1914 witnessed the start of World War One after the build up of international tension throughout Europe that had occurred during 1914.
June 28th: Franz Ferdinand assassinated at Sarajevo.
July 5th: Wilhelm II of Germany promised Austria-Hungary support if they took action against Serbia.
July 25th: Austria-Hungary severed diplomatic ties with Serbia.
July 26th: Austria-Hungary ordered a partial mobilisation against Serbia. Britain suggested a conference to settle the ‘Serbian Question’.
July 27th: Germany refused the idea of a conference while Russia accepted it.
July 28th: Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.
July 29th: Germany refused to confirm adherence to Belgium’s neutrality. Russia asked Germany to put pressure on Austria-Hungary to show restraint while ordering a partial mobilisation herself.
July 30th: Germany warned Russia to stop her partial mobilisation. Austro-Hungarian War Production Law introduced.
July 31st: Russia ordered a full general mobilisation.
August 1st: Germany declared war of Russia. Great Britain and France order a general mobilisation.
August 2nd: Germany attacked Luxemburg and demanded a right of transit through Belgium.
August 3rd: Germany declared war on France and having implemented the Schlieffen Plan, invaded Belgium.
August 4th: Great Britain declared war on Germany. Germany declared war on Belgium. German troops attacked Liege.
August 6th: Serbia declared war on Germany. Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia. Liege surrendered to the Germans. The British light cruiser ‘HMS Amphion’ was sunk by a mine in the Thames estuary.
August 7th: First British troops landed in France.
August 8th: Defence of the Realm Act introduced in Great Britain. France captured Mulhouse in Alsace. Department of War Raw Materials was established in Germany.
August 11th: Germany recaptured Mulhouse and drove the French out of Alsace.
August 12th: Great Britain and France declared war on Austria-Hungary.
August 17th: The Russian 1st and 2nd armies advanced on East Prussia.
August 19th: Serbian forces defeated the Austrians at Jadar River.
August 20th: Brussels surrendered. Zeppelins flew over London and nearby ports.
August 21st: Germany attacked Namur. Serbian troops forced Austrian troops out of Serbia.
August 22nd: A French offensive in the Ardennes was defeated. Hindenburg and Luderndorff arrived Marienburg to take command of the Germany army on the Eastern Front.
August 23rd: The British Expeditionary Force started its retreat from Mons. Germany invaded France. The Austrian 1st Army engaged the Russian 4t Army at Krasnik.
August 25th: The city of Lille was abandoned by the French. The Russian 4th Army was forced to retreat from Krasnik.
August 26th: Start of the Battle of Tannenburg. The Russian 5th Army was defeated at Komarov
August 28th: First German attack on Verdun took place but was unsuccessful. The Battle of Heligoland Bight fought. The German Navy lost the cruisers ‘Mainz’, ‘Köln’ and ‘Ariadne’ – all three were sunk by the Royal Navy.
August 29th: First checks to the German advance were made at St. Quentin and Guise. The Russian commander at Tannenburg, Samsonov, committed suicide. The Russian 3rd and 8th armies defeated the Austrians near Lemberg.
August 30th: Paris bombed by aircraft of the German Air Service.
August 31st: Battle of Tannenburg ended – 125,000 Russian troops were taken prisoner.
September 2nd: The French government secretly moved to Bordeaux.
September 3rd: Lemberg was occupied by the Russians. French aerial reconnaissance spotted gaps in the German advance towards the Marne and informed ground force commanders accordingly.
September 5th: Start of the Battle of Ourcq between the French 6th Army and the German 1st.
September 6th: First Battle of the Marne started.
September 7th: German troops advanced on the Masurian Lakes.
September 8th: Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia for the second time. “State of War” regulations introduced across the whole of France.
September 9th: The advance of the French 5th Army and the BEF resulted in the Germans retreating.
September 12th: The Germans re-crossed the River Aisne and set up well-defended positions
September 14th: Moltke was dismissed his command and replaced by Falkenhayn. This date marks the first time a radio was used in an aeroplane to direct artillery fire.
September 15th: The first use of aerial photography by the Royal Flying Corps to assist ground forces.
September 22nd: Start of the Battle of Picardy. U-9 sunk three British cruisers off the Dutch coast. The Royal Flying Corps bombed Zeppelin sheds at Cologne and Düsseldorf.
September 26th: Indian troops arrived at Marsailles.
September 27th: Start of the Battle of Artois.
September 28th: German artillery started to attack forts around Antwerp.
October 1st: The French stopped a German breakthrough just to the east of Arras.
October 3rd: Belgium started to withdraw her forces from Antwerp.
October 4th: German forces reached the Belgian coast. Start of the first combined German/Austrian operation in Poland.
October 10th: Antwerp surrendered.
October 12th: Lille occupied by German forces.
October 15th: Battle for Warsaw started.
October 17th: Russian forces saved Warsaw from capture.
October 18th: First Battle of Ypres started.
October 20th: First recorded sinking of a merchant ship by a U-boat when the ‘Glitra’ was sunk by U-17 off Norway.
October 29th: Turkey entered the war on the side of Germany.
November 1st: Start of the 3rd Austrian invasion of Serbia. The Battle of Coronel in the Pacific Ocean took place. ‘HMS Monmouth’ and ‘HMS good Hope’ were lost with no survivors.
November 4th: Austrians defeated at Jaroslau.
November 11th: Start of the second combined German/Austrian advance into Poland.
November 18th: Start of the Battle of Lodz – the German advance into Poland was halted by fierce fighting.
November 22nd: First Battle of Ypres ended.
November 24th: The German XXV Reserve Corps fought their way out of Lodz.
December 2nd: Austrians captured Belgrade.
December 6th: Serbia defeated an Austria force at Kolubra River. Russian forces withdrew from Lodz.
December 8th: Austria suffered a heavy defeat at a battle to the south of Belgrade. Battle of the Falkland Island took place – the German Navy suffered heavy losses with over 1,800 men killed.
December 9th: Warsaw bombed by the German Air Service.
December 12th: Start of a major Austrian counter-offensive against Serbia
December 15th: Serbia regained Belgrade. Austrian forces withdrew across their border.
December 16th: Whitby, Scarborough and Hartlepool were bombarded by the German Navy.
December 24th/25th: Xmas truce on the frontline.
1915 1916 1917 1918
April 2009
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