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The heir to Austria-Hungary is killed by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo.
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Austria-Hungary presents a harsh ultimatum to Serbia and demands a response within 48 hours. Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia goes to Russia for help, but is refused, Serbia does not accept all terms of the ultimatum.
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Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria mobilizes troops for an attack on Belgrade on the 28th.
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Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia and attacks Belgrade. Russia mobilises against Austria-Hungary.
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Germany declares war on Russia.
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Germany invades Belgium and Luxembourg, who had declared neutrality, to attack France.
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The United States declares neutrality
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Fighting between the Entente powers and the central powers devastates France and Belgium, both sides with trenches from the North Sea to Switzerland. More than 13 million direct casualties.
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Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia.
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Fighting begons between the Entente and the Triple Alliance on the western front with the Battle of Frontiers
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France and the United Kingdom declare war on Austria-Hungary
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The central powers take Belgrade
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Russia declares war on the Ottoman Empire
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France and the UK declare war on the Ottoman Empire
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Sultan Mehmed V declares jihad on the Entente Powers.
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Fought between Serbia and Austria-Hungary. The Austro-Hungarians are ultimately driven out of Serbia. About 52 thousand killed.
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Germany begins unrestricted submarine warfare in the waters around Britain.
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French and British troops try to open the Çanakkale strait to open the Mediterranean to Russia. The Ottomans successfully defend the strait. About 500 thousand killed. Atatürk rises to prominence and this ultimately leads to the Turkish war of Independence.
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The British liner ship Lusitania is sunk by German submarines. The ship had American passengers and contraband. Public opinion in America begins to support joining the war.
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Germans in southern Africa surrender to South African forces under the UK.
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Bulgaria declares war on Serbia. The central powers with Bulgaria invade Serbia. The Entente powers declare war on Bulgaria.
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Fought between France and Germany north of Verdun in France. Ultimately a French victory. 300 thousand killed.
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Germany declares war on Portugal
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Fought between Britain and France and Germany on the western front. It is estimated more than a million were killed, with the entente powers losing more than 600 thousand. The tank is first used in this battle.
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German Foreign Sercretary Zimmerman sends a message to Germany's ambassador to Mexico, with instructions to ask Mexico to declare war on the USA with Germany. It is intercepted and the American public is outraged.
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The USA declares war on Germany.
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The Bolsheviks take power in Russia in the October Revolution.
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The United States declares war on Austria-Hungary
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President Wilson introduces his fourteen points
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Trotsky signs a peace treaty with Germany. Germany moves a lot of troops from the eastern front to the western front.
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Germans launch a series of attaacks on the western front. While a victory for the Germans, they suffered heavy losses and ultimately came out worse for wear. More than 1400 thousand are killed.
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Series of attacks launched by the allies on the western front, resulting in decisive victory for the allies. The Germans are driven out of France. More than 2 million total casualties.
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Bulgaria signs the Armistice of Thessalonika, ending Bulgaria's involvement in World War I.
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The Ottoman Empire signs the Armisitice of Mudros, effectively ending Ottoman involvement in World War I.
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Austria-hungary signs an Armistice with Italy, effectively ending fighting in Austria-Hungary and Italy's involvement in World War I.
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Germany signs the Armistice of Compiègne, ending fighting between Germany and the allied powers.
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Fighting ends after news of Germany's surrender reaches commanders in Africa between Germany and the Allied powers.
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The Treaty of Versailles between Germany and the allied powers is signed.
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The Treaty of Versailles between Germany and the allied powers is ratified by all parties.
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The Treaty of Trianon between Hungary and the allied powers is signed, In the name of self-determination, the allies create new countries for nationalist rebels that had supported the allies in the war, and some territory is given to Romania, who had entered the war on the side of the allies. Hungary is left with a quarter of their former territory and a third of their former poulation.
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Attempting to stabilise the bull market, the US Federal Reserve starts working to raise the Federal Funds Rate.
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A recession begins in the USA, production falling 20%.
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The Dow Jones Industrial Average reaches a record 381.2. It will not be this high again for 25 years.
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The Dow falls by 38.33 in one day, a change of almost 13%.
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The Dow falls by 30.57 in one day, a change of almost 12%.
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President Hoover holds a meeting with major employers asking them to mot lower wages, investment spending, and available jobs because of the stock market crash.
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The unemployment rate rises from 3.2% to 8.7%. The nation's GNP falls by 9.4%.
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The Smoot-harley Tariff Act comes into effect, increasing tariffs to record levels in the USA.
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The unemployment rate rises to 15.9%. The GNP falls by 8.5%. The federal government takes no immediate action.
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The federal funds rate hits 1.5%, the lowest it has ever been. People are withdrawing cash from banks to exchange for gold so quickly that banks cannot find enough money to pay what they owe.
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The Federal Reserve tries to raise the Federal Funds rate. With the dollar still on the gold standard, this further accelerates depression.
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The unemployment rate rises to 23.6%, and the GNP falls by 13.4%. The GNP has fallen a total of 31% and 13 million have lost their job over three years.
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Franklin D Roosevelt is elected president promising the depression can be turned around.
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GNP drops by only 2.1%, much less than the last three years.Unemployment rate rises from 23.6% to 24.9%. The government creates many jobs programs, including the Public Works Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps.
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Unemployment falls down to 21.7%. The GNP rises 7.7%.
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Unemployment rate down to 20.1 percent, GNP up by 8.1 percent. Roosevelt's National Recovery Administration is declared unconstitutional, but Congress passes other New Deal legislation.
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A massive dust storm devastates Oklahoma and Texas, one of the worst of the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl drives poor emigrants from all over the great plains to California, worsening the economic situation there.
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Unemployment rate drops to 16.9%, GNP rises 14.1%.
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Unemployment rate falls to 14.3%, GNP rises 5%. The Supreme Court declares Roosevelt's National Labour Relations Board unconstitutional. President Roosevelt proposes adding more justices, supposedly so the Supreme Court majority would be in favour of the New Deal. The American public is outraged.
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The unemployment rate rises again to 19%, and the GNP falls by 4.5%. Between the recession and the Supreme Court incident, the public is no longer fervently in support of the New Deal and no more New Deal legislation is passed.
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In preparation for World War II, the federal government dramatically increases military spending and American manufacturing grows rapidly.
