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Triple Alliance is formed between Germany, A-H, and Italy
Prussia's chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, used war to unify Germany and by using this strategy, he wanted to keep peace in Europe. However, he saw France as a threat to peace and he decided to isolate France by forming the Dual Alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1879. Italy joined three years later, thus forming the Triple Alliance in 1882. -
Kaiser Wilhelm II changed foreign policy, forced Bismarck to resign
Kaiser Wilhelm II forced Bismarck to resign because not only did Wilhelm want to have power only to himself, but also he wanted to show how powerful Germany had become. A couple of months later, he ended the alliance with Russia. -
Russia formed defensive military alliance with France
Responding to Wilhelm's actions, Russia formed an alliance with France. Wilhelm feared this because by having both France and Russia as enemies, Germany would have to fight a two-front war. -
Triple Entente is formed between Russia, France, and G.B.
Wilhelm began to build up his fleet of German ships to compete with the British fleet. G.B. became alarmed and formed an alliance with France, thus forming the Triple Entente in 1907. Rather then ensuring that G.B. would fight with France and Russia, it ensured that France would not fight against them. -
Ferdinand and Sophie visit Sarajevo and are assassinated by Gavrilo Princip
The day that Ferdinand and Sophie visited Bosnia just happened to be not only the anniversary of the day the Serbian kingdom was conquered by the Turks, but it was also the anniversary of the day the Serbians took revenge on the Turks during the Second Balkan War. During the attack, Gavrilo Princip shot and killed Ferdinand, Sophie, and their unborn child. This assassination sparked the beginning of the feud between the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente. -
Austria declared war on Serbia. Russia also ordered mobilization toward the Austrian border
Five days before Austria declared war on Serbia, Austria had presented Serbia with an ultimatum: prevention of all anti-Austrian activity in Serbia, the dismissal of all Serbian officials whom A-H objected, and the right for Austrian officials to enter Serbia to investigate the assassination. Serbia agreed to all but one demand, but Austria did not want to negotiate with them. Austria rejected Serbia's offer and declared war on them. Mobilization of the troops to took place that same day. -
Germany declared war on Russia
After Russia declared war on Serbia, Russia, Serbia’s ally, mobilized its army toward the Russian-Austrian border. Russia also mobilized its army toward the German border, hoping Germany to join Austria. To Germany, however, this was a declaration of war and as a result, Germany’s government declared war on Russia. -
Germany declared war on France
After declaring war on Russia, Germany also declared war on France as a result of Russia looking to its ally, France, for help. -
G.B. declared war on Germany
As a response to Germany’s invasion of Belgium, Britain declared war on Germany in Germany invaded under the Schlieffen Plan even though Belgium had been regarded as a neutral state. The Schlieffen plan called for a German invasion of France, by means of invading Belgium. This would allow a quick capture of France and knocking them out of the war, as well as have an easy fight with the Russians. -
Germany counterattacked the Russians at Tannenberg. Four day battle
By using the Schlieffen Plan, the Germans thought that they could have an easy victory over France. They assumed that Russia was behind the rest of Europe in the railroad system, which would take Russia a longer time to improve its front lines. By early September, Germany had gone into France and reached the outskirts of Paris. It seemed as though nothing could get in their way and they could have an easy victory, but they were wrong. -
First Battle of the Marne
Continuing with the Schleiffen Plan and with their victory just days away, the Germans seemed unstoppable, but the Allies regrouped and attacked the Germans. After four days of fighting, the Germans retreated. The Schlieffen Plan was over and a quick victory in the west seemed impossible. -
Ottoman Empire formally joins Central Powers
During the Balkan Wars, The Ottoman Empire had lost some of their territory to the allies in the Triple Entente. By joining the Central Powers, they hoped to gain back the land they had lost. -
13. December 1914 Austrians, with German assistance counter the Russians at the Battle of Limanowa
The battle ended the Russian plans to invade Germany through Austria-Hungary. -
The Allies launch the Gallipoli campaign
The Allies searched for a way to end the stalemate and reach the Ottoman Capital, Constantinople. By attacking the Dardanelles strait, the Allies could defeat the Turks and have a clear path the Russia. The Gallipoli campaign turned into a bloody stalemate and lasted a year. By December 1915, the Allies evacuated and suffered 250,000 deaths. -
Italy joins the Triple Entente
Italy had settled on a secret agreement with France, which actually ended their alliance with Germany. -
Germany sinks the U.S.S. Lusitania
Germany started their unrestricted warfare policy, which allowed them to sink any ships without warning in the surrounding waters around Britain, in 1915. This attack killed 1,198 people, which included 128 U.S. citizens. This action urged the U.S. participation in the war. -
Germans announce their policy of unrestricted submarine warfare
Germany had reenacted their unrestricted warfare policy, which allowed them to sink any ships without warning in the surrounding waters around Britain. Germany ignored President Wilson and sank three American warships. They knew this would urge the U.S. to take part in the war. -
U.S. intercepts the Zimmermann Note
In February, the British intercepted a telegram sent from Germany to Mexico. The telegram stated that Germany would help Mexico retrieve the land that they lost to the U.S. if they became an ally with Germany. The British deciphered this note and gave it to the U.S. When the note was made public, the U.S. declared war on Germany. -
Woodrow Wilson asks Congress to declare war on Germany
The U.S. had a strong alliance with the Allies to begin with. They shared a common ancestry and language, and their economic ties were a lot strong as well because the U.S. traded a lot more with G.B. than with Germany. As a result, the U.S. entered the war on the side of the Allies. -
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ended Russia’s involvement in WWI
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a communist that seized Russian power in 1917. He contended on ending Russia’s involvement in the war. He offered Germany a truce and signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. -
Germany and Russia sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin offered Germany a truce in order to remove Russia from the war. Germany and Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which ended the war between them. -
Second Battle of the Marne
When Russia withdrew from the war, Germany only had to fight on its western front. When Germany had reached the outskirts of Paris again, its army was very weak. The Allies launched a counterattack on Germany and soon the Central Powers started to crumble. The Bulgarians and the Ottoman-Turks surrendered and Germany turned on Kaiser Wilhelm. -
Kaiser Wilhelm II stepped down from power, Germany declared itself a republic
When the Germans turned to Kaiser Wilhelm, he stepped down from power and Germany declared itself a republic. Germany was no longer the most powerful nation in the war. -
A German representative and French Commander Marshal Foch signed an armistice.
When Wilhelm stepped down, a German representative met with the French commander Marshal Foch and signed an armistice, or an agreement to end the war. Finally on November 11 1918, the World War I ended. -
Germans attack the Allies at Verdun in the Battle of the Somme
France was losing its power for war and the support from their countries for continuing the war. They decided that it would be best if G.B. took on the German forces in a similar situation as the Germans had taken on the French. They ended up killing more of Germany’s forces. It was a disaster for both sides but one that the Central Powers could not afford to have.
