Timeline 1914–1918
The First World War did not unfold as one single, unchanging conflict. Each year brought new crises, new battles, new technologies, and new political shocks. This timeline follows the war from the assassination at Sarajevo in 1914 to the armistice in 1918, showing how Europe moved from diplomatic tension to industrialized destruction and, finally, to collapse and uneasy peace.
1914 — From Crisis to War
The war began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. What followed was the July Crisis, a month of ultimatums, alliances, mobilizations, and political failure. By August, Europe’s major powers were at war. Germany invaded Belgium and advanced into France, while fighting also erupted on the Eastern Front. By the end of the year, the early war of movement had given way to trenches on the Western Front.
Read more: 1914: From Crisis to War
1915 — Trenches and New Fronts
In 1915, the conflict widened and hardened. Trench warfare became the defining reality for millions of soldiers in France and Belgium. The war also spread across new fronts, including Gallipoli, the Alps, and deeper campaigns in Eastern Europe. Italy entered the war, and poison gas appeared as a terrifying new weapon. Despite heavy casualties, no side achieved a decisive breakthrough.
Read more: 1915: Trenches and New Fronts
1916 — Verdun and the Somme
The year 1916 became synonymous with mass slaughter. At Verdun, French and German armies fought one of the longest and most punishing battles of the war. On the Somme, British and French forces launched a huge offensive that produced catastrophic losses. These battles showed the brutal logic of attrition warfare: enormous sacrifice for limited territorial gain. Artillery, mud, and exhaustion defined the year.
Read more: 1916: Verdun and the Somme
1917 — Revolution and Turning Points
In 1917, the war entered a more unstable phase. Russia was shaken by revolution, and the old imperial order began to crack. The United States entered the war, giving the Allies growing support in men, money, and industry. At the same time, exhaustion spread across Europe. Mutinies, political unrest, and failed offensives showed that the war was straining every society involved.
Read more: 1917: Revolution and Turning Points
1918 — The End of the War
In 1918, Germany launched a final wave of major offensives in the west, hoping to win before American strength fully arrived. These attacks failed to secure victory. The Allies then struck back in the Hundred Days Offensive, forcing German retreat and accelerating the collapse of the Central Powers. By November, the war ended with the armistice, but the destruction it left behind would shape the twentieth century.
Read more: 1918: The End of the War
Why this timeline matters
The First World War changed borders, destroyed empires, reshaped warfare, and transformed everyday life for millions of people. Following the war year by year makes it easier to understand not only what happened, but how the conflict grew, adapted, and ultimately broke the old European order.
If you want, you can explore each year in more detail through the linked pages above.
A cleaner homepage-style version for the top of that page, if you want it shorter, is this intro instead:
Timeline 1914–1918
Follow the First World War year by year, from the July Crisis in 1914 to the armistice in 1918. Each year reveals a different stage of the conflict: mobilization, trench warfare, attrition, revolution, and final collapse.