Treaty of Lausanne

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The Treaty of Lausanne is signed by the Allies and Turkey, the successor state to the Ottoman Empire. It supersedes the failed Treaty of Sèvres and offically ends the First World War.

Treaty of Sèvres

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The Treaty of Sèvres is signed by the Allies and the Ottoman Empire. The treaty is not recognised by the Turkish national movement, which considers the Constantinople (now Istanbul) government illegitimate.

Treaty of Trianon

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The Treaty of Trianon is signed by the Allies and newly-independent Hungary.

League of Nations approved

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At the Paris Peace Conference a proposal to create the League of Nations, an open diplomatic forum, is accepted.

Paris Peace Conference begins

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A peace conference opens in Paris to negotiate treaties between the Allies and the defeated Central Powers. Many view the terms of the treaties as excessively punitive.

Yugoslavia formed

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Yugoslavia is formed by merging Serbia with several territories of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Czechoslovakia formed

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Czechoslovakia is formed by merging several territories of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Battle of the Sambre

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

Battle of Sharqat

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British-Indian troops secure a decisive victory at the Battle of Sharqat in Mesopotamia (now Iraq).

Battle of the Selle

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

Battle of Courtai

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

Battle of the Canal du Nord

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

Battle of Megiddo

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British Empire troops conquer Palestine following the decisive victory at Megiddo (including the Battles of Sharon, Nablus, Nazareth and Haifa).

Battle of Épehy

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

Vardar Offensive

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The Allies launch the Vardar Offensive, the decisive attack against the Bulgarians on the Salonika front.

Battle of Havrincourt

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

Dunsterforce in Baku

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The Dunsterforce, formed of British Empire troops, arrives at Baku in Azerbaijan to secure the oil fields from the Bolsheviks and Ottomans, and protect British interests in the region. It is forced to evacuate in the face of overwhelming Ottoman opposition.

Second Battle of the Somme

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

Battle of Amiens

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

Second Battle of the Marne

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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.

Battle of Matz

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

Battle of Belleau Wood

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

Third Battle of the Aisne

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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.

Second Battle of Kemmel

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

Battle of Bethune

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

First Battle of Kemmel

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

Battle of Bailleul

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

Battle of Estaires

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

German offensive in Flanders

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

Battle of the Ancre

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

Battle of the Avre

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

Royal Air Force formed

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The Royal Air Force (RAF) is founded by combining the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.

First Battle of Arras

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

Battle of Rosières

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

‘Spanish flu’ outbreak

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The first case of ‘Spanish influenza’ is recorded in the United States. In the next two years well over 50 million people die as the movement of soldiers and civilians spreads the disease globally.

Brest-Litovsk Treaty

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Leon Trotsky signs a punitive peace treaty with Germany on behalf of Bolshevik Russia.

Capture of Jericho

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British Empire troops capture the Ottoman-controlled city of Jericho in Palestine.

British women given vote

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The Representation of the People Act 1918 is given Royal Assent, giving the vote to women over 30.

President Wilson’s Fourteen Points

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US President Woodrow Wilson publishes his ‘Fourteen Points’ outlining a post-war world based on free trade, open diplomacy, democracy and self-determination.

Battle of Jaffa

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British Empire forces are victorious over the Ottomans at the Battle of Jaffa in Palestine.

Battle of Jerusalem

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British Empire forces launch a successful offensive against the Ottomans in Palestine, culminating in General Edmund Allenby’s entry into the city of Jerusalem.

Battle of Mughar Ridge

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British Empire troops are victorious over the Ottomans at the Battle of Mughar Ridge in Palestine.

First Battle of the Piave

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The Austro-Hungarians and Germans fail to force a river crossing during the First Battle of the Piave against the Italians.

Third Battle of Gaza

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The Allies break through the Ottoman lines at the Third Battle of Gaza in Palestine.

Battle of El Buggar Ridge

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British and Australian troops are victorious over the Ottomans at the Battle of El Buggar Ridge in Palestine.

Second Battle of Passchendaele

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

Battle of Caporetto

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The Austro-Hungarians and Germans defeat the Italians at the Battle of Caporetto (also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo).

Battle of Malmaison

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

First Battle of Passchendaele

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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.

Battle of Broodseinde

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

First advanced plastic surgery

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Petty Officer Walter Yeo, badly burned during the Battle of Jutland (1916) on HMS ‘Warspite’, becomes the first person to undergo advanced plastic surgery when he is treated by Sir Harold Gillies.

Battle of Pilckem Ridge

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

Third Battle of Ypres begins

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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.

Arab rebels take Aqaba

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Arab rebels led by Colonel TE Lawrence (also known as Lawrence of Arabia) seize the Ottoman port of Aqaba.

Kerensky Offensive

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The last Russian attack of the war, the Kerensky Offensive, is defeated by the Central Powers.

Third Battle of the Scarpe

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

Second Battle of Bullecourt

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

Mutinies in French Army

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A series of mutinies weakens the French Army. From this point onwards the British Empire takes on a greater role in the fighting.

Battle of Arleux

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

Second Battle of the Scarpe

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

Second Battle of Gaza

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The Ottomans resist another British attack at the Second Battle of Gaza in Palestine.

Second Battle of the Aisne

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The Second Battle of the Aisne (or the Nivelle Offensive) ends in disaster for the French Army and its commander General Robert Nivelle.

Battle of Lagnicourt

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

Battle of Vimy Ridge

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Part of the Battle of Arras: The Canadians obtain a significant victory over the Germans in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. This engagement sees the first successful use by British Empire forces of flash-spotting and sound-ranging techniques to detect and suppress enemy batteries.

First Battle of the Scarpe

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

Battle of Arras

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

First Battle of Gaza

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British and Australian troops are defeated by the Ottomans at the First Battle of Gaza in Palestine.

Samarrah Offensive

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The British mount a successful offensive against the Ottomans at Samarrah in Mesopotamia (now Iraq).

Battle of Nahr-al-Kalek

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The British enjoy success against the Ottomans at the Battle of Nahr-al-Kalek in Mesopotamia (now Iraq).

Battle of Rafa

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The British drive the Ottomans out of Sinai following the Battle of Rafa.

Battle of Magdhaba

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British, Australian and New Zealand forces are victorious at the Battle of Magdhaba in the Sinai peninsula.

Mohmand Operations begin

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The Indian Army begins a punitive expedition against Mohmand tribal raiders on the North-West Frontier of India (now in Pakistan).

Battle of the Ancre

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

Monastir Offensive

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An Allied offensive against the Bulgarians at Monastir (now Bitola in the Republic of Macedonia) ends in limited gains.

Battle of Romani

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An Ottoman attack on the British at Romani in the Sinai peninsula fails.

Battle of Fromelles

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

Battle of Albert

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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.

Battle of the Somme begins

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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.

Arab Revolt begins

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The Arab Revolt against the Ottomans begins in Hejaz (now part of Saudi Arabia).

Brusilov Offensive begins

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The Russians launch the Brusilov Offensive against German and Austro-Hungarian forces on the Eastern Front.

Battle of Jutland

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The Battle of Jutland between Britain and Germany ends in stalemate, but the Royal Navy’s control of the North Sea continues.

Easter Rising

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Irish Republicans mount an unsuccessful rising in Dublin against British rule in Ireland.

Darfur Expedition begins

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British-Egyptian forces successfully invade and annex the Sultanate of Darfur (now part of Sudan), whose ruler was suspected of having Ottoman sympathies.

Battle of Dujaila

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The British fail in another attempt to relieve the besieged town of Kut in Mesopotamia (now Iraq).

Battle of Hanna

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The Battle of Hanna in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) ends in an Ottoman victory over British-Indian forces.

Battle of Wadi

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The Battle of Wadi in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) ends in an Ottoman victory over British-Indian forces.

Corfu occupied

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The Mediterranean island of Corfu is occupied by the Allies to receive the evacuated Serbian Army.

Battle of Shaik Saad

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British forces, marching to relieve the besieged town of Kut in Mesopotamia (now Iraq), defeat the Ottomans at the Battle of Shaik Saad.

Serbs defeated

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The Serbians are defeated by the invading Central Powers and remnants of their army are evacuated by Allied navies to regroup.

Senussi Revolt begins

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Senussi tribesmen, backed by the Ottomans, rise up against the Allies in Italian Libya and Egypt. Although suppressed by the British, the revolt rumbles on until 1917.

Capture of Kut-al-Amara

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Following victory at Es Sinn, British-Indian forces capture the town of Kut in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) from Ottoman forces.

Battle of Loos

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The Battle of Loos on the Western Front sees the British offensive fail at German hands. The 50-watt Trench Set (or BF Set), the British Army’s first reliable radio, was first used during this engagement.

Operations in the Swat Valley

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The Indian Army defeats a series of tribal uprisings in the Swat Valley on the North-West Frontier of India (now in Pakistan).

Battle of Lone Pine

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Part of the Gallipoli Campaign: The Battle of Lone Pine ends in an Australian victory.

Battles of the Isonzo

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Fighting takes place between the Italians and Austro-Hungarians along the Isonzo (now the Soča) valley. A total of 12 battles are fought in this location, wearing down the armies of both nations over the following two years.

Third Battle of Krithia

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Part of the Gallipoli Campaign: The Third Battle of Krithia fails to secure an Allied breakout.

Lusitania sunk

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The British liner ‘Lusitania‘ is sunk off the south coast of Ireland by a German U-boat. The loss of over 120 American lives causes a storm of protest in the United States.

Second Battle of Krithia

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Part of the Gallipoli Campaign: The Second Battle of Krithia results in an Allied failure at the hands of the Ottomans.

Second Battle of Ypres

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The first large-scale use of poison gas by the Germans fails to end the stalemate on the Western Front.

Introduction of Thomas splint

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The introduction of the Thomas splint, named after the Welsh surgeon Hugh Owen Thomas, drastically cuts the numbers of British soldiers dying from broken femurs.

Battle of the Falklands

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The Royal Navy is victorious against the Germans at the Battle of the Falklands in the South Atlantic.

Battle of Basra

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The Battle of Basra in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) ends in a British-Indian victory against the Ottomans.

Battle of Cheikh Saïd

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British-Indian troops drive back an Ottoman force threatening the British base at Aden.

Battle of Cocos

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The Australian navy secures victory over the Germans at the Battle of Cocos, in the eastern Indian Ocean.

Battle of Coronel

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The Germans win a naval victory against the British at the Battle of Coronel off the coast of Chile.

First Battle of Ypres

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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.

Battle of the Yser

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

Battle of Sandfontein

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The Germans are victorious against South African forces at the Battle of Sandfontein.

Maritz Rebellion

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A Boer rebellion, led by General Manie Maritz against South Africa’s support for Britain and its invasion of German South-West Africa, is eventually suppressed.

First Battle of the Aisne

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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’.

New Guinea captured

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Australia, a British ally, occupies German New Guinea (now part of Papua New Guinea).

First Battle of the Marne

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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.

Battle of Nery

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

Battle of Saint Quentin

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

Battle of Le Cateau

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

Battle of Mons

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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.

Battle of Gumbinnen

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A German attack at the Battle of Gumbinnen fails to stop the Russian advance in East Prussia. It also leads to reinforcements being transferred east from the Western Front, thus weakening the Schlieffen Plan’s chances of success.

Battle of Stalluponen

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The Russians invade East Prussia, but are temporarily checked by the Germans at the Battle of Stalluponen.

Battle of Cer

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The Serbs defeat the invading Austro-Hungarians in the first major Allied victory of the First World War. This battle also sees the first aerial dogfight when the pilots of Serbian and Austro-Hungarian reconnaissance aircraft engage each other with small arms.

Battle of the Frontiers

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

Britain declares war on Germany

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Britain declares war on Germany following the latter’s violation of the Treaty of London (1839), which guaranteed Belgian neutrality.

Germany invades Belgium

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

Germany warns Russia

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Germany warns Russia to cease mobilisation despite the latter’s claim that this is only aimed against the Austro-Hungarians.

Germany backs Austria-Hungary

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Germany assures Austria-Hungary of its support against Russia should the latter oppose Austria’s planned attack on Serbia.

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

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The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, is assassinated by a Bosnian Serb in Sarajevo. The Austro-Hungarians blame the Serbs and seek revenge.