A world undone: the story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918 (2 page)

June 28:

Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated at Sarajevo.

July 5:

Kaiser Wilhelm II gives “blank check” to Austria-Hungary.

July 23:

Austria-Hungary delivers ultimatum to Serbia.

July 25:

Serbia responds to ultimatum and mobilizes.
Russia declares Period Preparatory to War.

July 28:

Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.

July 30:

Russia and Austria-Hungary order general mobilization.

July 31:

Germany issues “double ultimatum” to France and Russia.

August 1:

France orders general mobilization.
Germany mobilizes, declares state of war with Russia.

August 2:

German troops enter Luxembourg.

August 3:

Germany declares war on France.
Britain orders general mobilization.

August 4:

Germany declares war on Belgium.
Britain declares war on Germany.

August 5:

Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia.

August 6:

Serbia declares war on Germany.

August 7:

French troops invade Alsace.

August 10:

France declares war on Austria-Hungary.
Austria-Hungary invades Serbia.

August 12:

Britain declares war on Austria-Hungary.

August 16:

Russian troops invade East Prussia.

August 23:

Germans and British meet in Battle of Mons in Belgium.

August 26:

Battle of Le Cateau.

August 28:

Russian Second Army is destroyed at Tannenberg.

September 3–11:

Russians force Austro-Hungarians out of Lemberg, drive them back to Carpathian Mountains.

September 5:

French-British counterattack opens Battle of the Marne.

September 9:

German withdrawal marks end of Schlieffen Plan offensive.

September 9–14:

Germans defeat Russians in Battle of Masurian Lakes.

October 6:

Belgian troops abandon Antwerp to Germans.

October 19:

Opening of First Battle of Ypres.

October 29:

Turkey enters war on side of Austria-Hungary and Germany.

November 5:

Austria-Hungary invades Serbia.

December 14:

French and British launch general offensive all along Western Front.

January 24:

British-German warships meet at Dogger Bank in North Sea.

February 7–22:

German victory over Russians in Second Battle of Masurian Lakes.

March 10–13:

Battle of Neuve Chapelle in France’s Artois region.

March 18:

British-French naval task force fails to force open the Dardanelles.

April 22:

Second Battle of Ypres begins with German offensive.

April 25:

British and French forces land on Gallipoli Peninsula.

May 1:

German offensive at Gorlice and Tarnow in Galicia.

May 9:

British attack Aubers Ridge; French begin Second Battle of Artois.

May 23:

Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary.

June 23:

Italian attack opens First Battle of the Isonzo.

August 5:

German forces occupy Warsaw, climaxing an offensive that began on July 13.

August 6:

British forces land at Suvla Bay in Gallipoli.

September 25:

Massive French offensive begins Second Battle of Champagne and Third Battle of Artois while British attack at Loos.

October 6:

Germans and Austro-Hungarians invade Serbia.

October 14:

Bulgaria and Serbia declare war on each other.

December 17:

Douglas Haig replaces John French as commander of British Expeditionary Force.

January 8:

British complete evacuation of Gallipoli peninsula.

February 21:

Germans open offensive at Verdun.

March 18:

Russians attack German defenders at Lake Naroch.

May 5:

Beginning of Arab revolt against Ottoman Empire.

May 31:

The Battle of Jutland in the North Sea.

June 4:

Russians begin the Brusilov offensive in Austria and Poland.

July 1:

British and French begin the Battle of the Somme.

August 27:

Romania declares war on Austria-Hungary.

August 29:

Hindenburg replaces Falkenhayn as chief of German General Staff.

September 1:

Bulgaria declares war on Romania.

September 3:

German-Bulgarian-Turkish force invades Romania.

October 24:

French launch counteroffensive at Verdun.

November 23:

Provisional Greek government declares war on Germany and Bulgaria.

December 5:

David Lloyd George replaces H. H. Asquith as British prime minister.

December 6:

German troops enter Bucharest, Romania.

December 12:

Joseph Joffre is replaced by Robert Nivelle as commander of French forces on the Western Front.

January 31:

Germany announces resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare.

February 3:

United States ends diplomatic relations with Germany.

February 23:

Germans begin withdrawal to Hindenburg Line on Western Front.

March 1:

Contents of Zimmermann telegram are made public.

March 15:

Tsar Nicholas II abdicates.

April 6:

United States declares war.

April 9:

British attack opens Battle of Arras.

April 16:

Nivelle offensive begins with French attack at the Chemin des Dames.

April 17:

First outbreak of mutiny among French troops on Western Front.

May 12:

John J. Pershing is appointed commander of American Expeditionary Force.

May 15:

Nivelle is replaced by Henri-Philippe Pétain as French commander in chief.

June 7:

British offensive at Messines Ridge in Flanders.

July 1:

Russians launch Kerensky offensive.

July 31:

British attack opens Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele).

October 24:

Austro-Hungarian forces open Battle of Caporetto on Italian front.

November 6:

Passchendaele falls to Canadian Corps, ending Third Battle of Ypres. Bolsheviks under Lenin and Trotsky overthrow Russian government.

November 20:

British attack with tanks at Cambrai.