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June 28
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian empire, in Sarajevo, Bosnia
July 28
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia
July 29 – December 9
Austria-Hungary repeatedly invades Serbia but is repeatedly repulsed
August 1
Outbreak of war. Germany declares war on Russia
August 3
Germany declares war on France
August 4
Germany invades neutral Belgium
August 4
Britain declares war on Germany
August 4
US President Woodrow Wilson declares policy of US neutrality
August 14
Battle of the Frontiers begins
August 17-19
Russia invades East Prussia
August 23
Japan declares war on Germany
August 23 – September 2
Austria-Hungary invades Russian Poland (Galicia)
August 26-30
Battle of Tannenberg, which Russia loses; Germany’s greatest success of the war on Eastern Front
September 5-10
First Battle of Marne, halts German advance, resulting in stalemate and trench warfare
September 9-14
First Battle of Masurian Lakes, which Russia again loses
September 14
First Battle of Aisne begins
September 15 – November 24
The “race to the sea”, trenches appear on September 15
September 17-28
Austro-German attack western Poland
October 14 – November 22
First Battle of Ypres
October 29
Turkey enters the war on the side of the Central Powers
December 8
Battle of the Falkland Islands
December 21
First German air raid on Britain
December 25
An unofficial Christmas truce was declared by soldiers along the Western Front