World War I key moments

Paris–World

War I was sparked by the assassination of a prince in Sarajevo 1914 and ended with an armistice signed in a French forest in 1918.

Here are some key moments in the conflict, which claimed the lives of about 10 million soldiers, brought down three empires and sowed the seeds of the communist revolution in Russia and World War II.

Crown prince assassinated

On June 28, 1914 the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian empire, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife Sophie are visiting Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia.

Bosnia is at the time a province of the empire, a situation resented by some Bosnians and neighbouring Serbia.

As the couple move through the city in a motorcade, nationalist Bosnian Serb student Gavrilo Princip opens fire and both are killed.

Austria-Hungary accuses Serbia of being responsible, setting off a chain of events that will in weeks lead the European powers into war, sucked in by a web of military alliances.

War declared

Austria declares war on Serbia on July 28, 1914 and attacks Belgrade.

Two days later, Serbia’s ally and protector, Russia, orders a general mobilisation of its army to intimidate Austria.

On August 1, Germany, ally of Austria, orders the same. France, allied with Russia, immediately follows.

Germany declares war on Russia the same day. On August 3, it declares war on France and its troops invade Belgium.

The next day, Britain – allied with France and Russia – declares war on Germany for violating the neutrality of Belgium.

German advance

By early September 1914 German troops have advanced to just tens of kilometres outside Paris. The French government retreats southwest, to Bordeaux.

On September 6, French and British troops launch a desperate counter attack along the Marne River, northeast of the capital. –