Japan

Japan in the First World War →

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1914

August

15
- Japan issues an ultimatum to GermanyOn 15 August 1914 Japan demanded that Germany withdraw its warships from Far Eastern waters and hand over the Kiautschou lease with the port of Tsingtao.
23
- 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.
- Key eventJapan declares war on GermanyOn 23 August 1914 Japan declared war on Germany. The war spread to the Far East and the Pacific, and Japan reached for Germany's possessions in Asia.
24
- 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
- Japan breaks off diplomatic relations with Austria-HungaryOn 25 August 1914 Japan broke off diplomatic relations with Austria-Hungary. The ambassador, Baron Ladislaus Müller von Szentgyörgy, left Tokyo.
- 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.

September

October

November

December

1915

February

15
- Mutiny in SingaporeOn 15 February 1915 part of the Indian 5th Light Infantry mutinied in Singapore. More than 30 soldiers and civilians were killed before it was put down.

March

23
- Chinese-Japanese agreement on ManchuriaOn 23 March 1915 in Peking the Chinese and Japanese initialled several articles on South Manchuria, a partial accord in the dispute over the 21 Demands.

April

14
- 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

August

October

November

30
- Italy accedes to the Pact of LondonOn 30 November 1915 Italy openly acceded to the Pact of London. In London the five Entente powers pledged that none would conclude a separate peace.

December

11
- Yuan Shikai accepts the throneOn 11 December 1915 China's Council of State announced the vote for monarchy and offered Yuan Shikai the throne. He declined, and accepted it the next day.

1916

February

08
- Britain asks Japan for naval helpOn 8 February 1916 the Admiralty framed a request for Japanese warships. Tokyo refused to send destroyers to Europe but stepped up patrols in the Indian Ocean.

March

June

06
- Death of Yuan ShikaiOn 6 June 1916 the Chinese President Yuan Shikai died in Peking. The next day Vice-President Li Yuanhong took office, recognised also by the rebel south.

July

03
- Russo-Japanese agreement on the Far EastOn 3 July 1916 in Petrograd Sazonov and Motono signed a public convention on cooperation in the Far East, together with a secret alliance concerning China.

October

09
- Terauchi becomes prime minister of JapanOn 9 October 1916 Marshal Masatake Terauchi, Governor-General of Korea, replaced Ōkuma as head of Japan's government. His cabinet did not rest on the parties.

November

21
- Motono becomes Foreign Minister of JapanOn 21 November 1916 Prime Minister Terauchi handed the foreign ministry to Viscount Ichirō Motono, Japan's representative in Russia for ten years.

1917

January

February

16
- British–Japanese agreement on the German islandsIn mid-February 1917 London secretly promised to back Japan's claims to Shantung and the islands north of the equator. In return Japan sent destroyers.

March

14
- China breaks off relations with GermanyOn 14 March 1917 China broke off relations with Germany in protest against submarine warfare. The German minister Paul von Hintze was given his passports.

April

13
- Japanese destroyers in the MediterraneanOn 13 April 1917 Rear Admiral Satō's Japanese 2nd Special Squadron, the cruiser Akashi and eight destroyers, reached Malta to escort transports.

July

November

1918

April

May

16
- Sino-Japanese military agreementOn 16 May 1918 China and Japan signed in Peking a secret pact of joint defence against Germany and the Bolsheviks, and on 19 May a naval one. Chinese protested.

July

August

September

October

11
- Feng Guozhang steps downOn 10 October 1918 Feng Guozhang handed the presidency of China to Xu Shichang. The same day his rival Duan Qirui stepped down as premier.