WWI Timeline

By Baydra
  • Period: to

    WWI Timeline

  • German Becomes a Unified Nation

    Finishes a distant third to Britain and France for imperialism.
  • Austrian Empire reorganized as Austria-Hungary and accepted Germany's leadership in Central Europe.

    This is followed after its defeat.
  • France loses territory to Germany.

    At the time, Germany is still a new country.
  • Great Powers recognize the independence of Serbia from the Ottoman Empire.

    Austria-Hungary is put in charge of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Russia becomes Serbia's protectorate.
  • Bismarck of Germany forms an alliance with Russia and Austria-Hungary.

    Known as the Triple Alliance, this alliance was made to hurt France by depriving its possible allies.
  • Wilhelm II takes the throne of Germany.

    He was more interested in creating an overseas empire.
  • U.S. annexes Hawaii and seizes Philippines from Spain.

    This causes the U.S. to focus on business investments in Latin America.
  • France forms an alliance with Russia.

    France provided funds to modernize Russia.
  • Bernhard von Bulow declares that Germany deserves to expand as well.

    Since Britain, France, and Russia are allowed to expand, then Germany believes they should too.
  • Russia seizes Chinese Manchuria

    Russia establishes protectorate over Mongolia.
  • Completion of Russia's Trans-Siberian Railroad

    First link to Europe and Asia that expanded trade, landholding, and influence in East Asia.
  • Russo-Japanese War

    Russia and Japan go to war over Manchuria and Korea.
  • U.S. announces that it will take charge in any Latin American nation that could not properly manage its affairs.

    This caused much resentment in Latin American towards Americans and blocked European powers from increased control in Latin America.
  • Russo-Japanese War Ends

    U.S., Germany, and British force a settlement and Japan wins control over Korea.
  • Britain joins France and Russia and become the Triple Entente.

    Britain joins due to concerns over Germany.
  • A-H officially annexes B-H.

    This continues to add more fuel to the fire between the Balkan countries.
  • Korea becomes a Japanese Colony

    Korea is won by Japan after Russo-Japanese War.
  • Balkan Wars Begin

    Growing tensions between the B-H and A-H versus Serbia and Russia cause the war.
  • Germany surpasses Britain as Europe's leading industrial power.

    This dramatically alters the balance of power in Europe.
  • Balkan Wars End

    The first war ends Ottoman rule of the peninsula, and the second war divides the former Ottoman among Balkan nations, doubling Serbia's size.
  • Germany becomes the strongest world power.

    The country dramatically escalates its influence in economy and industry.
  • Russia's empire extends from Central Europe to Pacific Ocean and from the Arctic to Afghanistan.

    This provided Russia with many important natural resources to support industrialization efforts.
  • Britain expands to maintain the 56 countries in its empire.

    This includes Canada, India, and South Africa.
  • Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

    Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb a part of the Black Hand, a secret terrorist organization, assassinates Franz Ferdinand, the Archduke of A-H, in Sarajevo of Bosnia.
  • World War I Begins

    Many Europeans welcome the war due to their nationalistic pride.
  • Ottoman Empire officially enters the war.

    They fight alongside Germany's side.
  • France begged Russia to take pressure off of Western Front.

    A large Russian force was decimated at Tannenberg.
  • A-H declares war on Serbia.

    Austrian leaders expect Serbia to rebel against their harsh demands, but they do not, leading A-H to declare war on Serbia anyways.
  • Germany warns Russia to halt mobilization to support Serbia.

    Since Russia is Serbia's protectorate, it protects Serbia against all invaders; and since Germany's supporting A-H, Germany and Russia go to war.
  • Germany invades neutral Belgium.

    When Belgium declares neutrality and Germany is required to go through Belgium, Germany goes through it anyways.
  • Japan declares war on Germany

    The purpose of the declaration was in hopes of taking Germany's colonies.
  • Bulgaria joins Germany in the war.

    Together, they become the Central Powers.
  • Italy joins the Allies.

    The Allies consisted of Britain, France, Russia, Japan, and other countries.
  • Germany starts using poison gas.

    This drove panicked troops from their defenses.
  • Austrians conquered Serbia

  • Allies land in Gallopoli, Turkey, to capture Constantinople.

    A stalemate developed quickly.
  • Allies withdraw from Gallipoli.

    200,000 casualties occurred, but Turkish lost 250,000.
  • Germany establishes a blockade of Britain.

    They do this in response to Britain's naval blockade of Germany.
  • A u-boat sinks the Lusitania.

    The Lusitania was carrying 173 tons of ammunition and a thousand passengers from New York to London.
  • America discontinues aid to Latin American nations who could not manage their affairs.

    This is caused by WWI.
  • German troops finally break stalemate in Western Front.

    The stalemate lasted from 1914 to 1917.
  • Austrians conquered Romania

  • Turks defeat British colonial troops from India.

  • Allied rebellion is stopped in South Africa.

  • Planes are used to direct artillery fire and drop bombs.

    This became a devastating turn in the war.
  • Russia's government collapses.

    The overwhelming war causes it to fail.
  • Russia pulls out of the war to focus on its new government.

    Russia signs a peace agreement with the Central Powers.
  • British capture Jerusalem.

    They were only able to capture the city because in the summer there was an Arab uprising that drove out the Ottomans.
  • Peace movements begin to exist in all Great Powers.

  • U.S. declares war on Germany.

  • Mexico declares war on U.S.

    Germany convinces Mexico to go to war with U.S. if they join Germany and that they will give Mexico New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona.
  • U.S. warships helped Britain against German U-boat blockade.

    This immensely helped the Allies.
  • Wilfred Owen writes poems about the war.

    He was a British poet and lieutenant of the British Army.
  • Central Powers East African soldiers surrender to Allied troops.

    12,000 Africans surrendered to 130,000 Allied troops for 3 years.
  • President Woodrow Wilson of the U.S. issues the Fourteen Points.

    These points addressed the end of the war; however, they were not embraced by the other Allied leaders.
  • Germany surrenders.

    This is partially influenced by Wilson's Fourteen Points.
  • Second Battle of the Somme

    The Germans launch a massive attack on the British for the next 2 months.
  • Battle of the Argonne Forest

    American forces defeat Germans, pushing German army to the border of Germany.
  • Austria-Hungary surrender.

  • Bulgarians surrender to Serbia, Greece, France, and Britain.

  • Turks surrender.

  • Kaiser abdicated and fled to the Netherlands.

    The German monarchy ended and it became a republic.
  • German leaders signed an armistice to save their nation.

    Germany had to turn over all military equipment and troops to German soil.
  • Armenian Genocide reduces Armenian population dramatically.

    2.13 million to 387,000
  • Armenian Genocide officially declared a genocide.