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Bismarck completes efforts to unify Prussia and the German kingdoms into a single nation and has King Wilhelm I proclaimed Kaiser.
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France forced to sign humiliating treaty with Germany that ends the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian War.
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After his father's untimely death, 29 year-old Wilhelm II becomes ruler, Kaiser Wilhelm II, of Germany.
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Nicolas is crowned Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, a position he did not want. Germany and Russia do not renew a friendship treaty and begin their adversary relationship.
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Great Britain's Queen Victoria, whose bloodline runs through most of the ruling houses of Europe, dies. Sets spark in Britain.
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Russo-Japanese War results in disastrous defeat for Russia and major civil unrest at home
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In 1905 and again in 1911, Germany and France nearly fought over who would control Morocco, in Northern Africa. Most of Europe supported France, so Germany backed down. This event is significant because it shows how imperialism, expanding an empire by taking over weaker countries, led to intense competition and conflict between European countries.
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"Bloody Sunday Massacre" by Tsarist troops in St. Petersburg left Russian workers dead and cost Nicholas support among the workers and farmers.
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British launch first "dreadnought" class battleship.
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U.S. builds Panama Canal and opens for operation.
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Archduke, Franz Ferdinand, is assassinated.
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Archduke Franz Ferdinand heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife are assassinated in Sarajevo.
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World War I starts because Austria declares war on Serbia.
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Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. Russia mobilizes.
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Ottoman empire joins Germany in an alliance.
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Germany invades Luxembourg.
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Germany declares war on France and Belgium.
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Germany invades Belgium[8] to outflank the French army.
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Britain protests the violation of Belgian neutrality, guaranteed by a treaty
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Great Britain declares war on Germany
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Montenegro declares war on Austria-Hungary.
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The Germans besiege and then capture the fortresses of Liège, Belgium.
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Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia.
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Serbia declares war on Germany.
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Montenegro declares war on Germany.
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France declares war on Austria-Hungary.
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The United Kingdom declares war on Austria-Hungary.
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Battle of the Frontiers. The Germans obtain a victory against the British Expeditionary Force and France's Fifth Army.
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The Russian army enters East Prussia. Battle of Stalluponen.
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The Germans attack the Russians in East Prussia. The attack is a failure in addition to being a violation of the Schlieffen Plan
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Austria-Hungary declares war on Belgium.
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Japan declares war on Germany.
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Japan declares war on Austria-Hungary.
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British and French forces invade Togoland, a German protectorate in West Africa.
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Battle of Le Cateau. Allied retreat.
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Battle of Lemberg. The Russians capture Lviv.
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The Royal Navy wins the First Battle of Heligoland Bight, North Sea.
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Battle of Saint Quentin, aka Battle of Guise. Orderly Allied retreat.
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Austro-Hungarian defeat at the Battle of Rava Russka.
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First Battle of the Marne begins.
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First Battle of the Masurian Lakes: The Russian Army of the Neman withdraws from East Prussia with heavy casualties.
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First Battle of the Marne ends in a French Victory, thus halting the German advance towards Paris, which results in stalemate.
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Russia loses the First Battle of Masurian Lakes. First Battle of Aisne begins. Troops starts to construct trenches across the entire length of the western front.
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Austro-German forces launch an attack into western Poland
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German forces sink the British ship Lusitania.
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Tsar Nicholas takes commands of Russian armies.
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British forces use gas in battle near Loos, but shifting winds cause 60,000 British casualties.
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Frech and German forces engage in battle at Verdun.
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Tanks introduced for the first time on the Somme battlefield by the British.
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Russia's Brusilov offensive in Carpathia comes to an end, having nearly knocked Austria-Hungary out of the war.
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German troops break through the northernmost end of the Russian front during the Riga offensive.
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The British begin an offensive against Turkish forces in Palestine, the Battle of Megiddo.
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The Battle of the Vardar is fought against the Bugarians by Serb, Czech, Italian, French and British forces. The Meuse-Argonne offensive begins. this wll be the final Franco-American offensive of the war.
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Belgian forces launch an offensive at Ypres.
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Bulgaria concludes armistice negotiations with the Allies.
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Germany's Hochseeflotte surrendered to the United Kingdom.
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The Germans evacuate Luxembourg.
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9 days after agreeing a cease-fire, General von Lettow-Vorbeck formally surrenders his undefeated army at Abercorn in present-day Zambia.
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The Germans evacuate Belgium.
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The Germans evacuate Belgium.
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Yugoslav independence proclaimed.
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Treaty of Versailles between the Allies and Germany: the Peace Conference opens in Paris
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Proposal to create the League of Nations accepted.
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German High Seas Fleet (53 ships) scuttled in Scapa Flow with nine deaths, the last casualties of the war.
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Treaty of Versailles signed.
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Germany ratifies the Treaty of Versailles.
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The United Kingdom ratifies the Treaty of Versailles.
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First meeting of the League of Nations held in London. Official end of World War I.
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Free City of Danzig established.
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The Paris Peace Conference ends.
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A plebiscite returns Northern Schleswig to Denmark.
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Conference of Sanremo, Italy, about League of Nations mandates in former Ottoman territories of the Middle East.
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Treaty of Trianon between the Allies and Hungary.
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Treaty of Sèvres between the Allies and the Ottoman Empire. The treaty is not recognized by the Turkish national movement, which considers the Istanbul government illegitimate.
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Gabriele D'Annunzio proclaims in Fiume the Italian Regency of Carnaro.
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League of Nations headquarters moved to Geneva, Switzerland.
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Treaty of Rapallo between Italy and Yugoslavia. Zadar is annexed by Italy and the Free State of Fiume is established.
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The League of Nations holds its first general assembly.
