World War I

July 28, 1914

Following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, on June 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, officially starting World War I.

Fig. 1. A map of Europe showing Allied Powers in dark blue, Allied occupations in blue, Allied gains in light blue, Central Powers in maroon, Central occupations in burgundy, Central puppet states in red, and Central gains in pink; screenshot from EmperorTigerstar, "World War I: Every Day," YouTube, 0:10.

August 4, 1914

Germany, an ally of Austria-Hungary, invades neutral Belgium, prompting Great Britain to declare war on Germany and join World War I.

Fig. 2. A map of Europe showing Allied Powers in dark blue, Allied occupations in blue, Allied gains in light blue, Central Powers in maroon, Central occupations in burgundy, Central puppet states in red, and Central gains in pink; screenshot from EmperorTigerstar, "World War I: Every Day," YouTube, 0:11.

September 6, 1914

The First Battle of the Marne in France begins, stopping the German army 30 miles from Paris. It initiates the well-known trench warfare.

Fig. 3. A map of Europe showing Allied Powers in dark blue, Allied occupations in blue, Allied gains in light blue, Central Powers in maroon, Central occupations in burgundy, Central puppet states in red, and Central gains in pink; screenshot from EmperorTigerstar, "World War I: Every Day," YouTube, 0:18.

April 22, 1915

The Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium begins. It marks the first use of chemical warfare, which is used by the German army.

Fig. 4. A map of Europe showing Allied Powers in dark blue, Allied occupations in blue, Allied gains in light blue, Central Powers in maroon, Central occupations in burgundy, Central puppet states in red, and Central gains in pink; screenshot from EmperorTigerstar, "World War I: Every Day," YouTube, 1:03.

April 25, 1915

Landings begin at the Gallipoli Peninsula at Cape Helles and at ANZAC Cove. The attempt to force the Dardanelles and capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople (now Istanbul) is a disaster almost from the outset.

Fig. 5. A map of Europe showing Allied Powers in dark blue, Allied occupations in blue, Allied gains in light blue, Central Powers in maroon, Central occupations in burgundy, Central puppet states in red, and Central gains in pink; screenshot from EmperorTigerstar, "World War I: Every Day," YouTube, 1:04.

May 7, 1915

The British ocean liner Lusitania is torpedoed by a German U-boat off the southern coast of Ireland. Nearly 1,200 people are killed, including 128 Americans.

Fig. 6. A map of Europe showing Allied Powers in dark blue, Allied occupations in blue, Allied gains in light blue, Central Powers in maroon, Central occupations in burgundy, Central puppet states in red, and Central gains in pink; screenshot from EmperorTigerstar, "World War I: Every Day," YouTube, 1:06.

February 21, 1916

The Battle of Verdun in France begins. It is the longest battle in modern history, and both the French and German armies suffer over 700,000 casualties. The battle is a symbol of French resilience.

Fig. 7. A map of Europe showing Allied Powers in dark blue, Allied occupations in blue, Allied gains in light blue, Central Powers in maroon, Central occupations in burgundy, Central puppet states in red, and Central gains in pink; screenshot from EmperorTigerstar, "World War I: Every Day," YouTube, 2:04.

May 31, 1916

The Battle of Jutland in Denmark, fought between Great Britain and Germany, is the largest naval battle of World War I. Even though the British Royal Navy suffers more casualties, the battle is still a victory for the Allies.

Fig. 8. A map of Europe showing Allied Powers in dark blue, Allied occupations in blue, Allied gains in light blue, Central Powers in maroon, Central occupations in burgundy, Central puppet states in red, and Central gains in pink; screenshot from EmperorTigerstar, "World War I: Every Day," YouTube, 2:24.

July 1, 1916

The First Battle of the Somme in France begins. On July 1 alone, nearly 20,000 people are killed in action. By the end of the battle, there were over 1 million casualties for both the Germans and the British.

Fig. 9. A map of Europe showing Allied Powers in dark blue, Allied occupations in blue, Allied gains in light blue, Central Powers in maroon, Central occupations in burgundy, Central puppet states in red, and Central gains in pink; screenshot from EmperorTigerstar, "World War I: Every Day," YouTube, 2:30.

March 15, 1917

Czar Nicholas II of Russia abdicates from the throne a week after the Russian Revolution starts in the Russian capital of St. Petersburg. The Russian Revolution prompts the rise of Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik Party, which eventually leads to the creation of the Soviet Union.

Fig. 10. A map of Europe showing Allied Powers in dark blue, Allied occupations in blue, Allied gains in light blue, Central Powers in maroon, Central occupations in burgundy, Central puppet states in red, and Central gains in pink; screenshot from EmperorTigerstar, "World War I: Every Day," YouTube, 3:22.

April 6, 1917

The United States declares war on Germany and enters World War I.

Fig. 11. A map of Europe showing Allied Powers in dark blue, Allied occupations in blue, Allied gains in light blue, Central Powers in maroon, Central occupations in burgundy, Central puppet states in red, and Central gains in pink; screenshot from EmperorTigerstar, "World War I: Every Day," YouTube, 3:26.

March 3, 1918

The Soviet Union accepts the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk from the Central Powers, withdrawing from World War I. Russia surrenders Finland, Ukraine, and the Polish and Baltic states.

Fig. 12. A map of Europe showing Allied Powers in dark blue, Allied occupations in blue, Allied gains in light blue, Central Powers in maroon, Central occupations in burgundy, Central puppet states in red, and Central gains in pink; screenshot from EmperorTigerstar, "World War I: Every Day," YouTube, 4:32.

November 11, 1918

Germany and the Allies sign an armistice, officially ending World War I.

Fig. 13. A map of Europe showing Allied Powers in dark blue, Allied occupations in blue, Allied gains in light blue, and surrendered Central Powers in brown; screenshot from EmperorTigerstar, "World War I: Every Day," YouTube, 5:24.

Bibliography

Ray, Michael. "Timeline of World War I." Encyclopedia Britannica. August 8, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/list/timeline-of-world-war-i.