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An assassination in Sarajevo!
Archduke Francis Ferdinand, next in line to the Austria-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophia, were the targets of two assassination attempts by a pro-Bosnian-independence terrorist organization known as the Black Hand. The first one was an unsuccessful attempt to throw a bomb at Ferdinand's car, but it was deflected. Later in the day, 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb, succeeded in shooting and killing both the archduke and his wife while they were in their automobile. -
Austria-Hungary retaliates!
The Austrian government sees the assassination of the archduke by Bosnian serbs as an opportunity to invade Serbia and weaken it significantly. Kaiser William II offers his complete support of Austria-Hungary in case of the scenario that Russia, Serbia's ally, would intervene if Austria-Hungary were to go to war with Serbia over the assassination of the archduke. -
Germany declares war on Russia!
After Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, the Russian army begins to mobilize, prompting Germany, Austria-Hungary's ally, to declare war on Russia. -
Germany declares war on France!
Russia calls on France to mobilize its army to assist Russia through the two countries' alliance. Both are members of the Triple Entente. Germany sees that as an act of war from France, so on August 3, it declares war on France. Soon after, German troops invade neutral Belgium. Britain demands that Germany withdraw or war will be declared. Germany doesn't. -
All of Triple Entente at war!
Seeing that Germany had not withdrawn from Belgium after Britain's ultimatum was given, Britain declares war on Germany. This meant that all three of the Triple Entente, Britain, France, and Russia, were at war with Austria-Hungary and Germany. -
America remains neutral!
On August 4, 1914, Woodrow Wilson declared that America would be neutral in World War One and continue trade with the warring nations in an attempt to maintain the economy,as he believed the war wouldn't affect American interests as long as trade went unhindered. Trade with both sides was permitted, and merchant ships were allowed to cross the Atllantic to do so. A fairness policy allowed American bankers to lend money to both sides of the war. This policy of neutrality lasted most of the war. -
The U-Boat's First Appearance!
The British ship HMS Pathfinder was sunk by U-21, one of the U-boat submarines used by Germany, on Sep. 5, 1914. This was the first use of the U-boat submarines to sink an enemy ship through the use of a self-propelled torpedo. The U-boats were at first created by the Germans to get past the British blockade of the North Sea. Britain's blockade eventually led Germany to adapt a tactic of unrestricted submarine warfare to combat it. -
Britain blockades Germany!
On Nov. 3, 1914, the British declared the North Sea a British military area, effectively forming a blockade of Germany. Trade ships were inspected and their materials were confiscated. Germany's receiving of raw materials for industry, war and foodstuffs was cut off, which would cripple the Germany economy and starve the German population throughout the war, weakening it a significant amount. -
First Zeppelin Raid on Britain
Zepplins were a relatively new technology during WWI. The models built in 1914 had five machine guns and could carry 4,400 lbs. of bombs. Their maximum speed was 136 kph and they could reach a height of 4,250 meters. The first one to be used in WWI was by the Germans over the east coast of England, where Yarmouth and King's Lynn were both bombed. -
The French's New Toy
The French Morane-Saulnier monoplane, armed with forward firing machine guns that shot through the propeller (protected by Armour plates) was introduced in April 1915. This innovation allowed the scouting aircraft to go deeper into enemy lines, and gave it a much more usable defense against enemy aircraft. -
The Lusitania is sunk!
The Lusitania was a liner heading towards Liverpool from New York carrying normal civilians and reporters plus wealthy citizens. On May 7, 1915, a German U-boat submarine, U20, captained by Kapitän-leutnant Schwieger, shot a torpedo at the Lusitania and hit a part of the ship carrying ammunition, causing an explosion that sunk the oceanliner. Around 1,153 people drowned. Of those, 128 were Americans. Germany said a repeat of Lusitania wouldn't occur in order to placate a still-neutral America. -
House-Grey Memorandum signed!
In late 1915 American President Woodrow Wilson sends close friend and advisor Colonel Edward M. House to London to determine if a peace initiative can be worked out between Britain and Germany with America working as the intermediary. On February 22, 1916, the House-Grey Memorandum is signed, essentially putting Wilson's plan for mediation onto paper. By mid-1916, America's relationship with Germany was improving. That would change. -
German working class protest!
By this point in the war, in countries all over Europe, the enthusiasm for war and patriotism had died down a bit. The working class was not happy with their countries being at war. Negotiations between the wealthy government officials and the working class were not going well. On May 1, 1916, Karl Liebknecht. a German pacifist opposed to the war, was arrested for delivering an anti-war speech in Berlin. Soon after, 50,000 civlians held a three-day walkout in protest of the arrest. -
The British bring tanks into play!
Tanks were used for the first time en masse by the British on Sep. 15, 1916 at Flers-Courcelette during the Battle of the Somme. Early tanks were fairly unreliable, as it was a fledgling new technology at the time, but they had a part in partially ending some of the madness of trench warfare. -
Social Revolution in Russia!
During the war, Czar Nicholas II of Russia dragged 11 million peasants to be soldiers. Russia's participation in the war leads to large loss of life, discouraging injuries and food shortages. On Feb. 23 1917, peasant riots break out against the out-of-touch government's oppression. As days pass, the number of rioters increases until the government responds with military force. However, many disgruntled soldiers desert and join in on the protesting. -
End of the Romanov Dynasty
After a large number of Russian soldiers defect and join sides with the protesters during the February Revolution, the government loses military backing, Czar Nicholas II abdicates the throne on his and his son's behalf. Nicholas' brother, Grand Duke Michael, soon does the same thing. These events signify the end of the Romanov dynasty, which had ruled Russia for over 300 years. A provisional government is set up in its stead. -
America enters the war!
After Germany went back on its word about not using unrestricted submarine warfare and sunk seven US merchant ships by March 21, President Woodrow Wilson summoned congress and declared war on April 6, 1917. America had at last ended its neutrality. -
October Revolution
During WWI, most Russian working-class were opposed to war, and when the provisional government continued a war effort, discontent stirred and opposition to government and the war was voiced by the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin. The ant-government sentiment culminated on Nov. 7, 1917, during Red October, when the Bolsheviks and thousands of armed workers known as Red Guards stormed the Winter Palace. The provisional government had fallen. The Bolsheviks came into power with Lenin as head. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk!
Vladimir Lenin wanted Russia and Germany to stop fighting so that the Bolsheviks could focus on internal issues that needed to be dealt with, so he ordered Bolsheviks to obtain a treaty with Germany in order to stop the fighting. After some discussion, the treaty was signed on March 3, 1918. Russia gave up Riga, Lithuania, Livonia, Estonia and some of White Russia. This was economically important; the areas were the most fertile in Western Russia, and agriculture was still core to the economy. -
The War Ends!
On Nov. 11, 1918, an agreement was made between Germany and the Allied powers officially ending The Great War, later to be known as World War One. The armistice's terms were that Germany withdraw from any occupied territories, and that it disband a significant amount of its military weaponry. Also, Germany's Kaiser had to abdicate the throne. The armistice was regularly renewed every 30 days until the Treaty of Versailles. -
The Treaty of Versailles!
The Treaty of Versailles is signed, officially ending World War One. The three main powers at the conference where the signing occurred were America, France and Britain, and all three had different opinions on how to deal with Germany, from reconciliation to harsh punishment. Germany's already suffering economy took another hit when the treaty forced Germany to pay reparations for the entire war, around $31.5 billion, plus give up several territories to several countries and reduce military.
