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Bosnia and Herzegovina had been annexed from Turkey and taken into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife and had decided to inspect the troops in Bosnia. The date chosen for inspection was a national day in Bosnia. Students were supplied with weapons for an assassination attempt to mark the occasion. When the Archduke and his wife stepped out of their car, they were both assassinated by Gavrilo Princip. n
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Serbia was blamed for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife. Austria declared war on Serbia. Germany did not think that Russia would support Austria since Russia and Serbia were allies. But Russia did support Austria
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German troops went into Belgium as directed under the Schleiffen Plan that was drawn up in 1905. An ultimatum was sent to Germany demanding their withdrawal from neutral Belgium.
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The Belgium Army, which is made up of 43,000 men, was placed on its borders after Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated. King Albert and his government had to fight or be conquered. King Albert was outnumbered but his army still decided to resist the German Invasion. The German army overwhelmed Belgian forces. King Albert was forced to move to Le Harve, France. The Americans were moved by what was going on Belgium so they entered the war.
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Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy formed the Triple Alliance in 1882. The countries would support each other if attacked by France or Russia. France and Britain felt threatened so they created the Entente Cordiale. Russia also joined their alliance. Germany attacked France by moving through Belgium. Britain told Germany to retreat. Germany did not listen so Great Britain declared war on them.
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The Germans turned their attention to the Russian First Army at Masurian Lakes after they defeated the Russian Second Army. Although the Germans were unable to defeat the army completely, over 100,000 Russians were taken prisoner.
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Turkey entered the war on the side of the central powers and gave help to a German naval bombardment of Russia.
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Russia declared war on Turkey after Turkey tried to help the German attack on Russia. (http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/firstworldwar/index-1914.html)
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Poison gas is used for the first time in the war as Germans on the Eastern Front attack Russian positions west of Warsaw. Although the Germans fire 18,000 gas shells, they have little effect on the Russians as frigid temperatures prevent the gas from vaporizing.
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Zeppelin airships dropped bombs on Yarmouth. (https://www.history.com/news/londons-world-war-i-zeppelin-terror)
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Winston Churchill, critical of the Dardenelles campaign, resigned his post as First Lord of the Admiralty. He rejoined the army as a battalion commander.
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A German U-Boat torpedoed the British passenger liner Lusitania off the Irish coast. It sunk in 18 minutes, drowning 1,201 people, including 128 Americans. President Woodrow Wilson subsequently sent four diplomatic protests to Germany.
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Romania joined the war on the side of the Allies. But within a few months was occupied by Germans and Austrians
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This was the only truly large-scale naval battle of the war. German forces, in a port by a British naval blockade, came out in the hope of splitting the British fleet and destroying it ship by ship. However, the British admiral, Beatty, aware that the German tactics were the same as those used by Nelson at Trafalgar, sent a smaller force to lure the German’s into the range of Admiral Jellicoe’s main fleet. Although Beatty’s idea worked, the exchange of fire was brief and the German’s withdrew.
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The first German air raid on London took place. The Germans hoped that by making raids on London and the South East, the British Air Force would be forced into protecting the home front rather than attacking the German air force.
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The United States of America declared war on Germany in response to the sinking, by German U boats, of US ships.https://www.army.mil/article/7916/us_declares_war_on_germany
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Following the successful revolution by the Bolsheviks, the Russians signed an Armistice with Germany at Brest-Litovsk. The terms of the treaty were harsh: Russia had to surrender Poland, the Ukraine and other regions. They had to stop all Socialist propaganda directed at Germany and pay 300 million roubles for the repatriation of Russian prisoners.https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/treaties-of-brest-litovsk
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The allies had successfully pushed the Turkish army back and the Turks were forced to ask for an armistice. The terms of the armistice treaty allowed the allies access to the Dardenelles.
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By the beginning of November the allies had pushed the Germans back beyond the Hindenberg line.
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At 11 am, in the French town of Redonthes, the Armistice was signed bringing the war to an end.
