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Franco-Prussian War
In 1870, Napoleon II of France demanded that Wilhelm I, the Prussian King, personally apologize to France. Wilhelm refused, and made his refusal public, thus inciting a war. He did this knowing of the consequences, since he wanted Prussia to be free from any French influence. The war resulted in a victory for Prussia(Germany) over France.
This war started a rivalry between the two countries that continued until WWI. -
Entente Cordiale
The Entente Cordiale was a series of agreements signed between Britain and France. These agreements regarded control of Africa, a diplomatic understanding, and informal alliance.
The two nations became friendly because they were both scared of Germany who had the largest army in the world at the time. It allied the two nations but did not necessarily force military support of each other. -
Moroccan Crises
The Moroccan Crises stemmed from a visit from Kaiser Wilhelm to Morocco on March 31, 1905. During this visit he declared that Morocco, a French colony, should be independent. A second Moroccan crisis flared up in April 1911 when french troops pushed into the country saying they were defending the sultan. Germany responded by sending a warship intensifying tension.
Germany did this to put stress on the Entente Cordiale but this move only strengthened it. -
Bosnian Annexation Crisis
A lot of international tension was created because Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina, a Balkan province. The Ottoman Empire and Russia did not approve, but Austria-Hungary ignored them. As a result, Austria-Hungary successfully annexed Bosnia, with a population of Slavic ethnic peoples, creating more tensions in the Balkan states between Austria-Hungary and all the other Slavic countries. -
Anglo-French Naval Agreement
Britain and France recognized the rising power of the Germans and thus put their differences aside to limit the German threat. One principal idea of the negotiations was that the French would install their navy in the Mediterranean and the British would guard the North Sea.
The final result of the convention was that both governments agreed that they would immediately communicate with each other and discuss war measures if they believed Germany was going to attack. -
Balkan Wars
The first Balkan War was the Balkan League, supported by Russia, fighting against the Ottoman empire to liberate Macedonia. The second Balkan War was when Greece, Romania, and Serbia fought with Bulgaria for the disputed territory of Macedonia. This war created tension between the region and Bulgaria looked to Austria for help. -
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
This is the event that started WWI. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was shot and killed by a Serbian terrorist Gavrilo Princip, a member of an organization called The Black Hand.
The assassination caused Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia, which led to the central powers and allies of Serbia to also declare war on each other. -
July Ultimatum
Austria-Hungary, upset because of Franz Ferdinand's assassination, wanted to invade Serbia. Austria-Hungary met with Germany to discuss what would happen with Russia if they were to attack Serbia. Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia with various terms. Serbia went to Russia for help. Serbians did not agree with the part of the ultimatum stating that the Austria-Hungarians could make an investigation of the murder of Franz Ferdinand. Austria-Hungary called for war. -
Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia
In reaction to the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, beginning WWI. Austria-Hungary and the other central powers had felt threatened by Serbia because of their nationalist attitude and their expansion into Ottoman territory, and the assassination gave them a reason to declare war.
A chain reaction of allies of both countries declaring war on each other followed, which started the great war. -
Mobilization of Russian Troops
The Russians wanted to ensure they would not seem vulnerable to other European countries so they promised to support France when Germany declared war on France. The French gave money for the Russians to build railroads allowing them to be mobilized.
This gave power to Russia because they had the largest military and could now easily transport them and their artillery. -
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German Invasion of Belgium
The invasion of Belgium started when Germany sent Belgium an ultimatum on August 2, 1914, which threatened invasion if Belgium did not surrender. Belgium, backed by British and French troops, declined and the German invasion began.
The Belgian Government was defeated and forced to retreat to France, while Germany conquered Belgium as a staging point for the invasion of France. -
Battle of the Marne
The first Battle of the Marne included the first radio intercepts and automotive transportation of troops in battle. The battles occurred north east of Paris. The French were alerted of German movements through radios and air reconnaissance.
This victory halted the rapid German advance and was a turning point in the invasion of France. -
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Battles of Ypres
The Battles of Ypres were a series of battles surrounding the Flanders town of Ypres in Belgium. A major turn of power was during the Second Battle of Ypres, during which the Germans introduced chlorine gas as a weapon against the allies. This led to Britain and France both developing their own gas masks and chemical weapons.
These weapons would shape the war and take thousands of lives. -
Battle of the Somme
Fought by the British and French Empires against the German Empire, largest battle of WWI fought on the Western Front. Over one million people were either killed or wounded in the battle.
The battle was near the end of victory for the Allies, and intended to quickly end the war in their favor. The battle helped end the war. -
Zimmerman Telegram
Internal diplomatic communication from Germany that proposed an alliance between Germany and Mexico in the event of the United States entering the war. Germany promised that mexico would conquer Arizona, Texas and New Mexico. Document was intercepted by British intelligence. The message helped draw the United States into war against the Germans and their allies, further complicating the war. -
Beginning of the Russian Revolution
In Russia, the people were unhappy with a corrupt government and the many casualties suffered by Russia as a result of the war. This eventually led to a revolution, displacing the Tzar and creating a new government. This meant the end of Russia’s participation in the war.
Because of Russia’s exit, Germany was able to withdraw hundreds of thousands of troops that were fighting against the Russians and put them on the western front, increasing their manpower by 3.5 million. -
Selective Service Act
The Selective Service Act was passed authorizing the president to temporarily increase the United States’s military establishment by drafting men. This made the United States military much larger than before. With a larger United States military it gave them more power in World War I. -
First Tanks
The first tanks were developed in England in response to trench warfare. The conveyor-style wheels and armored shell would make the vehicle practically indestructible and able to traverse difficult terrain. After many failures, at the battle of Cambrai in November, 400 of these tanks captured 8,000 enemy troops and 100 guns.
The tank soon became a staple in warfare because of its resiliency and its ability to pass over trenches. -
Sinking of Lusitania
The Lusitania was a British ocean liner that was carrying over 1,900 passengers from New York to Liverpool when a german U-boat hit it with a torpedo and sank it on May 7, 1915. Over 1,100 of the passengers died, which included over 120 Americans. Although the U.S. waited two more years before formally entering the war, this tragic event played a large role in portraying Germany in a negative light around the globe. -
Armistice Day
An Armistice was signed between the Allies and Germany that was an agreement to stop the fighting on the Western Front. This marked a complete victory for the allies and a defeat for Germany. This agreement stopped the fighting however it did not end the war. -
Wilhelm's Abdication
Kaiser Wilhelm II was forcibly removed from power because Germany was suffering heavy defeats.
As a result the german nobility was removed as legally defined class and all Germans were now equal by law. Afterwards, Communism was popularly decided to be a fairer way to govern and protect the people.