Dates Events June 28 Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austro - Hungarian throne, who was killed in Sarajevo along with his wife Duchess Sophie by Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip. Details July 5 Austria - Hungary seeks German support for a war against Serbia in case of Russian militarism. Germany gives assurances of support. July 23 Beginning of the "Black Week ''. Austria - Hungary sends an ultimatum to Serbia. The Serbian response is seen as satisfactory everywhere but in Vienna. Details July 28 Austria - Hungary declares war on Serbia. Russia mobilizes. Details The Netherlands declare neutrality. July 29 Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Czar Nicholas II of Russia communicate via telegram. July 30 Germany sends Russia an ultimatum. August 1 Germany declares war on Russia and mobilizes. France mobilizes. Italy declares its neutrality. Denmark, Sweden and Norway unitedly declare their neutrality. Germany and the Ottoman Empire sign a secret alliance treaty. Details August 2 Germany invades Luxembourg. Details Skirmish at Joncherey, first military action on the Western Front. August 2 -- 26 Germany besieges and captures fortified Longwy "the iron gate to Paris '' near the Luxembourg border, opening France to mass German invasion. August 3 Germany declares war on France. Belgium denies permission for German forces to pass through to the French border. Switzerland declares its neutrality and mobilizes for purposes of defense. August 4 Germany invades Belgium to outflank the French army. Details Britain protests the violation of Belgian neutrality, guaranteed by the Treaty of London, The German Chancellor replies that the treaty is just a scrap of paper. The United Kingdom declares war on Germany. Details The United States declares neutrality. August 4 -- 16 The Germans besiege and then capture the fortresses of Liège, Belgium. Details August 5 German Steamer SS Pfalz surrenders after being fired on by Fort Nepean, south of Melbourne, Australia Montenegro declares war on Austria - Hungary. The Ottoman Empire closes the Dardanelles. August 6 Austria - Hungary declares war on Russia. Serbia declares war on Germany. August 7 The British Expeditionary Force arrives in France. Details Spain declares "the strictest neutrality. '' Details August 7 -- September 13 Battle of the Frontiers. The Germans obtain a victory against the British Expeditionary Force and France 's Fifth Army. August 7 -- 10 Battle of Mulhouse, a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers. August 8 Montenegro declares war on Germany. August 9 The Togoland Campaign begins. August 11 France declares war on Austria - Hungary. August 12 The United Kingdom declares war on Austria - Hungary. Battle of Halen, a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers. August 14 -- 25 Battle of Lorraine, a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers. August 16 -- 20 The Serbs defeat the Austro - Hungarians at the Battle of Cer. Details August 17 The Russian army enters East Prussia. Battle of Stallupönen. Details August 20 The 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 The Germans occupy Brussels. Battle of Morhange, a phase of the Battle of Lorraine. Battle of Sarrebourg, a phase of the Battle of Lorraine. August 21 Battle of Charleroi, a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers. August 21 -- 23 Battle of the Ardennes, a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers. August 23 Japan declares war on Germany. Details Battle of Mons, a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers. August 23 -- 30 Battle of Tannenberg: the Russian army undergoes a heavy defeat by the Germans. Details August 23 -- September 11 Battle of Lemberg. The Russians capture Lviv. Details August 23 -- 25 Battle of Kraśnik, a phase of the Battle of Lemberg. The Austro - Hungarian First Army defeats the Russian Fourth Army. Details August 24 Action of Elouges. Battle of the Mortagne, a phase of the Battle of Lorraine. August 24 -- September 7 The Germans besiege and capture the Maubeuge Fortress. Details August 24 -- September 28 The Allied Great Retreat to the River Marne. August 25 Japan declares war on Austria - Hungary. Battle of Tepe: The Kamerun Campaign begins. August 26 British and French forces conquer Togoland, a German protectorate in West Africa. Details Battle of Le Grand Fayt. August 26 -- 27 Battle of Le Cateau. Allied retreat. Details August 26 -- 30 Battle of Gnila Lipa, a phase of the Battle of Lemberg. August 26 -- September 2 Battle of Komarow, part of the Battle of Lemberg. Details August 26 - February 18, 1916 Siege of Mora. August 27 Battle of Étreux. Details August 27 -- November 7 Battle of Tsingtao: British and Japanese forces capture the German - controlled port of Tsingtao in China. Details August 28 The Royal Navy wins the First Battle of Heligoland Bight, North Sea. Details Austria - Hungary declares war on Belgium. August 29 -- 30 Battle of Saint Quentin, also known as Battle of Guise. Orderly Allied retreat. Details August 29 - 31 First Battle of Garua. August 30 New Zealand occupies German Samoa (later Western Samoa). Details September 1 Action at Nery Details Saint Petersburg renamed Petrograd, removing German words "Burg '' and "Sankt ''. September 2 -- 11 Austro - Hungarian defeat at the Battle of Rava Russka, a phase of the Battle of Lemberg. Details September 4 -- 13 Battle of Grand Couronne, a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers. September 5 -- 12 First Battle of the Marne. The German advance on Paris is halted, marking the failure of the Schlieffen Plan. Details Battle of the Ourcq, a phase of the First Battle of the Marne. Battle of the Two Morins. September 6 Battle of Nsanakong. September 6 -- 12 Battle of the Marshes of Saint - Gond, a phase of the First Battle of the Marne. Battle of Vitry, a phase of the First Battle of the Marne. Battle of Revigny, a phase of the First Battle of the Marne. September 6 -- October 4 Battle of Drina. September 7 Fanning Raid. September 7 -- 14 First Battle of the Masurian Lakes: The Russian Army of the Neman withdraws from East Prussia with heavy casualties. Details September 9 Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg lays out Germany 's war aims. Details September 11 Battle of Bita Paka. September 13 Troops from South Africa begin invading German South - West Africa. Details September 13 -- 28 The First Battle of the Aisne ends in a substantial draw. The Race to the Sea begins. Details September 14 Erich von Falkenhayn replaces Helmuth von Moltke the Younger as German Chief of Staff. Details September 14 - 17 Siege of Toma. Most German forces in New Guinea surrender to the Australians then or over the following year. September 15 Boer leader Manie Maritz revolts in South Africa. Details September 19 -- October 11 Battle of Flirey September 20 Battle of Zanzibar, German naval victory. September 22 Bombardment of Papeete German Light Cruiser Emden attacks Madras Details September 22 -- 26 First Battle of Picardy. September 24 The Siege of Przemyśl begins Details September 25 Battle of Sandfontein. September 25 -- 29 First Battle of Albert Details September 28 -- October 10 The Germans besiege and capture Antwerp, Belgium. Details September 29 - 30 Japan occupies the Marshall Islands. September 29 -- October 31 Battle of the Vistula River, also known as Battle of Warsaw. Details October -- July 11, 1915 Battle of Rufiji Delta, German cruiser Königsberg destroyed. October 1 -- 4 First Battle of Arras. Details October 9 -- November 1 Central powers control Belgrade. Details October 10 -- November 2 Battle of La Bassee. October 12 -- November 2 First Battle of Messines. Details October 13 -- November 2 Battle of Armentieres. October 16 -- 31 Battle of the Yser. French and Belgian forces secure the coastline of Belgium. Details October 19 -- November 22 The First Battle of Ypres ends the Race to the Sea. The Germans are prevented from reaching Calais and Dunkirk. Details October 19 - July 7, 1915 Clashes between German and Portuguese forces in the Angola - Namibia border, without declaration of war. Details October 28 Battle of Penang. October 29 The Ottoman Empire launches a surprise attack on the Russian Black Sea coast Details November 1 Russia declares war on the Ottoman Empire. Battle of Coronel. Von Spee 's German cruiser squadron defeats a Royal Navy squadron under Christopher Cradock. Details November 2 The United Kingdom begins the naval blockade of Germany. Details Serbia declares war on the Ottoman Empire. November 2 -- 16 Bergmann Offensive, first military engagement in the Caucasus of the First World War. November 3 Montenegro declares war on the Ottoman Empire. Battle of Kilimanjaro. November 3 -- 5 Von Lettow - Vorbeck 's German colonial forces defeat the British at the Battle of Tanga, German East Africa. Details November 5 France and the United Kingdom declare war on the Ottoman Empire. November 6 Fao Landing, British and Indians besiege the fortress at Fao. November 9 Battle of Cocos, northeast Indian Ocean. The Australian cruiser Sydney destroys the German cruiser Emden. Details November 11 Sultan Mehmed V declares Jihad on the Allies. Details November 11 -- 21 Battle of Basra. Details November 11 -- December 6 Battle of Łódź (also known as Silesian Offensive). Details November 13 Battle of El Herri: Worst French defeat in Morocco at the hands of the Zayanes. November 16 -- December 15 Battle of Kolubara, Austro - Hungarians leave Serbia. November 19 Bolshevik representatives at the State Duma arrested and exiled to Siberia. December 1 -- 13 Battle of Limanowa. December 3 -- 9 Battle of Qurna. December 8 Battle of the Falklands. Von Spee 's German cruiser squadron is defeated by the Royal Navy. Details December 10 Hill 60 captured by the Germans. Details December 14 Ottomans occupy the Persian border town of Qotur as a bridgehead to the Caucasus, but withdraw after their defeat at Sarikamish. Details December 16 The German fleet shells Scarborough and Hartlepool, England. Details December 18 -- 22 Battle of Givenchy. December 17 -- January 13, 1915 First Battle of Artois. December 20 Fighting begins at Perthes. December 20 -- 17 March 1915 First Battle of Champagne. Details December 22 Fighting begins at Noyon. Details December 22 -- January 2, 1915 The Russians win the Battle of Sarikamish, Caucasia. Details December 24 -- 25 In some sectors of the Western Front, an unofficial Christmas truce is observed between German and British forces. Details December 25 -- January 18, 1915 Battle of Ardahan.
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