World War I Timeline by Tanner Huelsmann

June 28, 1914, Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

huelsmannt0439 — 2024-02-29 17:28:44 UTC

On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb. This event triggered a series of crises that eventually would spread to the outbreak of WWI

July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia

huelsmannt0439 — 2024-02-29 17:28:45 UTC

In response to the assassination of the Archduke by a Serbian nationalist, Austria-Hungary, along with Germany's support, issued an ultimatum to Serbia with ten demands. When Serbia only agreed to eight of the ten demands, Austria-Hungary decided to declare war on Serbia on July 28, 1914, marking the beginning of WWI

August 2-4, 1914, Belgium is invaded

huelsmannt0439 — 2024-02-29 17:28:45 UTC

In the summer of 1914, Germany invaded Belgium as part of the Schlieffen Plan, which led to Britain's entry into WWI due to an earlier agreement to protect Belgium. Despite being significantly outnumbered, the Belgian Army's resistance delayed the German offensive, providing crucial time for the French and British forces to counterattack.

January 16, 1917, Zimmerman's Telegram

huelsmannt0439 — 2024-02-29 17:28:46 UTC

Zimmerman's telegram was a coded message that was sent out by the German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann in which it proposed a military alliance with Mexico and Japan if the United States declared war on Germany. The British intercepted and decoded the message, and its revelation caused a major out rage within the U.S., it significantly contributed to the United States decision to enter WWI

July 1–November 18, 1916, Battle of the Somme

huelsmannt0439 — 2024-02-29 17:28:47 UTC

The battle of Somme, was also one of the deadliest battles faced in human history, taking place from July to November 1916 along the Western Front near the Somme River in France. Despite a week-long heavy artillery bombardment, the Allied offensive resulted in over a million casualties on both sides, with the British suffering losing over 57,000 casualties on the first day alone.

April 6, 1917: USA Enters WWI

huelsmannt0439 — 2024-02-29 17:28:47 UTC

Initially maintaining a policy of neutrality, the United States entered the war on April 6, 1919. after the interception of the Zimmermann Telegram and Germany's resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare. These events as well as the sinking of the British boat the Lusitania due to a German U-boat in 1915, shifted the American opinions and led to the United States declaring war against Germany.

February 21-December 18, 1916, The Battle of Verdun

huelsmannt0439 — 2024-02-29 17:28:48 UTC

The Battle of Verdun, which lasted many months from February 21 to December 18, 1916, was one of the longest-lasting and bloodiest wars during WWI, with French and German casualties amounting to around 400,000 and 350,000. Despite a major German offensive, the French, under the command successfully repulsed the attack using a defense strategy in depth and rotating units through Verdun regularly.

June 28, 1919, Treaty of Versailles

huelsmannt0439 — 2024-02-29 17:28:49 UTC

The Treaty of Versailles, signed on June 28, 1919, marked the end of WWI and imposed severe penalties on Germany which included territorial loss, disarmament, and hefty reparations. These harsh terms and failure to address underlying issues economic problems and resentment from within Germany, contributed to the rise of Adolf Hitler and WWII

October 24-25, 1917, The Russian Revolution

huelsmannt0439 — 2024-02-29 18:20:40 UTC

The Russian Revolution, which took place in 1917 led to the overthrow of the Tsarist autocracy and the establishment of USSR, marking the rise of Communism. This revolution was characterized by multiple major uprisings, the first being an overthrow of the imperial government, the second placed the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, in power.

January 8, 1918, Woodrow Wilson Announces his 14 Points

huelsmannt0439 — 2024-02-29 18:26:30 UTC

On January 8, 1918, United States President Woodrow Wilson presented his Fourteen Points in a speech to Congress, outlining his vision of a post-WWI peace settlement. The points included proposals for open diplomacy, freedom of the seas, free trade disarmament, territorial adjustments, and his main point the establishment of a general association of nations (later to be known as the League of Nations) to guarantee political independence and territorial integrity to all nations.