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assasination of France Ferdinand
-Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to Austria-Hungary's throne, and his wife, Sophie, are assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip while the couple were visiting Sarajevo, Bosnia. -
Germany declares war on Russia.
Russia mobilized along the German border. Russia's mobilization amounted to a declaration of war. On August 1, German government declare war on Russia. -
Germany declares war on France
On the afternoon of this day in 1914, two days after declaring war on Russia, Germany declares war on France, moving ahead with a long-held strategy, conceived by the former chief of staff of the German army, Alfred von Schlieffen, for a two-front war against France and Russia -
The United Kingdom declares war on Germany
The United Kingdom declares war on Germany, after Germany invades Belgium. -
The United Kingdom declares war on Germany, after Germany invades Belgium.
Germany went through Belgium in oder to outflank the French armies and quickly capture Paris. -
The USA declares itself neutral.
America entered World War One on April 6th, 1917. Up to that date, America had tried to keep out of World War One – though she had traded with nations involved in the war – but unrestricted submarine warfare, introduced by the Germans on January 9th, 1917, was the primary issue that caused Woodrow Wilson to ask Congress to declare war on Germany on April 2nd -
The Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun begins. The Battle of Verdun was the longest battle of World War 1 and was one of the bloodiest. -
The United States declares war on Germany.
At 8:30 on the evening of April 2, 1917, President Wilson appeared before a joint session of Congress asking for a declaration of war to make the world "safe for democracy." On April 4, Congress granted Wilson's request and the United States was at war with Germany. -
The Bolsheviks successfully overthrow the Russian government
Russia’s Bolshevik Revolution took place as forces led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin overthrew the provisional government of Alexander Kerensky. -
The Treaty of Versailles officially ends World War 1.
The Versailles Treaty, signed on June 28, 1919, was the peace settlement between Germany and the Allied Powers that officially ended World War I. However, the conditions in the treaty were so punitive upon Germany that many believe the Versailles Treaty laid the groundwork for the eventual rise of Nazis in Germany and the eruption of World War II.
