WORLD WAR I
The First World War began when Britain and Germany went to war in August 1914. It was directly triggered by the assassination of the Austrian archduke, Franz Ferdinand and his wife, on 28th June 1914 by Bosnian revolutionary, Gavrilo Princip.
The First World War 1 lasted four years, from 4 August 1914 until 11 November 1918. Initially it was a war between two sets of alliances: the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary and their allies) and the Triple Entente (Britain, France and Russia) and their allies, including the member countries of the British Empire, and the USA, which entered the war in 1917. They began soon after the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne by a Serbian nationalist. Austria threatened to punish Serbia, an ally of Russia. Russia threatened Austria, in turn, appealed to Germany. Germany struck first by declaring war on Russia and its ally, France. When Germany invaded Belgium, Britain entered the war on the side of Russia and France. The date was 4 August 1914.
The movement of people
In the early weeks of the First World War (late in the summer of 1914), both German and French commanders anticipated a war that would involve a large amount of troop movement, as each side sought to gain -- or defend -- territory. The Germans initially swept through parts of Belgium and northeastern France, gaining territory along the way.During the first battle of the marne in September 1914, however, the Germans were pushed back by Allied forces. They subsequently "dug in" to avoid losing any more ground. Unable to break through this line of defense, the Allies also began to dig protective trenches.
The Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution, which took place from the 18th to 19th centuries, was a period during which predominantly agrarian, rural societies in Europe and America became industrial and urban. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, which began in Britain in the late 1700s, manufacturing was often done in people’s homes, using hand tools or basic machines. Industrialization marked a shift to powered, special-purpose machinery, factories and mass production. The iron and textile industries, along with the development of the steam engine, played central roles in the Industrial Revolution, which also saw improved systems of transportation, communication and banking. While industrialization brought about an increased volume and variety of manufactured goods and an improved standard of living for some, it also resulted in often grim employment and living conditions for the poor and working classes.
Trenches
1914 Timeline of WW1 July
1915 Timeline of WW1 January
1918 Timeline of WW1 January
- July 28,1914: Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and WW1 begins
- July 31,1914: Russia announced mobilization of their army and called upon the French to mobilize
- August 1, 1914: Germany declared war on Russia
- August 3,1914: Germany declared war on France. Germany invaded Belgium and the British foreign secretary, Sir Edward Grey, sent an ultimatum to Germany demanding their withdrawal from the neutral Belgium
- August 4,1914: Britain declared war on Germany
- August 6, 1914: Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia
- Battle of Tannenberg - Won by the Germany against Russia
- August 13, 1914: Japan declared war on Germany
- September 15, 1914: First trenches of the western front were built
- September: Battle of Masurian Lakes between the Russian First Army and Germany - no victory was claimed but over 100,000 Russians were taken prisoner
- October 19, 1914: First Battle of Ypres - British lost a vast number of troops
- October 29, 1914: Turkey enters the Great War helping with the naval bombardment of Russia
- November 2, 1914: Russia declared war on Turkey
- November 5, 1914: France and Britain declared war on Turkey
- December 15, 1914: Unofficial Christmas Truce was announced
1915 Timeline of WW1 January
- January - The first Zeppelins appeared over the coast of England
- Zeppelins were rigid-framed airships (not balloons) filled with helium or hydrogen, used by the Germans in bombardments of England
- February 4, 1915: Germany blocked the sea using submarines
- Dardenelles - The British navy attacked Turkish forts in the Dardenelles
- March 10–March 13: Battle of Neuve Chapelle
- April 25, 1915: Battle for Gallipoli was started
- April 22 – May 15, 1915 - Second Battle of Ypres
- May 7, 1915: The Lusitania was sunk
- The Lusitania, which had many American passengers aboard, was sunk by a German U-Boat
- May 23, 1915: Italy declared war on Germany
- June 4, 1915: Allies defeated at the Third Battle of Krithia
- June 28–July 5, 1915: The British win the Battle of Gully Ravine.
- July 9, 1915: The German forces in South-West Africa surrender
- August 5, 1915: Warsaw was captured by Germany
- September 25, 1915: Battle of Loos begins
- October 14, 1915: Bulgaria declares war on Serbia
- October 15, 1915: The United Kingdom declares war on Bulgaria
- October 16, 1915: France declares war on Bulgaria
- November 22 – November 25, 1915: Battle of Ctesiphon, in present-day Iraq
- December 28, 1915 : Allies started evacuation of their troops from Gallipoli
- Britain introduced conscription
- January 11, 1916: Corfu occupied by the Allies
- February 21, 1916- December 18, 1916: Battle of Verdun started. Over 1 million casualties were reported
- March 8, 1916: Battle of Dujaila
- Romania joined the war with the Allies
- April 29, 1916: British forces surrendered to Turkish forces at Kut in Mesopotamia
- May 31, 1916: Naval battle of Jutland was fought between Britain and Germany - day 1
- June 1, 1916: Naval battle of Jutland was fought between Britain and Germany - day 2. Battle inconclusive but resulted in the alarmed Germans consigning their fleet to harbour
- June 4, 1916: Start of the Brusilov Offensive
- July 1, 1916 - Battle of the Somme commenced
- August 10, 1916: End of the Brusilov Offensive
- First use of tanks in the Battle of the Somme
- October 24, 1916: The French recapture Fort Douaumont near Verdun
- November, 1916 - Battle of the Somme ended as inconclusive but great losses on both sides
- November 28, 1916: First German air raid over London
- December 7, 1916: Henry Asquith resigns and David Lloyd George becomes Prime Minister of Britain
- December 18, 1916: Battle of Verdun ended - inconclusive but massive losses on both sides
- December 31, 1916: Rasputin was murdered
- January 9, 1917: Battle of the Roof
- February 1, 1917: Germany declared unrestricted submarine warfare
- February 23 – April 5, 1917: The Germans withdraw to the Hindenburg Line
- March 8 – March 11, 1917: The British capture Baghdad
- March 15, 1917 : Russian Revolution
- April 6, 1917: USA declared war on Germany
- April 16, 1917: France launched unsuccessful offensive on Western front
- May 5 - May 15, 1917: Allied offensive on the Salonika Front
- June 10 - June 29, 1917: Battle of Mount Ortigara
- June 12, 1917: King Constantine I of Greece abdicates
- July 31 – November 6, 1917: Battle of Passchendaele also known as the Third Battle of Ypres
- September 27 - September 28, 1917: Battle of Ramadi, Mesopotamia
- October 24, 1917: Battle of Caporetto – the Italian Army was heavily defeated
- November 6, 1917: Britain launched a major offensive on the Western Front
- November 20, 1917: British tanks won a victory at Cambrai
- December 5, 1917: Armistice between Russia and Germany was signed
- December 9, 1917: Jerusalem was captured by Britain from the Turkish
1918 Timeline of WW1 January
- January 8, 1918: Woodrow Wilson outlines his Fourteen Points
- February 25, 1917: German troops capture Estonia
- March 3, 1918: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed between Germany and Russia
- March 29, 1918: Marshall Foch was appointed Allied Commander on the Western Front
- 9 - 29 April 1918: Battle of the Lys also known as the Battle of Estaires or the Fourth Battle of Ypres
- July 15, 1918: Second Battle of Marne was started beginning the collapse of the German army
- August 8 - 11, 1918: Battle of Amiens
- September 12, 1918: Battle of Havrincourt
- September 19, 1918: Turkish forces collapsed at Megiddo
- September 28 – October 2, 1918: Fifth Battle of Ypres
- October 28, 1918: Mutiny in German forces
- October 30, 1918: Turkey signed armistice
- Hindenberg line collapsed
- November 9, 1918: Kaiser William II abdicated
- November 11, 1918: End of WW I (the Great War) when the Armistice was signed at 11.00am in Redonthes in France
Bibliography
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Australian War Memorial. (n.d.). Retrieved July 30th, 2013, from http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/ww1.asp
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World War 1. (n.d.). Retrieved July 30th, 2013, from World War 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I
Your story, our history. (n.d.). Retrieved July 30th, 2013, from Your story, our history: http://naa.gov.au/collection/explore/defence/service-records/army-wwi.aspx
Australian War Memorial. (n.d.). Retrieved July 30th, 2013, from http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/ww1.asp
Timeline of World War One. (n.d.). Retrieved July 30th, 2013, from History Learning Site: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/timeline_of_world_war_one.htm
World War 1. (n.d.). Retrieved July 30th, 2013, from World War 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I
Your story, our history. (n.d.). Retrieved July 30th, 2013, from Your story, our history: http://naa.gov.au/collection/explore/defence/service-records/army-wwi.aspx