WORLD WAR -I

(1914-1919)
World War I started in July 1914 and it finished in November 1918. It took 4
years. It started because of the conflict between some powerful European
countries.
The reasons and start of the War
The reasons were political, territorial and economic conflicts among the great
European powers during forty years before the war. The direct origins of the
war, however, lay in the decisions taken by statesmen and generals during
the July Crisis of 1914 caused by the assassination of Archduke Franz
Ferdinand and his wife Sophie by Gavril Principe, committed by an ethnic
Serb and Yugoslav nationalist from the group Young Bosnia, which was
supported by the Black Hand, a nationalist organization in Serbia. The more
immediate reason for the war was tensions over territory in the Balkans.
Austria-Hungary competed with Serbia and Russia for territory and influence
in the region and they pulled the rest of the Great Powers into the conflict
through their various alliances and treaties.

The chain of events

June 28, 1914: Serbian nationalists assassinate Archduke Franz

Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

June 2829: Anti-Serb riots in Sarajevo begins.

July 23: Austria-Hungary sends a warning to Serbia, containing several

very severe demands. In particular, they gave only forty-eight hours to

comply. While both Great Britain and Russia understood with many of
the demands, both agreed the time was far too short. Both advised
Serbia to obey.

July 24: Germany officially declares support for Austria's position.

July 24: Sir Edward Grey, speaking for the British government, asks
that Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain, "who had no direct
interests in Serbia, should act together for the sake of peace
simultaneously.

July 25: The Serbian government replies to Austria, and agrees to most
of the demands. However, certain demands brought into question her
survival as an independent nation.

July 25: Russia enters a period preparatory to war and mobilization

begins on all frontiers. Government decides on a partial mobilization in
principle to begin on July 29.

July 25: Serbia mobilizes its army. Austria-Hungary breaks diplomatic

relations with Serbia.

July 26: Serbia soldiers accidentally violate Austro-Hungarian border.

July 26: Russia having agreed to stand aside while others talked, a
meeting is organized to take place between ambassadors from Great
Britain, Germany, Italy and France to discuss the crisis. Germany
declines the invitation.

July 27: Sir Edward Grey meets the German ambassador independently.
A telegram to Berlin after the meeting states, "Other issues might be
raised that would supersede the dispute between Austria and Serbia ...

as long as Germany would work to keep peace I would keep closely in

touch."

July 28: Austria-Hungary, having failed to accept Serbia's response of

the 25th, declares war on Serbia. Mobilization against Serbia begins.

July 29: Russian general mobilization is ordered, and then changed to

partial mobilization.

July 29: Sir Edward Grey appeals to Germany to intervene to maintain

peace.

July 29: The British Ambassador in Berlin is informed by the German

Chancellor that Germany is planning war with France, and wishes to
send its army through Belgium. He tries to secure Britain's neutrality in
such an action.

July 31: Austrian general mobilization is ordered.

July 31: Germany enters a period preparatory to war.

July 31: Germany sends an ultimatum to Russia, demanding that they

halt military preparations within twelve hours.

July 31: Both France and Germany are asked by Britain to declare their
support for the ongoing neutrality of Belgium. France agrees to this.
Germany does not respond.

July 31: Germany asks France, whether it would stay neutral in case of
a war Germany vs. Russia

August 1: King George V of Great Britain personally telegraphs Tsar

Nicholas II of Russia.

August 1: French general mobilization is ordered.

August 1: German general mobilization is ordered.

August 1: Germany declares war against Russia.

August 1: The Tsar responds to the king's telegram, stating, "I would
gladly have accepted your proposals had not the German ambassador
this afternoon presented a note to my Government declaring war."

August 2: Germany and the Ottoman Empire sign a secret treaty

entrenching the OttomanGerman Alliance.

August 3: Germany, after France declines its demand to remain

neutral, declares war on France. Germany states to Belgium that she
would "treat her as an enemy" if she did not allow free passage of
German troops across her lands.

August 3: Britain, expecting German naval attack on the northern

French coast, states that Britain would give "... all the protection in its
powers."

August 4: Germany implements offensive operation.

August 4: Having failed to receive notice from Germany assuring the

neutrality of Belgium, Britain declares war on Germany.

August 6: Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia.

August 23: Japan, following the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, declares war

on Germany.

August 25: Japan declares war on Austria-Hungary.

Sides of the War: Allies vs. Central Powers

The Original Alliance: The Triple Entente

British Empire

French Republic

Russian Empire

On 23 May 1915, Italy entered the war on the Entente side and declared war
on Austria.
On 6 April 1917 the United States and its American allies entered the war.
Liberia, Siam and Greece also became allies. Russia left the alliance and
ended formal involvement in the war, by the signing of the treaty of Brest
Litovsk in. The Russian withdrawal allowed for the final organization of the
alliance, which was based on five Great Powers:

French Republic

British Empire

United States

Italy

Japan

The Central Powers Nations:

Nation

Entered WWI

Austria-Hungary

28 July 1914

German Empire

1 August 1914

Ottoman Empire

2 August 1914 (secret)

29 October 1914 (public)

Kingdom of Bulgaria

14 October 1915

Declarations of War
Date

Declared by

Declared against

1915
October 14

Bulgaria

Serbia

October 15

United Kingdom
Montenegro

Bulgaria

October 16

France

Bulgaria

October 19

Italy
Russia

Bulgaria
1916

September 1

Bulgaria

Romania
1917

July 2

The end of the War

Greece

Bulgaria

Armistice and treaties:

The collapse of the Central Powers in 1918.

Bulgaria signed a ceasefire with the Allies on 29 September 1918. The

Ottoman Empire followed suit on 30 October 1918 in the face of British and
Arab gains in Palestine and Syria. Austria and Hungary concluded ceasefires
separately during the first week of November following the breakup of the
Habsburg Empire and the Italian offensive at Vittorio Veneto; Germany
signed the truce ending the war on the morning of 11 November 1918 after
the Hundred Days Offensive, and a succession of advances by New Zealand,
Australian, Canadian, Belgian, British, French and US forces in north-eastern
France and Belgium. There was no unified treaty ending the war; the Central
Powers were dealt with in separate treaties.