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On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia by Gavrilo Princip , a Bosnian Serb nationalist. The assassination led to a diplomatic crisis between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, which eventually resulted in World War I. -
After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary issued a list of demands, known as the "July Ultimatum," to Serbia, blaming the Serbian government for the assassination and demanding that Serbia take various actions to prevent future terrorist activities. Serbia agreed to most of the demands but rejected a few, prompting Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia on July 28, 1914. -
The war of movement was a series of military maneuvers and battles between the Allied and Central Powers on the Western Front during WWI. Both sides were attempting to outflank each other and gain strategic advantages in a bid to break the stalemate that had developed after the Battle of the Marne in September 1914.
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The Battle of Tannenberg was one of the first major battles on the Eastern Front of WWI. The battle was characterized by a massive German encirclement and destruction of the Russian Second Army, and it demonstrated the effectiveness of the German military. The Russian defeat at Tannenberg was a significant setback for the Eastern Front, and it shattered the myth of Russian military invincibility, which had previously been cultivated by the Russian government and military leadership. -
The Battle of the Marne was a major battle between the Allied forces of France, the United Kingdom, and Russia, and the German army I. The battle was one of the largest battles in human history up to that time, involving more than two million soldiers. It marked the failure of the Schlieffen Plan, the German strategy for quickly defeating France & switching to the Eastern warfront. -
The Ottoman Empire officially entered World War I on the side of the Central Powers (Germany and Austria-Hungary) by launching a surprise attack on Russian ports in the Black Sea. -
Trench warfare during WWI was a static, brutal form of warfare along the Western Front. Soldiers dug trenches, but attempts to break through enemy lines were met with heavy resistance, leading to a prolonged stalemate. The fighting resulted in millions of casualties and devastating conditions for soldiers on both sides
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The Dardanelles offensive is an operation dating from 1915 coming from the initiative of the British to open a new front to divert attention from the catastrophic situation in Europe. It pitted the Ottoman army against the Franco-Brittanian armies and ended with the defeat of the latter plus 100 000 casualties. -
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The Armenian Genocide was a systematic extermination and forced deportation of the Armenian population by the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It is estimated that between 1 to 1.5 million Armenians were killed or died as a result of starvation, disease, and other atrocities. The genocide included mass deportations, forced labor, and massacres, and is considered one of the first modern genocides.
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Italy joined World War I on May 24th, 1915, when it declared war on Austria-Hungary, one of the Central Powers. Italy's decision to join the war was motivated by various factors, including territorial ambitions, desire for recognition as a major European power, and the hope of economic growth and expansion. -
The Battle of Loos was a major British offensive on the Western Front during World War I that took place from September 25th to October 13th, 1915. The battle marked the first time that the British used poison gas in the war, but it was largely ineffective due to a change in wind direction. Despite initial gains, the British were unable to break through the German lines and suffered heavy casualties. The battle ultimately ended in a stalemate. -
(date was chosen to keep chronological consistency as Timetoast software doesn't understand where to place months on a timeline, it seems.)
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In the first few months of 1916 the Military Service Act was passed by the British Government, rendering all fit males of military age liable for call up. For the first time, men who could not or would not support Britain’s role in the war were forced into public view. Although the act did allow for Conscientious Objection, the so-called ‘Conchies’ or C.O’s were hated by the vast majority of the population. -
The Battle of Verdun was one of the largest and longest battles of World War I, fought between the German and French armies from February to December 1916. The battle was fought around the fortress city of Verdun, with both sides suffering heavy losses in the brutal fighting. The Germans believed that capturing Verdun would lead to the collapse of the French army, and thus the end of the war. Despite the enormous cost, the battle ended in a stalemate.
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In 1916, US President Woodrow Wilson publicly called on the Germans to stop their submarine policy of sinking all ships in enemy waters without warning, which had resulted in the deaths of American citizens. Wilson's call was prompted by the sinking of the passenger ship Lusitania by a German submarine, which killed over 1,000 people, including 128 Americans. Wilson's call was largely ignored by the Germans, and ultimately contributed to the United States' entry into World War I in 1917.
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The Somme offensive was launched by the British in late June 1916 as part of a larger Allied strategy to break through the German lines and achieve a decisive victory on the Western Front, after earlier offensives had failed to do so. Under fire, 25 nations clashed and left behind a million lives. The offensive resulted in a stabilization of the front line, a "victory" for the British and the French. -
On November 28th, 1916, the first German airplane air-raid on London took place during World War I. The raid was conducted by a squadron of German Gotha bombers and resulted in the deaths of 71 people and the injury of 128 others. The raid was a significant event in the war, as it marked the first time that the German military had conducted an air-raid on the British capital. -
The Russian February Revolution was a series of protests and demonstrations that occurred in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) in February 1917, which ultimately led to the overthrow of the Tsarist autocracy and the establishment of a provisional government in Russia. The revolution was largely driven by popular discontent with the economic and political conditions in Russia, as well as the country's poor performance in WWI. -
The United States officially joined World War I on April 6, 1917. This came after years of neutrality and efforts by President Woodrow Wilson to keep the country out of the conflict. However, the unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany and the Zimmerman Telegram, a secret message sent by Germany to Mexico proposing an alliance against the United States, ultimately led to the U.S. declaration of war against Germany. -
The Third Battle of Ypres, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele, was a major offensive launched by British and Commonwealth forces against German troops in the Ypres Salient in Belgium during World War I. Despite the initial gains made by the Allies, the battle is remembered for the difficult fighting conditions and the high number of casualties suffered by soldiers on both sides. -
The Balfour Declaration was a statement issued by the British government in 1917 expressing support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine. It was named after Arthur Balfour, the British Foreign Secretary at the time. The declaration had far-reaching consequences for the region, as it contributed to the establishment of the State of Israel decades later and set the stage for ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. -
In 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia and began pursuing a policy of withdrawing from World War I. As part of this policy, they opened peace negotiations with Germany at Brest-Litovsk in December of that year. However, the negotiations were protracted and contentious, with the Germans demanding significant territorial concessions from Russia.
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The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3 1918 between the new Bolshevik government and the Central Powers during World War I. The treaty ended Russia's participation in the war and recognized the independence of Ukraine, Belarus, Finland, and the Baltic states. However, it came at a heavy cost for Russia, as it ceded vast territories to the Central Powers and paid them large sums in reparations. -
Germany now has 50 divisions available thanks to Russia's surrender, and realizes that the only way to win is to beat the Allies fast before the United States deploys its vast economic and people resources. Thus is born The Ludendorff (or first Spring) Offensive by Germany, launched against the British on the Somme. -
The war of movement at the end of World War I was a series of offensives launched by the Allied forces, mainly the French and American armies, against the retreating German army. The campaigns involved rapid advances, encircling maneuvers, and extensive use of tanks and aircraft. The war of movement ultimately led to the collapse of the German army and the signing of the Armistice of November 11, 1918
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In the British sector of Armentieres, Germany starts its second Spring Offensive, known as the Battle of the Lys. Overwhelming numbers of German forces swiftly overtook the Portuguese defenders in the front line. The British could find themselves choked into submission if the supply ports along the Channel at Calais, Dunkirk, and Boulogne are taken. -
In July 1918, German forces launched a major offensive on the Western Front, but were repulsed by French and American troops in a battle that lasted several days. The arrival of American troops helped boost Allied morale and provided crucial reinforcements, which were instrumental in repelling the German offensive. This marked the beginning of a series of successful Allied counterattacks that ultimately led to the end of the war. -
The Armistice of 11 November 1918 ended the fighting in World War I between the Allied powers and Germany. The agreement called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and paved the way for peace negotiations, which ultimately resulted in the Treaty of Versailles. The Armistice marked the end of one of the deadliest conflicts in human history, which had resulted in millions of casualties and profound social and political changes.