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Triple Alliance Formed
Triple Alliance (secret agreement between Germany, Austria- Hungary, and Italy) that was renewed until WW1. -
Open Door Policy
Another policy in the late 19th century to protect an allied country (U.S. protected China) to avoid Western imperialism. This one stated that China's doors should be opened to merchants of all nations, protecting American trading rights in China and China's colonies. -
Boxer Rebellion
Poor peasants and workers didn't like the privileges being given to foreigners and formed a secret society called the Boxers. Their fight against the Dowager Empress's rule and foreigner privileges was called the Boxer Rebellion where 20,000 troops descended in Beijing. Although the attempt failed, nationalism had grown in China and the Chinese people realized that their country must resist foreign intervention and their government must respond to the needs of their people. -
Russo-Japanese War
The war between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over the control of imperialism in Manchuria and Korea. Japan was victorious and Russian's lost all influence over mining and railways, giving Japan a large economic advantage. -
Bloody Sunday And Russian Revolution of 1905
Russia had a suffering middle class, a bad leader (Tsar Nicholas II), and had just lost a war. A group of workers tried to peacefully protest (with a petition stating their demands) at the Tsar's palace when the government ordered imperial forces to open fire on them killing over 100 people. This sparked the revolution of 1905. -
Triple Entente Formed
The alliance of Great Britain, France, and Russia posing as a powerful threat against the Triple Alliance in WW1. -
Young Turk Revolution
Young Turks of the Ottoman Empire made reform groups leading to a revolutionary fight against their authoritarian government to establish a constitutional government introducing modernization and nationalism to the Ottoman Empire. Unfortunately, foreign affairs issues led to the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire evolving into modern-day Turkey. -
Revolution Of 1911
The successful revolt against the Qing dynasty that ended the imperial system. -
WW1 Begins
The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo(Bosnian capital) led to WW1. They were assassinated by a Serbian revolutionary which made Austro-Hungary and Serbia enemies very fast and in turn made Germany and Russia enemies and those two countries declared war later that year followed by many other battles throughout the next four years. These long wars relate to the thirty years war in the Holy Roman Empire in the 1600's (Protestant and Catholics, religions v peaceful irony). -
Shlieffen Plan
German Army Chief, Alfred von Shlieffen, made a two-front war plan to defeat France and force them to surrender before their Russian ally could move. -
Battle Of Tannenberg
Millions of lives were lost at this battle between Russia and Germany. It ended in German victory over Russia in the first few weeks of WW1. -
First Battle Of The Marne
German fought against France using their Shlieffen Plan along with machine guns and trench warfare. The battles were extremely bloody and resulted in a allied victory against the Triple Alliance. -
Lusitania Sinks
After the U.S. Lusitania was sunk by German submarine, it caused the U.S. to wage war against the Triple Alliance, giving an advantage to the Triple Entente. -
Industrial Revolution Examples
Nationalism and the necessity for new technology grew during this time. Just some inventions that helped during the wars were fighting planes and Henry Ford's assembly line increasing the amount of production and decreasing the amount of workers needed. New scientific discoveries also occurred including advanced vaccines and the splitting of the atom. -
Russian Revolution
The March Revolution was a huge turning point in the war where Russia's monarchy was toppled to establish a provisional government. The November Revolution ended with Trotsky's Bolshevik soldiers and workers storming through Petrograd and seizing government buildings, later electing Lenin as their president. -
Russian Civil War
As Lenin was reluctantly declaring the end of Russian fighting, the Bolsheviks opposition was growing. A civil war broke out between the "Reds" (Bolsheviks) who were fighting for socialism against the "Whites" (Anti-communists) fighting for conservatism. Even though the White Army was aided by France, they were defeated. -
Lenin Retreats Out Of WW1
The Treaty of Breast-Litovsk was a peace treaty in which Russia negotiated with Germans and gave them land, materials, and workers. This was just the start of the breakdown of the Russian army and government. -
Royal Family Execution
Tsar Nicholas II and his family were caught trying to escape and interned at a Bolshevik base residence. They were all soon executed. -
WW1 Ends
With depletion of manpower and materials and about to experience an American and Russian invasion, Germany signed an armistice agreement saying they would stop fighting. The armistice was a mix of the British, French, and Italian Treaty of Versailles and Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points. It made Germany reduce the size of their army and pay $57 trillion in reparations. -
League of Nations Established
The League of Nations was established to create world peace after WW1 from labor conditions to preventing wars and maintain national security. It failed because Germany, the country causing the most dispute, never joined so nothing could really be solved. It also never had an army to fight with or multiple strong nations to support it. -
New Economic Policy
The USSR faced multiple economic issues including complete nationalization of industry. The NEP was a more free-market-system economy giving ownership of private properties while state controlled banks, trade, etc. Stalin fought against Trotsky to lead the new policy and Stalin was victorious. It was the beginning of communism and dictatorship in one government. -
Hyperinflation In Germany
This was a three-year period when Germany had political instability and an extreme financial crisis from having to pay back war debts. In order to pay back enough money, Germany kept making money causing the value to decrease. -
Ruhr Occupied By France And Belgium
Both French and Belgian militaries occupied the Ruhr district to show their authority over the Germans in response for them not paying off their reparations. -
Mein Kampf (My Struggle/Fight)
This was Hitler's book that outlined his political/religions beliefs and even touched on his radical out casting of Jews. His followers kept increasing by the day until actual laws (such as the Nuremburg Laws) were set in place to ban Jews from citizenship and other rights and Hitler became Germany's chancellor in 1933. -
Great Depression
This international breakdown of the economy in the 1930's was caused by a horrible drop in the stock market and drought (less food -> starving people -> no workers -> nothing was getting done). -
WW2 Begins
On this date, Germany invaded Poland with Hitler sending the German air force and many troops. Britain and France tried to send help but finally stayed true to the armistice and did not fight against the Germans. -
Nazi's Euthanasia Program Begins
Hitler's "perfect" world starts to be built. A master "Aryan" race was the goal so physically and mentally handicapped people were executed. -
Fall of Western Europe
Germany took over Denmark and Southern Norway, invading Holland, Belgium, and France showing their power and control over a lot of land in Europe. -
Battle Of Midway, El Alamein, And Stalingrad
Battle of Midway: Japanese carriers came to attack Midway Islands in the Pacific. U.S. won and gained first revenge for Pearl Harbor attacks. El Alamein: The British army had a counter-attack against Germany and Italy. Britain won and captures Italian colonies giving them more land that was imperial for their imperial interests. Stalingrad: While under German attack, Stalin's Russians refused to give up so Germany was trapped inside wrecked remains. It showed Germany the limits of power. -
D-Day
U.S. invaded France in order to seize back from Germany. It was a very dangerous and gruesome battle since U.S. guns weren't there. It ended with a 60% casualty rate yet U.S. allies still won with the help of France. This was another turning point that showed the decrease in Germany's power. -
Death March
Before Russians liberated Auschwitz and U.S. soldiers intervened, 58,000 Holocaust prisoners went on a death march. Nazi's were trying frantically to move Jews so they couldn't be saved. -
Hitler's Suicide, Germany's Surrender, And End of WW2
On April 30, Adolf Hitler committed suicide by gunshot. Germany officially surrendered to the allies, bringing an end to WW2.
