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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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Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
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As an ally of Serbia, Russia announces full mobilization of her armed forces.
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Germany mobilizes her armed forces and declares war on Russia.
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Germany declares war on France.
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Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia.
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First Battle of the Marne halts German invasion in France.
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First trenches of the Western front are dug
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War becomes "Total War" with German Zeppelin air raid on England.
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Germany declares a submarine blockade of Great Britain. Any ship approaching England is considered a legitimate target.
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Allies begin nine-month battle for the Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli.
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U-boat sinks the Lusitania. 1,198 civilians, including 128 Americans die.
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Germany responds to U.S. anger by ceasing to sink ships without warning.
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Allies begin withdrawal of troops from Gallipoli.
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The longest battle of the war, the Battle of Verdun, is fought to a draw with an estimated one million casualties.
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US President Wilson publicly warns Germany not to continue unrestricted submarine warfare policies.
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The Battle of the Somme results in an estimated one million casualties and no breakthrough for the Allies. British introduce the tank, an effective weapon but far too few to make much of a difference.
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Reich Foreign Secretary Zimmermann's telegram to Mexico urging her entry into war against the United States is discovered and translated by the British
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Germany again declares unrestricted submarine warfare.
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President Wilson asks Congress for a declaration of war with Imperial Germany.
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The first wave of the American Expeditionary Force lands in France.
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American troops in France fire their first shot in trench warfare.
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The new Russian government, represented by Leon Trotsky, signs an armistice with Germany.
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President Woodrow Wilson declares his 14 points as the path to permanent world peace.
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Germans launch the first of five major offensives to win the war before American troops appear in the trenches. German advance is finally stopped in late June
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Allied counter offensives on the Somme push the German army back and into retreat.
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Turks sign armistice.
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A German republic is founded.
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At eleven o'clock on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, the war ends as Germany and Allies sign an Armistice.
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Peace Treaty signed by German delegates and Allies in Versailles.
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The United States Senate fails to ratify the Treaty of Versailles and U.S. involvement in the League of Nations.
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The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave women the legal right to vote, was ratified.
