On This Day
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Austria-Hungary decides against mediation and declares war on Serbia, the first declaration of war of World War I

Identifying the causes of World War I remains a debated issue. World War I began in the Balkans on 28 July 1914, and hostilities ended on 11 November 1918, leaving 17 million dead and 25 million...

Identifying the causes of World War I remains a debated issue. World War I began in the Balkans on 28 July 1914, and hostilities ended on 11 November 1918, leaving 17 million dead and 25 million wounded. Moreover, the Russian Civil War can in many ways be considered a continuation of World War I, as can various other conflicts in the direct aftermath of 1918.

Scholars looking at the long term seek to explain why two rival sets of powers (the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire against the Russian Empire, France, and the British Empire) came into conflict by the start of 1914.

Historical Significance

Identifying the causes of World War I remains a debated issue.

Events Before

  1. The US Post Office begins parcel post delivery

    The Bronx General Post Office (also known as the Bronx Central Post Office or Bronx Central Annex) is a historic post office building at 558 Grand Concourse in the South Bronx in New York City, New…

  2. British House of Commons accepts Home Rule for Ireland (but the Great War gets in the way of it happening)

    British House of Commons accepts Home Rule for Ireland (but the Great War gets in the way of it happening)

  3. China's National Assembly opens in Peking, the first free democratic parliament in Chinese history

    The National Assembly was the legislative branch of the Beiyang government during the Republican era of Chinese history.

  4. US Admiral Chester Nimitz (28) weds Catherine Freeman (21) in Wollaston, Massachusetts

    US Admiral Chester Nimitz (28) weds Catherine Freeman (21) in Wollaston, Massachusetts

  5. US Actors' Equity Association forms (NYC)

    The 1919 Actors' Equity Association strike officially spanned from August 7, 1919, to September 6, 1919.

Events After

  1. "The Birth of a Nation" the first 12-reel film in America, directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Lillian Gish and Mae Mar

    "The Birth of a Nation" the first 12-reel film in America, directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Lillian Gish and Mae Marsh, premieres at Clune's Auditorium in Los Angeles

  2. French forces attempt to drive the Germans back into the Champagne region during World War I, gaining a few hundred yard

    French forces attempt to drive the Germans back into the Champagne region during World War I, gaining a few hundred yards at the cost of 50,000 casualties

  3. First military use of poison gas occurs when Germany uses chlorine gas against the Allies along the Western Front at Ypr

    First military use of poison gas occurs when Germany uses chlorine gas against the Allies along the Western Front at Ypres, France in World War I [1]

  4. First landings at Gaba Tepe and Cape Helles on the Gallipoli Peninsula by ANZAC forces during World War I

    The landing at Anzac Cove on Sunday, 25 April 1915, also known as the landing at Gaba Tepe and, to the Turks, as the Arıburnu Battle, was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula by...

  5. RMS Lusitania is sunk by a German submarine off the southern coast of Ireland, with 1,198 lives lost

    RMS Lusitania is sunk by a German submarine off the southern coast of Ireland, with 1,198 lives lost

More from the 1910s

birth

Hank Greenberg is born

Hank Greenberg, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1911-01-01.

Belgian mining law introduces a 9.5-hour workday

Belgian mining law introduces a 9.5-hour workday

First running of San Francisco's famed "Bay to Breakers" footrace (7.63 miles/12.3 km); Robert Vlught wins in 44:10

First running of San Francisco's famed "Bay to Breakers" footrace (7.63 miles/12.3 km); Robert Vlught wins in 44:10

The US Post Office begins parcel post delivery

The Bronx General Post Office (also known as the Bronx Central Post Office or Bronx Central Annex) is a historic post office building at 558 Grand Concourse in the South Bronx in New York City, New…

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on July 28, 1914?
Identifying the causes of World War I remains a debated issue. World War I began in the Balkans on 28 July 1914, and hostilities ended on 11 November 1918, leaving 17 million dead and 25 million wounded. Moreover, the Russian Civil War can in many ways be considered a continuation of World War I, as can various other conflicts in the direct aftermath of 1918.
Why is Austria-Hungary decides against mediation and declares war on Serbia, the fir... significant?
Identifying the causes of World War I remains a debated issue.

Explore More

July 28 in HistoryYear 1914