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Death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
He was killed in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina -
Black Hand is discovered
15 days later Austro-Hungaria discovers that Gavrilo Princip (Serbia) a member of the Black Hand killed the Archiduque ans his wife. -
Austro-Hungaria vs. Serbia
one month to the day after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife were killed by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, effectively beginning the First World War. -
Germany declared war on Russia
Germany declared war on Russia. -
Germany declared war on France
Germany declared war on France. German troops poured into Belgium as directed under the Schleiffen Plan, drawn up in 1905. The British foreign secretary, Sir Edward Grey, sent an ultimatum to Germany demanding their withdrawal from the neutral Belgium. -
British declaration of war
Germany did not withdraw from Belgium and Britain declared war on Germany. -
Japan declared on Germany
The battle resulted in the almost complete destruction of the Russian Second Army and the suicide of its commanding general, Alexander Samsonov. -
Battle of Tannenberg
The Russian army marched into Prussia. The ensuing battle was a heavy defeat for the Russians with thousands of men killed and 125,000 taken prisoner. Although the Germans won the battle, 13,000 men were killed. -
Battle of Maurian Lakes
Having defeated the Russian Second army, the Germans turned their attention to the Russian First army at Masurian Lakes. Although the Germans were unable to defeat the army completely, over 100,000 Russians were taken prisoner. -
Turkey
Having defeated the Russian Second army, the Germans turned their attention to the Russian First army at Masurian Lakes. Although the Germans were unable to defeat the army completely, over 100,000 Russians were taken prisoner. -
Russia war on Turkey
Because of the help given by Turkey to the German attack of Russia, Russia declared war on Turkey. -
Britain and France declared war on Turkey
Britain and France, Russia’s allies, declared war on Turkey, because of the help given to the German attack on Russia. -
Trench Warfare Begins
The Western Front in Europe stabilizes in the aftermath of the First Battle of Ypres as the Germans go on the defensive and transfer troops to the East to fight the Russians. The 450-mile-long Western Front stretches from the Channel Coast southward through Belgium and Eastern France into Switzerland. Troops from both sides construct opposing trench fortifications and dugouts protected by barbed wire, machine-gun nests, snipers, and mortars, with in a area called No Man's Land. -
Zeppelins
The first Zeppelins appeared over the English coast. -
Lusitania sunk
There outraged protests from the United States at the German U-boat campaign, when the Lusitania, which had many American passengers aboard, was sank. The Germans moderated their U-boat campaign. -
Italy
Italy entered the war on the side of the Allies.
