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Triple Alliance is formed between Germany,Austria Hungary, and Italy
Germany, Austria Hungary, and Italy came together to form the Triple Alliance to join powers to isolate France, since France was considered the "greatest threat to peace." Otto Von Bismark believed France still wanted revenge for their defeat in the Franco-Prussian war so his main goal was to isolate them. The treaty formed between Germany, Austria Hungary,Russia, and Italy made it so that it was no longer a two man war, but a war combined between many countries, World War I. -
Germany joins Russia in an alliance
In 1887, Germany became military allies with Russia. Otto Von Bismarck did this because he feared France and Russia would threaten Germany if they joined. Also, he believed this would reduce the potential for Germany to have to fight a war on both its east and west sides. -
Kaiser Wilhelm II changes foreign policy, forced Bismarck to resign
Kaiser Wilhelm II forced Bismarck to resign because he did not want to share his power with anyone. He wanted to assert his power and show the world how strong Germany had become. -
Wilhelm II allows alliance with Russia to expire
Kaiser Wilhelm II let his nations treaty with Russia lapse that same year so Russia formed a defensive military alliance with France. Now Germany would be forced to fight a war on it's
eastern and western boarders. -
1894 Russia formed defensive military alliance with France
Russia was fearful that it would not be able to fight a war alone. They decided to create a military alliance with France between the years 1892-1894 for protection. This proposed a challenge for
Germany who would now have to fight on both its west and east sides. -
Britian formed entente (alliance) with France
Great Britian joined this enetente with France because Wilhem was trying to make the German Navy as strong as the British Fleet by putting a massive shipbuilding plan in action. This entente would give Great Britain more power and confidence in their ability to defend themselves against Germany if needed. -
Britian made another entente with France and Russia, forming the Triple Alliance
Britian made an entente with France and Russia and the outcome was Britian because of that wouldn't fight against France and Russia. The effect it had on the war was that it provided security for France and Russia because this agreement created a better relationship between the countries so Britian would almost defintley not fight against the two countries. -
Ferdinand and Sophie visit Sarajevo and are assassinated by Gavrilo Princip
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie visited Sarajevo and were shot as they road through the streets in an open car by an 19 year old serbian member of the "Black Hand," which was a secret society committed to put an end to Austrian rule of Bosnia. The outcome of this event is that Austria declared war against Serbia and Russian leaders ordered the mobilization of troops toward the Austrian boarder. -
Austria presented Serbia with the ultimatum
Austria presented Serbia with an ultimatum that contained many demands. Serbia agreed to most but asked for some to be settled by an international confrence. This effected the war because Austria didn't was to negotiate and declared war. -
Austria declared war on Bosnia. Russia also ordered mobilization toward the Austrian boarder.
Austria's declaration of war on Bosnia was egnited when Bosnia refused some of their demands. Russia was allied with Austria, therfore, sent many troops to help them defeat Bosnia. This event effected the war because it gave Austria more strenght thanks to Russia sending their troops to help fight Bosnia. Europe was also losing stability and was in a fragile state due to this incident -
Germany declared war on Russia
Germany declared war on France. German troops poured into Belgium as directed under the Schleiffen plan, drawn up in 1905. The British secretary, Sir Edward Grey, sent an ultimatum to Germany demanding their withdrawlal from Belgium. -
Germany counterattacked the Russians at Tannenberg. Four day battle
The Russian army marched in Prussia. However had a hard time gainning suppies. On the other hand the Germans used their railway system to surround the Russian second army at Tannenberg before it's commander could realize what was going on. This battle was a heavy defeat for the Russians with thousands of caulties, resulting in the Russians loss. -
Germany declared war on France
Germany declared war on France. German troops poured into Belgium as directed under the Schleiffen plan, drawn up in 1905. The British secretary, Sir Edward Grey, sent an ultimatum to Germany demanding their withdrawlal from Belgium. -
Britain declared war on Germany
Germany did not withdraw from Belgium and Britian declared war on Germany. -
Allies attack Germany at the 1st Battle of the Marne
having invaded Belgium and north-eastern France, the German army had reached within 30 miles of Paris. French and British forces in advancing into north-eastern France. Their advance was in pursuance of the Schlieften Plan, whose focus was the defeat of France in the West before turning the Russian forces in the east. -
Ottoman Empire formally joins Central Powers
The main members of the Allied powers were German empire and Austria-Hungary, the "Central" European states that were at war against France, Britian, and Russia. The Ottoman empire entered the war on the side of the Central Powers in October 1914. -
Austrians, with German assistance counter the Russians at the Battle of Limanowa
The Austro-Hungarian amry forces tried to prevent Russia from attacking Vienna. The Austro-Hungarian high command has assumed that the German sucess would weaken Russian forces in the north and that the Galican front woud remain quiet. Both of these thoughts were wrong. -
Decemeber the Allies launch the Galliopli campaign
Despite the loss of several ships, the British sucessfully landed a number of marines in the Gallipoli region of the Dardanelles. Unfortunatley the sucess and mission were a failure. -
Italy joins Entente
Italy had sided with Germany and Austria-Hungary in the Triple Alliance. However on April 26th 1915 Italy came into the war on the side of the Triple Entente-Britain, France, and Russia. In 1915 Italy had signed a secret Treaty of London. In this Britian had offered Italy sections of territory. Britian and France wanted Italy to in on their side so that a new front could open up. The plan was to split the Central powers so that both Eastern and Western fronts would weaken. -
Germany sinks the U.S.S. Lusitania
The Lusitania sailed from New York to Liverpool with many American's onboard. The boat sailed into the "European war zone" and was sunk by a German U-boat. There was outraged protests from the United States when the Lusitania was sunk. The sinking of this American boat was a major impact on WWI. However, America did not join the war for another two years. -
Novemeber Germans attack the Allies at Verdun in the Battle of the Somme
The Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. This battle was fought between the German and French armies. Verdun resulted in 698,000 deaths. It was the longest and most devastating battle. In both Germany and France, Verdun has come to represent the horrors of war. -
Germans announce their policy of unrestricted submarine warfare
In October 1916 the U-boats returned to British waters with the obligation to apply never rules. In Germany, orders were given to step up the U-boat campaign. All allied or neutral ships were to be sunk on sight and in one month almost a million tons of shipping was sunk. The harshness of this campaign was driven by two incidents where two U-boats were involved of the killing of survivors of two ships. -
U.S. intercepts the Zimmermann Note
The Zimmermann Telegraph was a proposal from the Germans to Mexico to make war against the Untied States. Thi telegraph was intercepted by the British. This telegraph angered the Americans and led in part to a Untied States declaration of War on Germany in April. -
Woodrow Wilson asks Congress to declare war on Germany
President Woodrow Wilson wanted to keep the United States neutral. However, in 1917 Germany wanted to resume all-out submarine warfare on all commerical ships headed towards Britian, realizing it would mean war with the U.S. It offered a military alliance to Mexico in the Zimmermann Telegraph which outraged American opinion just as the U-boats started sinking American Ships. This led to Wilson asking Congress for a war and the U.S. entered the conflict on April 6th,1917 -
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ended Russia's involvement in WWI
The Russo-German treaty stated that Russia or Germany would not conqure ny more lands. This negotiation collapsed and the Germans renewed the attack, conquering much of the territory of west Russia. Lenin's withdrawal proposal then gained support and then Russia RUssia withdrew from the First World War, losing much of it's European territory.
