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Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
On June 14,1914, the heir to the Austria-Hungary throne, Franz Ferdinand, is murder by Gavriel Princip, a member of the Black Hand Serbian terrorist group. This was the spark that started the war. -
The Schlieffen Plan
On August 3, 2014, The Schlieffen Plan, a battle strategy used by Germany to invade Belgium, was put into effect in the first battle of WWI. The plan called for a quick strike through Belgium to Paris, France, followed by Germany attacking Russia. It was was designed to prevent a two-front war for Germany. -
Lusitana Disaster
The Lusitania was a British passenger liner that carried 1,198 people. A German U-boat sank the British passenger liner killing all aboard including 128 American tourists. The Germans claimed the ship was carrying Allied ammunition but Americans were outraged and public opinion turned against Germany and the Central Powers. This was a major factor of why the United States decided to join the war. -
First Battle of the Somme
The First Battle of the Somme was a bloody trench warfare fought by Great Britain and France against Germany. The Battle had 1.2 million casualties. Armies fought for yards of ground but only gained 7 miles of ground. Great Britain and France secured the victory. -
USA Joins the War in Europe
After the Lucitiania disaster and the Zimmerman note, the USA declares war on Germany and the U.S heads to France. -
The Second Battle of the Marne
The Second Battle of the Marne was the last major German attack on the Western Front during WWI. The Germans lost the battle as it resulted in an estimated 168,000 casualties and ultimately was the turning point in the war. -
The Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was the peace treaty that ended WWI. The Treaty forced Germany to give up territory to Belgium, Czechoslovakia and Poland, return Alsace and Lorraine to France and cede all of its overseas colonies in China, Pacific and Africa to the Allied nations. In addition, it restricted Germany from maintaining an army and forced them to pay $33 billion in reparations to the Allies -
The League of Nations
The League of Nations was the first worldwide intergovernmental organization whose purpose was to maintain world peace. It was created after WWI and its goals included “settling disputes between countries through negotiation diplomacy and improving global welfare.”
