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Assisination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
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Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia
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Europe descends into war
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Germany invades Belgium
Germany invades Belgium, beginning World War I -
The War in Africa
the first shots of WWI are fired in Africa -
Germans Fire
The Germans fire shells filled with chlorine gas at Allied lines. This is the first time that large amounts of gas are used in battle, and the result in the near-collapse of the French lines. However, germans are unable to take advantage of the breach. -
The Gallipoli Campaign
Bogged down in a stalemate on the Western Front, the Allies attack Germany's allies in the Middle East, the Ottoman Turks -
Lusitania Sinks
A german submarine sinks the passenger liner Lusitania. The ship carries 1,198 people, 128 of them Americans. -
Conscription introduced in Britain
By 1916 heavy losses on the Western Front mean Britain's volunteer army needs reinforcements. On 27 January the government introduced conscription. -
Battle of Verdun
At the start of 1916 the opposing forces are fighting a frustrating war or attrition on the Western Front -
Battle of Jutland
The German fleet leaves the safety of its ports in a bid to shell to English coast and attack an element of the British fleet. -
The Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme is one of the largest and bloodiest conflicts of the World War one. Nearly 20,000 British soldiers die on the first. -
First Tanks
The British employ the first tanks ever used in battle, at Delville Wood. -
U.S. Enters War
Congress authorizes a declaration of war against Germany. The United States enters World War I on the side of France and Britain. -
Germany and Russia Peace
The Germans sign a peace treaty with the new Bolshevik government of Russia. The terms of the trearty give Germany huge tracts of land that had been the Ukraine and Poland, and peace on the Eastern Front allows Germany to shift soldiers to the Wester Front, causing serious problems for the French, British, and Americans -
Battle of Cantigny
First major American offensive of the war. Americans fight bravely and soon go on to larger attacks against German positions. -
Battle of Belleau Wood
The Battle of Belleau Wood begins as the U.S. Marine Corps attacks the Germans across an open field of wheat, suffering huge casualties. -
Belleau Wood Ends
The Battle of Belleau Wood ends with the final expulsion of the Germans from the wood, which marks the farthest German advance on Paris. The area has changed hands six times during the three-week battle, which has caused nearly 10,000 American casualties. -
Battle of St. Mihiel
The Battle of St. Mihiel begins when 300,000 American troops under the direct command of General Pershing fling themselves into the German lines. -
Wilhem Abdicates
Kaiser Wilhelm abdicates, ending all German hope for a victory. He and his retinue quietly slip over the border into the Netherlands where he lives out the remainder of his life in relative peace and writes a self-promoting memoir defending his actions in the war.