Timeline 1914-1923 (One Day in Sarajevo)

The following is the Timeline of events that happens in One Day In Sarajevo.

=1910s=

June

 * 28 June: Flag_of_Austria-Hungary_1869-1918.svgsination attempt on Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo fails. Point of Divergence

July

 * 21/24 July: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svg George V of the United Kingdom hosts talks between the Irish Nationalists, Unionists and MPs from the Liberal and Conservative Parties of the House of Commons to try to work out a compromise in the Home Rule Act. Little is accomplished, with Irish Nationalists storming out of the meeting over the uncompromising nature of the Irish Unionists from Ulster.

August

 * 7 August: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svg bomb explodes in the Ulster Volunteer stronghold of Belfast, and is blamed on the Nationalists. The intended target, a Unionist leader, had left the building before it exploded, and it killed a mother and her two children, leading to an outrage in the British and Unionist press.
 * 10-13 August: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svgnalists and Unionists in Belfast begin to fight during competing rallies, and that leads to the Belfast Riots that destroy much of the downtown core and the Harland and Wolff shipyards, the most important industry in the city, before British troops are able to suppress the fight. However, when troops are ordered into Ulster to break up the Ulster Volunteers, the soldiers and their officers refuse to go in. This event is later called the "Curragh Mutiny."
 * 15 August: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svg Minister Herbert Asquith fails a Vote of Confidence over the "Curragh Mutiny", and a general election is called.
 * 29 August: US_flag_48_stars.svg The surprising losses posted by US Steel leads to a minor recession in the US and an increase in unemployment.

October

 * 4 October: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svgr Balfour and the Conservative Party in the UK wins the most seats (343 of 670 seats) and forms a majority government. H.H. Asquith and the Liberal Party is in second (198 or 670), and the Irish Parliamentary Party is third (71 or 670). Labour (39 of 670) and All-For-Ireland (19 of 670) make their best showings in the House of Commons.
 * 10 October: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svg Balfour tries to suspend the Home Rule Act for two more years, but it is voted down in the House of Commons.
 * 12 October: Flag_of_Ireland.svg Volunteers and other nationalist groups, seeing the new Conservative government and their efforts to suspend Home Rule as a threat, declare the Free Irish State in Cork, and vowing not to give up until Home Rule is put into effect.
 * 15 October: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svg PM Balfour, with the reluctant support of King George V, announces that Ireland is in a state of insurrection and the Army applies martial law to suppress any "violence detrimental to the unity of the Kingdom and Empire."
 * 25 October: Flag_of_Ireland.svg/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svg First clashes between Irish Volunteers and British troops take place across Ireland, leaving 156 dead and many more wounded. Ulster Volunteers began fighting bands of Irish Volunteers across the Northern counties, killing many more. The Irish Insurrection officially begins.

November

 * 3 November: US flag 48 stars.svg Elections for the US House of Representatives and Senate result in a majority for the Democratic Party in both houses. Although Democrats picked up three seats in the Senate, they lost 60 to the Republicans who were recovering from the split with the Progressive Party in the 1912 elections, and took advantage of a slowing national economy to blame it on the Democrats.

December

 * December 7: Mexico_flag,_1893-1916.png Mexican Revolutionaries led by populist agrarian Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, capture Mexico City. However, Villa's violent actions against the urban citizens and the former government led to opposition of his rule by moderates in the capital.

February

 * 6 February: Flag_of_Austria-Hungary_1869-1918.svg a short illness, Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary dies in his sleep. Archduke Franz Ferdinand assumes the throne, taking the title Emperor Ferdinand II of Austria, and King Ferdinand VI of Hungary.

March

 * 19 March: Flag of Ireland.svgFlag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svg Irish fighters inflict a minor defeat on English troops at Queenstown (Cobh), Ireland. The RMS Olympic, sister ship of the infamous Titanic was set on fire while in port, killing 89 crew members and passengers. The "Olympic Incident", while it didn't sink the ship, caused outrage in The United Kingdom and America, damaging the Irish freedom cause.

April

 * 1 April: Mexico_flag,_1893-1916.png Start of the Battle of Celaya in the Mexican Revolution. Revolutionary Francisco "Pancho" Villa's forces, outnumbered and outgunned, are defeated in the week long battle by forces under the command of Álvaro Obregón and Venustiano Carranza, leaving thousands dead. Villa would retreat to Northern Mexico.


 * 19 April: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svgFlag_of_the_German_Empire.svg The first meetings between German and British officials over Naval and Colonial issues. The increasing cost of the naval arms race in Germany, and Britain's isolation over the Irish Insurrection have led both empires to negotiate a deal. While officials like Admiral von Tirpitz argued against such an agreement, Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg finally convinced Kaiser Wilhelm II that Germany would be unable to afford to keep up with Britain in the naval race.

March

 * 8 March: Mexico_flag,_1893-1916.png US flag 48 stars.svg Mexican revolutionaries under Pancho Villa launch raids on towns and railways in New Mexico, causing 56 deaths, although losing 120 to the defenders, in response to American's selling him defective weapons. President Wilson, under pressure from public opinion sparked by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hurst, vows revenge on Pancho Villa.

June

 * 17 June: Flag_of_Ireland.svgFlag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svg Negotiations between the UK and the Irish Free State finally reach a conclusion in what is now known as the Dublin Accord. The UK will allow Home Rule to go into effect in Southern Ireland, and Ulster will hold a referendum to decide if they will join Home Rule Ireland or remain in the United Kingdom. In return, the Irish Free State will disband the Irish volunteers, and will remain part of the British Empire as a Dominion. The deal is met with rejoicing in much of the Free State, while Ulster is steadfast in its determination to remain in the UK.

July

 * 20 July: US flag 48 stars.svgMexico_flag,_1893-1916.png Pancho Villa's Mexican revolutionaries ambush the United States Mexican Expeditionary Force near the small town of Camargo. General John Pershing, commander of the force, is killed by a sniper, while 1000 of the 5000 strong force are killed or taken prisoner. The Army recalls the expedition, and the public outcry is huge in America, demanding that the US not interfere in other countries.

August

 * 7 August: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svg The Ulster Referendum is held. In the six counties for Union with the UK, majority of the voters in the Irish counties of Antrim, Down, Armagh, Londonderry, Fermanagh and Tyrone voted to remain in the UK.


 * 18 August: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svg Bombing in Ulster reaches new heights, and most are tied back to disgruntled Irish Volunteers who did not agree with the Dublin Accords and the division of Ireland. The Ulster Terror begins in earnest, tying down British troops for months.

November

 * 25 November: US flag 48 stars.svg In one of the closest elections in American history, President Woodrow Wilson is narrowly defeated by Republican Candidate Charles E Hughes with the close result in California in favour of Hughes the deciding factor. In all, Hughes won by only one electoral vote (267-264) and only 300,000 in the popular vote. Recounts for weeks after the election on 7 November kept the results up in the air for so long. The Republican Party managed to retake the House of Representatives, while the Democrats held onto the Senate. Many blamed the raid into New Mexico by Pancho Villa and his Mexican Revolutionaries, and the disastrous American response, to Wilson's defeat.

May

 * 16 April: US flag 48 stars.svg In his first foreign policy announcement, President Charles E Hughes announces that American forces will no longer be used in unilateral invasions in other nations, especially Latin America, without a declaration of war, and asks the US Congress to pass a law to codify the "Hughes Doctrine." Isolationism in the US reaches an all time high.


 * 18 May: Flag_of_Austria-Hungary_1869-1918.svgiations over the Austria-Hungarian Compromise are in deadlock over Emperor Ferdinand's demand for greater centralization and more rights for national minorities in the Empire, and Hungary's refusal to accept.


 * 26 May: Flag_of_Austria-Hungary_1869-1918.svg Minister István Tisza of Hungary makes a last effort to continue the Compromise of 1867, but the Austrian delegation, under pressure from the Emperor, refuses. The negotiations are broken off.


 * 28 May: Flag_of_Hungary_1940.svg/Flag_of_Russia.svg Hungarian leaders meet with the Russian ambassador, who expresses his support for the "conservative values of the Kingdom of Hungary," and goes a step farther than the Russian government allows and promises support in the event of a civil war.


 * 29 May: Flag_of_Hungary_1940.svg the breakdown in negotiations, the Hungarian Parliament under Prime Minister Tisza passes the "Separation Act", where if the Emperor-King of Austria-Hungary does not renounce his efforts to centralize the Empire and destroy the Dual Monarchy, the Kingdom of Hungary will secede from the Empire.


 * 30 May: Flag_of_Austria-Hungary_1869-1918.svgian troops are ordered to shut down the Hungarian parliament, but Hungarian troops fire on their former comrades. The Massacre of Budapest results in heavy casualties on both sides and reduces the chances for reconciliation. Official date for start of the Great War and Austria-Hungarian Civil War
 * Flag_of_Russia.svg Russian Prime Minister Sergi Witte sacks the Russian Ambassador to Austria-Hungary for his actions, but Czar Nicholas II is warming to the idea of supporting Hungary to eliminate a larger rival to the Balkans.


 * 31 May: Flag_of_Austria-Hungary_1869-1918.svgor Ferdinand announces that the Kingdom of Hungary is in insurrection, and as such the constitution is suspended, and Austrian troops will be used to suppress the fight. He also sends a message to Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany if he will stand by Austria's side.
 * Flag_of_Hungary_1940.svgry the same day announces independence, with Prime Minister Tisza serving as Regent of the Kingdom until a suitable Hungarian noble is selected to lead the country. Hungarian troops are ordered to seize armouries and bases throughout Hungary, leading to firefights between Austrian Loyalists and Hungarian Secessionists.

June

 * 2 June: Flag_of_the_German_Empire.svg days of debate with leaders of the Reichstag and the military, Kaiser Wilhelm II and his Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, decide to support Austria, as they see a strong, united Austria, even if the liberalization under Emperor Ferdinand would undo the strong Conservative regime, as the best ally they have. The Social Democratic Party is split over Austria, with a slim majority demanding support for Austria, while the rest want to keep the peace.


 * 3 June: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svgFlag_of_France.svgsh and French leaders meet in Calais for a secret meeting to determine what should be done. Britain, still dealing with problems in Ireland and warming relations with Germany, is wary to enter a war over Austria, but France, led by nationalist President Raymond Poincare, believes now is the time to stand up to Germany and force them to back down for once even if it leads to war. The Entente is unable to decide what to do.


 * 5 June: Flag_of_Austria-Hungary_1869-1918.svgFlag_of_Hungary_1940.svg First clashes of Austrian and Hungarian troops near Jennersdorf, Austria. Emperor Ferdinand calls up "all loyal reserves" to help put down the "Magyar revolution."
 * Flag_of_Russia.svg Russian Prime Minister Sergei Witte tries to convince Czar Nicholas II in a private meeting to not allow a large European War to break out, as Russia was woefully unprepared and needed to continue to modernize the army. Nicholas II, having received conflicting reports from the military commanders, fires Witte on the spot in a fit of rage, and calls upon Witte's rival and former associate Vladimir Kokovtsov to lead the Council of Ministers.


 * 7 June: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svgFlag_of_the_German_Empire.svg The German Ambassador to Britain meets with Foreign Secretary Edward Grey to ask what Britain's position is in the Austria-Hungarian Crisis. Grey is noncommittal, citing the Entente with France, but makes it clear that so long as there are no threats to Britain, she would stay neutral and do their best to keep France from declaring war.


 * 8 June: Flag_of_the_German_Empire.svg Hearing Britain's reply, Kaiser Wilhelm II orders the General Staff to prepare military plans for helping Austria.
 * Flag_of_France.svgFlag_of_Russia.svg President Poincare met with the Russian Ambassador on the orders of Nicholas II in Paris after the deadlocked meeting with Britain. This meeting results in France agreeing to support Russia, which was taking on a more warlike attitude to Germany and Austria


 * 9 June: Flag_of_the_German_Empire.svgFlag_of_France.svg The French ambassador is summoned to Kaiser Wilhelm II, and he offers President Poincare a deal: a temporary de-militarization of the forts on either side of the common border, a joint force to bring stability to Austria-Hungary led by a military committee of French and German officers, and guarantees of the independence of Belgium and Switzerland. The Ambassador promises to relay the message to Paris as soon as possible.


 * 10 June: Flag_of_France.svgFlag_of_the_German_Empire.svg President Poincare, after an all-night Cabinet session, rejects Kaiser Wilhelm's offer. Poincare says they "will keep all options open."


 * 12 June: Flag_of_Russia.svg 20,000 Russian troops are moved to the border of Hungary for exercises, inflaming opinions in Austria and Germany about Russian intentions and raising hopes for Hungarian Nationalists.


 * 13 June: Flag_of_the_German_Empire.svg Kaiser Wilhelm II is urged by the General Staff to order General mobilization to have the army prepared in case of Russian military incursions and to force France to stand down. He delays his decision until after meeting with British and Italian ambassadors to see that the conflict is isolated to Eastern Europe and won't spark a European War.
 * Flag_of_Austria-Hungary_1869-1918.svg Without Hungarian opposition, Emperor Ferdinand declares the Nationalities Law. In return for allegiance to the Hapsburg Monarchy, the various nationalities in Austria-Hungary will be considered "equals" to Austrian Germans, and will be allowed to establish national assemblies in a federalized structure. Hungarian leaders decry this law, saying that Austria plans to destroy Hungary with this law, reducing Hungarian influence while maintaining Austria's own. Slav's in the Balkan territories, along with Czechs, Slovaks and Ukrainians that are officially part of Hungary support this law.


 * 14 June: Flag_of_Italy_(1861-1946).svg Italy officially announces neutrality in the crisis, urging a peaceful resolution.
 * Flag_of_the_German_Empire.svgFlag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svg England maintains so long as French, Belgian, Dutch, Danish or Norwegian neutrality are maintained, they will not protest against German mobilization or military operations in Austria-Hungary.


 * 16 June: Flag_of_the_German_Empire.svg Germany announces the mobilization of its reserves, demands that Russia back down and disavow support to Hungary.


 * 17 June: Flag_of_France.svg President Poincare sends an ultimatum to Germany demanding the cessation of mobilization in 12 hours, or France will mobilize.
 * Flag_of_the_German_Empire.svg German General staff approach Kaiser Wilhelm for approval of Schefillen Plan, but he refuses, not wanting to drag in the already neutral Britain.
 * Flag_of_Russia.svg Russia refuses to German demands, and Czar Nicholas is approached for mobilization. Indecisive, Nicholas refuses to mobilize, still hoping for peace.


 * 18 June: Flag_of_France.svgFlag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svg President Poincare sends a telegram to Prime Minister Balfour asking if Britain will stand by France. Balfour is unable to reply, facing a revolt in the Conservative Party and opposition from the Liberals and Labour in the House of Commons over his policy in Ireland and the Crisis in Europe. The ultimatum expires, and France begins its mobilization.


 * 19 June: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svg PM Balfour puts forward a motion to support France in the Austrian Crisis in the House of Commons. It is a free vote, with MPs allowed to vote as they wish, and it is made a vote of confidence. The House in a two-thirds opposed vote, refuses. Balfour asks King George V to dissolve parliament and elections are called for 8 August. The Entente is considered dead by commentators all over Europe.
 * Flag_of_the_German_Empire.svg The German General Staff presents three plans for Kaiser Wilhelm's approval: Invasion of France by the common border, Invasion of Russian occupied Poland, or aid only for Austria. Wilhelm is indecisive, but orders preparations for all three plans.


 * 20 June: Flag_of_France.svg,Flag_of_Russia.svg French and Russian military and government officials meet in Warsaw. Russian military commanders boast they can assemble a two million man army to march into East Prussia and another million to be sent into Hungary in ten days. However, Russia has no plans for partial mobilization, and the military asks Nicholas II for full mobilization. Nicholas, exhausted after days of meetings and pressure, finally relents.
 * Flag_of_Italy_(1861-1946).svg Italy offers to host a conference to prevent a Europe-wide war, but the offer falls on deaf ears.


 * 21 June: Flag_of_France.svg With forces only partially ready, the French General Staff quickly reorganizes current forces to initiate Plan XVI, the invasion of Alsace-Lorraine for 24 June.
 * Flag_of_the_German_Empire.svg Kaiser Wilhelm, with pressure from the General Staff, at last orders the Invasion of France with minor aid to Austria, and defensive operations in East Prussia, assuming the Russian army will take at least three weeks to fully mobilize. It would take until 26 June for the army to have most of its troops ready to march into France.


 * 22 June: Flag_of_France.svg/Flag_of_the_German_Empire.svg The first border clashes in Alsace-Lorraine take place along the border between the French and German forts. Only minor casualties are reported, but the misunderstandings and lack of communication, some blamed on saboteurs, draws both Germany and France closer to war. The French Foreign Office orders officials in Berlin and Vienna to destroy important papers and code books, and return home.
 * Flag_of_Austria-Hungary_1869-1918.svg nationalists in Prague, seeking independence, are fired upon by Austrian troops. Twenty-seven are killed in the riots that follow, but loyalty to Emperor Ferdinand, while shaken, is still strong because of the new Nationalities Law that Ferdinand declared a couple weeks before


 * 23 June: Flag_of_France.svg With news of the fighting in Alsace-Lorraine, President Poincare rises before the National Assembly, and asks for a declaration of war against Germany. In a debate that stretches into the evening, France ultimately declares war.


 * 24 June: Flag_of_France.svgFlag_of_the_German_Empire.svg first French troops cross the border, and heavy fighting along frontier posts go in France's favour thanks to the rapid-firing 75mm artillery, though casualties are high on both sides.


 * 25 June: Flag_of_France.svgFlag_of_the_German_Empire.svg the invasion by France underway. Metz, Mulhouse and Donan are taken and the sounds of artillery can be heard in Strasbourg. The German General Staff is in disarray, demanding immediate action. Kaiser Wilhelm demands that France be drive from German soil, but the military was two days to late, and now a hasty reorganization for defensive war is underway.


 * 26 June: Flag_of_Austria-Hungary_1869-1918.svgFlag_of_Hungary_1940.svg The first major Hungarian offensive against Austria takes place around the Neusiedler See with the goal to break through Austrian lines and capture Vienna. Despite a two hour bombardment, Hungarian troops are only able to reach the town of Neusidel am See before Austrian troops can stop the Hungarians. A diversionary attack into Croatia manages to capture Koprivnica, but Hungarian troops do not push the attack any further.


 * 27 June: Flag_of_Russia.svgFlag_of_the_German_Empire.svg The first Russian troops move into East Prussia, where a two corps strong force is defending the region. Light skirmishes are reported on both sides, but few casualties. Berlin is in panic at the news of a "Russian Steamroller." However, the Russian army isn't prepared for an offensive, as the forces are too small and the commanders are inexperienced and incompetent.


 * 28 June: Flag_of_France.svgFlag_of_the_German_Empire.svg French forces have reached Strasbourg and surrounded the city. German forces promise to hold out as long as possible. Casualties are heavy on both sides, especially with the entrenched German positions and machine guns.

July

 * 1 July: Flag_of_Austria-Hungary_1869-1918.svgCzech_Flag_ODS.png Taking advantage of the Nationalities Law, The Czech National Assembly meets for the first time, and declares the Federal Czech State into existence, and is immediately recognized by Emperor Ferdinand. In the next few weeks, Flag_of_Ukraine.svgnians, Flag_of_Slovakia.svgks and Flag_of_Croatia-Slavonia_with_CoA.svgians take advantage and form their own National Assemblies, raising troops for the Empire. Germans in Austria establish their own National Assembly to run parallel to the Imperial Parliament.


 * 6 July: Flag_of_Russia.svgFlag_of_the_German_Empire.svg The Russian army finally is prepared for its first offensive, and attacks German positions in East Prussia. Despite heavy losses, Russian forces outnumber the Germans six to one and manage to push forward.


 * 17 July: Flag_of_Russia.svgFlag_of_the_German_Empire.svg The Battle of Istenburg is a Russian victory, and the German army falls back to defend the city of Konigsberg. Re-inforcements that were en route to the Western front are diverted to the east.

August

 * 8 August: Flag of the United Kingdom (3-5).svg  In a bitterly fought election campaign, the Liberal Party of David Lloyd George wins a minority government (279 of 707 seats) with support from the Labor Party and its leader Ramsay MacDonald (187 of 707), which for the first time is now His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. The Conservatives under Arthur Balfour finished third (169 of 707), while the Irish Union, a conglomerate of all Irish parties, won 72 seats. This pretty much ensures that the UK will not join in any war that breaks out in Europe for a while.


 * 10 August: Flag of the United Kingdom (3-5).svg  The first action of PM Lloyd George is to order the Royal Navy to establish a "Neutral Sailing Zone" around the the British Isles, where no warships except those of Great Britain and her allies would be allowed, and no warships of any nations currently at war will be allowed to enter. The English Channel, the Irish Sea and all water within fifty miles of a British port in both the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean were made part of this Neutral Sailing Zone. Due to the power of the Royal Navy, bigger than the German and French fleets, it was assumed this should keep the war from interfering with British trade.

October

 * 18 October: Flag_of_Hungary_1940.svgFlag_of_Russia.svgFlag_of_Ukraine.svg Hungarian and Russian troops capture Lviv, the centre of the Federal State of Ukraine. The Ukrainian National Assembly flees to Krakow.

April

 * 7-10 April: Flag_of_Hungary_1940.svgFlag_of_Russia.svgFlag_of_Ukraine.svg After months of sabotage attacks and guerrilla warfare, Hungarian and Russians forces undertake a devastating campaign against Ukrainians in occupied territory, killing over 580, arresting over 33,000 men and women which were sent to hastily established prison camps in both Russia and Hungary. Thousands more would be sent to the camps over the next two years, and hundreds would die of malnutrition, disease and brutality.

June

 * 19 June: Flag of Austria-Hungary (1869-1918).svg 125px-USAustria.svg.png Emperor Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary, with the support of the National Assemblies, declares the Confederation of the Danube into existence, with himself as Emperor. The first Confederation Diet is to be called for 8 August with representatives of each National Assembly based on population to meet in Vienna. All military units raised by the various national assemblies are put under command of a unified military structure headed by the Austrian Chief of Staff.

July

 * 3 July: Flag of the German Empire.svg 125px-USAustria.svg.png Germany and the Danube Confederation establish the Combined High Command of the East (Kombinierte Oberkommando des Ostens) to aid in the war against Russia. All military operations on the Eastern Front are to be conducted through the KOKDO, while units will still maintain their nationality, and commanded by officers of that nation, except at Corps and Army level. Field Marshall Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck of Germany is made the head of the KOKDO, while Austrian Field Marshall Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen, was made the second in command.

August

 * 10 August: Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg The Ottoman Empire, long neutral in the Great War, officially enters on the side of the Central Alliance, and in the next two weeks launches an offensive on the Caucasus Mountains, which quickly bogs down.

March

 * 7 March: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svgFlag_of_France.svg After months of accusations of French interference with British shipping in the Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean and the British "Neutral Sailing Zone" established two years before, and failed attempts to reach a compromise, Prime Minister Lloyd George sends an ultimatum to the French government to cease and desist attacking, capturing and sinking British shipping. Paris is given 48 hours to reply.


 * 9 March: Flag_of_France.svgFlag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svg President Poincare of France, on the advice of Prime Minister George Clemenceau, issued a rebuttal of British demands, citing the "Neutral Sailing Zone" was in fact aiding the German war effort and France had a legal right to blockade ships heading for Germany.


 * 10 March: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svgFlag_of_France.svg Prime Minister Lloyd George addresses the House of Commons, claiming that since France was illegally attacking and capturing British merchant shipping on the high seas and within the "Neutral Sailing Zone," leading to the loss of 38 ships captured, 11 sunk and 87 sailors killed. He then asks for a declaration of war, which is approved by a huge majority, 675 votes to 32. The Army reserves are called up, and the 200,000 strong Home Army is mobilized to prepare for war. In the next few days the rest of the Empire, especially Flag_of_Canada-1868-Red.svg Canada, Australian_flag.gif Australia and Flag_of_the_Union_of_South_Africa_(King_of_America).svg South Africa pledge expeditionary forces for the Empire, though enthusiasm for the war in the Dominions is lower than expected.


 * 13 March: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svgFlag_of_the_German_Empire.svg Field Marshall Lord Kitchener, despite his pro-French feelings, is sent to Germany to meet with Kaiser Wilhelm II, General Ludendorff of the General Staff and other German military staff. While the Kaiser and Germany are originally quite pleased with Britain entering the war, it is soon clear that Britain is refusing to have its units serving under German generals, and instead insisted on fighting under their own commanders. Kitchener is also to present a plan to Kaiser Wilhelm, which, while secret at the time, is accepted. Only a small force, 50,000 strong and composed of four infantry and one cavalry divisions under General John French, is to be sent to Germany to help hold the German line.


 * 21 March: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svg Returning from Germany, Field Marshall Lord Kitchener is made the Chief of Staff of the British Army, and he instantly begins a major campaign drive to recruit two million men into his "New Army," as he believes the war will be long and will costs hundreds of thousands of lives. Units not currently fighting are divided and reshuffled, giving a mix of regular troops and volunteers for brigades. This leads to much confusion and backlash in the army, which still see their entering the war as the best way to end it quickly. Kitchener stands by his decision, and in a few months the "New Army-Old Army" units are deemed ready to be used in Europe.

June

 * 9 June: Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(3-5).svgFlag_of_France.svg In a daring pre-dawn attack, 10,000 British Marines and other troops, supported by a fleet including seven battleships, land around Dunkirk, near the border with Belgium, surprising the unprepared French troops sent to hold the town after the declaration of war. Despite surprise, British troops are unable to reach Lille, and trenches are dug, starting a new front in the war in Western Europe. Thousands more men are sent to bolster the line, drawing French troops away from the German front.

July

 * 19 July: Flag_of_the_German_Empire.svg Flag_of_France.svg Sensing a weakening of French lines to confront the British invasion a months before, General Erich von Falkenhayn launches a new attack on the lines near Frankfurt, hoping to liberate the city from French forces and force a breach in the lines. If a quick breakthrough wasn't made, then he would try to "bleed the French white" by forcing them to send more men to hold on to the valuable target. Gaining Frankfurt would be a huge morale boost to Germany, while the loss would sap French morale.


 * 23 July: Flag_of_France.svgFlag_of_the_German_Empire.svg The Battle of Frankfurt begins with a ten hour artillery bombardment and ten German divisions attacking the four French ones stationed in and around Frankfurt. German attacks, refined over two years of war, lead to impressive gains with some units reaching the suburbs of Frankfurt in the first day. However, no breaking of the French line is evident, and casualties on both sides is estimated at over 175,000 in the first day.

November

 * 17 November: Flag_of_the_German_Empire.svgFlag_of_France.svg The first snows in Western Europe begin to freeze the ground around the Frankfurt Salient, and both the Germans and French cease major attacks on the area. Almost one million casualties are reported in total on both sides during the five months, and while Frankfurt had not been captured, the French position was very precarious.

December

 * 3 December: Flag_of_France.svgFlag_of_the_German_Empire.svg After three weeks of low intensity raids, artillery bombardments of supply lines and a general feeling of dismay and depression, French troops pull back from Frankfurt and other threatened areas of the Western Front to the so-called "Foch Line," named after Marshal Ferdinand Foch who was Commander in Chief of the French Army, to mount a more defensive position


 * 17 December: Flag of Canada-1868-Red.svg The first Canadian troops of the Canadian Expeditionary Force arrive in the UK for further training before they are sent to the front. General Herbert Plumer, despite no experience with Canadian forces before, was placed in charge of the CEF.

=1920s=

July

 * 8 July: Flag of Hungary 1940.svg125px-USAustria.svg.png Flag of the German Empire.svgFlag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg Prime Minister Tisza of Hungary, after four years of war, at last surrenders to the Danubian, German and Ottoman troops. Emperor Ferdinand declares a day of mourning for the millions of lives lost in the brutal Austria-Hungarian Civil War, but states that the war with Russia and France will continue. The Austria-Hungarian Civil War officially ends

September

 * 9 September: 125px-USAustria.svg.png Flag of Hungary 1940.svg Flag of the German Empire.svgFlag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg Flag of the United Kingdom (3-5).svg The Treaty of Schönbrunn, taken place in the Hapsburg's palace in Vienna, is between the Central Powers and Hungary, to reunify Hungary with the Danube Confederation. Hungary is to be divided into three separate nations to join the Confederation (Hungary, Slovakia and Transylvania), and a Military Commission is put in place to rule Hungary for a minimum of five years, or until the Confederation Council has agreed that Hungary should be given local administration rights, whichever comes first.

November

 * 2 November: US flag 48 stars.svg The United States Presidential Election results in an overwhelming victory for the Republican Party and current President Charles E Hughes, with his new running mate Senator Robert M. La Follette, Sr., of Wisconsin. The Democratic candidates Mayor Al Smith of New York and Senator Robert Latham Owen from Oklahoma were defeated 382 to 149, with every state in the South voting for the Democrats, but the rest of the nation going to the Republicans.


 * 5 November: Flag_of_Russia.svgg increased dissent at home and a stalemate on the front, Czar Nicholas II is forced by his ministers to allow greater representation in the Duma, which immediately leads to the Imperial Government of Unity, with Bolsheviks, Social Democrats, Kadets and Mensheviks allowed to join the mainly Conservative Duma. Ministers are reshuffled, and Vladimir Lenin, leader of the Bolsheviks, is made Minister of Agriculture and Pavel Milyukov, leader of the Kadets, is made Minister of Internal Affairs. War hero General Aleksei Brusilov was made Minister of Defense, and he proposed a sweeping reorganization of the Army, but the Emperor and the mostly Conservative Duma balked at the demands, leading to political deadlock.

April

 * 17 April: Flag_of_Russia.svgeviks that were invited to form the Imperial Government of Unity in 1920 walk out due to Conservative efforts to limit economic and military reforms that Lenin demands. General Brusilov, although a conservative, is leaning toward joining the Bolsheviks and their demands.

May

 * 8 May: Flag_of_Russia.svgan soldiers, facing shortages in almost everything, riot in St Petersburg. The destruction is extensive and over 400 people are killed in the riots and the brutal crackdown. Bolsheviks decry the riots as the result of Imperial incompetence, and order a nation-wide General Strike.


 * 11 May: Flag_of_Russia.svg general strike lead by Bolsheviks in St Petersburg and Moscow grind the war-economy to a halt. Soldiers on the front line refuse to fight, only to defend their trenches. Generals struggle to maintain control, and many officers are shot by desperate soldiers when they are threatened with military courts.


 * 14 May: Flag_of_Russia.svg Nicholas II, panicking over the loss of control over the army, disbands the Duma and forms the Government of Emergency. All "revolutionary parties," including the Kadets, Bolsheviks, Mensheviks and Social Democrats are declared illegal, and many of its leaders are arrested or go into hiding. Lenin and Leon Trotsky manage to escape the police, but the editor of Pravda, Joseph Stalin, is captured and killed when resisting arrest. General Brusilov, with his known sympathies to the revolutionaries, is put under House Arrest. The strikes are brutally put down, killing hundreds.


 * 17 May: Flag_of_Russia.svgUssr-prop2.png Meeting secretly in Kazan, the leaders of the Left Wing parties led by Lenin, Trotsky and Pavel Milyukov of the Kadets form the Union of Russian Socialists, declaring a state of insurrection against the Russian Empire, and issuing a fifteen point manifesto, which included democratic elections, leaving the Great War, abolition of noble titles and land distribution to the poor. In the next week, military units, workers and peasants throughout the empire hear of this, and begin to join. The Russian Civil War has begun.

July

 * 2 July: Flag_of_Russia.svg Flag of the German Empire.svg 125px-USAustria.svg.pngFlag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg the military situation collapsing, the home front in chaos and the Union of Russian Socialists gaining ground all across the country against Imperial forces, Russia asks diplomats via Stockholm to see what terms they can get with the Central Powers.


 * 5 July: Flag of the German Empire.svg 125px-USAustria.svg.pngFlag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svgFlag_of_Russia.svg German and Danubian officials with the Combined High Command for the East send a list of demands to Russia via Stockholm. The list includes the liberation of Poland, Belorussia, Russian Ukraine and federated Baltic State (all territory that the Central Powers control), an independent Finland, Demilitarizing the Crimean Peninsula, giving land in the Caucasus to the Ottoman Empire, and the payment of reparations, to be determined later.


 * 6 July: Flag_of_Russia.svg Flag of the German Empire.svg 125px-USAustria.svg.pngFlag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg Russian officials at first baulk at the demands, but it's clear that peace with Germany is vital to fighting the Civil War. Czar Nicholas II, resigned to defeat, agrees to the demands, and orders a ceasefire on all fronts.


 * 8 July: Flag of the German Empire.svg 125px-USAustria.svg.pngFlag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svgFlag_of_Russia.svg Surprised that Russia accepted the demands, the Combined High Command for the East also orders a ceasefire to begin at 9:00 AM. An armistice is signed hours later at Demidov, Russia. The Great War in the East officially ends

September

 * 18 September: Flag_of_France.svg The French army is rocked by mutiny and desertion as military reverses and rumours of food shortages and worker unrest at home.
 * 20 September: Flag_of_France.svg Taking advantage of the unrest, and using the example of Russia, Communist allied soldiers in the French army begin organizing Communes and Soviets, demanding more say in the army and an end to the war.
 * 23 September: Flag_of_France.svg The French General Staff issues Order 984, which declares that "any Communist or Radical protesting against the military and the nation" are to be dealt with "severely, and with the full force of the army in this treasonous activity." Immediately, leaders of the Soviets and Communes are placed under arrest, though violence breaks out.
 * 26 September: Flag_of_France.svg President Poincare orders a crackdown on Communist and Socialist agitation in the army and on the home front. Prime Minister Clemenceau, opposing this move, is fired from his position and arrested.
 * 28 September: Flag_of_France.svg French troops refuse to fire on other troops or civilians, and desertion reaches an all time high.

October

 * 1 October: Flag_of_France.svg The French Army, facing a collapsing situation at the front and political crisis at home, stages a coup d'etat and overthrows Raymond Poincare's government, arresting the President and other leaders, though Socialist and Communists already in prison are not released. General Petain, the Conqueror of Frankfurt, is made the new President.
 * 8 October: Flag_of_France.svg Flag of the German Empire.svg Flag of the United Kingdom (3-5).svg 125px-USAustria.svg.png Facing an impossible military situation with entire divisions no longer under the control of the Government of France and German and British forces fighting just outside Paris, and Danubian troops marching from Northern Italy into Southern France, President Petain asks for an armistice with German, British and Danubian forces. The Great War is officially over

January

 * 1 January: Flag of the United Kingdom (3-5).svg Flag of the German Empire.svg 125px-USAustria.svg.png  Flag of the Ottoman Empire.svg The victorious Central Powers meet for the first meetings in London, UK, to begin laying out the peace treaties for their foes. Eventually a four point plan is agreed upon: disarmament, dismemberment, reparations and liberation.

September

 * 9 September: Ussr-prop2.png Flag of Russia.svg While visiting the front line south of Moscow, a sniper mortally wounds Premier Vladimir Lenin of the Union of Russian Socialists (URS). He dies four days later in Moscow. The premiership is passed to Pavel Milyukov of the Kadets to maintain the URS, while Leon Trotsky is given full reign over military affairs.

January

 * 29 January Flag of the German Empire.svg General Ludendorff, head of the German General Staff, published a secret paper that his staff had prepared, mildly called "1917-1921 War Analysis." In this paper, which discusses the start of the Great War, lays the blame for early German defeats on the Kaiser for not outlining a specific course of action at the beginning of the crisis for either the defence or offence against France or Russia, instead waffling back and forth. At the same time, in light of experience, it is found that the Schefflin Plan would not have worked; the time tables were too strict, motorized transport not reliable enough, the entrance of Britain over the invasion of Belgium too likely, and the French army had too much time to mobilize. Other faults included lack of popular support due to confusion over war goals, no plans for a possible long war, and the effects of naval blockades. Recommendations included the General Staff should develop a wide variety of plans for any possible enemy in the future, closer relationships with the elected officials, and a reduction in the Kaiser's powers over the General Staff.

February

 * 2 February Flag of the German Empire.svg The "1917-1921 War Analysis" paper released a few days ago makes its way to Kaiser Wilhelm II's hands through loyal officers in the General Staff, and in a fit of rage, fires General Ludendorff for his perceived insubordination to "The German Monarchy and Empire." This sparks a controversy in the political and military wings of the Empire, and veterans who served in the Great War are shocked that their commander, the one who brought victory to Germany, was ousted by the Kaiser, who only months ago had given the greatest honours to Ludendorff.


 * 9 February Flag of the German Empire.svg After a week of speculation, Ludendorff supporters in the General Staff released a slightly censored version of the "1917-1921 War Analysis" paper to newspapers in Berlin, who immediately print it. The "Ludendorff Scandal" rocks the Empire, with monarchists and conservatives and old generals rallying to the Kaiser, while democrats and liberals, along with a large part of the military establishment that had been raised up during the war publicly support Ludendorff in an unlikely alliance.


 * 23 February Flag of the German Empire.svg A meeting by the forces that support the recently fired General Ludendorff, including the leader of the Social Democratic Party Friedrich Ebert, Constantin Fehrenbach of the Centre Party, Major General Wilhelm Groener, wartime leader of the Reich War Industry Office and a left-leaning officer, as well as General Ludendorff himself, met in a house in Charlottenburg, Berlin, and drew up the Charlottenburg Proclamation. In it, an outline for a constitutional monarchy is laid out, making Germany a more democratic society very similar to the United Kingdom. However, to insure military support, the politicians agreed to not infringe of the "rights of soldiers and their leaders in military matters." It is signed by 65 men in the next two weeks.

March

 * 6 March Flag of the German Empire.svg The Charlottenburg Proclamation is issued to the public, stunning observers both inside and outside Germany for the bold stance, and the political ramifications in the strongest power in Europe. Kaiser Wilhelm II is reported to have mood sings ranging from vitriolic opposition, to depressed acceptance, but does not make an official statement.


 * 10 March Flag of the German Empire.svg Chancellor Georg Michaelis of the German Conservative Party, after a failed attempt to negotiate with the signers of the Charlottenburg Proclamation, offers his resignation the Kaiser. Wilhelm II reluctantly accepts, but is unable to find another conservative politician, general, or civil servant that would support him. He offers General Ludendorff his old position on the General Staff in a last effort to stop the crisis, but Ludendorff refuses.


 * 13 March Flag of the German Empire.svg Kaiser Wilhelm II at last breaks down and asks Friedrich Ebert to be the new Chancellor, granting victory to the signers of the Charlottenburg Proclamation.

June

 * 17 June Flag of the German Empire.svg After months of political wrangling, the first reforms are passed to make the German Empire a constitutional monarchy. Kaiser Wilhelm II, despite the best efforts of himself and monarchists, are unable to effect any major changes to the legislation, and he is depressed at his new, much more limited role in the Empire. However, he agrees to abide by whatever laws the Reichstag now passes.

1924

 * 5 October: Flag_of_Russia.svgUssr-prop2.png The last White Army in the Russian Civil War is destroyed in the Battle of Samarkand, and the Union of Communist and Socialist Republics at last is victorious in the Russian Civil War. Official date for the end of the Russian Civil War.


 * 4 November: US flag 48 stars.svg The US Presidential Election results in the victory of Republican candidate, Vice-President Robert M. La Follette won a solid victory with his running mate, Governor Calvin Coolidge of Massachusett, who received 382 Electoral College points. The Democratic ticket of former Secretary of the Treasury William Gibbs McAdoo from California and Texas Governor Miriam A. Ferguson, the first female Vice-President Candidate received 149, with every state in the south including Kentucky voting for the Democrats.