1914 and World War One

1914 witnessed the start of World War One after the build up of international tension throughout Europe that had occurred during 1914.

June 28^th: Franz Ferdinand assassinated at Sarajevo.

 

July 5^th: Wilhelm II of Germany promised Austria-Hungary support if they took action against Serbia.

 

July 25^th: Austria-Hungary severed diplomatic ties with Serbia.

 

July 26^th: Austria-Hungary ordered a partial mobilisation against Serbia. Britain suggested a conference to settle the ‘Serbian Question’.

 

July 27^th: Germany refused the idea of a conference while Russia accepted it.

 

July 28^th: Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.

 

July 29^th: 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 30^th: Germany warned Russia to stop her partial mobilisation. Austro-Hungarian War Production Law introduced.

 

July 31^st: Russia ordered a full general mobilisation.

 

August 1^st: Germany declared war of Russia. Great Britain and France order a general mobilisation.

 

August 2^nd: Germany attacked Luxemburg and demanded a right of transit through Belgium.

 

August 3^rd: Germany declared war on France and having implemented the Schlieffen Plan, invaded Belgium.

 

August 4^th: Great Britain declared war on Germany. Germany declared war on Belgium. German troops attacked Liege.

 

August 6^th: 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 7^th: First British troops landed in France.

 

August 8^th: Defence of the Realm Act introduced in Great Britain. France captured Mulhouse in Alsace. Department of War Raw Materials was established in Germany.

 

August 11^th: Germany recaptured Mulhouse and drove the French out of Alsace.

 

August 12^th: Great Britain and France declared war on Austria-Hungary.

 

August 17^th: The Russian 1^st and 2^nd armies advanced on East Prussia.

 

August 19^th: Serbian forces defeated the Austrians at Jadar River.

 

August 20^th: Brussels surrendered. Zeppelins flew over London and nearby ports.

 

August 21^st: Germany attacked Namur. Serbian troops forced Austrian troops out of Serbia.

 

August 22^nd: 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 23^rd: The British Expeditionary Force started its retreat from Mons. Germany invaded France. The Austrian 1^st Army engaged the Russian 4t Army at Krasnik.

 

August 25^th: The city of Lille was abandoned by the French. The Russian 4^th Army was forced to retreat from Krasnik.

 

August 26^th: Start of the Battle of Tannenburg. The Russian 5^th Army was defeated at Komarov

 

August 28^th: 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 29^th: First checks to the German advance were made at St. Quentin and Guise. The Russian commander at Tannenburg, Samsonov, committed suicide. The Russian 3^rd and 8^th armies defeated the Austrians near Lemberg.

 

August 30^th: Paris bombed by aircraft of the German Air Service.

 

August 31^st: Battle of Tannenburg ended – 125,000 Russian troops were taken prisoner.

 

September 2^nd: The French government secretly moved to Bordeaux.

 

September 3^rd: 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 5^th: Start of the Battle of Ourcq between the French 6^th Army and the German 1^st.

 

September 6^th: First Battle of the Marne started.

 

September 7^th: German troops advanced on the Masurian Lakes.

 

September 8^th: Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia for the second time. “State of War” regulations introduced across the whole of France.

 

September 9^th: The advance of the French 5^th Army and the BEF resulted in the Germans retreating.

 

September 12^th: The Germans re-crossed the River Aisne and set up well-defended positions

 

September 14^th: 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 15^th: The first use of aerial photography by the Royal Flying Corps to assist ground forces.

 

September 22^nd: 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 26^th: Indian troops arrived at Marsailles.

 

September 27^th: Start of the Battle of Artois.

 

September 28^th: German artillery started to attack forts around Antwerp.

 

October 1^st: The French stopped a German breakthrough just to the east of Arras.

 

October 3^rd: Belgium started to withdraw her forces from Antwerp.

 

October 4^th: German forces reached the Belgian coast. Start of the first combined German/Austrian operation in Poland.

 

October 10^th: Antwerp surrendered.

 

October 12^th: Lille occupied by German forces.

 

October 15^th: Battle for Warsaw started.

 

October 17^th: Russian forces saved Warsaw from capture.

 

October 18^th: First Battle of Ypres started.

 

October 20^th: First recorded sinking of a merchant ship by a U-boat when the ‘Glitra’ was sunk by U-17 off Norway.

 

October 29^th: Turkey entered the war on the side of Germany.

 

November 1^st: Start of the 3^rd 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 4^th: Austrians defeated at Jaroslau.

 

November 11^th: Start of the second combined German/Austrian advance into Poland.

 

November 18^th: Start of the Battle of Lodz – the German advance into Poland was halted by fierce fighting.

 

November 22^nd: First Battle of Ypres ended.

 

November 24^th: The German XXV Reserve Corps fought their way out of Lodz.

 

December 2^nd: Austrians captured Belgrade.

 

December 6^th: Serbia defeated an Austria force at Kolubra River. Russian forces withdrew from Lodz.

 

December 8^th: 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 9^th: Warsaw bombed by the German Air Service.

 

December 12^th: Start of a major Austrian counter-offensive against Serbia

 

December 15^th: Serbia regained Belgrade. Austrian forces withdrew across their border.

 

December 16^th: Whitby, Scarborough and Hartlepool were bombarded by the German Navy.

 

December 24^th/25^th: Xmas truce on the frontline.

1915     1916     1917    1918

April 2009

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