Timeline of World War One During the centenary years of World War One, you will find information here about some of the main events to occur during the war. The hyperlinks will take you to an entry which will give you more information. It is always wise to check the information with at least one other source. With permission from Wikipedia. 1914 28 June 1914. Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the heir to the Austro- Hungarian throne, who is killed in Sarajevo along with his wife, Duchess Sophie. Details 5 July 1914. Austria-Hungary seeks German support for a war against Serbia in case of Russian militarism. Germany gives assurances of support. Details 23 July 1914. Austria-Hungary sends an ultimatum to Serbia. The Serbian response is seen as unsatisfactory. Details 28 July 1914. Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. Russia mobilizes. Details 31 July 1914. Germany warns Russia to stop mobilizing. Russia says mobilization is against Austria-Hungary only. Details 1 August 1914. Germany declares war on Russia. Details 1 August 1914. Germany and the Ottoman Empire sign a secret alliance treaty. Details 2 August 1914. Germany invades Luxembourg. Details 2 August 1914. Skirmish at Joncherey, first military action on the Western Front. Details 3 August 1914. Germany declares war on France, Belgium does not allow German arms through to the French border. Details 4 August 1914. Germany invades Belgium and Luxembourg to outflank the French army. Details 4 August 1914. Britain protests the violation of Belgian neutrality, guaranteed by a treaty. German Chancellor replies that the treaty is just a chiffon de papier (a scrap of paper). The United Kingdom declares war on Germany. Details 4 to 16 August 1914. Germans besiege and then capture the fortresses of Liège, Belgium. Details 6 August 1914. Serbia declares war on Germany. Details 7 August 1914. British Expeditionary Force arrives in France. Details 7 August to 13 September 1914. Battle of the Frontiers. The Germans obtain a victory against the British Expeditionary Force and France's Fifth Army. Details 7 to 10 August 1914 . Battle of Mulhouse, a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers. Details 9 August 1914. Montenegro declares war on Germany. Details 9 August 1914. Togoland Campaign begins. Details 11 August 1914. France declares war on Austria-Hungary. Details 12 August 1914. Britain declares war on Austria-Hungary. Details 12 August 1914. Battle of Haelen, a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers. Details 14 to 25 August 1914. Battle of Lorraine, a phase of the battle of the Frontiers. Details 16 to 19 August 1914. Serbs defeat the Austro-Hungarians at the Battle of Cer. Details 17 August 1914. Russian army enters East Prussia. Battle of Stalluponen. Details 20 August 1914. Germans attack the Russians in East Prussia, the Battle of Gumbinnen. The attack is a failure in addition to being a deviation from the Schlieffen Plan. Details 20 August 1914. Germans occupy Brussels. Details 20 August 1914. Battle of Lorraine. Details 21 August 1914. Battle of Charleroi, a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers. Details 21 to 23 August 1914. Battle of the Ardennes, a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers. Details 22 August 1914. Austria-Hungary declares war on Belgium. Details 23 August 1914. Japan declares war on Germany. Details 23 August 1914. Battle of Mons, a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers. Details 23 to 30 August 1914. Battle of Tannenberg: the Russian army suffers a heavy defeat by the Germans. Details 23 August to 11 September 1914. Battle of Lemberg. The Russians capture Lviv. Details 23 to 25 August 1914. Battle of Kraśnik, a phase of the Battle of Lemberg. The Austro-Hungarian First Army defeats the Russian Fourth Army. Details 24 August 1914. Action of Elouges. Details 24 August 1914. Battle of the Mortagne, a phase of the Battle of Lorraine. Details 24 August to 7 September 1914. Germans besiege and capture the Maubeuge Fortress. Details 25 August 1914. Japan declares war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. Details 26 August 1914. British and French forces conquer Togoland, a German protectorate in West Africa. Details 26 August 1914. Battle of Le Grand Fayt. Details 26 to 27August 1914. Battle of Le Cateau. Allied retreat. Details 26 to 30 August 1914. Battle of Gnila Lipa, a phase of the Battle of Lemberg. Details 26 August to 2 September 1914. Battle of Komarow, part of the Battle of Lemberg. Details 27 August 1914. Battle of Étreux. Details 27 August to 7 November 1914. Battle of Tsingtao. British and Japanese forces capture the German-controlled port of Tsingtao in China. Details 28 August 1914. Royal Navy wins the First Battle of Heligoland Bight, North Sea. Details 29 to 30 August 1914. Battle of Saint Quentin, also known as Battle of Guise. Orderly Allied retreat. Details 30 August 1914. New Zealand occupies German Samoa (later Western Samoa). Details 1 September 1914. Action at Nery. Details 2 to 11September 1914. Austro-Hungarian defeat at the Battle of Rava Russka, a phase of the Battle of Lemberg. Details 4 to 13 September 1914. Battle of Grand Couronne, a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers. Details 5 to 12 September 1914. First Battle of the Marne. The German advance on Paris is halted, marking the failure of the Schlieffen Plan. Details 6 September to 4 October 1914. Battle of Drina. Details 7 to 14 September 1914. First Battle of the Masurian Lakes: The Russian Army of the Neman withdraws from East Prussia with heavy casualties. Details 9 September 1914. Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg lays out Germany's war aims. Details 11 September 1914. Australian forces occupy German New Guinea. Details 13 September 1914 Troops from South Africa begin invading German South-West Africa. Details 13 to 28 September 1914. First Battle of the Aisne ends in a substantial draw. The Race to the Sea begins. Details 14 September 1914. Erich von Falkenhayn replaces Helmuth von Moltke the Younger as German Chief of Staff. Details 19 September to 11 October 1914. Battle of Flirey. Details 20 September 1914. Battle of Zanzibar, German naval victory. Details 22 to 26 September 1914 First Battle of Picardy. Details 24 September 1914. The Siege of Przemyśl begins. Details 25 to 29 September 1914. First Battle of Albert. Details 27 September 1914. Ottoman Empire closes the Dardanelles. Details 28 September to 10 October 1914 The Germans besiege and capture Antwerp, Belgium. Details 29 September to 31 October 1914 Battle of the Vistula River, also known as Battle of Warsaw. Details 1 October 1914 to 11 July 1915. Battle of Rufiji Delta, German cruiser Königsberg destroyed. Details 1 October 1914 to 4 October 1914. First Battle of Arras. Details 10 October 1914 to 2 November 1914. Battle of La Bassee. Details 12 October 1914 to 2 November 1914. First Battle of Messines. Details 13 October 1914 to 2 November 1914. Battle of Armentieres. Details 16 October 1914 to 31 October 1914. Battle of the Yser. French and Belgian forces secure the coastline of Belgium. Details 19 October 1914 to 22 November 1914. First Battle of Ypres ends the Race to the Sea. The Germans are prevented from reaching Calais and Dunkirk. Details 1 November 1914. Battle of Coronel. Von Spee's German cruiser squadron defeats a Royal Navy squadron under Christopher Cradock. Details 2 November 1914. Britain begins the naval blockade of Germany. Details 2 November 1914 to 16 November 1914. Bergmann Offensive, first military engagement in the Caucuses of the First World War. Details 3 November 1914. Battle of Kilimanjaro. Details 3 November 1914 to 5 November 1914. Battle of Tanga, German East Africa: Von Lettow-Vorbeck's German colonial forces defeat the British. Details 5 November 1914. France and Britain declare war on the Ottoman Empire. Details 6 November 1914. Fao Landing, British and Indians besiege the fortress at Fao. Details 9 November 1914. Battle of Cocos, northeast Indian Ocean. The Australian cruiser Sydney destroys the German cruiser Emden. Details 11 November 1914. Sultan Mehmed V declares Jihad on the Allies. Details 11 November 1914. Hill 60 captured by the Germans. Details 11 November 1914 to 21November 1914. Battle of Basra. Details 11 November 1914 to 6 December 1914. Battle of Lódź (also known as the Silesian Offensive). Details 16 November 1914 to 15 December 1914. Battle of Kolubara, Austro-Hungarians leave Serbia. Details 1 December 1914 to 13 December 1914. Battle of Limanowa. Details 3 December 1914 to 9 December 1914. Battle of Qurna. Details 8 December 1914. Battle of the Falklands. Von Spee's German cruiser squadron is defeated by the Royal Navy. Details 16 December 1914. German fleet shells Scarborough and Hartlepool, England. Details 17 December 1914 to 13 January 1915. First Battle of Artois. Details 18 December 1914 to 22 December 1914. Battle of Givenchy. Details 20 December 1914 to 17 March 1915. First Battle of Champagne. Details 24 December 1914 to 25 December 1914. Christmas Truce. In some sectors of the Western Front, an unofficial truce is observed between German and British forces. Details 25 December 1914 to 18 January 1915. Battle of Ardahan. Details 29 December 1914 to 2 January 1915. The Russians win the Battle of Sarikamis, Caucasia. Details 1915 2 January 1915 to 12 April 1915. Russian offensive in the Carpathians begins. Details 18 January 1915 to 19 January 1915. Battle of Jassin. Details 19 January 1915. First Zeppelin raid on Great Britain. Details 19 January 1915 to 22 December 1915. Battle of Hartmannswillerkopf, a series of battles fought to control the peak. Details 24 January 1915. Battle of Dogger Bank between squadrons of the British Grand Fleet and the German Hochseeflotte.