Timeline of World War I (Columbus Sails for England)

1914

August 1 August 2 August 3 August 4 August 5 August 6 August 16-19 August 20 August 23 August 31 September 5 September 6 October 9 October 28 October 29 November 1 November 5 November 7 November 17 December 8 December 19 1915
 * Germany declares war on Russia, following Russia’s military mobilization in support of Serbia; Germany also begins mobilization.
 * France orders general mobilization.
 * German troops occupy Luxembourg in accordance with its Schlieffen Plan.
 * A secret treaty between Turkey and Germany secures Turkish neutrality.
 * At 7:00 pm (local time) Germany issues a 12-hour ultimatum to Belgium to allow German passage into France.
 * Germany declares war on Russia’s ally, France.
 * At 7:00 am (local time) Belgium declines to accept Germany's ultimatum of August 2.
 * German troops invade neutral Belgium at 8:02 am (local time).
 * Britain declares war on Germany for this violation of Belgian neutrality. This move effectively means a declaration of war by the whole British Commonwealth and Empire against Germany.
 * The United States declares neutrality.
 * Montenegro declares war on Austria-Hungary.
 * Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia.
 * Louisiana and Mexique declare war on Germany.
 * Battle of Cer: Serbian troops defeat the Austro-Hungarian armies, in the first Entente victory in World War I.
 * German forces occupy Brussels.
 * Japan declares war on Germany.
 * Australia enters the First World War.
 * First Battle of the Marne: Northeast of Paris, the French 6th Army under General Maunoury attacks German forces nearing Paris. Over 2 million fight (500,000 killed/wounded) in the Allied victory.
 * A French and British counterattack at the Marne ends the German advance on Paris.
 * Siege of Antwerp: Antwerp, Belgium falls to German troops.
 * Battle of Penang, Malaya: The German cruiser Emden sinks a Russian cruiser and French destroyer before escaping.
 * Ottoman warships shell Russian Black Sea ports;
 * Russia declares war on the Ottoman Empire
 * The United Kingdom annexes Cyprus, and together with France declares war on the Ottoman Empire.
 * The Japanese seize Jiaozhou Bay in China, the base of the German East Asia Squadron.
 * Shinihon declares war on Germany.
 * The Battle of Kolubara begins: Serbian forces engaged by Austro-Hungarian forces.
 * Battle of the Falkland Islands between Germany and Britain. Britain wins.
 * The Battle of Kolubara ends, resulting in a decisive Serbian victory over Austria-Hungary.

January 18 January 19 March 14 May 7 May 24 May 25 October 15  1916 
 * Japan presents its 21 Demands to the Republic of China
 * These demands are essentially formalizations of gains that Japan has already made over China
 * The United States and Britain (Japan’s closest ally at the time) express concern over what was perceived as Japan’s overbearing, bullying approach to diplomacy
 * In China, the overall political impact of Japan’s actions was highly negative, creating a considerable amount of public ill-will towards Japan, and a significant upsurge in nationalism.
 * German zeppelins bomb the cities of Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn in the United Kingdom for the first time, killing more than 20.
 * Britain, France and Russia agree to give Constantinople and the Bosporus to Russia in case of victory (the treaty is later nullified by the Bolshevik Revolution).
 * The RMS Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat, killing 1198.
 * Italy joines the Entente cause when it declares war on the Austrian Empire
 * China acceeds to the 21 Demands of Japan (see above)
 * The Chinese Emperor in exile in Dongguo declares war on Japan and Shinihon
 * The Austrian Empire invades the Kingdom of Serbia
 * The Kingdom of Bulgaria enters the war as it also invades Serbia

January 29 June 4 August 7  1917 
 * Paris is bombed by German zeppelins for the first time.
 * The Brusilov Offensive, the height of Russian operations in WWI, begins with their breaking through Austro-Hungarian lines.
 * Portugal and Guiana enter the war on the side of the Entente powers.

February 3 April 6 July 17 Oct 26 Nov 28  1918 
 * The United States severs dimplomatic relations with the German Empire
 * The United States joines the Entente nations by declaring war on the German Empire
 * Russian troops mutiny, abandon the Austrian front, and retreat to the Ukraine; hundreds are shot by their commanding officers during the retreat.
 * Brasil and Uruguay enter the war, on the side of the Entente powers
 * The new Bolshevik government of Russia offers peace to the German Empire

Mar 3 Sep 29 Oct 31 Nov 3
 * Germany, Austria and Bolshevik Russia sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, ending Russia’s involvement in the war.
 * From exile in Novy Petrograd, Alyeska, Tsar Nicholas II declares that the Russian spirit has not been cowed, and decries the Bolshevik peace agreement which he calls “Treason against the Russian Spirit, the Russian People, and the great cause of Russian Freedom.” He further declares that Russia is still committed to the fighting against Germany and Austria. In truth, all of Eurasian Russia is emboiled in civil war, and Alyeska cannot contribute much to the war effort in Europe.
 * Bulgaria requests an armistice
 * The Hungarian government terminates the personal union with Austria, officially dissolving the Austro-Hungarian empire.

Austria-Hungary enters an armistice with the Allies.

Nov 11

World War I ends: Germany signs an armistice agreement with the Allies between 5:12 AM and 5:20 AM in Marshal Foch’s railroad car in Compiègne Forest in France. It becomes official on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.