Chronology of the period leading to the outbreak of the First World War
1841
Rule of the Straits.
1854
Treaty of London imposes restrictions of Russian movement through the straits.
1854-56
Crimean War
1859
Franco-Austrian war
1861
Abolition of serfdom in Russia
1865
Parliamentary Report in Britain advises that Britain should pull out of West Africa.
1867
Austria becomes a dual monarchy.
1870-71
Franco-Prussian War.
1870
Russia ignores restrictions on naval movements through the Straits.
1870
Italy occupies Rome.
January 1871
The Kaiser proclaimed Emperor of Germany - the ceremony being held at Versailles.
1870
Treaty of Frankfurt - France cedes Alsace and Lorraine and pays 5000 million francs in indemnity. The Germans march in victory through Paris.
October 1873
Three Emperors’ Agreement between Germany, Austria and Russia.
March 1871
French commune in Paris.
May 1871
French troops storm Paris.
April 1875
Bismarck permits the publication of an article in the Berlin Post entitled “Is War in Sight”?
1875
France confirms constitution that makes it a democratic republic.
1876
Bulgaria revolts from Turkish rule. Massacre of 10,000 Bulgarians by Turks.
1877
Serbia defeated by Turkey.
April 1877
Russia declares war on Turkey.
1877
Belgian King Leopold sets up the International Association to justify Belgian exploitation of the Congo.
January 1878
Russia advances on Constantinople. Turkey sues for peace.
March 1878
Treaty of San Stephano creates Greater Bulgaria under Russian occupation. Britain withdraws troops from India and sends its fleet to Turkish waters.
1878
Congress of Berlin. Austria occupies Bosnia. Bulgaria divided into three parts. Turkey retains Macedonia. Russia gets Bessarabia. Britain gets Cyprus.
October 1879
Dual alliance between Germany and Austria - a secret treaty.
June 1881
Negotiations on a tripartite (Dreikaiserbund) alliance between Russia, Germany and Austria begin.
1881
French assert protectorate over Tunisia and clash with Italy in the process.
1881
Austrian treaty with Serbia.
May 1882
Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria and Italy. Germany and Italy to support each other if attacked by France.
1882
Revolt lead by Egyptian army officer, Arabi Pasha threatens Suez. Britain occupies Egypt.
1883
Austrian treaty with Rumania.
1884
Dreikaiserbund renewed (Treaty of Three Emperors).
August 1884
Germany asserts claim to South-West Africa.
1884-5
Bismarck pursues a policy of colonial expansion. Germany acquires Togo, the Camaroons, South West Africa.
1885
Revolt in Eastern Rumelia supported by Bulgaria. The Tsar forces the Bulgarian king to abdicate.
1885
British declare protectorate over Niger.
1887
Reinsurance Treaty - secret treaty between Germany and Russia.
December 1887
Second Mediterranean Agreement - Britain, France and Italy agree to resist Russian influence in Bulgaria.
1888
Kaiser William II accedes.
1890
Fall of Bismarck. William II refuses to renew the Reinsurance Treaty. Caprivi becomes Chancellor in Germany.
1890
Germany swaps Zanzibar for Heligoland.
1891
Russia and France form a political entente.
1892
Military entente between Russia and France.
1892
Panama scandal in France.
October 1893
Russian squadron visits French naval base at Toulon.
1894
Tsar ratifies the Franco-Russian entente.
1894
Caprivi falls as Chancellor in Germany.
1894
British Prime Minister, Lord Rosebury, offers to guarantee Constantinople in return for a German agreement to hold France in check, but the Germans refused the offer.
1894
Japan claims Korea from China. Outbreak of war between Japan and China.
1895
Japan defeats China.
1896
Italy defeated by Ethiopia at battle of Adowa. Britain relieves pressure on Italians by sending a force to Sudan. Clash with a French force at Fashoda.
1896
Cecil Rhodes makes an illegal attack on Transvaal - the Jameson Raid. The Kaiser sends the Kruger telegram.
1897
Weltpolitik. Bulow appointed as foreign minister and Admiral von Tirpitz as head of navy office.
1898
The Germans purchase the Carolines, Marshalls and Marianas in the Pacific from Spain.
1898
First German Navy Law.
1899-1902
Boer War
1902-3
German and British cooperation over blockade of Venezuela following Venezuelan defaulting on debts, but the British withdraw when German ships bombard a Venezuelan port.
1900
Boxer rebellion in Northern China. An international force (British, French and German) retakes Peking. Germans sign an Agreement on China.
1900
Second German Navy Law.
March 1901
Germany declares that Manchuria is not covered in the Agreement on China.
1901
Germans seize Kiaochow in China.
1902
Britain allies with Japan.
February 1904
Japanese attack Russia in the Far East.
1904
Entente Cordiale between Britain and France. Britain accepts French dominance in Morocco and gains undisputed control of Egypt.
1905
Russia defeated by Japan.
1905-6
First Moroccan Crisis.
January 1905
French seek to impose reforms on Morocco.
March 1905
The Kaiser lands in person at Tangier in Morocco.
January 1906
British and French agree to joint military operations.
April 1906
British and Russians start negotiating over Persia.
1906
Algieres conference in Morocco.
1906
British build first Dreadnought. British public opinion hostile to attempt to reduce naval expenditure, and the British government decides to increase the ship-building programme.
1906-9
George Clemenceau Prime Minister in France. He resolves a crisis in the army by appointing officers only on merit.
August 1907
Anglo-Russian agreement. Persia partitioned into three zones of influence - Russian, British and neutral.
1908
French arrest German deserters from the French Foreign Legion, taking them from the German consulate in Casablanca.
1908
Coup d’Etat in Turkey brings Young Turks to power.
5th October 1908
Prince of Bulgaria declares himself King of Bulgaria.
6th October 1908
Austria-Hungary annexes Bosnia and Herzegovina. Breakdown of diplomatic relations between Austria and Russia.
1909
Zabreb trial of 50 people accused of conspiracy on trumped-up charges.
1909
The Tsar visits Italy, but refuses to cross Austrian territory.
1911
Second Moroccan Crisis. The Germans send the Battleship Panther to Agadir in Morocco. (July 1911). This is ostensibly to protect German interests, but the ulterior motive is to put pressure on France to yield territory in Central Africa.
1911
Italian navy attacks Turkey in the Dardenelles. Italy defeated Italy and gained Cyrenzica, Tripoli and the Dodecanes.
November 1911.
Franco-German accord - France cedes only small parts of the French Congo to Germany.
February 1912
Visit of Lord Haldane to Germany fails to secure arms reduction.
1912
Informal agreement between France and Britain that in the event of war France will defend the Mediterranean and Britain the North Sea.
1912
Italy renews triple alliance with Germany and Austria.
March 1912
Treaty between Serbia and Bulgaria.
June 1912
Treaty between Bulgaria and Greece. The Balkan League created. Balkan League drive Turkey out of Macdeonia. The Greeks acquire Salonika.
May 1913
Treaty of London: The Turks yield control of the Balkans except for Constantinople and the Eastern part of Thrace.
1913
Second Balkan War: Greece and Serbia defeat Bulgaria. Bulgaria loses part of Macedonia to Serbia and much of Thrace to Greece. The Roumanians take Dobrudja from Bulgaria.
1913
French extend conscription from 2 to 3 years.
December 1913
Russia increases its army by 500,000 men.
28th June 1914
Archduke Ferdinand assassinated in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia. The assassination was organised by the Serbian General Staff.
5th July 1914
The Kaiser issues his “blank cheque” - unequivocal support for Austria.
19th July 1914
Text of Austrian ultimatum to Serbia agreed upon.
23rd July 1914
Ultimatum sent to Serbia, and delivered on the 24th.
24th July 1914
Serbians inform Russia of the ultimatum.
French President, Raymond Poincare, and Prime Minister, Rene Viviani leave Russia.
25th July 1914
The Serbs appeal to the Tsar for help.
28th July 1914
Austria declares war on Serbia and shells Belgrade with gunboats.
30th July 1914
The Tsar orders mobilisation. Mobilisation takes place along the whole Russian frontier.
31st July 1914
Germans telegraph an ultimatum to St. Petersburg and demand that France remain neutral and surrender Toul and Verdun.
1st August 1914
Russia and Germany at war.
2nd August 1914
Germans demand passage through Belgium. Belgium refuses. British cabinet meeting decides to go to war if Germany invades Belgium.
3rd August 1914
Germany invades Belgium.
4th August 1914
Britain declares war on Germany.
1914
By the end of 1914 the Russian army totalled 6.5 million men.
Easter 1916
Easter rising in Dublin.
Rule of the Straits.
1854
Treaty of London imposes restrictions of Russian movement through the straits.
1854-56
Crimean War
1859
Franco-Austrian war
1861
Abolition of serfdom in Russia
1865
Parliamentary Report in Britain advises that Britain should pull out of West Africa.
1867
Austria becomes a dual monarchy.
1870-71
Franco-Prussian War.
1870
Russia ignores restrictions on naval movements through the Straits.
1870
Italy occupies Rome.
January 1871
The Kaiser proclaimed Emperor of Germany - the ceremony being held at Versailles.
1870
Treaty of Frankfurt - France cedes Alsace and Lorraine and pays 5000 million francs in indemnity. The Germans march in victory through Paris.
October 1873
Three Emperors’ Agreement between Germany, Austria and Russia.
March 1871
French commune in Paris.
May 1871
French troops storm Paris.
April 1875
Bismarck permits the publication of an article in the Berlin Post entitled “Is War in Sight”?
1875
France confirms constitution that makes it a democratic republic.
1876
Bulgaria revolts from Turkish rule. Massacre of 10,000 Bulgarians by Turks.
1877
Serbia defeated by Turkey.
April 1877
Russia declares war on Turkey.
1877
Belgian King Leopold sets up the International Association to justify Belgian exploitation of the Congo.
January 1878
Russia advances on Constantinople. Turkey sues for peace.
March 1878
Treaty of San Stephano creates Greater Bulgaria under Russian occupation. Britain withdraws troops from India and sends its fleet to Turkish waters.
1878
Congress of Berlin. Austria occupies Bosnia. Bulgaria divided into three parts. Turkey retains Macedonia. Russia gets Bessarabia. Britain gets Cyprus.
October 1879
Dual alliance between Germany and Austria - a secret treaty.
June 1881
Negotiations on a tripartite (Dreikaiserbund) alliance between Russia, Germany and Austria begin.
1881
French assert protectorate over Tunisia and clash with Italy in the process.
1881
Austrian treaty with Serbia.
May 1882
Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria and Italy. Germany and Italy to support each other if attacked by France.
1882
Revolt lead by Egyptian army officer, Arabi Pasha threatens Suez. Britain occupies Egypt.
1883
Austrian treaty with Rumania.
1884
Dreikaiserbund renewed (Treaty of Three Emperors).
August 1884
Germany asserts claim to South-West Africa.
1884-5
Bismarck pursues a policy of colonial expansion. Germany acquires Togo, the Camaroons, South West Africa.
1885
Revolt in Eastern Rumelia supported by Bulgaria. The Tsar forces the Bulgarian king to abdicate.
1885
British declare protectorate over Niger.
1887
Reinsurance Treaty - secret treaty between Germany and Russia.
December 1887
Second Mediterranean Agreement - Britain, France and Italy agree to resist Russian influence in Bulgaria.
1888
Kaiser William II accedes.
1890
Fall of Bismarck. William II refuses to renew the Reinsurance Treaty. Caprivi becomes Chancellor in Germany.
1890
Germany swaps Zanzibar for Heligoland.
1891
Russia and France form a political entente.
1892
Military entente between Russia and France.
1892
Panama scandal in France.
October 1893
Russian squadron visits French naval base at Toulon.
1894
Tsar ratifies the Franco-Russian entente.
1894
Caprivi falls as Chancellor in Germany.
1894
British Prime Minister, Lord Rosebury, offers to guarantee Constantinople in return for a German agreement to hold France in check, but the Germans refused the offer.
1894
Japan claims Korea from China. Outbreak of war between Japan and China.
1895
Japan defeats China.
1896
Italy defeated by Ethiopia at battle of Adowa. Britain relieves pressure on Italians by sending a force to Sudan. Clash with a French force at Fashoda.
1896
Cecil Rhodes makes an illegal attack on Transvaal - the Jameson Raid. The Kaiser sends the Kruger telegram.
1897
Weltpolitik. Bulow appointed as foreign minister and Admiral von Tirpitz as head of navy office.
1898
The Germans purchase the Carolines, Marshalls and Marianas in the Pacific from Spain.
1898
First German Navy Law.
1899-1902
Boer War
1902-3
German and British cooperation over blockade of Venezuela following Venezuelan defaulting on debts, but the British withdraw when German ships bombard a Venezuelan port.
1900
Boxer rebellion in Northern China. An international force (British, French and German) retakes Peking. Germans sign an Agreement on China.
1900
Second German Navy Law.
March 1901
Germany declares that Manchuria is not covered in the Agreement on China.
1901
Germans seize Kiaochow in China.
1902
Britain allies with Japan.
February 1904
Japanese attack Russia in the Far East.
1904
Entente Cordiale between Britain and France. Britain accepts French dominance in Morocco and gains undisputed control of Egypt.
1905
Russia defeated by Japan.
1905-6
First Moroccan Crisis.
January 1905
French seek to impose reforms on Morocco.
March 1905
The Kaiser lands in person at Tangier in Morocco.
January 1906
British and French agree to joint military operations.
April 1906
British and Russians start negotiating over Persia.
1906
Algieres conference in Morocco.
1906
British build first Dreadnought. British public opinion hostile to attempt to reduce naval expenditure, and the British government decides to increase the ship-building programme.
1906-9
George Clemenceau Prime Minister in France. He resolves a crisis in the army by appointing officers only on merit.
August 1907
Anglo-Russian agreement. Persia partitioned into three zones of influence - Russian, British and neutral.
1908
French arrest German deserters from the French Foreign Legion, taking them from the German consulate in Casablanca.
1908
Coup d’Etat in Turkey brings Young Turks to power.
5th October 1908
Prince of Bulgaria declares himself King of Bulgaria.
6th October 1908
Austria-Hungary annexes Bosnia and Herzegovina. Breakdown of diplomatic relations between Austria and Russia.
1909
Zabreb trial of 50 people accused of conspiracy on trumped-up charges.
1909
The Tsar visits Italy, but refuses to cross Austrian territory.
1911
Second Moroccan Crisis. The Germans send the Battleship Panther to Agadir in Morocco. (July 1911). This is ostensibly to protect German interests, but the ulterior motive is to put pressure on France to yield territory in Central Africa.
1911
Italian navy attacks Turkey in the Dardenelles. Italy defeated Italy and gained Cyrenzica, Tripoli and the Dodecanes.
November 1911.
Franco-German accord - France cedes only small parts of the French Congo to Germany.
February 1912
Visit of Lord Haldane to Germany fails to secure arms reduction.
1912
Informal agreement between France and Britain that in the event of war France will defend the Mediterranean and Britain the North Sea.
1912
Italy renews triple alliance with Germany and Austria.
March 1912
Treaty between Serbia and Bulgaria.
June 1912
Treaty between Bulgaria and Greece. The Balkan League created. Balkan League drive Turkey out of Macdeonia. The Greeks acquire Salonika.
May 1913
Treaty of London: The Turks yield control of the Balkans except for Constantinople and the Eastern part of Thrace.
1913
Second Balkan War: Greece and Serbia defeat Bulgaria. Bulgaria loses part of Macedonia to Serbia and much of Thrace to Greece. The Roumanians take Dobrudja from Bulgaria.
1913
French extend conscription from 2 to 3 years.
December 1913
Russia increases its army by 500,000 men.
28th June 1914
Archduke Ferdinand assassinated in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia. The assassination was organised by the Serbian General Staff.
5th July 1914
The Kaiser issues his “blank cheque” - unequivocal support for Austria.
19th July 1914
Text of Austrian ultimatum to Serbia agreed upon.
23rd July 1914
Ultimatum sent to Serbia, and delivered on the 24th.
24th July 1914
Serbians inform Russia of the ultimatum.
French President, Raymond Poincare, and Prime Minister, Rene Viviani leave Russia.
25th July 1914
The Serbs appeal to the Tsar for help.
28th July 1914
Austria declares war on Serbia and shells Belgrade with gunboats.
30th July 1914
The Tsar orders mobilisation. Mobilisation takes place along the whole Russian frontier.
31st July 1914
Germans telegraph an ultimatum to St. Petersburg and demand that France remain neutral and surrender Toul and Verdun.
1st August 1914
Russia and Germany at war.
2nd August 1914
Germans demand passage through Belgium. Belgium refuses. British cabinet meeting decides to go to war if Germany invades Belgium.
3rd August 1914
Germany invades Belgium.
4th August 1914
Britain declares war on Germany.
1914
By the end of 1914 the Russian army totalled 6.5 million men.
Easter 1916
Easter rising in Dublin.