Late 19th century and World War I

1869

Suez Canal completed

1871

End of Franco-Prussian War: France badly defeated.

Prussian annexation of Alsace-Lorraine part of the creation of new German empire

1873

Three Emperors’ League (Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary)

1875

Russo-Turkish War

Britain gains control of Suez Canal

1878

Treaty of San Stefano liberates Slavs from Ottoman control

Congress of Berlin establishes European rules for African Colonization

1879

Dual Alliance (Germany and Austria)

1880s

Britain establishes protectorate over Egypt

1881

Three Emperors’ League renewed (Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary)

1882

Italy joins Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria

1884-5

Germany establishes protectorate over Namibia (SW Africa), Togoland, Cameroons, Tanganyika (E Africa)

1888

William II becomes German Emperor

1890

Bismarck dismissed as German Chancellor

1894

Franco-Russian Alliance

1894-5

Sino-Japanese War

1898

Germany begins building battleship navy

Spanish-American War: US acquires Puerto Rico, Philippines, Guam, Hawai’i annexed, Cuba protectorate

1899

US Proposes Open Door policy in China

1899-1902

Boer War

1902

Anglo-Japanese Alliance

1904

Entente Cordial between Britain and France

1904-5

Russo-Japanese War

1905

First Moroccan Crisis

1907

British agreement with Russia

1908-9

Bosnian Crisis

1911

second Moroccan crisis

1911

Italy attacks Turkey

1912-1913

First and Second Balkan Wars

1914

August

WWI breaks out. First Battle of the Marne

September

Battle of Tannenberg. Battle of the Masurian Lakes

1915

April

British land at Gallipoli to begin Dardanelles campaign

May

Germans sink British Lusitania

1916

February

Germans attack Verdun

May-June

Battle of Jutland

November

Re-election of Woodrow “He kept us out of war” Wilson as US President

1917

February

Germans declare unrestricted submarine warfare

March

Russian Revolution

April

US enters war

November

Bolsheviks seize power in Russia

1918

March

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

German offensive in the West

November

Armistice

© 2003, 2004 – Jonathan Dresner

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *