WWI Notes
Uploaded by zeo01 on Jul 04, 2004
European population at outbreak of WWI (in millions):
Russia = 150
Germany = 55
Austria-Hungary = 50
United Kingdom = 45
France = 30
Italy = 25
Ottoman Empire = 20
- Germany was most powerful nation according to manpower trained for military service.
- France, Austria-Hungary, and Russia had about 4 million men who had been in uniform compared to 5 million in Germany (William II’s Kaiser Army).
1914
• June 28 – assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo.
• July 23 to Aug. 4 – “War Crisis” in Europe
• July 24 – AH; partial mobilization (moving of troops) begins in Austria-Hungary
• July 30 – FR; general mobilization begins in France
• Aug. 1 – GER; general mobilization begins in Germany
• Aug. 3 – German invasion of Belgium begins
• Aug. 7-16 – British Expeditionary Force landed in France
• Aug. 11 – Goeben and Breslau (German U-boats) enter the Black Sea to attack Russia.
• Aug. 21 – UK; government issues orders for raising the 1st “New Army” of six divisions of volunteers
• Aug. 24 – main German armies enter France
• Aug. 26-30 – Battle of Tannenberg: German victory in East Prussia
• Sept. 5-10 – First Battle of Marne: German advance halted
• Sept. 6-15 – Battle of the Masurian Lakes: German victory in East Prussia
• Sept. 8-12 – Battle of Luxembourg: Russians capture Austria-Hungary’s fourth largest city
• Sept. 11 – UK; government issues orders for raising the 1st New Army of 6 divisions. Australian Expeditionary Force lands on the German Bismark Archipelago
• Sept. 15 – first trenches of war are dug
• Sept. 17 to Oct. 8 – “Race to the Sea” front in the west is extended to the Channel coast
• Oct. 3 – first units of Canadian and New Finland Expeditionary Forces leave North America for UK
• Oct. 12 to Nov. 11 – First Battle of Ypres: inconsequential conflict between German and Allies
• Oct. 17 – 1st units of Australian Expeditionary Force embark for France
• Nov. 1 – Russia declares war on Turkey
• Nov. 11 to early Dec. – Germans force Eastern Front further to the east
• Dec. 2 – Austro-Hungarians capture Belgrade (capital of Serbia)
• Dec. 8 – Battle of the Falkland Islands: British fleet defeats the German Pacific Squadron
• Dec. 11 – Serbians recapture Belgrade
- Eastern Front casualties due mostly to disease.
- Western Front casualties due to machine-gun fire, artillery bombardment, gas warfare
Casualties in the main campaigns and battles of 1915:
Gallipoli = 500,000
Champagne = 205,000
Winter Battle of Masuria = 140,000
Second Battle of Ypres = 95,000
Gorlice-Tarnow = 85,000
Nueve Chapelle = 23,500
1915
• Jan. 3 – gas-filled shells used by Germans for the first time on Eastern Front
• Feb. 8-22 –...