World War I TimelineWorld War I Timeline

Pre-1914 - 1918Pre-1914 - 1918

Pre 1914Pre 1914

• France signs France signs humiliating treaty humiliating treaty after defeat in the after defeat in the Franco Prussian Franco Prussian WarWar

• France loses Alsace France loses Alsace and Lorraineand Lorraine

• Wilhelm II becomes Wilhelm II becomes Kaiser of GermanyKaiser of Germany

Pre 1914Pre 1914

• Nicholas II Nicholas II (Romanov) becomes (Romanov) becomes tsar of Russiatsar of Russia

• Russo-Japanese War Russo-Japanese War results in disastrous results in disastrous loss for Russialoss for Russia

• Bloody Sunday Bloody Sunday massacre in St. massacre in St. PetersburgPetersburg

19141914

• Austrian Archduke Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand assassinated in assassinated in SarajevoSarajevo

• Austria declares Austria declares war on Serbiawar on Serbia

• Russia mobilizesRussia mobilizes• Germany declares Germany declares

war on Russiawar on Russia

19141914

• Germany declares Germany declares war on Francewar on France

• Invades neutral Invades neutral BelgiumBelgium

• Britain declares Britain declares war on Germanywar on Germany

• Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary declares war on declares war on RussiaRussia

19141914

• Ludendorff and Ludendorff and Hindenburg defeat Hindenburg defeat Russians at Russians at TannenbergTannenberg

• First Battle of the First Battle of the Marne halts German Marne halts German invasion of Franceinvasion of France

• Trenches dugTrenches dug• Western front Western front

createdcreated

19141914

• Christmas Truce Christmas Truce

• Unofficial truce Unofficial truce among soldiers among soldiers along the Western along the Western FrontFront

19151915

• War becomes War becomes Total War with Total War with German Zeppelin German Zeppelin raid on GBraid on GB

• German German blockades Britain blockades Britain – any ship is a – any ship is a targettarget

19151915

• Allies begin 9 Allies begin 9 month battle for month battle for Turkish peninsula Turkish peninsula of Gallipoliof Gallipoli

• Thousands of Thousands of British and British and Australians killedAustralians killed

19151915

• U-Boat sinks British U-Boat sinks British passenger liner, passenger liner, LusitaniaLusitania

• 128 Americans die128 Americans die

• Germans claim Germans claim munitions on boardmunitions on board

19151915

• British use poison British use poison gas near Loos, but gas near Loos, but shifting winds shifting winds cause 60,000 cause 60,000 British casualtiesBritish casualties

• Allies begin Allies begin withdrawal of withdrawal of troops from troops from GallipoliGallipoli

19161916

• Longest battle, Longest battle, Verdun, ends in a Verdun, ends in a draw with 1 million draw with 1 million casualtiescasualties

• Battle of the Battle of the Somme, first use of Somme, first use of tanks by Britishtanks by British

• Woodrow Wilson Woodrow Wilson re-elected, “He re-elected, “He kept us out of war.”kept us out of war.”

19171917

• Zimmerman Note is Zimmerman Note is discovereddiscovered

• Germany urged Germany urged Mexico to enter war Mexico to enter war against U.S. – would against U.S. – would regain lost territoryregain lost territory

• German resumes German resumes unrestricted unrestricted submarine warfaresubmarine warfare

19171917

• Tsar Nicholas II Tsar Nicholas II abdicatesabdicates

• Provisional Provisional government set upgovernment set up

• President Wilson President Wilson asks for declaration asks for declaration of warof war

• U.S. passes U.S. passes Selective Service ActSelective Service Act

19171917

• First wave of the First wave of the American American Expeditionary Expeditionary Force (AEF) arrives Force (AEF) arrives in Francein France

• DoughboysDoughboys

19171917

• Americans fire first Americans fire first shots in the warshots in the war

• Bolshevik socialists Bolshevik socialists led by Lenin led by Lenin overthrow Kerensky’s overthrow Kerensky’s provisional provisional governmentgovernment

• Russia signs Russia signs armistice with armistice with GermanyGermany

19181918

• Flu epidemic begins Flu epidemic begins – kills more people – kills more people than the warthan the war

• Americans stop Americans stop Germans at Chateau Germans at Chateau ThierryThierry

• Baron von Baron von Richthofen (Red Richthofen (Red Baron) killed in air Baron) killed in air dog-fightdog-fight

19181918

• Tsar Nicholas and Tsar Nicholas and family are family are murdered by murdered by BolsheviksBolsheviks

• Allied forces push Allied forces push Germans back into Germans back into retreatretreat

19181918

• Germans mutiny Germans mutiny and desertand desert

• Kaiser Wilhelm II Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicatesabdicates

• Nov. 11, 1918 Nov. 11, 1918 (11:00 am) – (11:00 am) – armisticearmistice

• War is overWar is over

19181918

• Pres. Wilson sails Pres. Wilson sails to Paristo Paris

• Treaty of VersaillesTreaty of Versailles

• 14 Points14 Points

• Harsh punishment Harsh punishment for Germanyfor Germany