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The Triple Alliance
The Triple Alliance was formed between Germany, Austro-Hungary, and Italy in 1882. The alliance system is when European powers made a web of military treaties to protect themselves. The goal of the Triple Alliance, instigated by Otto Von Bismarck of Germany, was to isolate France from the rest of Europe. The effect that this had on WWI was that it changed a war that could have been between a two countries to war fought arould the whole world. -
Germany joins Russia in an alliance
In 1887, Germany added Russia to its system of alliances. Otto Von Bismarck did this to prevent France from making a treaty with Russia. This could have effected the war if Russia kept their treaty with Germany because it would mean that France would have even less allies and Germany would only have to fight a one-front war against France. -
Germany's treaty with Russia expires
In addition to Kaiser Wilhelm II's many changes in Germany, he also let his nation's alliance with Russia lapse in 1890 due to his new drastic foreign policy. As a result, Russia would have to look for other alliances because they were no longer fighting alongside with Germany. Since Germany dropped their alliance with Russia, this would also mean that they had a whole other country that they were at war with and later cause them to fight a two-front war against Russia and France. -
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Russia formed alliance with France
After Russia's alliance with Germany lapsed in 1890, Russia felt isolated and as a result they formed a defensive military alliance with France between the years 1892-1894. Russia was prompted to sign with France because they did not want to be alone in the war to fight for themselves. Due to Russia and France's new treaty, Germany would now be forced in fighting a two-front war since France was west and Russia was east to Germany, which would be quite difficult. -
The Schlieffen Plan
The Schlieffen Plan was a war tactic developed by German General Alfred Graf von Shlieffen in December 1905 but was not really executed until September of 1914. The strategey called for a quick defeat of France in the west and then rushing east to fight Russia. This plan effected the WW! because germans thought it would not take long to beat France and race over to fight Russia since Russia was behind in the railroad system, however, Germany was proven wrong because WWI lasted a very long time. -
The Triple Entente
After formimg an alliance with France in 1904, Great Britian made another entente with both France and Russia in 1907 called the Triple Entente. Britain was threatened by the growing power of Germany's navy so they felt they needed to stop Germany from enhancing any further. The Triple Entente did not pledge Britain to fight with France and Russia but it promised that Britain would definitely not fight against them. This caused the war to be fought between many nations instead of just 2 rivals. -
Improvement of machine guns
During WWI, many new inovated weapons were invented or enhanced in efforts to win battles. One weapons that improved as a result of the war was the machine gone. The British upgraded the gun to fire 8 rounds per second at distance of 2,900 yards. All of the modern weapons effected the war because they were much more deadly and caused a high increase of casualities. -
Assassination of the Ferdinands
On June 28, 1912, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were shot by a 19-year-old Serbian, Gavrilo Princip, a member of the secret society, the Black Hand, committed to freeing Bosina of Austrian rule. The couple was in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, because of Ferdinand's duties from Austro-Hungry. The assassination of the Ferdinands as a result of social unrest from the Serbians, ultimateley caused and lead to World War I. -
Austria presented Serbia with the Ultimatium
As a result of the assassaination, Austria decided to punish Serbia. On July 23, 1914, Austria presented Serbia with an ultmatum consisting of several demands, such as supression of all anti-Austrian activity in Serbia, dismisal of all Serbian officials Austria did not agree with, and the right for Austrian officials to invade Serbia and investiage the assassination. Serbia agreed with all but the last one, which affected WWI since Austria did not want to negotiate, they declared war on Serbia. -
Russia ordered mobilization toward the Austrian border
After Austria just declared war on Serbia, that same day, July 28, 1914, leaders of Russia ordered the moving of their troops towards the Austrian border. Russia was allied with Serbia because they felt bonded with the Serbs since they shared similar ancestry. This affected the war because very quickly all of Europe was at war following Russia's move. -
Germany declared war on Russia
When Russia moved its army to the Russian-Austrian border, they also expected Germany to join Austria, so Russia also mobilized along the German border as well. As a result, the German goverment declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914, because they saw Russia's invasion as a declaration of war. This affected the war because instead of the war starting between Austria and Serbia, it was begining to include many countries. -
The Battle of Tannenberg
Towards the beginning of the war, Russian forces began an attack against both Austria and Germany and was initally successful However, in August of 1914, Germany counterattacked near the town of Tannenberg which lasted four days. During this battle, Germans crushed the Russians since they lacked modern technology. As a result, the Russians retreated and signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, taking them out of the war and causing Russia to lose 1/4 of their land and population. -
Germany declared war on France
Just a few days after announcing war with Russia, Germany declared war on France on August 3, 1914. germany knew Russia would look to its ally, France, for help, so it did not hestiate to mark war with France. As a result, many other countries would be involved in the war, such as Great Britain declaring war on Germany just one day later, and much of Europe would now be locked in the battle of WWI. -
First Battle of the Marne
On Septermber, 1914, the Allies- Russia, Germany, and France- attacked Germany in the First Battle of the Marne. Germany predicted using the Shlieffen Plan that German forces would have a quick victory in France and then move on east to Russia. However, France received many reinforcements and after four days f fighting, Germany retreated. This was the most significant battle of WWI because it countered the belief that it would be a short war. -
Ottoman Empire formally joined Central Powers
On October 28, 1914, the Ottoman Empire formally joined the Central Powers- Austrio-Hungry and Germany. The Ottoman Empire wanted to regain all of their lost lands and they thought the Central Powers were the better choice to help them do so. Now the Central Powers had more back-up and the Allies had yet another country to worry about. -
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The Allies launched the Gallipoli campaign
Between February and December of 1915, the Allies launched the Gallipoli campaign. The purpose was to devise a way to take the Dardanelles strait and secure that route. Doing this meant the Allies could defeat the Turks as well as bring supplies to Russia.However, the Galipoli campaign was not successful and ended in a stalemate where no one wins or loses. -
Italy joins the Triple Entente
In April of 1915, Italy left the Central Powers to join the Triple Entente. Italiy's reasons for doing so was because they thought their former allies, mainly Austia-Hungry, was unjust in starting the war and Italy felt that they did not have to fight for or with the Central Powers anymore. When Italy fought agaisnt A-H later that year in the Battle of Caporetto, they eventually got reinforcements by the Allies preventing the Central Powers from capturing Italy. -
Germany sinks the Lusitania
On May 7, 1915, the British ship Lusitania had been sunk by a German submarine using Germany's new policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, which is when German submarines would sink without warning ships in the waters of Britain. The Lusitania sinking resulted in 1,198 people dead including 128 U.S citizens. The effect that this had on the war was that it outraged the Americans and pushed them closer to joining the Allies. -
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The Battle of the Verdun and Somme
Between February and November of 1916, the Battle of the Verdun occured and then later the Battle of the Somme happened. The Battle at Verdun was German offensive, wich means it was instigated by the Germans since they attacked the Allies first. Then in the Battle of the Somme, it was Allie offensive. Both of these battles were ineffected to WWI resulting in Germany gaining 4 miles and the Allies gaining 5 miles. however, these battles were highly deadly ending in around 2 million casualities. -
U.S. intercepted the Zimmermann note
in February 1917, the British intercepted and decoded a German telegram, also known as the Zimmermann note, and gave it to the U.S. the message stated that Germany offered to help Mexico regain land it lost to the U.S. if Mexico allied with Germany. When America heard the news, it was the final straw that drove them to declare war on Germany and side with the Allies, which effected the war because now the U.S gets involved and the Germany obtains yet another rival. -
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ended Rusia's involvement in WWI
During 1917, a second revolution erupted in Russia when their weak army refused to fight any longer. In November of that year, Communist leader Vladmir Ilyich Lenin seized power. One of his firsts decisions was the demand on ending Russia's involvement in WWI. Russia's withdrawing of the war effected WWI because it started the chain of events that eventually lead to the end of WWI. -
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
In March 1918, Germany and Russia agree to sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which officially ended the war between them and was the first of act of Lenin. Their truce required the Russian government to surrender lands to Germany, such as Finland, Poland, Ukraine, Estinia, Latvia, and Lithuania. These countries later gained their independence. This treaty effected the war because it was the first sign that WWI was ending -
the Second Battle of the Marne
Since Russia withdrew from the war, Germany was able to send all it forces to fight on the Western Front. When Germans arrived at the Marne river again in July 1918, they felt victory was within reach. However, the German arms was weak at the Second Battle of the Marne, and the Allied forces with more than 2 million American troops advances towards Germany. This was the last main battle of WWI and lead to the crumbling of the Central Powers. -
Kaiser Wilhelm II forced to step down
The soilders in Germany began to mutinied and the people turned on the Kaiser. As a result, Kiser Wilhelm II was forced to step down on Novermber 9, 1918, and Germamy was declared was declared a republic. This effected WWI because it ultimateley led to Germany signing an armistice and the end of WWI. -
Germany and France sign an armistice
On Novermber 11,1918, at 11 o'clock, a German representative and French Commander Marshal Fock signed an armistice, which is an agreement to cease fighting. This armistice effected WWI because it signified that World War I had come to an end and would lead to the nations around the world working together to sign settlement.
