Natalia
Author
(1244)1898
1904
1906
1907
1908
1910
1912
1913
1914
July
- 26
- Austria-Hungary orders partial mobilisation against SerbiaOn 26 July 1914 the partial mobilisation of the Austro-Hungarian army against Serbia got under way – the monarchy's first step from diplomacy to war.
- Admiralty halts the dispersal of the fleetOn 26 July 1914 the First Sea Lord, Prince Louis of Battenberg, kept the fleet ready for action instead of sending the ships back to their home ports.
- 29
- Austro-Hungarian artillery shells BelgradeOn the night of 28–29 July 1914 Austro-Hungarian monitors and artillery shelled Belgrade. These were the first shots of the First World War.
- Admiralty sends the "warning telegram" to the fleetsOn 29 July 1914 the Admiralty sent the pre-arranged "warning telegram" to the ships of the Royal Navy, placing the fleet on a war footing.
- 31
- Belgium orders mobilisationOn 31 July 1914 the Belgian government ordered a general mobilisation of the army to defend the country's neutrality against anyone who might violate it.
- Germany sends an ultimatum to RussiaOn 31 July 1914 Germany demanded that Russia halt its mobilisation within 12 hours. At the same time it asked France whether it would remain neutral.
- Ottoman Empire orders mobilisationAround the turn of July and August 1914 the Ottoman government ordered a mobilisation that began on 3 August. It also secretly allied with Germany.
August
- 01
- Key eventGermany mobilises and declares war on RussiaOn 1 August 1914 Germany ordered general mobilisation and in the evening declared war on Russia. The war ceased to be a Balkan conflict.
- France orders general mobilisationOn the afternoon of 1 August 1914 France proclaimed general mobilisation. By mid-August nearly three million men had been called to arms.
- 02
- First fighting on the French borderOn 2 August 1914 the first soldiers on the Western Front were killed at Joncherey, the Frenchman Jules-André Peugeot and the German Albert Mayer.
- Britain guarantees protection of the French coastOn 2 August 1914 the British government promised France that the Royal Navy would defend its coasts against the German fleet in the North Sea and the Channel.
- 03
- Belgium rejects German demandsOn the morning of 3 August 1914 Belgium rejected the German ultimatum. It held that allowing troops to pass through would mean the loss of the nation's honour.
- Key eventGermany declares war on FranceOn 3 August 1914 Germany declared war on France, citing invented French air raids. The war on two fronts had begun.
- Italy declares neutralityOn 3 August 1914 Italy declared its neutrality, holding that the Triple Alliance did not oblige it to join a war started by Austria-Hungary.
- 07
- First units of the British Expeditionary Force in FranceOn 7 August 1914 the first British units landed in France. The main body of the expeditionary force crossed the Channel over the following days.
- HMS Gloucester attacks Goeben and Breslau off GreeceOn 7 August 1914 the British cruiser Gloucester shadowed the German ships Goeben and Breslau and opened fire on Breslau off the coast of Greece.
- 08
- British troops enter Togoland and occupy LoméIn early August 1914 British troops from the Gold Coast entered German Togoland and occupied its capital, Lomé.
- Switzerland mobilises its armyAt the beginning of August 1914 neutral Switzerland mobilised its army to guard its borders. General Ulrich Wille was placed at its head.
- 13
- Royal Flying Corps flies to FranceOn 13 August 1914 British air squadrons flew from Dover to France. They were the first units to cross the Channel by air.
- Allies advance on Kamina in TogolandOn 13 August 1914 British and French troops set out from Lomé into the interior of Togoland. Their objective was the German radio station at Kamina.
- 15
- Germans occupy Taveta in British East AfricaOn 15 August 1914 a German detachment under Tom von Prince crossed the border of British East Africa and took Taveta at the foot of Kilimanjaro.
- British and French squadrons join forces at the entrance to the AdriaticOn 15 August 1914 British and French warships joined forces at the entrance to the Adriatic to blockade the Austro-Hungarian fleet together.
- 19
- Belgian army withdraws from the Gete to AntwerpOn 19 August 1914 the Belgian army withdrew from the Gete to the fortress of Antwerp. In the towns it left, German troops committed crimes against civilians.
- First Indian unit sets out for East AfricaOn 19 August 1914 the 29th Punjabis left India, the first unit of an Indian expeditionary force sent to the front. Its destination was East Africa.
- Change of government in PersiaOn 19 August 1914 the Persian Prime Minister Ala al-Saltaneh stepped down and took the foreign ministry. Mostowfi ol-Mamalek became head of government.
- 21
- Germans attack the fortress of NamurOn 21 August 1914 German siege artillery began shelling the forts of Namur. The fortress, held by the Belgian 4th Division, fell after five days.
- Germans cross the border of the Union of South AfricaIn August 1914 a detachment from German South West Africa took up positions on the South African side of the border, near Nakob.
- 23
- Zeppelin Z VIII shot down in the VosgesOn 23 August 1914 the German army airship Z VIII, hit by ground fire while flying over French troops, came down in a forest near Badonviller.
- The Battle of Kraśnik beginsOn 23 August 1914 the Austro-Hungarian First Army and the Russian Fourth Army clashed in the Lublin region. The great Battle of Galicia had begun.
- Germany breaks off diplomatic relations with JapanOn 23 August 1914, after the Japanese ultimatum expired, Germany broke off relations with Japan. Ambassador Arthur von Rex left Tokyo.
- 24
- End of the Battle of CharleroiOn 24 August 1914 the French Fifth Army was retreating from the Sambre towards the French border. The Battle of Charleroi ended in a French defeat.
- Austria-Hungary breaks off diplomatic relations with JapanOn 24 August 1914 Austria-Hungary broke off relations with Japan. The Emperor ordered the cruiser Kaiserin Elisabeth to defend Tsingtao alongside the Germans.
- 25
- Battle of Mechelen beginsOn 25 August 1914 the Belgian army sallied out of the fortress of Antwerp and attacked the Germans near Mechelen. It was the first Belgian sortie from Antwerp.
- Germans occupy ValenciennesOn 25 August 1914 German troops entered Valenciennes in northern France. The town remained under occupation for more than four years.
- Key eventBattle of the Mortagne beginsOn 25 August 1914 the armies of Castelnau and Dubail halted the German drive on the Trouée de Charmes in Lorraine and went over to a counter-offensive.
- First air patrol over the British retreatOn 25 August 1914 British airmen patrolled the skies over the retreating army and forced a German aircraft to land. It was one of the first air combats.
- End of the first invasion of SerbiaAt the end of August 1914 the Serbs recaptured Šabac and the last Austro-Hungarian units withdrew across the Drina and Sava. The first invasion ended in defeat.
- Japan declares a state of war with Austria-HungaryOn 25 August 1914 Japan and Austria-Hungary found themselves at war. The reason was the Austro-Hungarian cruiser Kaiserin Elisabeth, stationed at Tsingtao.
- Skirmish at Tepe. The French enter Kamerun from ChadOn 25 August 1914 the British drove the Germans from the post at Tepe on the Benue, and French troops from Chad attacked the German fort at Kousséri.
- 26
- Germans occupy NoyonA British chronology says the Germans took Noyon on 26 August 1914. French sources date the German entry into the town to 30 August.
- Surrender of the fortress of LongwyOn 26 August 1914, after days of bombardment, the French fortress of Longwy surrendered. Its garrison under Lt Col Darche was taken prisoner.
- Germans occupy DouaiA British chronology records the capture of Douai on 26 August 1914. The first occupation of the town was brief; the Germans entered for good on 1 October.
- Battle of Komarów beginsOn 26 August 1914 Auffenberg's Austro-Hungarian 4th Army attacked Plehve's Russian 5th Army near Zamość. The Battle of Komarów had begun.
- Germans surrender in TogolandOn 26 August 1914 the German forces in Togoland surrendered to British and French troops. Germany lost its first colony of the war.
- General Gallieni becomes military governor of ParisOn 26 August 1914 General Joseph Gallieni became military governor of Paris. His task was to prepare the capital for defence against the approaching Germans.
- Delcassé becomes French foreign ministerOn 26 August 1914 Théophile Delcassé, architect of the Entente Cordiale, replaced Gaston Doumergue as French Minister of Foreign Affairs.
- 27
- British marines land at OstendOn 27 August 1914 a Royal Marines brigade landed at Ostend in Belgium, accompanied by Charles Samson's Royal Naval Air Service squadron.
- Germans take MézièresAt the end of August 1914 the Germans took Mézières and neighbouring Charleville on the Meuse. In September the town became the seat of German headquarters.
- First attack on MoraOn 27 August 1914 a British force from Nigeria attacked the German post on Mora mountain in northern Kamerun. It was repulsed; Mora held out until 1916.
- 30
- Germans take Laon, La Fère and RoyeAt the turn of August and September 1914 the German armies took Laon, La Fère and Roye. The towns remained in their hands for most of the war.
- First German air raid on ParisOn 30 August 1914 a German Taube dropped a few small bombs on Paris and a note urging the city to surrender. It was the first air raid on the French capital.
- First attack on GaruaOn the night of 29–30 August 1914 British troops from Nigeria attacked the German forts at Garua in Kamerun. The attack was repulsed and its commander killed.
- 31
- Germans enter AmiensOn 31 August 1914 troops of Kluck's army entered Amiens without a fight. The occupation lasted less than two weeks and ended after the Battle of the Marne.
- Britain and France partition TogolandAt the end of August 1914 Britain and France divided conquered Togoland into two provisional occupation zones. Lomé went to the British.
September
- 01
- Germans take CraonneOn 1 September 1914 German troops pursuing the French reached the Chemin des Dames heights and took the village of Craonne in the Aisne department.
- First Indian contingent arrives at MombasaOn 1 September 1914 the first unit of Indian Expeditionary Force "C" reached Mombasa, sent to aid the weak forces of British East Africa.
- 03
- End of the Battle of the MortagneOn 3 September 1914 the Battle of the Mortagne ended. The French held Lorraine, and the Germans prepared a new blow, this time against Nancy.
- Sinking of HMS SpeedyOn 3 September 1914 the old torpedo gunboat HMS Speedy, serving as a minesweeper, struck a German mine off the mouth of the Humber and sank.
- Wilhelm of Wied leaves AlbaniaOn 3 September 1914 Prince Wilhelm of Wied, ruler of Albania by the will of the great powers, sailed from Durrës. His six-month reign had ended in failure.
- 05
- Key eventBattle of the Ourcq beginsOn 5 September 1914 Maunoury's French Sixth Army struck the flank of Kluck's army near Meaux. The clash at Monthyon opened the great Battle of the Marne.
- Germans occupy ReimsAt the beginning of September 1914 German troops occupied Reims. The occupation of the coronation city of the kings of France lasted just over a week.
- Sinking of HMS PathfinderOn 5 September 1914 the German U-21 sank the cruiser HMS Pathfinder off Scotland, the first British warship sunk by a submarine.
- Defence of AbercornOn 5 September 1914 troops from German East Africa crossed the border of Northern Rhodesia. The small garrison of Abercorn held out until relief arrived.
- 07
- Capitulation of MaubeugeOn 7 September 1914, after almost two weeks of siege and bombardment, the French fortress of Maubeuge surrendered to the Germans. Its garrison was captured.
- Naval operations off Duala beginOn 7 September 1914 British warships began operations at the mouth of the Wouri, preparing the Allied attack on Duala, the main port of German Kamerun.
- 08
- Second Austro-Hungarian invasion of SerbiaDuring the night of 7/8 September 1914 Potiorek's armies crossed the Drina again. Austria-Hungary meant to draw the Serbs out of Syrmia and avenge Cer.
- General Maxwell takes command in EgyptOn 8 September 1914 General Sir John Maxwell took command of the British troops in Egypt. His main task was the defence of the Suez Canal.
- 09
- Battle of Tarnawka endsOn 9 September 1914 the fighting at Tarnawka south of Lublin ended. Broken by the Russians, Dankl's army began to retreat southwards towards the San.
- Fighting at KarongaOn 9 September 1914 British troops repulsed a German attack on Karonga in Nyasaland, now Malawi, the first serious clash of the war in this part of Africa.
- Indian troops arrive at SuezIn September 1914 the first units of Indian Expeditionary Force A reached Suez. Some stayed in Egypt, while the rest sailed on to France.
- 10
- Serbs take ZemunOn 10 September 1914 Serbian troops crossed the Sava and took Zemun, the Austro-Hungarian town opposite Belgrade. Regent Alexander rode into it.
- German and Austro-Hungarian representatives expelled from EgyptIn September 1914 the authorities of Egypt, under British pressure, expelled the diplomatic and consular representatives of Germany and Austria-Hungary.
- 11
- Battle of Gródek and Rawa Ruska endsOn 11 September 1914 the Austro-Hungarian bid to retake Lviv failed. The Russians broke the front at Rawa Ruska; Conrad ordered a retreat behind the San.
- Serbs withdraw from SyrmiaOn 11 September 1914 Vojvoda Putnik halted the offensive in Syrmia. The Serbian First Army went back across the Sava to face a second Austro-Hungarian invasion.
- 12
- End of the Battle of the Grand CouronnéOn 12 September 1914 the Battle of the Grand Couronné ended. The German 6th Army withdrew from Nancy, and the French recovered Lunéville and Pont-à-Mousson.
- Battle of Bita PakaIn September 1914 Australians captured the German radio station at Bita Paka on New Britain. Six soldiers died in Australia's first fight of the war.
- 15
- Battle of the Aisne endsBy the British reckoning the Battle of the Aisne ended on 15 September 1914. The Allies failed to drive the Germans off the heights and both sides dug in.
- Russians occupy CzernowitzIn September 1914 Russian troops occupied Czernowitz, capital of Austrian Bukovina. During the war the city changed hands several times.
- 17
- German New Guinea capitulatesOn 17 September 1914 acting governor Eduard Haber accepted the terms of capitulation of German New Guinea. The colony came under Australian occupation.
- Austro-Hungarian offensive on the Drina runs out of steamAround 17 September 1914 the force of Potiorek's second offensive on the Drina was spent. Heavy fighting for the heights, however, went on for weeks.
- 19
- Indian troops sail from Egypt to MarseilleOn 19 September 1914 the first units of Indian Expeditionary Force A sailed from Egypt for France. A week later they landed at Marseille.
- French fleet bombards KotorOn 19 September 1914 French battleships shelled Austro-Hungarian batteries at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, covering the withdrawal of their own cruisers.
- Britain and France guarantee the integrity of Belgium's coloniesOn 19 September 1914 Britain and France assured Belgium that it would keep its colonies after the war, above all the Belgian Congo.
- 21
- Russians take JarosławOn 21 September 1914 the Austrians left the Jarosław bridgehead, their last on the east bank of the San. The Russians took the town; Przemyśl was under siege.
- Britain extends its contraband listOn 21 September 1914 a British proclamation declared copper, lead, rubber, glycerine, iron ore and hides, among others, to be conditional contraband.
- 22
- Key eventFirst Battle of Albert beginsIn September 1914 the French and Germans clashed at Albert and Bapaume. On the heights above the Somme a front formed that held until the Somme battle of 1916.
- First British air raid on GermanyOn 22 September 1914 Royal Naval Air Service airmen took off from Antwerp to bomb the airship sheds at Düsseldorf and Cologne. Fog got in their way.
- 24
- Germans take PéronneOn 24 September 1914 German troops again occupied Péronne on the Somme. The town remained in their hands until March 1917.
- Russians enter HungaryOn 24 September 1914 Russian troops crossed the Carpathian passes and entered northern Hungary. At the beginning of October they were driven back.
- 28
- Germans occupy MechelenOn 28 September 1914, in the first days of the siege of Antwerp, the Germans took Mechelen, the city of Belgium's archbishops, shelled since August.
- General Barrett to command the expedition to MesopotamiaOn 28 September 1914 General Arthur Barrett was named commander of Indian Expeditionary Force D, intended for operations at the head of the Persian Gulf.
October
- 03
- The British leave the Aisne frontOn 3 October 1914 the British Expeditionary Force began secretly leaving the Aisne front. It was to move north, closer to the Channel ports.
- First Canadian contingent sails for EnglandOn 3 October 1914 a convoy carrying over 30,000 Canadians sailed from Gaspé Bay for England. The first contingent from Newfoundland joined them.
- British lay mines off the Belgian coastIn early October 1914 the Royal Navy laid its first minefield in open waters, between the Goodwin Sands and Belgium, to protect the Channel routes.
- 04
- The Germans take Lens and BailleulOn 4 October 1914 the Germans entered Lens, centre of the Artois coalfield. The British chronology also records the capture of Bailleul.
- Essad Pasha forms a government in DurrësIn early October 1914 Essad Pasha Toptani returned to Albania, took Durrës and became head of the government. He was backed by Serbia and Italy.
- 08
- Second British air raid on GermanyOn 8 October 1914 RNAS pilot Reginald Marix bombed a shed in Düsseldorf and destroyed the airship Z IX. Spenser Grey failed to find his target at Cologne.
- End of the first Russian invasion of HungaryA British chronicle dates the end of the first Russian invasion of Hungary to 8 October 1914. The Russians were then falling back behind the Carpathian passes.
- 09
- Germans occupy MeninThe British chronology records the German capture of Menin on the Lys around 9 October 1914. Belgian sources date the town's occupation from 14 October.
- Battles of Warsaw and Dęblin beginOn 9 October 1914 the Germans reached the Vistula and moved on Warsaw. The British chronology dates the start of the battles of Warsaw and Dęblin to this day.
- 10
- British retake Hazebrouck and EstairesThe British chronicle records the recapture of Hazebrouck and Estaires on 10 October 1914. British cavalry entered Hazebrouck; Estaires was still under threat.
- Panama Canal neutrality protocolOn 10 October 1914 the United States and Panama signed a protocol meant to stop belligerent warships from evading the canal's neutrality rules.
- King Carol I of Romania diesOn 10 October 1914 King Carol I of Romania, a backer of the alliance with Germany, died. His nephew Ferdinand I, closer to the Entente, took the throne.
- 12
- First Battle of Artois endsOn 12 October 1914 the First Battle of Artois ended. The French held Arras, but Lens and the heights of Vimy and Lorette remained in German hands.
- Capitulation of LilleOn 12 October 1914, after heavy bombardment, the French garrison of Lille surrendered. For the city a German occupation lasting four years began.
- 13
- Key eventBattle of Armentières beginsOn 13 October 1914 the British III Corps attacked the Germans at Meteren in Flanders. After a day's fighting in rain it took the village, losing over 700 men.
- U-boats on the Southampton–Le Havre routeOn 13 October 1914 a British torpedo boat came upon a German submarine off the Isle of Wight. The Admiralty diverted the Canadian convoy to Plymouth.
- 15
- Germans occupy Ostend and ZeebruggeOn 15 October 1914 the Germans took Ostend and Zeebrugge without a fight. Both ports became bases for U-boats and torpedo boats threatening shipping.
- Sinking of HMS HawkeOn 15 October 1914 Otto Weddigen's U-9 sank the British cruiser Hawke in the North Sea. More than 520 sailors were killed and about 70 survived.
- 16
- New Zealanders sail for warOn 16 October 1914 about 8,500 New Zealand soldiers sailed from Wellington. They were meant to fight in Europe but ended up in Egypt.
- Indian Expeditionary Force D sails for the Persian GulfOn 16 October 1914 General Delamain's 16th Indian Brigade sailed from Bombay. It was to protect British oil in Persia in case of war with Turkey.
- Antonino di San Giuliano diesOn 16 October 1914 the Italian Foreign Minister Antonino di San Giuliano, the architect of Italy's policy of neutrality, died in Rome.
- 18
- British ships shell the Belgian coastOn 18 October 1914 Admiral Hood's flotilla backed the Belgians on the Yser from the sea, shelling the Germans on the coast between Nieuport and Ostend.
- Sinking of the cruiser TakachihoOn the night of 17–18 October 1914 the German torpedo boat S90 sank the Japanese cruiser Takachiho off Tsingtao. About 270 sailors were killed.
- 19
- British complete their move to FlandersOn 19 October 1914 Haig's I Corps finished detraining near Hazebrouck. The whole British army, moved from the Aisne, now stood in Flanders.
- Battle of Warsaw endsAround 19 October 1914 the Germans began to withdraw from Warsaw. The British chronology ends the Battle of Warsaw on that day.
- 29
- Britain tightens its contraband rulesOn 29 October 1914 Britain issued new contraband lists and a new order on applying the Declaration of London, replacing the August one.
- Prince Louis of Battenberg resigns from the AdmiraltyOn 29 October 1914 the First Sea Lord, Prince Louis of Battenberg, stepped down. He fell victim to anti-German feeling.
- 30
- Serbs withdraw from the DrinaOn the night of 30–31 October 1914 the Serbian Second Army left its trenches in Mačva on the lower Drina. A retreat began that took the Serbs to the Kolubara.
- Salandra reshapes his governmentAt the end of October 1914 Antonio Salandra's government resigned. On 5 November the premier formed a new cabinet with Sidney Sonnino as Foreign Minister.
- Wreck of the hospital ship RohillaOn 30 October 1914 the British hospital ship Rohilla was wrecked in a storm off Whitby. The rescue lasted three days. About 85 people died.
- 31
- Sinking of HMS HermesOn 31 October 1914 U-27 torpedoed the British seaplane carrier Hermes in the Strait of Dover. More than 20 sailors were killed.
- Indian Expeditionary Force "B" off MombasaOn 31 October 1914 at Mombasa the command of Force "B" settled the plan to attack Tanga. After a two-week voyage the troops were not landed.
- Königsberg found in the Rufiji deltaAt the end of October 1914 the British found the German cruiser Königsberg hidden in the Rufiji delta in East Africa and blockaded her.
November
- 01
- British begin hostilities against TurkeyOn 1 November 1914 British warships attacked the Turks in the Gulf of Smyrna and at Aqaba, although war had not yet been declared on the Ottoman Empire.
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie's X-ray carsIn autumn 1914 Marie Skłodowska-Curie and her daughter Irène set off in the first X-ray car for the front-line hospitals. Soldiers called them "little Curies".
- 02
- End of the Battle of La BasséeOn 2 November 1914 the Battle of La Bassée ended. The Indian Corps took over the front between Givenchy and Fauquissart from the exhausted British II Corps.
- End of the Battle of ChyrówOn 2 November 1914 the Battle of Chyrów ended. During the night the Austro-Hungarian armies began to withdraw, and Brusilov set off in pursuit.
- Indian Expeditionary Force "F" sails for EgyptAt the beginning of November 1914 three new Indian brigades sailed from India for Egypt. They were to defend the Suez Canal against the Turks.
- Serbia at war with TurkeyOn 2 November 1914 Serbia, Russia's ally, found itself at war with the Ottoman Empire. The two countries had no common border and did not fight each other.
- 03
- German raid on YarmouthOn 3 November 1914 Hipper's German battlecruisers shelled the coast near Yarmouth and laid mines. The British submarine D5 sank on one of them.
- Skirmish at LongidoOn 3 November 1914 Gen. Stewart's troops attacked the Germans on Mount Longido near Kilimanjaro. After a day's fighting the British withdrew.
- 04
- Sinking of the cruiser YorckOn 4 November 1914 the German armoured cruiser Yorck strayed in fog onto German mines at the mouth of the Jade and sank. Several hundred sailors died.
- End of the moratorium in BritainOn 4 November 1914 the general moratorium on the payment of debts, introduced in August for fear of financial panic, expired in Britain.
- 05
- Britain annexes CyprusOn 5 November 1914 Britain annexed Cyprus, which it had administered on the Sultan's behalf since 1878. The island formally ceased to belong to Turkey.
- Belgium rejects papal mediationAccording to a British chronology, on 5 November 1914 the Belgian government rejected papal mediation. A few days earlier Benedict XV had called for peace.
- 06
- Turkey breaks off relations with BelgiumOn 6 November 1914 the Ottoman Empire broke off diplomatic relations with Belgium. The Belgian minister left Constantinople, but no war was declared.
- Submarine B11 in the DardanellesOn 6 November 1914, says a British chronology, the submarine B11 went some 2 miles into the Dardanelles. A month later she sank a Turkish battleship there.
- France amends its contraband listOn 6 November 1914 France issued a new decree on contraband and applying the Declaration of London, almost identical to the British rules of 29 October.
- 10
- Battle of the Yser endsOn 10 November 1914 the fall of Diksmuide ended the Battle of the Yser. Belgium kept a scrap of its land, held for four years behind a flooded plain.
- British take Sheikh SaidOn 10 November 1914 Indian troops on their way to Egypt landed at Sheikh Said at the entrance to the Red Sea and destroyed a Turkish fort.
- 11
- Alleged Russian capture of MemelA British chronology records the Russian capture of Memel around 11 November 1914. Sources do not confirm it. The Russians entered the town in March 1915.
- Sheikh ul-Islam issues fatwas on holy warOn 11 November 1914 the Sheikh ul-Islam Mustafa Hayri issued five fatwas declaring the war with Russia, Britain and France a jihad, the duty of every Muslim.
- 17
- Germans bombard LibauOn 17 November 1914 German warships shelled Libau for several hours and sank ships at the harbour entrance to close it to submarines.
- Russians shell TrebizondOn 17 November 1914 the Russian Black Sea Fleet shelled Trebizond, a key supply port for the Ottoman army in the Caucasus. Mines were laid there at night.
- 22
- War Office takes over the East African campaignOn 22 November 1914, after the defeat at Tanga, direction of British operations in East Africa passed from the India Office to the War Office in London.
- Alleged Russian reoccupation of KöprüköyThe British chronology records the Russian reoccupation of Köprüköy on 22 November 1914. Studies do not confirm it. The Caucasus front went quiet.
December
- 02
- Austrians occupy BelgradeOn 2 December 1914 Austro-Hungarian troops took abandoned Belgrade without a fight. The same day the Serbian command issued the order for a counter-offensive.
- Battle of Kraków endsThe British chronology ends the Battle of Kraków on 2 December 1914. Fighting north of the fortress had died down days earlier, and the front had moved south.
- 08
- End of the fighting for QurnaOn 8 December 1914 Indian troops crossed the Tigris above Qurna and threatened to cut off the garrison. That night Turkish envoys came to surrender.
- Battle of the Falkland IslandsOn 8 December 1914 the British destroyed Admiral von Spee's squadron off the Falklands. Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Leipzig and Nürnberg sank; only Dresden escaped.
- 15
- End of the Battle of ŁódźA British chronology ends the Battle of Łódź on 15 December 1914. Łódź fell on 6 December, but in mid-month the Russians were still falling back to the Bzura.
- Key eventGerman airship off the English coastOn 15 December 1914 a German airship was sighted off the Humber estuary. It was the first confirmed presence of an enemy aircraft off the English coast.
- 29
- Battle of Sarikamish beginsIn late December 1914 Enver Pasha's troops stormed Sarikamish in the Russian rear. On 29 December a Turkish detachment broke into the town but was driven out.
- London defends its blockade against a US protestAt the end of December 1914 the US government protested against the detention of American ships and cargoes. London replied by defending its control of trade.