America's War for Humanity Part 79

CHAPTER x.x.xV.

CHRONOLOGY OF WORLD WAR

_Comprehensive Chronology of the Four Years of War--Dates of Important Battles and Naval Engagements--Ready Reference of Historical Events from June, 1914, to End of War in 1918._

June 28--Archduke Ferdinand and wife a.s.sa.s.sinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia.

July 28--Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.

August 1--Germany declares war on Russia and general mobilization is under way in France and Austria-Hungary. Aug. 2--German troops enter France at Cirey; Russian troops enter Germany at Schwidden; German army enters Luxemburg over protest, and Germany asks Belgium for free pa.s.sage of her troops. Aug. 3--British fleet mobilizes; Belgium appeals to Great Britain for diplomatic aid and German amba.s.sador quits Paris.

Aug. 4--France declares war on Germany; Germany declares war on Belgium; Great Britain sends Belgium neutrality ultimatum to Germany; British army mobilized and state of war between Great Britain and Germany is declared. President Wilson issues neutrality proclamation. Aug.

5--Germans begin fighting on Belgium frontier; Germany asks for Italy's help. Aug. 6--Austria declares war on Russia. Aug. 7--Germans defeated by French at Altkirch. Aug. 9--Germans capture Liege. Portugal announces it will support Great Britain; British land troops in France. Aug.

10--France declares war on Austria-Hungary.

Aug. 12--Great Britain declares war on Austria-Hungary; Montenegro declares war on Germany. Aug. 15--j.a.pan sends ultimatum to Germany to withdraw from j.a.panese and Chinese waters and evacuate Kiao-chow; Russia offers autonomy to Poland. Aug. 20--German army enters Brussels. Aug.

23--j.a.pan declares war on Germany; Russia victorious in battles in East Prussia. Aug. 24--j.a.panese wars.h.i.+ps bombard Tsingtao. Aug. 25--j.a.pan and Austria break off diplomatic relations. Aug. 28--English win naval battle over German fleet near Helgoland, Aug. 29--Germans defeat Russians at Allenstein; occupy Amiens; advance to La Fere, sixty-five miles from Paris.

September 1--Germans cross Marne; bombs dropped on Paris; Turkish army mobilized; Zeppelins drop bombs on Antwerp. Sept. 2--Government of France transferred to Bordeaux; Russians capture Lemberg. Sept.

4--Germans cross the Marne. Sept. 5--England, France, and Russia sign pact to make no separate peace. Sept. 6--French win battle of Marne; British cruiser Path finder sunk in North sea by a German submarine.

Sept. 7--Germans retreat from the Marne. Sept. 14--Battle of Aisne starts; German retreat halted. Sept. 15---First battle of Soissons fought. Sept. 20--Russians capture Jaroslau and begin siege of Przemysl.

October 9-10--Germans capture Antwerp. Oct. 12--Germans take Ghent. Oct.

20--Fighting along Yser river begins. Oct. 29--Turkey begins war on Russia.

November 7--Tsingtro falls before j.a.panese troops. Nov. 9--German cruiser Emden destroyed.

December 11--German advance on Warsaw checked. Dec. 14--Belgrade recaptured by Serbians. Dec. 16--German cruisers bombard Scarborough, Hartlepool, and Whitby, on English coast, killing fifty or more persons; Austrians said to have lost upwards of 100,000 men in Serbian defeat.

Dec. 25--Italy occupies Avlona, Albania.

January 1--British battles.h.i.+p Formidable sunk. Jan. 8--Roumania mobilizes 750,000 men; violent fighting in the Argonne. Jan. 11--Germans cross the Rawka, thirty miles from Warsaw. Jan. 24--British win naval battle in North sea. Jan. 29--Russian army invades Hungary; German efforts to cross Aisne repulsed.

February 1--British repel strong German attack near La Ba.s.see. Feb.

2--Turks are defeated in attack on Suez ca.n.a.l. Feb. 4--Russians capture Tarnow in Galicia. Feb. 8--Turks along Suez ca.n.a.l in full retreat; Turkish land defenses at the Dardanelles sh.e.l.led by British torpedo boats. Feb. 11--Germans evacuate Lodz. Feb. 12--Germans drive Russians from positions in East Prussia, taking 26,000 prisoners. Feb.

14--Russians report capture of fortifications at Smolnik. Feb.

16--Germans capture Plock and Bielsk in Poland; French capture two miles of German trenches in Champagne district.

February 17--Germans report they have taken 50,000 Russian prisoners in Mazurian lake district. Feb. 18--German blockade of English and French coasts put into effect. Feb. 19-20--British and French fleets bombard Dardanelles forts. Feb. 21--American steamer Evelyn sunk by mine in North sea. Feb. 22--German war office announces capture of 100, Russian prisoners in engagements in Mazurian lake region; American steamer Carib sunk by mine in North sea. Feb. 28--Dardanelles entrance forts capitulate to English and French.

March 4--Landing of allied troops on both sides of Dardanelles straits reported; German U-4 sunk by French destroyers. March 10--Battle of Neuve Chapelle begins. March, 14--German cruiser Dresden sunk in Pacific by English. March 18--British battles.h.i.+ps Irresistible and Ocean and French battles.h.i.+p Bouvet sunk in Dardanelles strait. March 22--Fort of Przemysl surrenders to Russians. March 23--Allies land troops on Gallipoli peninsula. March 25--Russians victorious over Austrians in Carpathians.

April 8--German auxiliary cruiser, Prinz Eitel Friedrich, interned at Newport News, Va. April 16--Italy has 1,200,000 men mobilized under arms; Austrians report complete defeat of Russians in Carpathian campaign. April 23--Germans force way across Ypres ca.n.a.l and take 1, prisoners. April 25--Allies stop German drive on Ypres line in Belgium.

April 29--British report regaining of two-thirds of lost ground in Ypres battle.

May 7--Liner Lusitania torpedoed and sunk by German submarine off the coast of Ireland with the loss of more than 1,000 lives, 102 Americans.

May 9--French advance two and one-half miles against German forces north of Arras, taking 2,000 prisoners. May 23--Italy declares war on Austria.

June 3--Germans recapture Przemysl with Austrian help. June 18--British suffer defeat north of La Ba.s.see ca.n.a.l. June 28--Italians enter Austrian territory south of Riva on western sh.o.r.e of Lake Garda.

July 3--Tolmino falls into Italian hands. July 9--British make gains north of Ypres and French retake trenches in the Vosges. July 13--Germans defeated in the Argonne. July 29--Warsaw evacuated; Lublin captured by Austrians.

August 4--Germans occupy Warsaw. Aug. 14--Austrians and Germans concentrate 400,000 soldiers on Serbian frontier. Aug. 21--Italy declares war on Turkey.

September 1--Amba.s.sador Bernstorff announces Germans will sink no more liners without warning. Sept. 4--German submarine torpedoes liner Hesperian. Sept. 9--Germans make air raid on London, killing twenty persons and wounding 100 others; United States asks Austria to recall Amba.s.sador Dumba. Sept. 20--Germans begin drive on Serbia to open route to Turkey. Sept. 22--Russian army retreating from Vilna, escapes German encircling movement. Sept. 25-30--Battle of Champagne, resulting in great advance for allied armies and causing Kaiser Wilhelm to rush to the west front; German counter attacks repulsed.

October 5--Russia and Bulgaria sever diplomatic relations; Russian, French, British, Italian, and Serbian diplomatic representatives ask for pa.s.sports in Sofia. Oct. 10--Gen. Mackensen's forces take Belgrade. Oct.

12--Edith Cavell executed by Germans. Oct. 13--Bulgaria declares war on Serbia. Oct. 15--Great Britain declares war on Bulgaria. Oct. 16--France declares war on Bulgaria. Oct. 19--Russia and Italy declare war on Bulgaria. Oct. 27--Germans join Bulgarians in northeastern Serbia and open way to Constantinople. Oct. 30--Germans defeated at Mitau.

November 9--Italian liner Ancona torpedoed.

December 1--British retreat from near Bagdad. Dec. 4--Ford "peace party"

sails for Europe. Dec. 8-9--Allies defeated in Macedonia. Dec. 15--Sir John Douglas Haig succeeds Sir John French as chief of English Armies on west front.

January 8--British troops at Kut-el-Amara surrounded. Jan. 9--British evacuate Gallipoli peninsula. Jan. 13--Austrians capture Cetinje, capital of Montenegro. Jan. 23--Scutari, capital of Albania, captured by Austrians.

February 22--Crown prince's army begins attack on Verdun.

March 8--Germany declares war on Portugal. March, 15--Austria-Hungary declares war on Portugal. March 24--Steamer Suss.e.x torpedoed and sunk.

April 18--President Wilson sends note to Germany. April 19--President Wilson speaks to congress, explaining diplomatic situation. April 24--Insurrection in Dublin. April 29--British troops at Kut-el-Amara surrender to Turks. April 30--Irish revolution suppressed.

May 3--Irish leaders of _insurrection executed_. May 4--Germany makes promise to change methods of submarine warfare. May 13--Austrians begin great offensive against Italians in Trentino. May 31--Great naval battle off Danish coast.

June 5--Lord Kitchener lost with cruiser Hamps.h.i.+re. June 11--Russians capture Dubno. June 29--Sir Roger Cas.e.m.e.nt sentenced to be hanged for treason.

July 1--British and French begin great offensive on the Somme. July 6--David Lloyd George appointed secretary of war. July 9--German merchant submarine Deutschland arrives at Baltimore. July 23--Gen.

Kuropatkin's army wins battle near Riga. July 27--English take Delville wood; Serbian forces begin attack on Bulgars in Macedonia.

August 2--French take Fleury. Aug. 3--Sir Roger Cas.e.m.e.nt executed for treason. Aug. 4--French recapture Thiaumont for fourth time; British repulse Turkish attack on Suez ca.n.a.l. Aug, 7--Italians on Isonzo front capture Monte Sabotino and Monte San Michele. Aug. 8--Turks force Russian evacuation of Bitlis and Mush. Aug. 9--Italians cross Isonzo river and occupy Austrian city of Goeritz. Aug. 10--Austrians evacuate Stanislau; allies take Doiran, near Saloniki, from Bulgarians.

August 19--German submarines sink British light cruisers Nottingham and Falmouth. Aug. 24--French occupy Maurepas, north of the Somme; Russians recapture Mush in Armenia. Aug. 27--Italy declares war on Germany; Roumania enters war on side of allies. Aug. 29--Field Marshal von Hindenburg made chief of staff of German armies, succeeding Gen.

von Falkenhayn. August 30--Russian armies seize all five pa.s.ses in Carpathians into Hungary.

September 3--Allies renew offensive north of Somme; Bulgarian and German troops invade Dobrudja, in Roumania. Sept. 7--Germans and Bulgarians capture Roumanian fortress of Tutrakan; Roumanians take Orsova, Bulgarian city. Sept. 19--German-Bulgarian army captures Roumanian fortress of Silistria. Sept. 14--British for first time use "tanks."

Sept. 15--Italians begin new offensive on Carso.

October 2--Roumanian army of invasion in Bulgaria defeated by Germans and Bulgarians under Von Mackensen. Oct. 4--German submarines sink French cruiser Gallia and Cunard liner Franconia. Oct. 8--German submarines sink six merchant steams.h.i.+ps off Nantucket, Ma.s.s. Oct.

11--Greek seacoast forts dismantled and turned over to allies on demand of England and France. Oct. 23--German-Bulgar armies capture Constanza, Roumania Oct. 24--French win back Douaumont, Thiaumont field work, Haudromont quarries, and Caillette wood near Verdun, in smash of two miles.

November 1--Italians, in new offensive on the Carso plateau, capture 5,000 Austrians. Nov. 2--Germans evacuate Fort Vaux at Verdun. Nov.

5--Germans and Austrians proclaim new kingdom of Poland, of territory captured from Russia. Nov. 6--Submarine sinks British pa.s.senger steamer Arabia. Nov. 7--Cardinal Mercier protests against German deportation of Belgians; submarine sinks American steamer Columbian. Nov. 8--Russian army invades Transylvania, Hungary. Nov. 9--Austro-German armies defeat Russians in Volhyina and take 4,000 prisoners.

November 13--British launch new offensive in Somme region on both sides of Ancre. Nov. 14--British capture fortified village of Beacourt, near the Ancre. Nov. 19--Serbian, French, and Russian troops recapture Monastir; Germans cross Transylvania Alps and enter western Roumania.