TIME-LINE - BACKGROUND TO WORLD WAR ONE
1823
US adapts a policy to resist European colonial expansion at the American continent - the Monroe Doctrine
1839
Britain along with the other major European powers signs a pact that guarantees the sovereignty of Belgium
1860
Kingdom of Italy is founded
1864
Prussian-Danish War
1866
Prussian-Austrian War (Seven Weeks War)
1870-71
Franco-Prussian War. France lost Alsace-Lorraine
1871
The German Empire is founded (at the Mirror Hall of Versailles)
1873
Dreikaiserbund (Germany+Austria-Hungary+Russia)
1878
Russo-Turkish War (Treaty of San Stefano / Congress of Berlin)
1879
Dual Alliance (Germany+Austria-Hungary)
1881
Three Emperors' League (Germany+Austria-Hungary+Russia)
1882
Triple Alliance (Germany+Austria-Hungary+Italy)
1887
Reinsurance Treaty (Secret treaty between Germany+Russia)
1888
Wilhelm II becomes Emperor of Germany
1890
Otto von Bismarck is forced to resign
1892
Franco-Russian military agreement
1894
Franco-Russian Alliance
1897
Tirpitz becomes naval minister - von Bülow becomes minister of foreign affairs. They start "Weltpolitik"
1898
The German naval building program starts
 
Fashoda Crisis (between France and Great Britain in Sudan)
1902
British-Japanese Treaty
1904
Entente Cordiale (France+Great Britain)
1904-05
Russo-Japanese War
1905
First Moroccan Crisis
 
Russian Revolt (Revolution)
 
Schlieffen Plan done...
 
Great Britain introduced a new battleship - HMS Dreadnought
1907
Triple Entente (France+Great Britain+Russia)
 
Anglo-Russian Convention (division of Persia)
1908
The Daily Telegraph Affair
1908-09
Bosnian Crisis (Blank Cheque)
1911
Second Moroccan Crisis
1912-13
First Balkan War (Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, Montenegro against Turkey)
1913
Second Balkan War (Serbia, Greece, Montenegro, Romania against Bulgaria)
1914
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia
 
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia - July 28th. WWI has started...