Diplomacy
Category
(475)1915
January
February
- 03
- German loan for BulgariaAccording to the British chronology, on 3 February 1915 Bulgaria negotiated £3 million in Germany. Athens and the Entente capitals took it as a bad sign.
- Uganda–Congo boundary agreementOn 3 February 1915 Britain and Belgium signed an agreement in London that finally confirmed the course of the boundary between Uganda and the Belgian Congo.
- 11
- US note on neutral flagsOn 11 February 1915 the US ambassador in London delivered a note urging the British not to let their ships fly the American flag in the war zone.
- Dacia sails for BremenIn February 1915 the steamer Dacia, bought from a German shipowner by an American, set off across the Atlantic with cotton intended for Bremen.
- 15
- Entente urges Greece to help SerbiaOn 15 February 1915 the British and French ministers urged Greece to help Serbia, promising divisions at Salonika. Venizelos refused at once.
- Anglo-French prize agreementOn 15 February 1915 London and Paris began agreeing a supplement to the prize convention letting one ally's courts seize cargoes from the other's ships.
March
- 12
- Netherlands warns against misuse of its flagOn 12 March 1915 the Netherlands announced that foreign ships passing themselves off as Dutch in its ports and waters, e.g. under its flag, would be held there.
- London agrees to a Russian ConstantinopleOn 12 March 1915 Britain agreed that Russia would get Constantinople and the Straits after the war. In return it wanted, inter alia, Persia's neutral zone.
- French reprisal decreesIn mid-March 1915 France, following Britain's example, decided to stop goods going to and from Germany and extended its contraband lists.
April
- 12
- Entente offers Smyrna to GreeceOn 12 April 1915 the Entente ministers promised Gounaris's government gains in the vilayet of Aidin if Greece joined the war on Turkey. The prize was Smyrna.
- Paris agrees to a Russian ConstantinopleIn April 1915 France was the last to agree that Russia should receive Constantinople and the Straits after the war, on condition that its own plans were met.
- 14
- Greece rejects the Smyrna offerOn 14 April 1915 Greece answered the Smyrna offer with conditions. It would fight Turkey if the Entente guaranteed its borders. The Entente refused.
- Japan reveals German peace feelersAccording to the British chronology, on 14 April 1915 Japan informed London of German attempts to persuade it to make a separate peace.
May
- 07
- Grey promises Serbia Bosnia and HerzegovinaAccording to the British chronology, on 7 May 1915 Sir Edward Grey assured Serbia's envoy that after victory Serbia would get Bosnia-Herzegovina and the sea.
- Japanese ultimatum to ChinaOn 7 May 1915 Japan gave China 51 hours to accept its demands. It set aside most of the far-reaching fifth group for later.
- 09
- Wilson on the sinking of the LusitaniaAfter the Lusitania was sunk President Wilson long kept silent. On 10 May 1915 in Philadelphia he said that a man could be "too proud to fight".
- China accepts Japan's demandsOn the night of 8–9 May 1915 Yuan Shikai's government accepted the Japanese ultimatum. In China 9 May was named the Day of National Humiliation.
- 24
- Germany breaks off relations with ItalyOn 24 May 1915 Germany broke off diplomatic relations with Italy, which had declared war on Austria-Hungary. Yet Berlin and Rome did not go to war.
- Allied declaration on the Armenian massacresOn 24 May 1915 France, Britain and Russia called the massacres of Armenians crimes "against humanity" and threatened Ottoman ministers with punishment.
June
- 03
- First Allied conference on economic warfareOn 3 June 1915 delegates of France, Britain, Russia and Italy met in Paris to agree jointly on the struggle against contraband flowing to Germany.
- San Marino's alleged war on Austria-HungaryAccording to a British chronology, on 3 June 1915 San Marino declared war on Austria-Hungary. The republic did not do so, however, and was formally neutral.
July
August
- 06
- Bulgaria takes out a loan from German banksOn 6 August 1915 the Bulgarian finance minister announced that a German-Austrian consortium was taking up the first part of the 1914 loan and making an advance.
- Japanese-Chinese agreement on customs at TsingtaoOn 6 August 1915 the reopening of the Chinese customs house at Tsingtao was agreed in Peking. The Japanese took over the privileges the Germans had held there.
September
- 09
- Border convention at DidymoteichoIn September 1915 Turkey agreed to cede Didymoteicho and the Maritsa valley with the railway to Dedeagach to Bulgaria. News of the new border reached the West.
- US demands the recall of Ambassador DumbaOn 9 September 1915 the US demanded the recall of Austro-Hungarian ambassador Konstantin Dumba, who had proposed strikes in American munitions plants.
- 28
- Dumba recalled from the United StatesOn 28 September 1915 the State Department asked Britain and France for safe conduct for Ambassador Dumba, whom Vienna had finally recalled from Washington.
- Greece rejects the offer of Entente troopsOn 28 September 1915 Athens thanked London for its offer of troops, deeming them unnecessary for now. A day later the Greeks asked for this reply to be ignored.
- Subsidy for PersiaOn 28 September 1915 Britain and Russia agreed to Persia's request for a monthly subsidy. The money was to keep the Tehran government on the Entente side.
October
- 15
- Britain declares war on BulgariaOn 15 October 1915 the Foreign Office announced that from 10 p.m. Britain was at war with Bulgaria, an ally of the Central Powers fighting Serbia.
- Montenegro declares war on BulgariaOn 15 October 1915 Montenegro declared a state of war with Bulgaria. King Nicholas I's small monarchy stood by Serbia, now attacked from two sides.
- Romania refuses to help SerbiaAccording to the British chronology, on 15 October 1915 Romania refused to help Serbia. Brătianu would not fight without a large Entente army in the Balkans.
- 16
- France declares war on BulgariaOn 16 October 1915, a day after Britain, France declared a state of war with Bulgaria. Paris faced a cabinet crisis; the Army of the Orient was landing.
- Britain offers Cyprus to GreeceOn 16 October 1915 London offered to cede Cyprus to Greece. The only condition was that the Greek army be sent at once to help Serbia.
- 19
- Key eventRussia and Italy declare war on BulgariaOn 19 October 1915 Nicholas II's manifesto on war with Bulgaria, "betrayer of the Slav cause", was published. Italy also declared war on Bulgaria that day.
- Japan joins the Pact of LondonOn 19 October 1915 Japan acceded to the Pact of London of 1914. It undertook not to conclude a separate peace with Germany.
November
- 24
- Greece accepts the Entente demandsOn 24 November 1915 Skouloudis's government replied to the Entente note. It gave assurances that Greek troops would not disarm or intern Allied soldiers.
- Agreement with Danish merchantsIn November 1915 Danish merchants and industrialists guaranteed London that imported goods would not reach Germany. In return the blockade was to spare them.
December
- 06
- British economic pressure on GreeceOn 6 December 1915 Britain placed Greece under export restrictions. Halted supplies and detained ships were meant to force Athens to make concessions.
- Second Chantilly ConferenceOn 6–8 December 1915, at Joffre's headquarters in Chantilly, the Allied commanders agreed on simultaneous offensives on all the main fronts in 1916.