Timeline of War
First World War
1914
Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated and Austria declared war on Serbia.
Germany declared war on Russia, France and invaded Belgium. Britain declared war on Germany
First Battle of Ypres
Turkey entered the war on Germany’s side. Trench warfare started to dominate the Western Front.
1915
The first Zeppelin raid on Britain took place
Britain bombarded Turkish forts in the Dardanelles
Allied troops landed in Gallipoli
The “Lusitania" was sunk by a German U-boat
Italy declared war on Germany and Austria
The Germans captured Warsaw from the Russians
Start of the Battle of Loos
The Allies started the evacuation of Gallipoli
1916
Conscription introduced in Britain
Start of the Battle of Verdun
British forces surrendered to Turkish forces at Kut in Mesopotamia
Battle of Jutland
Start of the Battle of the Somme
First use en masse of tanks at the Somme
Lloyd George becomes British Prime Minister
1917
Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare campaign started
USA declared war on Germany.
France launched an unsuccessful offensive on the Western Front
Start of the Third Battle at Ypres
Battle of Caporetto – the Italian Army was heavily defeated
Britain launched a major offensive on the Western Front
Armistice between Germany and Russia signed
Britain captured Jerusalem from the Turks
1918
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed between Russia and Germany.
Germany broke through on the Somme and started an offensive in Flanders
Second Battle of the Marne started. The start of the collapse of the German army.
The advance of the Allies was successful
Kaiser William II abdicated
Germany signed an armistice with the Allies – the official date of the end of World War One.
1919
Peace conference met at Paris
The Treaty of Versailles was signed by the Germans.
Second World War
1939
Hitler invades Poland on 1st September. Britain and France declare war on Germany two days later.
1940
Rationing starts in the UK.
German 'Blitzkrieg' overwhelms Belgium, Holland and France.
Churchill becomes Prime Minister of Britain.
British Expeditionary Force evacuated from Dunkirk.
British victory in Battle of Britain forces Hitler to postpone invasion plans.
1941
Hitler begins Operation Barbarossa - the invasion of Russia.
The Blitz continues against Britain's major cities.
Allies take Tobruk in North Africa, and resist German attacks.
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, and the US enters the war.
1942
Germany suffers setbacks at Stalingrad and El Alamein.
Singapore falls to the Japanese in February - around 25,000 prisoners taken.
American naval victory at Battle of Midway, in June, marks turning point in Pacific War.
Mass murder of Jewish people at Auschwitz begins.
1943
Surrender at Stalingrad marks Germany's first major defeat.
Allied victory in North Africa enables invasion of Italy to be launched.
Italy surrenders, but Germany takes over the battle.
British and Indian forces fight Japanese in Burma.
1944
Allies land at Anzio and bomb monastery at Monte Cassino.
Soviet offensive gathers pace in Eastern Europe.
D Day: The Allied invasion of France. Paris is liberated in August.
Guam liberated by the US Okinawa, and Iwo Jima bombed.
1945
Auschwitz liberated by Soviet troops.
Russians reach Berlin: Hitler commits suicide and Germany surrenders on 7 May.
Truman becomes President of the US on Roosevelt's death, and Attlee replaces Churchill.
After atomic bombs are dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrenders on 14 August.