Wwi

Holmes WWI Outbreak Events Timeline

By jimmygbuckets21

  • Archduke Francis Ferdinand Assassinated

    • Franz Firdinand and wife, Sophia, shot to death by Serbian nationaist in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
    • killed over conflict between Serbian nationalists who wanted to have a part in the newly independent and ambitoius Serbian nation annexed by Austira-Hungary in 1908.
    • event sparked WWI

  • Austria-Hungary Declares war on Serbia

    • one month after after Archduke Ferdinand of Austria was killed, Austria declares war on Serbia
    • prepared for possible invasion of Serbia
    • gained support form ally, Germany
    • demanded anti Austria propaganda suppressed and investigation of assassination in Serbia

  • Germany declares war on Russia

    • Serbia accepted all but two of Germany's ultimatum terms
    • Hungary still declared war on Serbia
    • Russia declared it would back Serbia in conflict
    • Germany, backing Hungary, warned Russia to back off and that military mobilization towards Serbia would mean war
    • meanwhile German mobilized towards Austria Hungary
    • The begining of the Great War

  • Germany Declares War on France

    • Germany declares war on France 2 days after declaring war on Russia.
    • strategy of Alfred von Schlieffen (chief of staff of German army)
    • two-front war
    • hours later, France declared war back, prepared troops to invade provinces of Alsace and Lorraine previously handed over to Germany after the Franco-Prussian War

  • Germany invades Belgium

    • With war-like statements form Germany during the Hungary vs Serbia, Germany vs Russia conflict's begining, Belgium was facing Germany next Germany gave Belgium ultimatum
    • King decided to resist Germany, sent 43,00 troops to border
    • Begium is outnumbered, holds off Germany's plans but the gov. is forced to move to France.

  • Germany declares unrestricted submarine warfare

    German navy adopted a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, declaring the area around the British Isles a war zone, in which all merchant ships, including those from neutral countries, would be subject to attack.

  • German submarine (U-boat) sinks Lusitania

    German U-boats had been attacking merchant ships off the coast of Ireland. British Admiralty warned the Lusitania, a British liner carrying mostly women and children, to avoid the area or use evasive action. The Lusitania ignored and was hit by exploding torpedos on its starboard side. There were 128 Americans on board.

  • Zimmermann note is discovered

    • text of "Zimmermann Telegram" published on front pages in America
    • message supposeldy from German ambassador to Mexico proposing an alliance in case of war with the US
    • Germany promised to return Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona territories to Mexico
    • anti war americans claimed fake, but confirmed by Zimmermann -public opinion swung towards war

  • US declares war on Germany

    http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/wilsonwar.htmAt 8:30 on the evening of April 2, 1917, President Wilson appeared before Congress asking for a declaration of war against Germany. Unrestricted warfare from Germany and thier plot to ally with Mexico led to this.

  • Russian Monarchy Overthrown - Russian Revolutioin

    Russian Monarchy Overthrown - Russian Revolutioin
    • Led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
    • Overthrew the Alexander Kerensky government
    • Lenin: Marxist revolutionary, founder of Bolshevik Party
      • exiled by the monarch which was overthrown in Feb. and replaced by the provisional government.
      • Lenin returned to incite workers and soldiers to turn against gov. Nov 8th, Bolshevik forces took Winter Palace and arrested members of government
      • handed power to Bolshevik soviets (party of the workers)
      • began to nationalize Russia's economy