Timeline

As part of its plan to attack France, Germany invades Belgium aiming to outflank and encircle much of the French Army.

The Germans besiege and then capture the fortresses of Liège in Belgium.

The Germans’ Schlieffen Plan meets with initial success in a series of engagements fought against the Allies in southern Belgium and eastern France.

The Germans capture Brussels, the capital city of Belgium.

Part of the Battle of the Frontiers: The first major engagement of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) leads to a retreat from Mons in Belgium.

Part of the Battle of the Frontiers: The British and French fight a successful holding action at Le Cateau during the Retreat from Mons.

Part of the Battle of the Frontiers: French success at the Battle of Saint Quentin (or the Battle of Guise) slows the German advance.

Part of the Battle of the Frontiers: The British are victorious at the Battle of Nery during the Retreat from Mons.

The German advance on Paris is stopped at the First Battle of the Marne. This Allied victory marks the failure of the Schlieffen Plan and condemns Germany to a war on two fronts.

Allied attacks on the Germans during the First Battle of the Aisne end in stalemate. Both sides dig in. This leads to attempts at outflanking each other northwards in a so-called ‘Race to the Sea’.

The Germans besiege and capture the city of Antwerp in Belgium.

Part of the ‘Race to the Sea’: The Battle of La Bassée, fought between British and German forces, is inconclusive.

Part of the ‘Race to the Sea’: The First Battle of Messines, fought between British and German forces, is inconclusive.

Part of the ‘Race to the Sea’: The Battle of Armentières, fought between British and German forces, is inconclusive.

French and Belgian forces secure the Belgian coast with British naval support.

The First Battle of Ypres ends the ‘Race to the Sea’. The Germans are prevented from reaching the Channel ports, but the original British Expeditionary Force (BEF) is almost destroyed.

An unofficial Christmas truce takes place along some sections of the Western Front.

After initial success, a British-Indian offensive is halted by the Germans at Neuve Chapelle.

A British offensive at Aubers Ridge on the Western Front ends in a German victory.

The Battle of Festubert on the Western Front secures limited British gains at German expense.

The Battle of Verdun begins, an attritional German offensive intended to ‘bleed France white’.

A German attack at Mont Sorrel in the Ypres Salient is repelled by British and Canadian forces.

The Battle of the Somme, a Franco-British attack aimed at relieving the pressure at Verdun, is part of a combined Allied offensive against the Central Powers.

Part of the Battle of the Somme: The initial phase of the Somme offensive sees French success in the south but heavy British casualties for little gain in the north.

Part of the Battle of the Somme: The Battle of Delville Wood sees limited South African and British gains.

Part of the Battle of the Somme: The Battle of Bazentin Ridge ends in tactical gains for the British.

Part of the Battle of the Somme: The Battle of Fromelles ends in a German victory.

Part of the Battle of the Somme: The Battle of Pozières sees limited Australian and British gains.

Part of the Battle of the Somme: The Battle of Guillemont sees limited British success.

Part of the Battle of the Somme: The British enjoy limited success at the Battle of Ginchy.

Part of the Battle of the Somme: The Battle of Morval sees British-French gains.

Part of the Battle of the Somme: The Battle of Thiepval Ridge sees British gains.

Part of the Battle of the Somme: The Battle of Le Transloy ends in stalemate.

The French recapture Fort Douaumont from the Germans at Verdun.

Part of the Battle of the Somme: The Battle of the Ancre, the last British attack on the Somme, ends in limited gains.

The Battle of the Somme ends after months of attritional fighting.

Fighting at Verdun, the longest battle of the First World War, comes to an end.

German forces on the Western Front withdraw to strongly defended positions along the Hindenburg Line.

The Arras offensive sees British, Australian, Canadian, Newfoundland and New Zealand troops attack heavily fortified German lines without obtaining any strategic breakthrough.

Part of the Battle of Arras: Despite heavy casualties at the hands of the Germans, British forces secure limited gains.

Part of the Battle of Arras: A British and Australian attack is beaten off by the Germans at the First Battle of Bullecourt.

Part of the Battle of Arras: The Germans mount a counter-offensive against Australian forces at the Battle of Lagnicourt.

Part of the Battle of Arras: British and Newfoundland troops launch an unsuccessful attack in the Second Battle of the Scarpe.

Part of the Battle of Arras: The British and Canadians secure limited gains during the Battle of Arleux.

Part of the Battle of Arras: A British and Australian assault is repelled during the Second Battle of Bullecourt.

Part of the Battle of Arras: British attacks on German positions are repulsed at the Third Battle of the Scarpe.

British, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand forces capture the Messines Ridge from the Germans.

Allied forces launch an offensive in Belgium, but in appalling weather conditions the Third Battle of Ypres (also known as Passchendaele) soon becomes an attritional slogging match.

Part of the Third Battle of Ypres: A British attack is repulsed during the Battle of Pilckem Ridge.

The Battle of Hill 70 near Lens sees limited Canadian success against the Germans.

Part of the Third Battle of Ypres: The British and French are repulsed during the Battle of Langemarck.

Part of the Third Battle of Ypres: British forces enjoy success at the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge.

Part of the Third Battle of Ypres: British and Australian troops secure limited gains during the Battle of Polygon Wood.

Part of the Third Battle of Ypres: British, Australian and New Zealand forces enjoy success at the Battle of Broodseinde.

Part of the Third Battle of Ypres: British, French and Australian assaults are repulsed by the Germans during the Battle of Poelcappelle.

Part of the Third Battle of Ypres: A British Empire and French attack at the First Battle of Passchendaele ends in a German defensive success.

A French success at the Battle of Malmaison captures much of the strategically important Chemin des Dames ridge.

Part of the Third Battle of Ypres: The Second Battle of Passchendaele, the final phase of the Ypres operations, ends in deadlock.

The Third Battle of Ypres (also known as Passchendaele) ends in stalemate.

After initial success, the British attack on German positions at Cambrai results in stalemate.

During the first phase of the Spring Offensive (also known as Operation Michael) on the Western Front, the Germans make sweeping early gains towards Amiens.

Part of the Spring Offensive: German forces enjoy success at the Battle of Saint Quentin.

The Germans bombard Paris with long-range guns.

Part of the Spring Offensive: German forces enjoy further success at the First Battle of Bapaume.

Part of the Spring Offensive: The Germans enjoy further gains following the Battle of Rosières.

Part of the Spring Offensive: The First Battle of Arras sees German attacks slowed down by the Allies.

Part of the Spring Offensive: Despite nearly reaching Amiens, the Germans are held at the Battle of the Avre.

Part of the Spring Offensive: A final German thrust towards Amiens is checked during the Battle of the Ancre.

The second phase of the Spring Offensive (also known as Operation Georgette or the Battle of the Lys) sees German advances in Belgium.

Part of the Spring Offensive: The Germans enjoy success against British and Portuguese forces at the Battle of Estaires.

Part of the Spring Offensive: Despite stiffening resistance, the Germans make further gains following the Battle of Bailleul.

Part of the Spring Offensive: German attacks are repulsed by the Allies at the First Battle of Kemmel.

Part of the Spring Offensive: German attacks are repulsed by the Allies at the Battle of Bethune.

Part of the Spring Offensive: The British and French resist another German attack at the Second Battle of Kemmel.

During the third phase of the Spring Offensive (also known as Operation Blücher-Yorck or the Third Battle of the Aisne), the German advance is halted after early gains.

The first major American attack of war takes place at the Battle of Cantigny.

Part of the Spring Offensive: The Allies halt another German attack at the Battle of Belleau Wood.

During the fourth phase of the Spring Offensive (also known as Operation Gneiseau), the German attack is defeated by the Allies.

The final phase of the Spring Offensive (also known as the Second Battle of the Marne) fails when the Germans are counter-attacked by the French.

The Allies launch a decisive counter-attack on the Western Front.

Part of the Hundred Days Offensive: The Germans are defeated at the Battle of Amiens, the first stage of the Hundred Days Offensive.

Part of the Hundred Days Offensive: British Empire and American troops are victorious during the Second Battle of the Somme.

Part of the Hundred Days Offensive: Canadian forces enjoy success in the Battle of the Scarpe.

Part of the Hundred Days Offensive: Australian troops secure victory at the Battle of Mont Saint Quentin.

Part of the Hundred Days Offensive: British and New Zealand troops secure victory at the Battle of Havrincourt.

Part of the Hundred Days Offensive: The Allies secure victory at the Battle of Épehy.

Part of the Hundred Days Offensive: The Allies launch the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the final phase of the Hundred Days Offensive.

Part of the Hundred Days Offensive: British, Canadian and New Zealand troops enjoy success at the Battle of the Canal du Nord.

Part of the Hundred Days Offensive: Australian and British troops secure victory at the Battle of the St Quentin Canal.

Part of the Hundred Days Offensive: The Allies are victorious at the Battle of Courtrai.

Part of the Hundred Days Offensive: The Allies are victorious at the Battle of the Selle.

Part of the Hundred Days Offensive: The Allied victory at the Battle of the Sambre is the final operation of the Hundred Days Offensive.