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assessination of Franz
FranzFerdinand & wife are assinated by serbian nationalist Gavrilo while they were visiting Sarajevo -
Austrian-Hungarian Empire Declares war on Serbia
Due to the assassination, the Austrian-Hungarian Empire declared what was expected to be a short war on Serbia. -
germany invades belgium
To execute the Schlieffen Plan, Germany had to go through Belgium in order to invade France. -
the united kindom announces that the north sea is a military area
British naval ships spent the war patrolling the North Sea, intercepting and detaining thousands of merchant ships thought to be harbouring cargo bound for enemy shores. This aggressive display of maritime power aroused considerable anger in neutral countries, many of whom enjoyed strong trading links with Germany. -
The unofficial Christmas truce is declared
some German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines across no-man’s-land, calling out “Merry Christmas” in their enemies’ native tongues. At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick, -
war zone
Germany declares a "war zone" around Great Britain, essentially effecting a submarine blockade where even neutral merchant vessels were to be potential targets. -
The Dardanelles Campaign begins.
british and french forces launched an ill-fated naval attack on Turkish forcees in the Dardanelles in northwestern turkey hoping to take control of the stragetically vital strait seperating europe from asia -
batlle of Ypres
The Second Battle of Ypres begins. It is during this battle that the Germans first use poison gas. -
The Battle of Gallipoli begins.
The campaign began with a failed naval attack by British and French ships on the Dardanelles Straits and continued with a major land invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula involving British and French troops -
The British ocean liner RMS Lusitania is sunk by German
at 2:12 p.m. on May 7 the 32,000-ton ship was hit by an exploding torpedo on its starboard side. The torpedo blast was followed by a larger explosion, probably of the ship’s boilers, and the ship sank off the south coast of Ireland in less than 20 minutes -
Tsar Nicholas II takes personal control over Russia's armies.
Nicholas II, the last czar, is crowned ruler of Russia in the old Ouspensky Cathedral in Moscow. He sought to preserve in an era desperate for change. -
The Battle of Verdun begins.
The Battle of Verdun was the longest battle of World War I and was one of the bloodiest. -
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland, the major naval battle of the war, begins. Involving some 250 ships and 100,000 men, this battle off Denmark’s North Sea coast was the only major naval surface engagement of World War I. -
Battle of the Somme
the Battle of the Somme begins. During the Battle of the Somme, tanks are first introduced into battle. -
Secret Zimmerman Telegram
Germany sends the secret Zimmerman Telegram to Mexico in an effort to entice Mexico to join the war. The British intercept and decipher the coded message. -
USA declares war on Germany
on April 2, 1917, President Wilson appeared before a joint session of Congress and asked for a declaration of war against Germany in order to "make the world safe for democracy." On April 4, Congress granted Wilson's request. -
Battle of Passchendaele
The Battle of Passchendaele (also known as the Third Battle of Ypres) begins. A campaign of the First World War, fought by the Allies against the German Empire. -
The Bolsheviks overthrow the Russian government
The Bolsheviks successfully overthrow the Russian government during the 1917 Russian Revolution. two revolutions swept through Russia, ending centuries of imperial rule and setting in motion political and social changes -
The armistice
The armistice agreed upon between the new Russian government and the Central Powers goes into effect. -
Russia and the treaty
Russia signs the Treaty of Brest Litovsk, which is a peace treaty between Russia and the Central Powers. -
Germany launches the Spring Offensive.
The Germans had realised that their only remaining chance of victory was to defeat the Allies before the overwhelming human and matériel resources of the United States could be fully deployed -
The Treaty of Versailles officially ends WWI.
The Treaty of Versailles officially ends WWI. -
The Second Battle of the Marne begins.
The Allied generalissimo, General Ferdinand Foch, ordered a counteroffensive which led to the Second Battle of the Marne, after which victory he was promoted to Marshal of France. -
German Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates and flees Germany
Wilhelm's abdication was announced by Chancellor Prince Max von Baden in a 9 November 1918 proclamation -
fight ends
Germany signs the armistice at Compiegne, France. Fighting ends on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month (i.e. 11 a.m. on November 11).
