By Sarah Paulson

June 28, The Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife Sofie were assassinated by Serbians in Seravejo. August 1-3, Germany declares war on Russia and France; WWI begins. September 14, German troops advance into France and are stopped at First Battle of the Marne. July 28, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia August 29, Russian army defeated by German general Paul von Hindenburg at The Battle of Tannenberg. May 7, Sinking of the Lusitania; a German submarine sinks the British ship called Lusitania. World War I Timeline

February-June, Battle for Verdun, France. July-November Battle of the Somme. April 6, The United States declares war on Germany. May 31, Naval Battle of Jutland in the North Sea. March 16, Russian Czar Nicholas II renounces throne; provisional government takes over Russia. (Communism) March 3, Russians sign the treaty of Brest Litovsk and drop out of the war. World War I Timeline

March 21, Germans begin Operation Michael, their last offensive in France. September 12-14, The Americans capture Saint-Mihiel salient at the Battle of Saint- Mihiel. June 28, World leaders sign the Treaty of Versailles, which officially ends the war. July-August, The Allies put Germany on defensive during Second Battle of the Marne. November 9, Germany collapses in revolution; Kaiser Wilhelm II gives up his throne and escapes the country. World War I Timeline

The Russians

 Russia’s Mobilization of 1914 was one of the causes of World War I.  Mobilization is an act of assembling and putting into readiness for war or other emergency.  After Serbia, one of Russia’s allies, went to war, Russia started partial mobilization.  Germany wanted to stop the mobilization, and when Russia refused, demanded the neutrality of France, another ally of Russia. This was on August 1, 1914.

 France mobilized after war was declared on Russia, and two days later (August 3, 1914), Germany declared war on France.  Russian Mobilization was one cause of the war because of this.

 Twenty-six days later, on August 29, 1914, Russian army was defeated by German general Paul von Hindenburg at The Battle of Tannenberg.  There were two different Russian armies that invaded East Prussia at the same time. Alexander Samsonov was the general of the second army, with General Rennenkampf leading the first.  The loss at this battle was the worst for Russia, and they didn’t ever fully recover. General Samsonov

 The loss at Tannenberg made the government look weak, especially after the Czar was put in charge of the army.  On March 16, 1917, the Russian’s emperor, Czar Nicholas II, abdicated, renouncing his throne.  With Nicholas II no longer in charge, provisional government takes over Russia.  Russia’s government became Communism.

 Provisional Government is the name of the government Russia had when Czar Nicholas II abdicated, but it is basically Communism.  Communism is basically eliminating private property. It is a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed.  This changed the lives of a lot of people, and eventually started a Civil War in Russia. Grand Duke Michael, first President of Russian Provisional Government

 On March 3, 1918, the Russians signed the treaty of Brest Litovsk and dropped out of the war.  The Russians then go into Civil war, which leads to the Russian Revolution.