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Archduke Francis of Austria is assassinated in Sarajevo: The First World War begins
On June 28, 1914, while the Archduke of Austria-Hungary Franz Ferdinand (Heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire) and his wife Sofía Chotek were visiting the city of Sarajevo, they were shot by the Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. This caused the Sarajevo diplomatic crisis. -
The German Empire supports the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
On July 5 and 6, the Austro-Hungarian government sent an ambassador to Berlin to hear the personal opinion of the German Emperor Wilhelm II, and after receiving his support, also ensured that other high military commanders abided by their alliance (Triple alliance) in the case of a war. -
Ultimatum from Austria-Hungary to Serbia
On July 23, 1914, the Austro-Hungarian ambassador in Belgrade delivered an ultimatum to the Serbian government in response to the assassination of the heir in Sarajevo. This document was written with the purpose of making its acceptance impossible. The Serbian rejection of the document broke the relations between Vienna and Belgrade, and led to war between the two countries. -
The Austro-Hungarian Empire breaks diplomatic relations with Serbia
On July 25, 1914, the Austro-Hungarian Empire breaks diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Serbia. In addition, the Russian Empire shows its support for Serbia, letting it be known that they will not tolerate any attack on Serbia's sovereignty. Serbia begins to prepare for a future war. -
Austria-Hungary declares war to Serbia
On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, beginning World War I.
After the Austro-Hungarian Empire had already announced the mobilization of the army against Serbia, an unverified incident between Habsburg and Serb troops occurred, and Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. -
U-boat campaign
The U-Boat Campaign was a naval campaign between 1914 and 1918. In it the U-Boats (German submarines) and the rest of the German surface fleet, the Imperial German Navy, fought on the side of the Triple Alliance; in the triple Entente fought among others the British Royal Army. This campaign took place mainly in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. The objective was the maritime blockade of his enemy and canceling his trade routes. -
General mobilization of the Russian army
Two days after the declaration of war, Russia mobilizes its troops to the south, clearly supporting Serbia. -
General mobilization of the Austro-Hungarian army
The Austrian Empire ordered the general mobilization of its armies. Belgium and the Netherlands also proceeded to mobilize their army. After the news arrived in Germany about the mobilization of the Russian armies, Berlin orders immediate military preparations. -
Germany declares war on Russia
The mechanism of the Triple Entente, signed in 1907 by Great Britain, France and Russia, motivated Germany to declare war on Russia and then France, mobilizing 4,800 men. -
German occupation of Luxembourg
Luxembourg was occupied by the German Empire from August 2, 1914 until the end of World War I in November 1918. The German government justified the occupation with the need for support from its troops in France. -
Germany launches the Schlieffen plan
Germany declares war on France, in addition
Belgium rejects the German ultimatum it received the day before. The German Empire invaded Belgium, following its Schieffen plan. This strategic military project consisted of rapidly overrunning the French troops from the north, through a rapid attack in the Netherlands, before Russia could mobilize its troops, and Germany had to fight on two fronts. The Kingdom of Italy, the Kingdom of Romania, and the Ottoman Empire declare neutrality, for now. -
England declares war to Germany
Germany invaded Belgium in order to pass into France, and this violated Belgian neutrality, so the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland declared war on the German Empire.
Beginning of the battle of Liège (in Belgium) from August 4 to 16: the German Empire begins the invasion of Belgium.
Argentina declares neutrality. -
The Kingdom of Montenegro declares war on the Austro-Hungarian Empire
On this day, the Kingdom of Montenegro declares war on the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Spain and the United States declare neutrality in World War I. -
Battle of Mulhouse
The Battle of Mulhouse was carried out on the Western Front, from August 7 to 10, in Alsace (France), then belonging to the German Empire. It was the first French offensive response to the German invasion to recover the territories of Lorraine and Alsace. The French had an initial victory, however the Germans retook the territories on the 10th day. -
Battle of Stallupönen
The Russian Empire begins the invasion of East Prussia: Battle of Stallupönen (in Prussia) from August 17 to 23. This was the first victory of the German armies over the Russian armies on the Eastern Front. -
Battle of Lemberg
This battle was one of the main campaigns of the Eastern Front, and it took place throughout the historical region of Galicia (in the Ukraine). It is divided into four main battles: Kraśnik, Komarów, Gnila Lipa and Rava-Ruska. The last battle was in Lópolis around September 11, 1914, with a Russian victory. -
Battle of Tannenberg
This battle faced the Russian and German empire in East Prussia, and took place from August 26 to 30, 1914. Germany, under the command of the General von Hindenburg, defeated the russians. -
First Battle of the Marne
This battle took place between September 5 and 12, 1914, on the Marne River (France). The French army stops the German advance thanks to the skill of General Joseph Joffre. This German defeat derailed the Schlieffen Plan and trench warfare began. -
First Battle of the Masurian Lakes
The First Battle of the Masurian Lakes was a confrontation that took place in September 7, 1914 between the German and Russian armies. It ended a week later, on the 14th of September, with a slight German advantage that was nullified by the end of the month due to a Russian counter-offensive. -
First Battle of Ypres
It was a series of battles that began on October 19 and around November 22. These battles marked the end of the "race to the sea".
The main battles of Ypres were: the Battle of Langemarck , from October 21 to 24, the Battle of Gheluvelt, from October 29 to 31, and the Battle of Nonne Bosschen, on November 11.
In this battle the British stopped the attempt of the
Germans to conquer Belgium. The trenches appeared, which reach a depth of between one and two meters, and were connected to each other. -
Battle of Łódź
The Battle of Łódź took place from 11 November to 6 December 1914, near the city of Łódź in Poland. It was fought between the German Army and the Russian Army, in hard winter conditions. It is considered an inconclusive battle with no definite winner, although the Russians suffered heavy losses. -
Battle of the Falkland Islands
It was a naval action between the British Royal Navy and Imperial German Navy on 8 December 1914 in the South Atlantic. The combat ended with a British victory, the destruction of the German squadron and the death of its best commander (Maximilian von Spee). -
Battle of Gallipoli
The Battle of Gallipoli or Battle of the Dardanelles began on February 19, 1915, in a strait between Turkey and the Black Sea. It started with the offensive of France and the UK against the Ottomans, which failed due to a great defense by the Ottoman Empire. The battle ended on January 9, 1916, lasting 10 months and 18 days. The result of this battle was an Ottoman victory, preventing the union across the straits between Russia and its allies. Casualties were around 250,000 for each side. -
Second Battle of Ypres
The Second Battle of Ypres began on April 22 and ended on May 25, 1915. In this battle, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada faced off against the German Empire. It was the first battle in which deadly gas was used successfully for military purposes (The first time was in the Battle of Bolimov). The outcome of this battle was not decisive, although there were heavy casualties on both sides. -
Treaty of London between Italy and the United Kingdom
This secret treaty was signed in London on April 26, 1915, by the Kingdom of Italy, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, France, and the Russian Empire. Under the treaty, Italy received Italian-inhabited areas in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, much of the Dalmatian coast, and a third of the Balkan territories of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
In exchange, Italy promised to abandon the Triple Alliance, and enter the war on the side of the Entente. -
Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary
After signing the Treaty of London, Italy joined the world war I,on the side of the triple Entente. Because of the possibility of incorporating into the national territory some areas owned by Austria, on May 23, 1915, Italy declared war on the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire.
Italy's main military confrontations with Austria-Hungary in 1915 are four battles on the Isonzo River. Italy's goal was to break through the Austrian lines and conquer Trieste. -
Beginning of the battles of the Isonzo
The so-called battles of the Isonzo are a series of battles between the armies of the Empire of Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Italy. They were fought in the area around the Isonzo River on the eastern border of Italy. Although there is debate among historians, there were 12 battles on the Isonzo, the first beginning on June 23, 1915, and the twelfth ending on November 7, 1917. -
Bulgaria makes an agreement with Germany the entry into the war
Bulgaria joined Germany and its allies after signing several favorable treaties.The first was a "Treaty of Friendship and Alliance" between Bulgaria and the German Empire, the second included the territories that Bulgaria would gain if they would win the war, which included Macedonia, a part of Serbia, and parts of Greece and Romania if they attacked Serbia in the future.The third treaty was military, committing Bulgaria to mobilize four divisions in the next fifteen days to help conquer Serbia. -
Battle of Loos
The Battle of Loos took place from 25 September to 8 October 1915 in France on the Western Front. It was the biggest British attack of 1915, the first time that the British used poison gas and the first mass engagement of New Army units. The British managed to break through the weak German trenches and capture the town of Loos. However, supply and communication problems meant that the assault couldn't be continued. The fight ended with the British going back to their starting positions. -
Bulgaria declares war on Serbia
On October 14, 1915, Bulgaria declared war on its neighboring country, Serbia, allying itself with the Central Powers and the Ottoman Empire.
That same day The Ovche Pole Offensive Operation was launched, which lasted until November 15. It was an operation of the Bulgarian Army, which aim was to seize the Vardar river valley, and cut the railway joining Skopje with Thessaloniki to prevent the Serbian Army from being resupplied and reinforced by the French and British Allied forces. -
Battle of Verdun: The longest battle of the entire war
The Battle of Verdun, fought from February 21 to December 18, 1916 (10 months), was the largest and longest battle of World War I on the Western Front between the German and French armies. The battle took place in the hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France.
The objective of this battle was to block the German invasion of the French country, resulting in a French victory. A total of 714,231 casualties are calculated, almost equal on both sides. -
Germany declares war on Portugal
In February 1916, the United Kingdom asked Portugal, with which they had been friends for centuries, to board all German and Austro-Hungarian ships on the Portuguese coast. Portugal took a total of 72 German ships, giving 65% of these to England, and 35% for the use of their country. For this reason, Germany officially declared war on Portugal on March 9, 1916 (although they had been fighting in Africa since 1914). -
Sykes–Picot Agreement
It was a secret agreement between Great Britain and France to define the proposed control of the two countries in the Middle East in case that the triple entente won against the Ottoman Empire in World War I. Negotiations were made between November 1915 and March 1916, and the agreement was signed on May 16, 1916. -
Battle of Jutland
It was the largest naval combat of World War I, which pitted the High Seas Fleet of the Imperial German Navy and the British Royal Navy between May 31 and June 1, 1916, off the coast of Denmark, in the north sea.
Both sides claimed victory. The British lost more ships and men, but avoided being caught by Scheer's ambush. The Germans never achieved control of the oceans. Instead, the German Navy used its efforts and resources toward unrestricted submarine warfare. -
Brusilov offensive
It was a military operation of the Russian army launched against the armies of the Central Powers on the eastern front, in Ukrainian Galicia, in the vicinity of the cities of Lviv, Kovel and Lutsk. This great offensive began on June 4 until September 20, 1916 (3 months and 16 days). The Brusilov Offensive was considered by many historians to be one of the worst crises of World War I for Austria-Hungary and the greatest victory of the Triple Entente, but it had a high loss of life. -
Battle of the Somme
This Battle was one of the longest and bloodiest battles of WW1, beginning on July 1, 1916, and ending on November 18. British and French forces attempted to break through the German lines along a forty kilometer front north and south of the Somme River(Northern France).The main objective of the battle was to distract the German troops from the battle of Verdun.It is the battle of WW1 that caused the most deaths, with more than a million casualties. Tanks were used for the first time in a war. -
Romania joins the war
On August 27, 1916, the Romanian Kingdom entered the war after two years of neutrality (1914-1916). On August 4,1916, they signed the Alliance Treaty with Russia, France, the United Kingdom and Italy and, in accordance with the Military Convention annexed to the Treaty, Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary. -
Ascension to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire of Charles I of Austria and IV of Hungary
Charles acceded to the throne at the age of 29, after the death of his elderly great-uncle, Emperor Franz Joseph I, on November 21, 1916. The new emperor tried to pull the Austro-Hungarian Empire out of the European war, mainly because of the economic situation that it kept getting worse. -
US President Woodrow Wilson's peace proposal
During World War I, US President Woodrow Wilson calls for peace. Also, for his second term campaign in 1916, he promised that the United States would maintain neutrality and not enter World War I. -
Germany declares total submarine warfare on merchant ships
On January 2, 1917, Germany declared total submarine warfare. The first months were enormously damaging to the ships going to and from England and France, more than 540,000 tons sunk in February, 875,000 in March. -
US President Woodrow Wilson proclaims "peace without victory."
Thomas Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States, makes a public appeal from the US Senate for "a peace without victory" to end the First World War. -
Breaking of diplomatic relations between Germany and the USA naval and submarine accidents
American neutrality policy changed when Germany announced in January 1917 that it would resort to unrestricted submarine warfare against the British fleet and all ships headed there. The US had expressed its opposition to unrestricted submarine warfare because it violated its rights as a neutral nation, and had threatened Germany with breaking the diplomatic relations if they applied this strategy. On February 3, the US, and other Latin American nations, broke diplomatic relations with Germany. -
Russian Revolution
It was the overthrow of the tsarist monarchical regime and the construction of a new model of the Leninist-republican state. It can be divided into two moments of this historical process:
February Revolution (March 8-16,1917), October Revolution (November 7-8,1917). As a consequence of the victory of the revolutionaries, Russia exited WW1, but then a civil war (November 7,1917-June 16,1923) broke out within the country that pitted the revolutionaries against the forces opposed to the revolution. -
Abdication of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, beginning of the Provisional Government
Tsar Nicholas II was the last of the Romanov,he abdicated his rights and his son's,due to the impossibility of maintaining autocracy in a country with revolts,the discontent of the people and war.The tsar was executed,with his entire family,in 1918.
The Russian Provisional Government was formed after the tsar abdication during the February Revolution of 1917.It was a series of cabinets,mainly coalition between liberal politicians and moderate socialists,who tried to solve the country's problems. -
The United States declares war on Germany
On April 6, 1917, US President Woodrow Wilson declared war on Germany. Until that day, the US had remained neutral. The declaration of war is a reaction to the German maritime war since January 1917: Germany wants to sink all ships sailing to the United Kingdom. Also including passenger and neutral US ships.Another reason for the US to declare war is the interception of the "Zimmermann telegram".Germany promises territory in the US and financial support to Mexico, if this country attacks the US. -
Greece joins the war
At the start of the war, Greece declared themselves neutral. The 1913 alliance with Serbia obligated them to help the other country in case of unprovoked aggression, but it wans't the case of the Austro-Serbian conflict.
WW1 caused an internal split in Greece. Entente troops entered Athens and the king had to leave Greece.The first minister returned to control the political situation, and decided to support the Entente, declaring war on Austria-Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria and Turkey on June 27. -
First Battle of Passchendaele
The First Battle of Passchendaele took place on 12 October 1917, in the Ypres Salient in Belgium on the Western Front. The attack was part of the Third Battle of Ypres and was fought west of Passchendaele village. Resulted in an German victory. -
Second Battle of Passchendaele
The Second Battle of Passchendaele was the culminating attack during the Third Battle of Ypres. The battle took place in the Ypres Salient area of the Western Front, in and around the Belgian village of Passchendaele, between 26 October and 10 November 1917. Resulted in an Alliance victory. -
Battle of Cambrai
It was the first offensive in which tanks were used as a massive weapon. It began on November 20, 1917 to December 6, near the city of Cambrai in France, a key supply position for the German Siegfriedstellung. The battle, although it resulted in many deaths, did not bring any great success or change in the general situation of either party, the outcome being uncertain. -
Armistice signing: End of hostilities on the Eastern Front between Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary
Armistice signing: End of hostilities on the Eastern Front
between Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary. The Central Powers accepted the Russian proposal. A peace on the eastern front would allow them to focus their efforts on the western front. The armistice was formalized on December 2/15, 1917. The next day all military maneuvers on the Eastern Front, from Lithuania to Transcaucasia, were suspended. -
Proclamation of the Fourteen Points of the American President Woodrow Wilson
The Fourteen Points were a series of proposals made in order to create new morally defensible war objectives for the Triple Entente and as a base for peace negotiations with the Central Powers in World War I. However, his main allies (France, UK, Italy) were not convinced of the applicability of the American president's idealism. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: peace between Germany and Russia
The Peace of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918 in the Belarusian city of Brest-Litovsk between the German Empire, Bulgaria, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and Soviet Russia. In the treaty, Russia gave up some territories to the Central Powers and some to the Ottoman Empire. The German defeat in World War I canceled the treaty, and all Russian losses had been recovered by 1940. -
Kaiserschlacht (German spring offensive)
It was the last major offensive of Germany (March 21 to April 5, 1918).After the US joined the war,Germany thought that the only chance to win was to defeat the Allies before the US could send soldiers. The German army had gained a temporary advantage in numbers from the Russian defeat and withdrawal from the war. Germany runned out of the army's forces with this series of offensives, jeopardizing any chance of victory and also affecting the resistance capacity on the western front. -
Independence of Armenia from Russia
The Democratic Republic of Armenia was the first modern Armenian state. It arose with the collapse of the Russian Empire after the Russian Revolution of 1917 and after the dissolution of the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic. n February 1918, the Armenians, Azeri and Georgians formed their own Transcaucasian parliament. On April 22, 1918, they voted for independence, proclaiming themselves the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic. -
Second Battle of the Marne
The Second Battle of the Marne (July 15-August 6, 1918) was one of the last major German offensives on the Western Front. The attack failed when French and American forces, equipped with several hundred tanks, disrupted the German right flank, causing heavy casualties. The German defeat marked the beginning of the Allied advance, which finished in the armistice signed with the German Empire some hundred days later. -
Hungary proclaims its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire
The dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was a process that took place after the defeat of the country in the First World War and that made it disappear as a State, beginning to dissolve from October 17 to 31, 1918. The First Republic arose from its territories. of Austria, the First Czechoslovak Republic, the Hungarian People's Republic, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and the Second Polish Republic; the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Romania were territorially enlarged. -
Start of the German November Revolution
At the end of 1918,German civilians are war-weary.There is a huge food shortage in the country and protests are taking place.The population blames Emperor Wilhelm II for the war.Many soldiers are tired of fighting and want the war to end.On November 9,the emperor is forced to abdicate, but no one knows who should take over.The established parties are afraid that communist revolutionaries will take power.To prevent this,the social democratic politician Philipp Scheidemann proclaimed the republic. -
Signing of the Armistice with the surrender of the Central Powers, in Le Frankfurt (France)
It was a treaty that ended the fighting of World War I between the Allies and Germany.Previously, armistices had been agreed with Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This marked a victory for the Allies and a defeat for Germany, but not formally a surrender.Although the armistice ended the fighting, the war continued until the Treaty of Versailles(6/28/1919). The harsh conditions imposed on Germany angered the population and was used by nationalist movements and Hitler. -
END OF WORLD WAR I
The First World War left nine million soldiers dead and 21 million wounded, with Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, France and Great Britain each losing nearly a million or more lives. In addition, at least five million civilians died from disease, starvation, or exposure.