Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife are assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia, setting off a chain of events across Europe that lead to war.

Secretary of the Austro-Hungarian Legation at Belgrade sends despatch to Vienna accusing Serbian complicity in the assassination.

Austria-Hungary sends troops to the Serbian frontier.

Serbia orders mobilisation of troops. Russia arranges for troops to be stationed on Russo-Austrian frontier.

A month after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.

French military mobilisation ordered; Germany declares war on Russia; and Italy and Belgium announce their neutrality.

Germany declares war on France and Great Britain orders for troops to mobilise.

Germany invades neutral Belgium and Great Britain declares war and the United States declares its neutrality.

Royal Navy cruiser HMS Amphion is sunk by German mines in the North Sea resulting in the death of 150 men - the first British casualties of war.

The first contingent of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) land in France.

Kitchener calls for the first 100,000 men to enlist in his New Army with the publication of 'Your King and Country Need You' poster (that number is made good within two weeks).

The first squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps arrive in France and claim their first 'kill' on August 25.

Brussels is evacuated as Germans occupy the city.  By invading neutral Belgium, Germany hoped to capture Paris quickly by catching the French off guard.

The Battle of Le Cateau starts where the British Expeditionary Force suffers 7,812 casualties and is forced to retreat but they delay German advance at Le Cateau and Mons.

The Battle of Helogoland is the first naval action of the war when the Royal Navy sinks three German battle cruisers.

The First Battle of Marne checks the German advance at an estimated cost of 13,000 British, 250,000 French and 250,000 German casualties. In total over two million men fought in the battle.

Battle of the Masurian Lakes where German forces win a second victory of the Russians forcing them into a retreat.

The Battle of Aisne where the allies fail to break German lines and both sides reinforce their defences in what becomes known as the ‘race to the sea’ – it is also the start of trench warfare and the development of some 400 miles of continuous trench systems.

The British Indian Expeditionary Force D, tFhe largest Indian Army force of the war to serve abroad,  sails from Bombay to the Persian Gulf in preparation for the defence of Mesopotamia.

The First Battle of Ypres when German forces attempt to take the Belgian city but the allies hold out – inflicting 135,000 causalities and the British Expeditionary Force suffer significant causalities.

Turkey enters the war as a German ally bringing some 600,000 troops into the war.

Battle of Coronel. Outsized, out-manoeuvred and outgunned, German cruisers destroy a small British squadron off the coast of Chile. Commanded by Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock, his orders were to fight to the end, despite him knowing the odds were heavily against him.

Trenches are established along the entire Western Front and the British enter Basra in the Middle East (to secure oil supplies mainly for the Royal Navy) and is formally occupied on 23 November.

The Portuguese Government announce prospective co-operation of Portugal with Great Britain.

Battle of the Falklands where Admiral von Spee's squadron is destroyed and the ‘Scharnhorst’, ‘Gneisenau’, ‘Leipzig’ and ‘Nürnberg’ are sunk. Admiral von Spee is killed and only the SMS Dresden escapes.

The German First High Sea fleet bombards Hartlepool, Whitby and Scarborough, killing 137 civilians - proving that the British mainland is susceptible to attack.

As a result of the declaration of war with the Ottoman Empire, of which Egypt was nominally a part, Britain declared a Protectorate over Egypt.

First German air raid on England where aeroplane drops bombs in sea near Dover – and Jasin (East Africa) occupied by British forces.

Second air raid on England and first bomb dropped on English soil (near Dover).

Aircraft of the Royal Naval Air Service, carried to within striking distance by seaplane tenders of the Royal Navy, bombed the Cuxhaven area causing damage to shore installations.

‘Christmas Truce’ observed on certain sectors of the Western Front - in some areas the unofficial truce was maintained for days. German and British soldiers crossed trenches to exchange seasonal greetings, food and souvenirs. Some meetings ended in carol-singing and elsewhere men even played games of football.

Memorandum sent to United States Government by British Government in defence of British blockade policy. (US commercial interests wishing to profit from wartime trade with both sides were suffering because of the blockade).

Russian Commander-in-Chief (Grand Duke Nicholas) suggests a British expedition against the Turks to ease Russian situation in the Caucasus.