-
Archduke Franz Ferdinand (future Austria-Hungary ruler) was killed in Serbia
-
-
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. World War I begins
-
ww1 started on July 28, 1914 and ended in November 11, 1918
-
In one month, the world erupts in war. Germany joins Austria-Hungary. Great Britain joins France.
-
Russians are defeated at Battle of Tannenberg On the eastern front, Germans shatter the Russian Second Army and take over 92,000 prisoners at the Battle of Tannenberg
-
Germans conduct air raid on Paris The attack has little military value, but is intended to terrorize civilians.
-
Germans stopped at First Battle of the Marne.: German invasion of France is stopped in the First Battle of the Marne as German troops are forced to the north side of the Marne River, causing the the Schlieffen Plan to fail.
-
Japan attacks and captures Tsingtao, China Held by the Germans since 1898, Tsingtao is a lightly garrisoned port city on the Yellow Sea. The Germans surrender on November 6.
-
Christmas Truce Observed on Western Front= The sound of Christmas carols across No Man’s Land encourages troops from both sides to exchange greetings. The truce is spontaneous and was experienced by hundreds, perhaps thousands, of soldiers.
-
Turkish army disarms its Armenian troops= Ottoman Turkish army disarms and segregates Armenian soldiers into labor battalions fearing Christian Armenians are aiding Orthodox Russians in their fight against Turkey. In 1915, 1,000,000 Armenians are forcibly removed to Syria and Mesopotamia.
-
Germany threatens submarine warfare against merchant vessels== Germany warns that neutral vessels in British waters “would be destroyed without it always being possible to warn the crews and passengers.”
-
Allies land in Gallipoli, Turkey Allies, including Australian and New Zealand troops, land in Gallipoli, Turkey at Helles and Anzac Cove. The Turkish controlled peninsula of twisting shorelines protects the Dardanelle Straits- a key international waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea.
-
In Second Battle of Ypres, Germans use poison gas In the Second Battle of Ypres, the Germans open the assault with a chlorine gas attack, the first successful use of poison gas on the Western Front; more than 10,000 Allied troops are affected, over half of whom died. By May 25, the Allies withdraw.
-
German U-boat torpedoes the Lusitania The Lusitania, a Cunard passenger ship sinks in British waters. A total of 1,198 drown, including many women and children and 124 U.S. citizens. Germans will end unlimited submarine warfare on September 1, 1915 because of worldwide outrage at this attack on civilian shipping.
-
German forces in South-West Africa surrender to General Botha of South Africa A six-month campaign conquers the German colony, capturing its wireless stations and strategic harbors.
-
Allied troops enter Kut-al-Amara in Mesopotamia British and Indian forces move up the Tigris River to capture Kut-al-Amara in Mesopotamia from Turkish forces. Their ultimate goal is Baghdad, roughly 100 miles from present-day Baghdad in Iraq. They will surrender their forces in April, 1916.
-
Serbia is invaded by Germany, Austria and Bulgaria The Central Powers troops cross the Danube River and within days capture Belgrade. A massive Serbian retreat follows. Soldiers and their families made their way to the Albanian border through mountains and a steady snowfall.
-
Germans begin Battle of Verdun with heavy artillery barrage The German code name for the attack in the Meuse region of France (toward the direction of Verdun) is Gericht, ‘place of execution.’ Verdun becomes the symbol of France’s determination to defend its national pride and honor. “They shall not pass” (On ne passe pas) becomes the battle cry. The battle of Verdun would continue for the rest of the year.
-
Marie Curie involved in the war effort Marie Curie helps to equip ambulances with X-ray equipment so wounded soldiers at the front can receive immediate care.
-
April 1, 1916 The Escadrille Américaine, later the Lafayette Escadrille, is formed This French Army flying unit is composed mostly of American volunteers. Thirty-eight Americans serve in the Lafayette Escadrille and are credited with 57 victories.
-
April 22, 1916 Belgians deported to Germany as forced labor German troops begin to round up Belgian workers for deportation to Germany. They are assembled in daily batches of 1,400 men and women in equal numbers.
-
Belgians deported to Germany as forced labor German troops begin to round up Belgian workers for deportation to Germany. They are assembled in daily batches of 1,400 men and women in equal numbers.
-
April 22, 1916 Belgians deported to Germany as forced labor German troops begin to round up Belgian workers for deportation to Germany. They are assembled in daily batches of 1,400 men and women in equal numbers.
-
ANZACs arrive in France The ANZACs are troops from the British Commonwealth countries of Australia and New Zealand.
-
SUBMARINE WARFARE IS SUSPENDED After the March 24 sinking of the passenger ship, Sussex, Woodrow Wilson again threatened breaking off relations with Germany. To avert the threat of America entering the war on the side of the Allies, the Germans call off their campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare.
-
Secret pact divides Middle East between British and French.
The Sykes-Picot Agreement undermines Arab hopes for independence. Syria and Lebanon are placed in the French orbit, while Britain claims Jordan, Iraq, the Gulf states and the Palestinian Mandate -
GERMAN AND BRITISH NAVIES CLASH IN THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND Off the coast of Denmark, the Germans try to break through the British blockade of German ports. In the two-day battle, the British lose 111,980 tons of shipping with 6,945 casualties. The Germans lose 62,233 tons of shipping with 2,921 casualties. Each side claims victory.
-
ARAB REVOLT IN THE HEJAZ BEGINS
The “Great Arab Rising”, a nationalist rise to throw off Ottoman rule, is led by Sherif Hussein of Mecca, King of the Hedjaz, and his son Emir Feisal. Mecca, Medina and Jeddah come under attack. -
THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME BEGINS In an effort to draw German troops away from Verdun, the Allies mount a major offensive that opens with a large-scale artillery barrage that lasts five days. In one day, as German machine gunners rake the advancing troops, 20,000 British are killed and 40,000 more wounded. The devastating Battle of the Somme will continue through the summer and end in November. The British gain is a modest six miles. The casualty count is horrific: 419,000 British
-
BRITISH USE TANKS FOR THE FIRST TIME AT SOMME Thirty-six tanks are secretly shipped to the front and used in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, near the Somme. However, mechanical malfunctions and inexperienced crews greatly hampered the tanks’ effectiveness.
-
U.S. PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON IS REELECTED The Democrats run on the slogan, “He kept us out of war.” The Republican candidate, Charles Evans Hughes, is perceived as a warmonger and loses the election.
-
GERMANS RESUME UNRESTRICTED U-BOAT CAMPAIGN By this time, the Germans feel they have no other choice: the submarine is the only weapon that gives them an advantage over their enemies. Kaiser Wilhelm II gives an order: “To all U-boats – Sink on Sight.”