World War I

Outbreak of war

Austria–Hungary was created in the "Ausgleich of 1867" after Austria was defeated by Prussia. As agreed in 1867, the Habsburgs would be Emperors of Austria and Kings of Hungary. Hungary would gain a parliament and have certain rights similar to home rule. This compromise was agreed to by Franz Josef and others in the German aristocracy in hopes of preserving their power. It did not solve the more fundamental problems of the Austro–Hungarian Empire. With the formation of the Dual Monarchy, Franz Josef became leader of a nation with sixteen ethnic groups and five major religions speaking no fewer than nine languages.

Related Topics:
"''Ausgleich of 1867''" - Prussia - 1867 - Franz Josef

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In large measure because of the vast disparities that existed within the Empire, Austrians and Hungarians always viewed growing Slavic nationalism with deep suspicion and concern. Thus the Austro-Hungarian government grew worried with the near-doubling in size of neighbouring Serbia's territory as a result of the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913. Serbia, for its part, made no qualms about the fact that it viewed all of Southern Austria–Hungary as part of a future Great South Slavic Union. This view had also garnered considerable support in Russia. Many in the Austrian leadership, not least Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph, and Conrad von Hötzendorf, worried that Serbian nationalist agitation in the southern provinces of the Empire would lead to further unrest among the Austro-Hungarian Empire's other disparate ethnic groups. The Austro-Hungarian government worried that a nationalist Russia would back Serbia to annex Slavic areas of Austria–Hungary. The feeling was that it was better to destroy Serbia before they were given the opportunity to launch a campaign.

Related Topics:
Serbia - Balkan Wars - 1912 - 1913 - Russia - Habsburg - Franz Joseph - Conrad von Hötzendorf - Slavic

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After the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, after nearly a month of debate, the government of Austria–Hungary sent a 10-point ultimatum to Serbia (July 23, 1914) — the so called July Ultimatum — to be unconditionally accepted within 48 hours. The ultimatum was the first of a series of diplomatic events known as the July Crisis which set off a chain reaction and a general war in Europe.

Related Topics:
Franz Ferdinand - Ultimatum - July 23 - 1914

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The Serbian government agreed to all but one of the demands in the ultimatum, noting that participation in its judicial proceedings by a foreign power would violate its constitution. Austria–Hungary nonetheless broke off diplomatic relations (July 25) and declared war (July 28) through a telegram sent to the Serbian government.

Related Topics:
July 25 - July 28

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The Russian government, which had pledged in 1909 to uphold Serbian independence in return for Serbia's acceptance of the Bosnia annexation, mobilised its military reserves on 30 July following a breakdown in crucial telegram communications between Kaiser Wilhelm and Tsar Nicholas II (the famous "Willy and Nicky" correspondence), who was under pressure by his military staff to prepare for war. Germany demanded (31 July) that Russia stand down its forces, but the Russian government persisted, as demobilization would have made it impossible to re-activate its military schedule in the short term. Germany declared war against Russia on August 1 and, two days later, against the latter's ally France.

Related Topics:
1909 - Mobilised - 30 July - Kaiser Wilhelm - Tsar - Nicholas II - Willy and Nicky - 31 July - Demobilization - August 1 - France

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The outbreak of the conflict is often attributed to the alliances established over the previous decades — Germany-Austria-Italy vs France-Russia; Britain and Serbia being aligned with the latter. In fact, none of the alliances were activated in the initial outbreak, though Russian general mobilization and Germany's declaration of war against France were motivated by fear of the opposing alliance being brought into play.

Related Topics:
Germany - Austria - Italy - France - Russia - Britain

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Britain declared war against Germany on August 4. This was caused by Germany's invasion of Belgium on August 4 1914, whose independence Britain had guaranteed to uphold in the Treaty of London of 1839, and which stood astride the planned German route for invasion of Russia's ally France. Unofficially, it was already generally accepted in government that Britain could not remain neutral, since without the co-operation of France and Russia its colonies in Africa and India would be under threat, while German occupation of the French Atlantic ports would be an even larger threat to British trade as a whole.

Related Topics:
August 4 - Belgium - 1914 - Treaty of London - 1839 - Colonies - Atlantic

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The spread of war

;1914

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• July 23: Austria-Hungary ultimatum to Serbia.
• July 28: Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
• July 31: Russia begins mobilization.
• August 1: Germany declares war on Russia.
• August 2: German troops occupy Luxembourg.
• August 3: Germany declares war on France.
• August 4: Germany invades neutral Belgium; the United Kingdom declares war on Germany in response.
• August 6: Montenegro sides with its traditional ally, Serbia, and declares war on Austria-Hungary.
• August 10: Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia.
• August 12: The United Kingdom and France declare war on Austria-Hungary.
• August 23: Japan declares war on Germany.
• September: Unity Pact signed by France, Britain, and Russia.
• October 9: Belgium falls to German troops at the Siege of Antwerp.
• October 29: The Ottoman Empire enters the war on the side of Germany and Austria-Hungary.
• November 2: Russia declares war on the Ottoman sultanate.
• November 5: France and United Kingdom declare war on the Ottoman sultanate.
• December 25: Christmas Truce in the Trenches.

;1915

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• April 24: Young Turk Ottoman government begins deportation and murder of Armenians and Assyrians accusing them of collaboration with the Allies.
• April 25: Gallipoli campaign commences.
• April 26: Italy secretly signs the London Pact with the Triple Entente.
• May 23: Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary.
• October 14: Bulgaria declares war on Serbia and enters the war on the side of Germany and Austria-Hungary.

;1916

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• March 9: Germany declares war on Portugal (see Portugal in the Great War).
• August 27: Romania declares war on Austria-Hungary.
• August 28: Italy declares war on Germany.

;1917

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• January 16: Germany sends the Zimmermann Telegram to Mexico, proposing an alliance against the United States.
• April 6: The United States declares war on Germany.
• June 27: Greece enters the war on the side of the Entente.
• August 14: The Republic of China declares war on Germany.
• October 26: Brazil declares war on Germany.
• November 7: The October Revolution takes place in Russia.
• December 7: United States declares war on Austria-Hungary.

;1918

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• 3 March: Russia and the Central Powers sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, marking Russia's exit from World War I.
• October 30: Mudros/Turkish Armistice signed opening Turkish territory to Entente military operations.
• November 11: Armistice signed, end of World War I.

;1919

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• 28 June: Treaty of Versailles, official end to World War I between the Entente and Central Powers.

;1920

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• 4 June: Treaty of Trianon, partition of Austro-Hungarian Empire's Kingdom of Hungary.