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An alliance is formed between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. It is called the Triple Alliance.
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Germany allies with Russia.
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Kaiser Wilhelm II changes Germany's foreign policy dramatically. He had two years earlier become the ruler of Germany, forcing Otto van Bismarck to resign. Wilhelm II didn't want to share power with any one and was eager to show the world how powerful he was.
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Kaiser Wilhelm II allows alliance with Russia to expire. in 1890. Russia responds by forming a defensive military alliance with France two years later. If Germany started a war with either country, it would be enemies to both. Germany would have to fight a two-front war.
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In 1892 and 1894 Russia formed defensive military alliance with France after Wilhelm II let Germany's alliance with Russia expire. This was Bismarck's fear, because if Germany went to war with either Russia or France, they would be fighting a two-front war.
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Britain formed entente (alliance) with France. In 1907, Great Britain formed another alliance with Russia. They became known as the Triple Entente, or the Allies.
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Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie visit Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. The pair was shot as they rode through the streets of Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, nineteen year old Serbian and member of the Black Hands. The Black Hands were a secret society committed to ridding Bosnia of the Austrian rule.
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Since the assassin was Serbian, Austria-Hungary decided to punish Serbia for the murder of the heir to the throne. On July 23, Austria gave Serbia an ultimatum. They wanted to launch an investigation of the murder of Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie. They also wanted to investigate anyone who was against Austrian rule.
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Serbia rejected Austria's demands and soon after Austria declared war. At the same time, Russia, who is an ally of Serbia, ordered for the mobilization of of Russian troops toward the Austrian borders.
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Russia expected Germany to join sides with the Austrians, so the Russians began mobilizing and sending troops to Germany's borders as well as the Austrian borders. This caused Germany to declare war on Russia.
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Russia began to look at their ally France for help. Germany saw them coming and two days after declaring war on Russia, Germany declared war on France as well.
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Soon after Germany declared war on France, Great Britain declared war on Germany.
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By early September, German forces had swept through and Paris. The allies regrouped and attacked Germany in the valley of the Marne Piver. After four days of fighting, German generals gave the gave the order to surrender. This battle is known as The Battle of the Marne, and was the first battle on the western front. This is also considered the most important event of World War I.
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The Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria both join the Central Powers in order to gain territories that they had lost.
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In February of 1915, the Allies launched the Gallipoli Campaign. It was a failure and eventully prompted Bulgaria to join the Central Powers in September. The Allies abandoned attempts to land in the Balkans.
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Italy joined the Allies after they were promised Autsrian lands. Italy primarily fought the Austrians until 1917 after getting Allied reinforcements.
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The Germans intensified submarine warfare that they had started in the beginning of the war. In May, a German U-boat sunk the British passenger ship Lusitania. The attack killed a total of 1,198 people dead, including 128 U.S. citizens.
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A Battle in the western front, left over 680,000 casualties.
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Germans announce their policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. This means that the Germans will sink enemy ships without notice or warning.
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In 1917, the British intercepted a telegram from Germany's secretary Arthur Zimmermann. The telegram was meant for the German ambassador in Mexico. The messgae stated that Germany would help Mexico "reconquer" the land that it had lost to the United States if Mexico would join sides with Germany. The British gave the message to the U.S.
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The Zimmermann note was a turning point for the U.S. After America knew that the couldn't trust Germany and that their allegiance was stronger with the Allies than wih the Central Powers. Woodrow Wilson asks Congress to declare war on Germany. And in April, The United States entered the war on the side of the Allies.
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Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ended Russia’s involvement in WWI. He wanted to offer Germany a truce. This was what the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was for.
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Germany and Russia sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918. It is what ended Russia's involvment in WWI. It was extremely hard on Russia and required the Russian government to give Finland, Poland, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to Germany.
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During the Second Battle of the Marne, the Allies had about 350 tanks smashing through the Germans' lines. With the arrival of 2 million more American troops, the Allies began advancing toward Germany.
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Kaiser Wilhelm II was forced to step down, and Germany declared itself a republic.
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A German representative and French Commander Marshal Foch met in a railway car in a forest near Paris, France and signed an armistice (an agreement to stop fighting), ending the war.
