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Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist. This event triggered a chain reaction of alliances and declarations of war, starting World War I. -
World War I (1914-1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict that pitted the Allied Powers (including Great Britain, France, Russia, and the United States) against the Central Powers (including Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire). Triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the war was characterized by new weaponry like tanks and poison gas, trench warfare, and unprecedented casualties, ending in November 1918 with the defeat of the Central Powers.
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After sending Serbia an ultimatum with harsh demands (which Serbia partly rejected), Austria-Hungary declared war. This marks the official start of World War I. -
August 1: Germany declares war on Russia (Serbia’s ally). August 3: Germany declares war on France. August 4: The United Kingdom declares war on Germany after it invades Belgium. The alliance system (Triple Entente vs. Central Powers) transforms a local conflict into a world war. -
Germany invaded neutral Belgium to reach France quickly (the Schlieffen Plan). Britain declared war on Germany the same day, expanding the conflict into a full-scale world war. -
Fought on the Eastern Front between Germany and Russia. Germany wins a decisive victory, capturing tens of thousands of Russian soldiers. Establishes the fame of German generals Hindenburg and Ludendorff. -
German troops advance to within 40 km of Paris, but French and British forces manage to stop them. The battle halts the German advance and leads to the creation of trench warfare on the Western Front. -
Heavy fighting in Belgium results in huge casualties on both sides. Marks the end of mobile warfare and the beginning of a long, static trench war. -
The Ottoman Empire joins Germany and Austria-Hungary to form the Central Powers. The war expands to the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Africa. -
Fought in Belgium, this battle is notable for Germany’s first large-scale use of poison gas (chlorine). Many soldiers die or are injured due to gas exposure. The use of chemical weapons adds a new level of horror to the war.
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One of the bloodiest battles in history, fought between British/French forces and Germany along the Somme River in France. Over 1 million soldiers were killed or wounded; it showed how deadly trench warfare had become. It ended in November 18 of 1916 -
The U.S. declared war on Germany after repeated submarine attacks on American ships and the interception of the “Zimmermann Telegram".
The arrival of fresh U.S. troops and resources helped the Allies turn the tide of the war. -
What happened: Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies, ending the fighting on the Western Front. This day marked the official end of World War I and is now remembered as Armistice Day or Veterans Day.