War of the Worlds: Goliath (2014) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The Martians launch a second invasion in 1914, fifteen years after their initial attack. The first invasion was defeated when Earth's bacteria rendered their technology powerless. This time, they return with a more aggressive strategy, deploying 100-foot tall tripod machines. Their attack coincides with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, exploiting humanity's distraction with impending World War I.

Foreshadowing: The initial Martian invasion in 1899 left Earth devastated with 140 million casualties, establishing the Martians as an existential threat that would inevitably return.

• martian invasion
• second invasion
• 1914
• earth defense
• alien attack

The first massive Martian tripod assault was revealed to be a war simulation conceived by General Kushnirov. The purpose was to assess Eric Wells and his A.R.E.S. team's tactical capabilities and readiness. This deception was part of Kushnirov's strategic planning to test human defenses before the real invasion began.

Foreshadowing: Kushnirov's secretive behavior and his role in orchestrating the war simulation hints at his larger strategic manipulations throughout the story.

• simulation
• war games
• Kushnirov
• A.R.E.S.
• tactical assessment

Earth's natural defenses, specifically bacteria, ultimately defeated the Martian invasion of 1899. The Martians, despite their advanced technology, had no immunity to Earth's microorganisms. Their towering tripods collapsed as their operators succumbed to bacterial infections, allowing humanity to survive despite suffering catastrophic losses of over 140 million lives.

Foreshadowing: The gray, lifeless sky in 1914 serves as a constant reminder of the devastation the Martians caused before being defeated by Earth's simplest life forms.

• bacteria
• earth defense
• martian defeat
• 1899 invasion
• natural immunity

During the climactic battle in New York, Dimitri falls from a bridge while reaching to secure himself. His father, General Kushnirov, desperately tries to rescue him but is forced to let go when he must take control of the Leviathan warship to complete his mission against the Martian dreadnought.

Foreshadowing: Dimitri's presence on the front lines despite being Kushnirov's son foreshadows the personal cost of the war.

• Dimitri
• Kushnirov
• bridge fall
• sacrifice
• Leviathan

General Kushnirov takes control of the Leviathan after his son Dimitri falls and is lost. Rather than pursuing rescue, Kushnirov steers the warship directly into the massive Martian dreadnought in a suicide attack. This sacrificial collision causes a massive explosion that destroys the alien vessel and turns the tide of the battle.

Foreshadowing: Kushnirov's earlier deception with the war simulation establishes his willingness to make extreme tactical decisions for humanity's survival.

• Kushnirov
• Leviathan
• sacrifice
• Martian dreadnought
• collision
• explosion

Eric's team discovers that the Martians are seizing human captives and taking them to a factory. The Martians plan to exploit these humans for their war machine, likely using human labor or biological resources to support their invasion effort. This discovery motivates Eric's team to launch a rescue mission to liberate the captives.

Foreshadowing: Earlier references to the Martians' methodical destruction hint at their willingness to systematically exploit humanity.

• human captives
• factory
• martian exploitation
• prisoners
• liberation

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo triggers the events leading to World War I. This historical event creates a critical distraction for world powers, pulling attention away from the Martian threat. A.R.E.S. members are forced to return to their home countries as European alliances collapse, leaving Earth's defenses split during the alien invasion.

Foreshadowing: Eric's frustration with human leaders' shortsightedness directly references their prioritization of terrestrial wars over the alien threat.

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand
• Sarajevo
• World War 1
• distraction
• European alliances

General Kushnirov reveals that the Martian attack on New York was a strategic diversion designed to lure A.R.E.S. forces away from their operational base. The Martians intended to leave the base vulnerable so they could launch a main assault elsewhere. However, President Roosevelt commits to defending New York while the Leviathan and Agemmon warships arrive to counter the invasion.

Foreshadowing: Kushnirov's revelation about the diversion comes after previous hints about his strategic deception in the war simulation.

• Martian strategy
• New York diversion
• A.R.E.S. base
• Kushnirov
• Roosevelt

Eric Wells leads A.R.E.S. because he witnessed the Martian destruction of Leeds in 1899 as a ten-year-old child. He survived when a tripod collapsed on him, and this traumatic experience drove him to become a warrior. By 1914, at age 25, he has risen to command a squadron within the organization formed by figures like General Kushnirov, Theodore Roosevelt, and Nikola Tesla.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene establishes Eric's childhood trauma as the primary motivation for his relentless fight against the Martians.

• Eric Wells
• A.R.E.S. commander
• Leeds
• childhood trauma
• Martian invasion

The Agemmon, one of A.R.E.S.'s two flying warships alongside the Leviathan, attempts to assist in the battle against the Martian dreadnought. However, it is obliterated in a blinding explosion when the Martians' overwhelming heat ray fire destroys the vessel completely.

Foreshadowing: The introduction of both Leviathan and Agemmon establishes them as humanity's primary hope, making their losses significant.

• Agemmon
• warship
• destroyed
• explosion
• Martian dreadnought

President Roosevelt, who helped form A.R.E.S. alongside General Kushnirov and Nikola Tesla, takes command of Earth's defense during the Martian invasion of New York. Despite the Martians' strategic diversion designed to draw A.R.E.S. away, Roosevelt stands resilient and commits to fending off the siege, demonstrating his commitment to humanity's survival.

Foreshadowing: Roosevelt's involvement as Secretary of War in forming A.R.E.S. establishes his leadership role in the resistance.

• President Roosevelt
• New York defense
• A.R.E.S.
• leadership
• Martian siege