Western Front
Front
(489)1914
August
- 02
- Germany delivers an ultimatum to BelgiumOn the evening of 2 August 1914 Germany demanded that Belgium allow its troops to pass through, giving it 12 hours to reply.
- German troops enter LuxembourgOn the morning of 2 August 1914 German troops occupied neutral Luxembourg despite the protests of Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde and the government.
- 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.
- 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.
- 04
- Belgium breaks off diplomatic relations with GermanyOn 4 August 1914, after German troops crossed the border, Belgium broke off relations with Germany and handed the German minister his passports.
- Key eventGermany declares war on BelgiumOn 4 August 1914 Germany announced to Belgium that it would use force and entered its territory. The chancellor admitted he was breaking international law.
- German troops enter Belgium and attack LiègeAt 8.02 a.m. on 4 August 1914 German troops crossed the Belgian border at Gemmenich and advanced on the fortress of Liège. The battle for Liège had begun.
- German airships over BrusselsContemporary chronicles state that on the night of 4 August 1914 two German airships flew over Brussels. For the first time the war took to the air.
- 07
- German troops occupy LiègeOn 7 August 1914 a brigade led by Erich Ludendorff entered Liège and took the citadel. The forts surrounding the city, however, continued to resist.
- 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.
- French cross the border into AlsaceOn 7 August 1914 the French VII Corps crossed the border into German Alsace. The troops took Altkirch and Thann and the next day entered Mulhouse.
- 16
- British Expeditionary Force completes its landing in FranceOn 16 August 1914 the landing of the original British Expeditionary Force in France was completed. The crossing was made without loss.
- Last forts of Liège fallOn 16 August 1914 the last forts of Liège, wrecked by heavy artillery, capitulated. The road into the heart of Belgium lay open to the Germans.
- 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.
- French retake MulhouseOn 19 August 1914 General Paul Pau's Army of Alsace re-entered Mulhouse after heavy fighting. This time the French held the town for a week.
- 20
- The Germans occupy BrusselsOn 20 August 1914 German troops entered Brussels, which had been declared an open city. An occupation began that lasted until November 1918.
- End of the battles of Morhange and SarrebourgOn 20 August 1914 a German counter-attack in Lorraine shattered the French offensive. The French armies fell back towards Nancy with heavy losses.
- Germans besiege the fortress of LongwyOn 20 August 1914 German troops closed the ring around the French fortress of Longwy. The garrison held out under heavy fire until 26 August.
- 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.
- Key eventBattle of Charleroi beginsOn 21 August 1914 the French 5th Army and the German 2nd Army clashed on the Sambre. The Germans seized the river crossings before the French could occupy them.
- 22
- Key eventAustria-Hungary declares war on BelgiumContemporary chronicles date Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Belgium to 22 August 1914, but the Belgians received the note only on 28 August.
- Key eventBattle of the Ardennes beginsOn 22 August 1914 French armies advancing through the Ardennes ran into strong German forces. It was the bloodiest day in the history of the French army.
- 23
- Key eventBattle of MonsOn 23 August 1914 the British Expeditionary Force fought its first battle at Mons. It inflicted heavy losses on the Germans but had to begin a retreat.
- 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.
- 24
- The British retreat from MonsOn 24 August 1914 the British Expeditionary Force began its retreat from Mons. Rearguards fought heavy actions at Elouges and Audregnies.
- 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.
- Battle of the Ardennes endsOn 24 August 1914 the French Third and Fourth Armies, beaten in the Ardennes, fell back behind the Meuse on Joffre's orders. A bloody frontier battle was over.
- Indian Expeditionary Force sets out for FranceOn 24 August 1914 the first units of Indian Expeditionary Force A sailed from India. They were sent first to Egypt and then on to France.
- 25
- Germans capture NamurOn 25 August 1914 the last forts of Namur capitulated. The Belgian fortress at the confluence of the Sambre and the Meuse fell after a five-day siege.
- Key eventBattle of the Meuse beginsOn 25 August 1914 the French Fourth Army, pulled back from the Ardennes, took post behind the Meuse from Mézières to Stenay. The fight for the crossings began.
- 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.
- Siege of Maubeuge beginsOn 25 August 1914 German troops began to encircle the French fortress of Maubeuge on the Sambre, left behind by the retreating Allies.
- 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.
- Germans retake Mulhouse for the second timeOn 25 August 1914, after the French withdrawal, German troops occupied Mulhouse for the second time. The city remained in their hands until the end of the war.
- 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.
- 26
- Germans destroy LeuvenOn the night of 25–26 August 1914 the Germans set fire to the Belgian city of Leuven and its famous university library. About 250 civilians were killed.
- Key eventBattle of Le CateauOn 26 August 1914 Smith-Dorrien's II Corps stood and fought at Le Cateau against the wishes of GHQ. It paid a high price but halted the German pursuit.
- 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 take CambraiOn 26 August 1914, after street fighting with French Territorial units, the Germans took Cambrai. The occupation of the town lasted more than four years.
- 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.
- 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.
- 27
- Battle of Mechelen endsOn 27 August 1914 the Belgian army's first sortie from Antwerp ended. After three days of fighting near Mechelen the Belgians returned behind the line of forts.
- 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.
- German cavalry at the gates of LilleIn late August 1914 German cavalry patrols reached undefended Lille. The real occupation of the city began only in October.
- 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.
- 28
- End of the Battle of the MeuseOn 28 August 1914 the Battle of the Meuse ended. The French 4th Army delayed the Germans at the crossings, but had to join the general retreat southwards.
- Belgium receives Austria-Hungary's declaration of warOn 28 August 1914 Austria-Hungary's note on a state of war reached the Belgian government in Antwerp. Belgium firmly rejected the charges it contained.
- 29
- French abandon ArrasAt the end of August 1914 French territorial units withdrew from Arras. The Artois town was left undefended as the Germans approached.
- Key eventBattle of Guise beginsOn 29 August 1914 Lanrezac's French Fifth Army broke off its retreat and counter-attacked Bülow's German Second Army on the river Oise.
- Germans take SedanAt the end of August 1914 the Germans took Sedan on the Meuse, the town where Napoleon III's army had capitulated in 1870.
- 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.
- Battle of Guise endsOn 30 August 1914 the French Fifth Army broke off the fight with Bülow's army and withdrew behind the Serre. The Battle of Guise was over.
- 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.
September
- 01
- Lord Kitchener arrives in FranceOn 1 September 1914 Lord Kitchener met Field Marshal Sir John French in Paris and stopped the plan to withdraw the British from the front behind the Seine.
- 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.
- Germans occupy SoissonsOn 1 September 1914 German troops entered Soissons on the Aisne. The occupation lasted under two weeks, until the German retreat after the Battle of the Marne.
- 05
- End of the retreat from MonsOn 5 September 1914 the British Expeditionary Force ended its retreat from Mons. After almost two weeks of marching it halted south of the Marne, near Paris.
- 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 reach ClayeIn early September 1914 units of Kluck's army reached Claye, east of Paris. The British chronicle called it the closest point to the capital in the war.
- 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.
- Germans leave LilleOn 5 September 1914 the German detachment that had entered Lille three days earlier left the city. The Germans returned for good only in October.
- 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.
- Key eventBattle of the Aisne beginsOn 12 September 1914 the British and French, pursuing the Germans after the Marne, reached the Aisne. The Germans dug in on the heights beyond the river.
- 14
- Germans leave ReimsIn mid-September 1914 the Germans withdrew from Reims but dug in on the nearby hills. On 14 September the shelling of the city began. It lasted four years.
- Falkenhayn replaces MoltkeOn 14 September 1914 Helmuth von Moltke, broken by defeat on the Marne, was removed from command. Erich von Falkenhayn took over direction of the German army.
- 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.
- Fire at Reims CathedralOn 19 September 1914 German shells set fire to Reims Cathedral, where the kings of France were crowned. The burning church became a symbol of wartime barbarity.
- 22
- Key eventFirst Battle of Picardy beginsOn 22 September 1914 General de Castelnau's new French Second Army attacked north of the Oise. The Race to the Sea had begun.
- 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.
- First wireless link between an aircraft and artilleryIn September 1914 Royal Flying Corps airmen over the Aisne first directed artillery fire by wireless. It was the beginning of aerial artillery observation.
- 24
- Germans take PéronneOn 24 September 1914 German troops again occupied Péronne on the Somme. The town remained in their hands until March 1917.
- Germans take Saint-MihielOn 24 September 1914 the Bavarians took Saint-Mihiel on the Meuse and next day Fort Camp des Romains, creating a salient held by Germany until September 1918.
- 25
- Germans retake NoyonAccording to the British chronology the Germans retook Noyon on the Oise on 25 September 1914. The front settled just beyond it and held until March 1917.
- First Battle of Albert endsThe British chronology ends the First Battle of Albert on 25 September 1914, but fighting for the heights between Albert and Bapaume went on to the month's end.
- 26
- End of the First Battle of PicardyOn 26 September 1914 the First Battle of Picardy ended. The French failed to turn the German flank, and the front between the Oise and Somme set in trenches.
- Germans occupy BapaumeOn 26 September 1914 German troops took Bapaume in Artois. The town stayed in their hands until March 1917 and became an objective of the Battle of the Somme.
- First Indian troops land at MarseilleOn 26 September 1914 the first units of Indian Expeditionary Force "A" landed at Marseille. A month later they were already fighting in Flanders.
- 27
- Key eventSiege of Antwerp beginsOn 27 September 1914 the Germans began the siege of Antwerp, Belgium's last fortress. The next day heavy mortars began to smash the outer forts.
- Key eventFirst Battle of Artois beginsOn 27 September 1914 the Race to the Sea reached Artois. The French and Germans began fighting for Arras, Lens and the heights that shaped the front for years.
- 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.
- First markings on German aircraftAt the end of September 1914 it was noted that German aircraft bore black crosses. The markings were meant to protect airmen from their own troops' fire.
October
- 03
- German cavalry in YpresThe British chronology records the capture of Ypres by German cavalry on 3 October 1914. Its main body entered the town several days later.
- 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.
- British marines arrive in AntwerpOn 3 October 1914 Winston Churchill arrived in Antwerp. That night the Royal Marine Brigade arrived and took up positions on the Nete near Lier.
- 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.
- Battle of Arras endsOn 4 October 1914 Maud'huy considered retreating from Arras, but Joffre forbade it and sent Foch north. Arras was saved, and the Germans took Lens.
- 08
- Foch takes command in FlandersAccording to the British chronicle, on 8 October 1914 Foch took command of the Allied forces in Flanders. In practice his role was above all to coordinate them.
- 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.
- 09
- Germans occupy Armentières, Hazebrouck, Merville and EstairesA British chronicle records the German capture of four towns in French Flanders on 9 October 1914. In reality these were cavalry raids.
- 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.
- Fall of the last forts of AntwerpOn 9 October 1914 the Germans found the inner ring forts abandoned and entered Antwerp. The burgomaster signed the fortress's surrender at Kontich.
- 10
- Capitulation of AntwerpOn 10 October 1914 Antwerp formally capitulated. Governor Deguise surrendered at Fort Sainte-Marie, and thousands of soldiers were interned in the Netherlands.
- 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.
- Key eventBattle of La Bassée beginsOn 10 October 1914 the British II Corps, moved from the Aisne, marched towards Béthune and La Bassée. So began the British fighting in Flanders.
- 12
- Key eventBattle of Messines beginsOn 12 October 1914 Allenby's British cavalry took the Mont des Cats in Flanders. The battle for the Messines ridge south of Ypres had begun.
- 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.
- Belgians abandon Ostend and ZeebruggeOn 12 October 1914 the Belgians abandoned Ostend and Zeebrugge. The King and government left, the army fell back to the Yser and the ports were left undefended.
- 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.
- Germans occupy GhentOn 12 October 1914 the Germans entered Ghent, abandoned by the Allies after the fighting at Melle. The city remained under occupation until November 1918.
- 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.
- Allies return to YpresIn mid-October 1914 Rawlinson's British IV Corps, falling back from Ghent, reached Ypres. French Territorial divisions took up positions beside it.
- 14
- British occupy BailleulOn 14 October 1914 the British III Corps entered Bailleul in French Flanders. The Germans had left the town after less than a week of occupation.
- Germans occupy BrugesOn 14 October 1914 the Germans entered Bruges without a fight. The city soon became the headquarters of the German navy in Flanders and a U-boat base.
- 15
- Germans reach the Belgian coastOn 15 October 1914 the Germans reached the North Sea in Belgium. The race to the sea was ending; the Belgians dug in on the Yser between Nieuport and Dixmude.
- 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.
- 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.
- Germans take RoeselareOn 18–19 October 1914 the Germans took Roeselare after fighting the French. Taking the inhabitants for francs-tireurs, they murdered dozens of civilians.
- 19
- Key eventFirst Battle of Ypres beginsOn 19 October 1914 a British attack on Menin ran into new German corps. This was how the First Battle of Ypres began.
- 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.
- First Indian soldiers at the frontA British chronicle records the arrival of the first Indian soldiers at the front on 19 October 1914. They entered the trenches at Messines on 22–23 October.
November
- 01
- Germans take MessinesIn the night and early morning of 1 November 1914 the Germans took Wytschaete and the Messines ridge. British cavalry left the town and fell back to Wulverghem.
- 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 battles of Messines and ArmentièresOn 2 November 1914 the Germans took Wytschaete from the French, who relieved the British cavalry. The battles of Messines and Armentières end.
- 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.
- 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.
- Germans take DiksmuideOn 10 November 1914 the Germans took Diksmuide on the Yser, held since mid-October by French marines and Belgians. The defenders fell back across the Yser.
December
- 20
- Key eventFirst Battle of Champagne beginsOn 20 December 1914 the French Fourth Army attacked the German trenches in Champagne. The first great offensive against fortified lines in the west had begun.
- Key eventDefence of GivenchyOn 20 December 1914 the Germans blew mines under the Indian Corps' trenches at Givenchy and broke its line. Men from Manchester retook the village that evening.