Timeline by Selina Moran

1914- assassination of Franz Ferdinand

moransv28 — 2025-03-11 14:08:49 UTC

on June 28th a Sunday morning Franz Ferdinand and his wife were going to visit Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. while driving there Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated by a young man. This young man was Gavrilo Princip an 18 year old who was a member of Young Bosnia and one of a group of assassins organized and armed by the Black Hand. This assassination led to Austria-Hungary immediately declaring war on Serbia.

1914 - trench warfare

moransv28 — 2025-03-11 14:10:30 UTC

The trench warfare was a style of combat where they would fight from the trenches that were dug into the ground. the trenches would protect them from the gun fire from the opposing side. The cons of being in the trenches was the muddy and how it would get flooded which would expose the soldiers to diseases and artillery bombardments. they would also develop trench foot which is a condition that causes dead tissue to spread across the feet which would be very uncomfortable for the soldier. Being in the trenches soldiers would have limited activities outside the trenches and would usually sleep, play cards, read, write letters to their loved ones.

1914 &1918 - Battle of Marne

moransv28 — 2025-03-11 14:12:11 UTC

The Battle of the Marne took place during 1914 and 1918 and it was fought against the French and British armies and also the German. The first time this battle was fought was September 5-12, 1914 when the French and British counterattacked the German advance in France. This battle saved Paris from being invaded and ended Germanys hopes of a quick victory. The second time this happened was July 15,18 in 1918. When Germany planned the Marne attack in order to draw the French troops away from an area in Belgium called Flanders and the Germans planned to direct a bigger offensive in Flanders.

1915 -Sinking of Lusitania

moransv28 — 2025-03-11 14:13:15 UTC

The sinking of the Lusitania was on may 7th, 1915. The reason for the sinking was caused by a German torpedo strike and then by an unexplained explosion. this happened off the coast of Ireland and it sank in 18 minutes. the ship was going from new York to Liverpool, England. The result of a German U-boat torpedoed and sinking the Lusitania was the deaths of nearly 1,200 people. this impacted an outrage and had the public turn on Germany.

1916- Battle of Somme

moransv28 — 2025-03-11 14:13:51 UTC

July 1 to November 18 an allied operation between British and French forces wanting to win a decisive victory over the Germans on the Western Front. The reason behind this was to relieve pressure on the French at Verdun and to break the stalemate on the Western Front. this brutal battle lasted up to five months. the outcome of this battle was bad losses and the allies gained only a few miles of land. The first day of this battle is considered the bloodiest day in the history for the British Army. This battle also saw the first tank to be used and also the importance of air power.

1916 - Battle of Verdun

moransv28 — 2025-03-11 14:15:09 UTC

The battle of Verdun was a brutal and prolonged engagement of World War I. This battle lasted 10 months from February 21 to December 18, 1916. The reason for this battle was because German Chief of General Staff and Erich von Falkenhayn wanted to target the French fortress city of Verdun because of the symbolic importance. With this the were aiming to "bleed the French white and cripple" their army. The outcome of this battle was having heavy casualties on each side. The Germans failed to achieve their strategic goals, and the battle ended in a stalemate. A stalemate is a situation where neither side can gain a decisive advantage or make progress which ends in a prolonged period of deadlock or a war of attrition. Overall in the end the French successfully defending Verdun.

1917 -Zimmermann Telegram

moransv28 — 2025-03-11 14:16:20 UTC

The Zimmermann Telegram was a secret coded message. This was sent from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann to the German Minister to Mexico, Heinrich von Eckhardt. The purpose of this secret coded message was proposing a military alliance between Germany and Mexico against the United States if the US entered World War I while as offering Mexico the return of lost territory. This made the United States feel threatened.

1918 - 14 points

moransv28 — 2025-03-11 14:16:58 UTC

In a January 8, 1918 speech, President Woodrow Wilson outlined his "Fourteen Points". A vision for a just and lasting peace after World War I. Emphasizing open diplomacy, free trade, disarmament, and national self-determination.

1918 - Armistice year

moransv28 — 2025-03-11 14:17:24 UTC

November 11, 1918 was the day when the armistice started. The meaning of armistice is a formal agreement between warring parties to stop fighting, but it's not necessarily the end of the war itself. It ended on June 28, when it was being signed in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. The treaty imposed harsh terms on Germany, including territorial losses, disarmament, and hefty reparations payment.

1919 - Treaty of Versailles

moransv28 — 2025-03-11 14:17:50 UTC

The treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed in 1919 that ended World War I between Germany and the Allied Powers. Some of the key terms of the treaty was that Germany was required to pay war reparations to the Allied Powers, Germany was forced to give up all of its overseas colonies, and Germany was required to disarm and reduce the size of its military. This treaty was fully established on January 10, 1920. The outcome of this peace treaty left Germany in anger and humiliation. These feelings made Germanys nationalism and the rise of Hitler. The treaty did create a little to long-term peace.