-
[Imperialism] Bismarck unifies Germany
Otto Von Bismarck unified Germany. This was quite a late start, and Germany had no land to conquer in the world, despite being so strong, because other countries took most of the available lands. Fuel for:
[Imperialism] -
Period: to
WW1 CAUSES
-
[Allies] Dual Alliance
Germany and Austria-Hungary formed a Dual Alliance. This was to defend the countries from Russia and other European nations. -
[Allies] Triple Alliance
Italy joins the Dual Alliance in May of 1882. Exact date is unknown, but a secret treaty was signed on the 20th. It was the first large scale alliance in Europe, and the constituent countries promised mutual help. This alliance, of course, helped prevent a war occurring right away, but pushed its enemies to create another alliance just like this. -
The Reinsurance Treaty
Russia and Germany make a reinsurance treaty; this was Bismarck's attempt to prevent Russia-France alliance due to the Balkan competition between Austria-Hungary and Russia. -
[Alliance] Bismarck resigns
Germany's influential chancellor Bismarck resigned in 1890, meaning an end to the reinsurance treaty. His successor Kaiser Wilhelm II refused to renew the treaty, and worsened the Russia-German relationship. -
[Allies] First Moroccan Crisis
Kaiser Wilhelm II officially stated that he supported Morocco's independence. The French reacted quickly, preparing for war. Although this crisis came to an end with the Algeciras Conference, it worsened the relationships between France and Germany. -
[Allies] Triple Entente
Britain and Russia signed the Anglo-Russian Entente, and France joined. This alliance was a counter action of the three countries to the earlier alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. -
[Imperialism] The Bosnian Crisis
Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia. This was one of the greatest factors leading to the World War because the trigger was based on this conflict. -
[Militarism] Second Moroccan Crisis
Germans and the British were in a big tension. This was even worsened by the deployment of the German gun boat, Panther, in response to the French troops in Morrocan capital Fez.
Just like the First crisis, this was an overreaction by the Germans. -
The First Balkan War
The small Balkan countries fought against the Ottoman Empire and achieved good success, and most of the Europian territories of the Empire was distributed. Continues to the Second Balkan War. -
The Second Balkan War
Bulgaria was not happy with what it got from the First Balkan War, and attacked Serbia and Greece. Soon, other countries joined in the fight, including the Ottoman Empire, to regain the territories. In the end, Bulgaria had to spit out all of the territorial gains from the First Balkan War. -
[Spark] The Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
The terrorist group Black Hand planned this assassination carefully. Sadly, the group was very poorly organized, and when their bomb was thrown, there was a 10 second delay, and Ferdinand lived.
Later the same day, when Franz Ferdinand was on his way to visit the people in the hospital hurt by the earlier bomb incident, the car had a brake problem, and stopped at a cafe. Gavrilo Princip, a Black Hand member, was eating a sandwich here out of despair. He saw the archduke and succeeded to kill. -
[Spark] Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia
The beginning of the World War 1; this was directly caused by the death of the Austria-Hungarian archduke. -
The Schlieffen Plan
The idea of a quick attack and resolution started even before the Great War. However, when put into action, the plan failed due to many reasons, and led to trench warfare. A defining moment for the Germans, as well as the Belgians and the French who were primarily involved. -
Period: to
World War 1 Defining Moments and turning points
-
Sinking of Lusitania
A German Submarine sank the ship RMS Lusitania. There were Americans on the ship as well, and this became one of the primary reasons of the US entering the War. -
Americans Enter the War
Wilson initially tried very hard to keep Americans neutral in the war. However, with the submarine warfare of the Germans, they were forced to enter. This was one of the most significant events during the war as it changed the entire situation. -
Battle of Vimy Ridge
Led by Julian Byng, the Canadian Corps of the British Empire achieved great success against the Germans. This was a defining moment for Canadians in creating its unity, and due to this success, Byng became viscount, and later, Governor General of Canada. -
Russia's Withdrawl due to the Bolshevik Revolution
The Bolsheviks in Russia overthrew the Mensheviks. During the course of the revolution, Russia needed to focus on its own country and had to withdraw. Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed on 3 March 1918 between Russia and Germany. This lengthened the war to an extent. -
The First Battle of the Somme
Both the Germans and the Entente suffered from severe casualties at the Somme. Germans were at first happy, but later on realized that the gain was minimal at best. This battle was the turning point of the entire war. -
Armistice Day
Also known as Remembrance Day to commemorate the end of the First World War. On 11 Nov 1919 the armistice was signed in France, effectively ending the war. -
Period: to
Treaty of Versailles and the Aftermath
-
Paris Peace Conference
The conference was open for about a year, and created treaties such as the Versailles, Trianon, and Saint-Germain. Many countries from all around the world came to discuss the future. The conference created many outcomes mostly undesirable. -
Japanese Proposal
The Japanese delegates put forward a Racial Equality Proposal, which was rejected by the West. As a result, they, in the future, became detached from the West, being more nationalistic. This was the greates fuel for the Second World War. Also, with their new-found dominance in Asia, the Japanese exploited and abused all its neighboring nations to attain power. -
The Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles was the most famous treaty signed after the World War 1. The treaty was very controversial as no one was really happy with the treaty, and it made Germany take all responsibility for the war, creating a strong discontent inside the Germans. -
First Meeting of the League of Nations
League of Nations was the first international peacekeeping group. Although it was created to keep peace, the League was poorly organized with very little power, and had little influence. Later, a more influential and potent successor, the United Nations, replaced it. -
The Treaty of Sèvres dismembers Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire's remaining territories are broken up by this treaty. The Sultan never agreed to it, however. -
Hitler and the Nazi Party rises in Germany
Hitler was very good with human psychology. He and his party used the discontent of the Germans, who had to bear all the responsibilities of causing the war and the monetary burdens, and rose to power. The Paris Peace Conference and its shortsighted decisions caused this, and in turn, the Second World War.