Empire -
German Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated
German Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates and flees to Holland
forced to abdicate and lived in Holland for rest of his life -
Germany Signs Armistice, End of World War I
Supreme Allied Commander Marshal Ferdinand Foch orders all hostilities on Western Front cease at 11am Paris time
Germany had to surrender 30,000 machine guns, 2,000 aircraft, 5,000 locomotives, 5,000 lorries, and all its submarines
1.3 million casualties caused by chemical weapons; 90,000 to 100,000 fatalities primarily from phosgene -
Allied Troops Occupy Germany
Allied troops move into Germany and begin occupation -
Paris Peace Conference
Allied Nations propose constitution for League of Nations to promote international cooperation
32 state leaders attended, negotiations dominated by five major powers responsible for defeating Central Powers: US, Britain, France, Italy, and Japan
Georges Clemenceau (France), David Lloyd George (Britain), Vittorio Orlando (Italy), and Woodrow Wilson (US)
imposed territorial losses, financial liabilities and military restrictions on all members of Central Powers -
Treaty of Versailles
Germany forced to sign Treaty of Versailles
Germany cedes Alsace-Lorraine to France, recognizes Belgian sovereignty, disarms and agrees to pay war reparations
US Senate refuses to ratify Treaty of Versailles thus preventing US from joining League of Nations -
Treaty of Sevres
Treaty of Sevres officially ends war between Allies and Ottoman Empire and marks beginning of Ottoman Empire’s partitioning -
Geneva Protocol
Geneva Protocol is a treaty prohibiting use of chemical and biological weapons in international armed conflict
prohibits the use of "asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and of all analogous liquids, materials or devices" and "bacteriological methods of warfare".
no prohibition of production, storage, or transfer of these weapons
