First World War starting 1914

This timeline covers all the political and military events that spread across Europe and the rest of the world during 1914. The flames of war were fanned with the assassination of Arch Duke Ferdinand in Sarajevo, plunging Europe into a war the like of which had never been seen before, although hope still remained as German and British soldiers celebrated a Christmas truce that winter.

28/06/1914 Archduke Francis Ferdinand heir to the Austria-Hungary throne and his wife are assassinated by a Serbian Nationalist in Sarejevo.   05/07/1914 Kaiser William II promises German support for Austria against Serbia. 28/07/1914 Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia and Russia. 29/07/1914 Russia begins to mobilise her armed forces. Austria-Hungarian troops invade Serbia.   01/08/1914 Official outbreak of World War I. Germany declares war on Russia. 02/08/1914 Germany invades Luxembourg. 03/08/1914 Germany declares war on France. 04/08/1914 Germany declares war on neutral Belgium and invades in a right flanking move designed to defeat France quickly. This violates a treaty signed by Prussua respecting Belgian neutrality. As a result of this invasion, Britain declares war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. Canada follows suit and joins the war. U.S President Woodrow Wilson declares policy of American neutrality. 07/08/1914 The British Expeditionary Force lands in France to assist the French and Belgians in stopping the German offensive. 14/08/1914 The Battle of the Frontiers begins. 17/08/1914 Russia invades East Prussia. 19/08/1914 U.S President Wilson appeals for neutrality. The Canadian Parliament authorises the raising of an expeditionary force to send overseas and constructs Valcartier Camp to give basic training to new recruits. 22/08/1914 27,000 French soldiers are killed on this single day in an offensive thrust to the east of Paris, towards the German borders. 23/08/1914 The BEF started to retreat from Mons. Austria-Hungary launches an invasion of Russian Poland. Japan declares war on Germany and attacks the German colony of Tsingtau in China. 26/08/1914 Battle of Tannenberg begins. 30/08/1914 The Battle of Tannenberg ends in total Russian defeat. This becomes Germany's greatest victory of the war inflicting over 250,000 casualties on the Russians. Aug 1914 Battle of Togoland. The German Cruiser Goeben and Breslau are pursued by British warships into Turkish waters.   05/09/1914 First Battle of the Marne begins. 09/09/1914 First Battle of the Masurian Lakes begins. 10/09/1914 First Battle of the Marne ends in a French Victory, thus halting the German advance towards Paris, which results in stalemate. 14/09/1914 Russia loses the First Battle of Masurian Lakes. First Battle of Aisne begins. Troops starts to construct trenches across the entire length of the western front. 17/09/1914 Austro-German forces launch an attack into western Poland Sep 1914 Battle of Lemberg begins.   14/10/1914 First Battle of Ypres begins. The Canadian Expeditionary Force of 32,000 men lands at Plymouth, England, to prepare for fighting at the Front. 29/10/1914 Turkey enters the war on the side of the Central Powers.   22/11/1914 First Battle of Ypres ends. Nov 1914 Battle of Lodz begins.   08/12/1914 Battle of the Falkland Islands between British and German Naval units. 21/12/1914 First German air raid on Britain. 25/12/1914 An unofficial Christmas truce is declared by soldiers along the Western Front