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Germany Helps Form Triple Alliance
The age of nationalism and imperialist expansion caused rivalries to grow. Europe's great powers started to form alliances. In 1882, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy formed the Triple Alliance. -
The Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand
On June 28, 1914, Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife was assassinated in the city Sarajevo in Bosnia by a group called the Black Hand. Austria-Hungary wanted to declare war on Serbia and Germany gave them a blank check to Austria-Hungary. Germany promised their full support if war broke out. -
The Schlieffen Plan
The Germans had a military plan drew up by General Alfred von Schlieffen. The plan called for a two-front war with France and Russia. It said that the Germans would carry out a rapid invasion of France the put all their troops to the east to fight Russia. -
Trench Warfare
The war was turned to a stalemate on the western front. Germany and France were bogged down in trench warfare. Both sides would stay about the same for four years -
Verdun
Germany and France were stuck in trench warfare.In just ten months at Verdun, France 700,00 men lost their lives over a few miles of land in 1916. World War I turned into a war of attrition. Where each side would try to wear the other side down by constant attacks and heavy loses.
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New German Offensive
Erich Ludendorff who was guinding German military operations decided to make a new offensive. Germany was becoming weak and and were low on provisions and reserves. They made one final push on the western front to force it out of a stalemate. They were 50 miles of Paris but were stopped at the second battle of the Marne.
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