World War I Timeline Pre-1914 - 1918

Pre 1914 France signs humiliating treaty after defeat in the Franco Prussian War France loses Alsace and Lorraine Wilhelm II becomes Kaiser of Germany

Pre 1914 Nicholas II (Romanov) becomes tsar of Russia Russo-Japanese War results in disastrous loss for Russia Bloody Sunday massacre in St. Petersburg

1914 Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated in Sarajevo Austria declares war on Serbia Russia mobilizes Germany declares war on Russia

1914 Germany declares war on France Invades neutral Belgium Britain declares war on Germany Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia

1914 Ludendorff and Hindenburg defeat Russians at Tannenberg First Battle of the Marne halts German invasion of France Trenches dug Western front created

1914 Christmas Truce Unofficial truce among soldiers along the Western Front

1915 War becomes Total War with German Zeppelin raid on GB German blockades Britain – any ship is a target

1915 Allies begin 9 month battle for Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli Thousands of British and Australians killed

1915 U-Boat sinks British passenger liner, Lusitania 128 Americans die Germans claim munitions on board

1915 British use poison gas near Loos, but shifting winds cause 60,000 British casualties Allies begin withdrawal of troops from Gallipoli

1916 Longest battle, Verdun, ends in a draw with 1 million casualties Battle of the Somme, first use of tanks by British Woodrow Wilson re-elected, “He kept us out of war.”

1917 Zimmerman Note is discovered Germany urged Mexico to enter war against U.S. – would regain lost territory German resumes unrestricted submarine warfare

1917 Tsar Nicholas II abdicates Provisional government set up President Wilson asks for declaration of war U.S. passes Selective Service Act

1917 First wave of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) arrives in France Doughboys

1917 Americans fire first shots in the war Bolshevik socialists led by Lenin overthrow Kerensky’s provisional government Russia signs armistice with Germany

1918 Flu epidemic begins – kills more people than the war Americans stop Germans at Chateau Thierry Baron von Richthofen (Red Baron) killed in air dog-fight

1918 Tsar Nicholas and family are murdered by Bolsheviks Allied forces push Germans back into retreat

1918 Germans mutiny and desert Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates Nov. 11, 1918 (11:00 am) – armistice War is over

1918 Pres. Wilson sails to Paris Treaty of Versailles 14 Points Harsh punishment for Germany