The First World War

[Ennath]

August 17, 1914
Western Front, Belgium The Belgian government leaves Brussels for Antwerp. To prevent a gap opening between German1st and 2nd Armies, OHL places 1st Army’s Kluck under the command of 2nd Army’s Bülow.
Eastern Front, East Prussia German forces attack Rennenkampf at Stalluponen, five miles inside the border, without orders. They gain some success, but are ordered to fall back on Gumbinnen.
Serbian Front Conrad learns of the Austrian defeat on the Jadar and orders Potiorek to send a corps from 2nd Army to recoup the loss. In back and forth fighting near Sabac, the Austrians lose heavily.
Adriatic The Austrian protected cruiser Zenta is sunk near Antivari by French battleships.
Britain The enrollment of Special Constables begins.
Germany The government establishes a Committee for the Liberation of Russian Jews.

August 17, 1915
Western Front The French gain a footing on Sondernach Ridge in the Vosges, but are driven off again by counterattacks.
Adriatic Sea The Austrians heavily bombard Pelagosa. The Italians evacuate the island the next day.
Eastern Front Outlying forts at Novo-Georgievsk fall. Kovno falls. The Austrians approach Brest-Litovsk. The Russians are driven across the Bug at Konstantinov.
Baltic Sea The German dreadnoughts damage the pre-dreadnought Slava, which withdraws.
India 1200 Bunerwal tribesmen attack Rustam camp on the Northwest Frontier, killing one man.

August 17, 1916
Western Front, Somme A German counterattack near Pozieres is beaten off.
Eastern Front Austro-German counterattacks on the Zlota-Lipa fail.
Italian Front Although the previous three days of fighting have pushed the Italian gains to over three miles along a 12-mile front, the general in chief, Count Cadorna, calls a halt to the successful offensive. The Italians begin to consolidate their gains, won at a cost of 76,000 casualties. Austrian forces have lost 49,000 men.
Diplomatic Relations After many months of being wooed by both sides, but most intensely by the Allies, Rumanian officials sign political and military conventions with the Allied powers. In return for territorial concessions, including the cession of Transylvania, provision of munitions, and an Allied offensive from Salonika, the Rumanians agree to enter the war with an attack on Austria-Hungary to begin no later than August 28.
Macedonia Aware of the Allies’ negotiations with Rumania and of General Sarrail’s plan to launch an offensive from Salonika – originally set for August 1, but postponed to await the outcome of the Rumanian talks – the Central Powers have decided on a preemptive strike. To the west, Bulgarian 1st Army attacks from Monastir, advancing down the Kenali Valley, pushing back surprised Serbian troops and seizing Florina’s railway station. To the east, Bulgarian 2nd Army marches through Rupel Pass and advances into Macedonia. Two divisions of German 11th Army attack southwest of Lake Doiran.

August 17, 1917
Western Front, Ypres The French repulse a counterattack at Bixschoote.
Western Front, Elsewhere A German counterattack near Lens is repulsed.

August 17, 1918
Russia British and Russian troops advance from their positions outside Baku with the intention of taking Novkhani across the peninsula north from Baku, but because of a communications failure, they have no artillery support and Turkish troops quickly outflank them and force them into retreat. U.S. troops arrive at Vladivostok.
Germany Rudolf von Sebottendorf founds the Thule Society, a mystical “Aryan” offshoot of the Germanenorden. It plays a role in the founding of the Nazi Party.

[Ennath]

August 18, 1914
Western Front, Belgium The Germans occupy Tirlemont. King Albert orders the retreat of his army to Antwerp. Kluck is engaged with the Belgians at the Gette River and Bülow’s troops approach Namur. The strength of the German advance is now clear and it is not just a cavalry screen as Joffre has insisted.
Western Front, France French forces in Lorraine cut the rail line between Metz and Strasbourg at Saarburg. A renewed French advance in Alsace captures Marsal and Chateau-Salins, putting them within striking distance of Morhange. Rupprecht receives permission to counterattack.
French Planning Joffre finally accepts that the Germans have significant forces in Belgium, but still underestimates German strength. He therefore concludes that the German center in the Ardennes must be weak and orders an offensive in that sector.
Eastern Front, Poland Brusilov and Russki begin attacking into eastern Galicia.
Serbian Front The Austrians are defeated at Sabac.
Togoland The British and French invading columns link up near Lome.

August 18, 1915
Western Front There are minor French gains in the Vosges and near Vimy.
Italian Front Italian attacks in the Julian Alps push toward Tolmino.
Angola Rebel forces attack Mongu but are defeated in a three day battle. The rebellion begins to collapse.

August 18, 1916
Western Front, Somme The new Franco-British offensive makes little headway, although the British make some gains toward Ginchy and Guillemont. The French gain part of Maurepas and repulse counterattacks.
Western Front, Verdun The French secure all of Fleury and progress toward Thiaumont.
Macedonia Bulgarian troops occupy several Greek forts. 1st Army captures Florina. The Greek garrison is interned and sent to Germany.

August 18, 1917
Rumanian Front Rumanian troops are retiring on Maracesti, 20 miles north of Focsani.
Macedonia There is a major fire at Salonika.
Russia The Soviets demand Kornilov’s dismissal.

August 18, 1918
Western Front The French advance between the Oise and lower Aisne, capturing Nouvon-Vingre. British troops take Oultersteene.

August 18, 1919
Russia White forces recover Odessa.

August 18, 1920
United States The 19th Amendment grants women the right to vote.

August 18-September 11, 1922
Turkey The Turks launch their climactic offensive, shattering the Greek army. As the Greeks fall back, they attempt to avenge their defeat in an orgy of burning, pillaging, and murder. Over 1 million Turks are left homeless, further embittering a conflict already notable for atrocities. Kemal pursues closely and the Greek army dissolves into a horde of terrified refugees. When Smyrna falls to Turkish assault, the Greek sections of the city are sacked and burned and many Greeks, civilian and military are massacred. Kemal follows up his victory with an advance on Constantinople, still occupied by British troops. Although the Hellenophile PM Lloyd George wants to commit forces to support the Greeks, he finds no support in his war-weary cabinet and an appeal to the dominions meets with no response. On November 1, British forces sail out of Constantinople, the Sultan fleeing with them.

[Ennath]

August 19, 1914
Western Front, Belgium The Germans reach the line Dinant-Neufchateau and occupy Louvain. The Belgians are defeated at Aerschot and fall back toward Antwerp. German troops, following Kluck’s orders, inflict reprisals for Belgian sabotage of railroads, telephone and telegraph lines, and bridges, and especially for the sniping of lone resisters. They burn houses and round up and shoot 150 civilian residents of Aerschot.
Western Front, France The French in Lorraine re-enter Mulhouse after driving the Germans from Dornach.
Eastern Front, East Prussia Rennenkampf pauses his advance in order not to outdistance his supply services.
Eastern Front, Poland The Austrian advance in Poland is checked at Kyeltsi.
Serbian Front The Battle of the Jadar ends in an Austrian defeat. The invaders retreat across the Drina. At Lesnica, the Austrians shoot 150 peasants.
Germany, Politics Informed of the presence in France of the BEF, the Kaiser issues orders for the destruction of that “contemptible little army”. When word reaches the soldiers of the BEF, they style themselves the “Old Contemptibles”.
Diplomatic Relations Turkey and Bulgaria sign a defensive alliance, not applicable to the German-Russian war.
Liman von Sanders writes the Kaiser, saying that he sees no value in any Turkish military venture and suggests that the entire German mission be recalled.

August 19, 1915
Eastern Front Novo-Georgievsk fortress at Modlin falls after a siege of only a few days, with 90,000 prisoners and 1600 guns. The Russians are driven back between Augustowo and Osovyets. Mackensen gains near Brest-Litovsk. The German landing force at Pernau, in the Gulf of Riga is forced to surrender.
Baltic Sea Cruisers of the German High Seas Fleet have been trying to bottle up Russian ships in the Gulf of Riga. Two dreadnoughts and three battlecruisers enter the Gulf to attack Riga. The battlecruiser Moltke is damaged by a British submarine and 8 torpedo boats are lost. Two Russian gunboats are sunk and Germans withdraw. The British submarine E-13 goes aground in Danish waters and comes under German fire.
Atlantic Ocean The White Star liner Arabic is torpedoed and sunk. The dead include Americans.

August 19, 1916
Western Front, Somme German counterattacks fail as the British push to Thiepval Ridge and the French capture Angle Wood.
Western Front, Verdun New German attacks at Fleury fail.
North Sea The High Seas Fleet, once again seaworthy, sorties ostensibly to carry out the raid on Sunderland aborted by the Battle of Jutland. Jellicoe’s fleet, forewarned by Room 40, is already at sea. The Germans retire in the face of the British reaction. The cruisers Nottingham and Falmouth are torpedoed and sunk. Two U-Boats are lost. After this, the Grand Fleet decides to remain north of 55 degrees, 30 minutes, as close as they need to get to maintain the blockade. The Germans are confirmed in their tendencies to resort to submarines.

August 19, 1917
Western Front, Ypres The British advance slightly on a 1-mile front near the Ypres-Poelcapelle road.
Italian Front The 11th Battle of the Isonzo opens. The Italians attack on a 30-mile front from Mrzli Vrh to the sea, with the main effort on the Bainsizza Plateau. They have massed 52 divisions to 24 Austrian, most of these understrength. The Austrian first line is captured and 7500 prisoners taken. The Austrian bridgehead at Anhovo is eliminated. Most of an Austrian division is destroyed. Attacks on Monte Santo continue to fail.
Rumanian Front The Germans resume the attack and gain some trenches in the Marasesti region, but generally fail to attain their objectives. A pause ensues as both sides reinforce and resupply.
German East AfricaA KAR-Rhodesian force begins to encircle the Mahenge Plateau.

August 19, 1918
Western Front The French take Morsain. British troops retake Merville.
Russia Another 103 British troops arrive at Baku.
United States Broadway sees the debut of the song Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning, by Irving Berlin.

August 19, 1919
United States Wilson accepts those of Lodge’s reservations not requiring the consent of the other Treaty signatories. The “irreconcilables” continue their opposition, however.

August 19, 1920
Germany Another Polish uprising in Silesia has initial success. Allied military forces impose a cease-fire on August 25.

[Old Jud]

Originally Posted by DTravel

The one time a nation properly plans for a long war what do they get? A quick victory!

More seriously, given that the major fronts had been basically stalemated for several bloody years can you really blame us?

I'm not being critical of the USA. After all, there was a lobby to get them to enter the war, on Germany's side.

I consider it conservative planning, considering the military might of Germany.

[Ennath]

August 20, 1914
Western Front, Belgium The Germans occupy Brussels, which has been evacuated by the Belgian Army. The German advance has also reached the fortress of Namur, which comes under a powerful bombardment. Lanrezac’s French 5th Army reaches the Sambre and prepares to launch a counterattack the following day. The French still do not fully realize the strength of the German right. The Germans establish bridgeheads over the Sambre.
Western Front, France In Lorraine, Castelnau’s 2nd Army attacks but is badly mauled by a powerful German counterattack near Sarburg and Morhange, driving the French back. Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria directs the defense and inflicts heavy casualties. Dubail’s 1st Army has made some headway, but both French commanders are ordered to withdraw by Joffre, thus ending the opening engagements of the Battle of the Frontiers. French élan has been no match for modern firepower. The French establish defensive positions on the Grand Couronné. The advancing French 3rd (Pierre Rufey) and 4th (Fernand Langle de Cary) Armies advancing into the Ardennes meet headlong the German 4th (Duke Albrecht of Wurttemberg) and 5th (Crown Prince Wilhlem) Armies, comprising the pivot of the Schlieffen Plan. In the dense forest and thick fog, the two sides almost literally stumble into each other. Without maps or adequate intelligence, the French are marching blind here; the Germans are more prepared. A series of disjointed actions ensues, with concealed German machine guns cutting down French bayonet charges.
Eastern Front, East Prussia Deciding not to await a Russian attack, 8th Army commander General Prittwitz has authorized Generals von Francois, Mackensen and Below to attack Rennenkampf around Gumbinnen. Francois sweeps around the Russian right to attack the Russian transport. However, the Russians force the other two attacking German corps to retreat. In the evening, desperate to save 8th Army, Prittwitz orders a general retreat to the Vistula River, which would abandon much of East Prussia. Moltke is astounded when he receives the news at OHL. Rennenkampf, though victorious, breaks off further attacks, giving the Germans breathing time, while Prittwitz’s deputy chief of operations, Max Hoffmann, argues against retreat. The Russians have lost 16,500 men, the Germans 15,000. The Russians occupy Goldap and Lyck.
Eastern Front, Poland The main armies are slow off the mark, but the large cavalry components are in action. At Jaroslawice, a mounted saber clash occurs by tacit agreement of the two commanders to act as if the 20th century had never happened. The fun is spoiled by the arrival of Russian infantry, who drive the Austrians off.
Serbian Front The Austrians are in disorderly retreat back toward the frontier. Potiorek orders Austrian 2nd Army to fall back across the Sava.
British East Africa German troops raid the Uganda railway.

August 20, 1915
Germany The Reichstag approves a second war loan of 1 billion marks.
Baltic Sea Fears of Allied submarines prompt a German withdrawal from the Gulf of Riga.
Eastern Front The Russians evacuate Bialystok.
Diplomatic Relations Italy declares war on Turkey.

August 20, 1916
Macedonia Suffering heavy casualties, the French fall back before the Bulgarian 2nd Army, which advances nearly to the Struma River at Orlyak. But here, the Bulgarian advance is stopped by dug-in British troops. In the western sector, the Serbs repulse Bulgarian attacks near Moglena. Greek Thrace east of Sarrail’s forces is occupied by Bulgarian troops.

August 20, 1917
Western Front, Elsewhere French 2nd Army (Guillemat) launches an attack at Le Mort Homme on an 11-mile front, capturing the German defenses to a depth of 1.25 miles, with 5000 prisoners. Most objectives are taken, except Hill 304 on the left.
Italian Front The Italians carry the Austrian defenses between Korite and Sella on the right of the advance. 2nd Army begins a slow, cautious advance on the Bainsizza Plateau even though there is currently little to stop them. The Austrians are almost out of reserves.
Rumanian Front Rumanian troops regain some lost ground at Marasesti. The Germans gain around Ocna.
Austria-Hungary Count Esterhazy resigns due to ill health. Dr. Sandor Wekerle becomes Hungarian Premier. He is largely a figurehead for a coalition of stronger figures around him. He does widen the franchise, but this angers Magyar chauvinists.
The government frees prisoners with sentences of less than 2 years to combat food shortages.
France Almereyda is strangled in his cell.

[Ennath]

August 21, 1914
Western Front, Belgium The Belgians are forced to abandon defenses at Namur. Bülow attacks Lanrezac’s French troops concentrated around Charleroi. The French are defeated in heavy fighting around Tamines. Lanrezac loses some 30,000 men, to a loss of 11,000 Germans. The British begin moving up to Mons. Joffre orders an attack on the Sambre and in the Ardennes. Lanrezac detaches troops to aid the defenders of Namur. German troops at Andenne, believing themselves under partisan attack, execute 260 civilians.
Western Front, France The Army of Lorraine is activated near Nancy under General Maunoury. 2nd Army’s retreat uncovers Dubail’s flank and he retreats hurriedly.
Eastern Front Samsonov’s 2nd Army advances into East Prussia. Allenstein is occupied. Fearful that the Eastern Front is in danger of collapse, OHL dismisses Prittwitz, recalls Paul von Beneckendorff und Hindenburg from retirement to assume command of 8th Army in East Prussia, and names Erich Ludendorff, conqueror of Liege, as his chief of staff.

August 21, 1915
War at Sea Cotton is declared absolute contraband.
Dardanelles British troops at Suvla attack Scimitar Hill but are repulsed with heavy loss. The story is the same at Hill 60, attacked by a combined British and Anzac force.

August 21, 1917
Western Front, Elsewhere The British gain 200 yards in the Lens sector. The French at Verdun take several more German positions.
Eastern Front The Germans open an offensive on the Riga front. The Russians evacuate positions between Tirul Marsh and the Aa River.
Italian Front An attack on the Carso briefly breaks through, but the Austrians restore the line. A major attack on the Bainsizza Plateau overruns the entire Austrian front line, scoring a clean breakthrough. Borojevic has no choice but to order a withdrawal, abandoning the Plateau, to begin on the evening of the 23rd.
Rumanian Front Germans attack the town of Sereth, taking one of the fortified heights.
Britain The Labor party reaffirms its decision to send delegates to Stockholm.
War in the Air A British fighter launched from the cruiser Yarmouth destroys Zeppelin L23.

August 21, 1918
Western Front French troops capture Lassigny village. Mangin pushes forward toward Chauny and Noyon. The British 3rd Army attacks north of the Ancre on a 10-mile front to begin the Battle of Bapaume. Their advance captures most of their initial objectives, reaching the Albert-Arras railway.
War at Sea A British flotilla of 6 motor torpedo boats raiding near the German minefields is attacked by German aircraft; 3 boats are sunk and the others badly damaged and forced to beach in Dutch territory. Further north, a British shipboard scout plane downs the Zeppelin L-23. Together, these incidents point the way forward towards the growing importance of air power in naval warfare.

August 21, 1921
Russia Makhno and the remnants of his army are driven into exile in Rumania.

[Ennath]

August 22, 1910
Korea Japan annexes Korea to the Japanese Empire.

August 22, 1914
Western Front, Belgium With three major forts destroyed, the Belgians begin evacuating Namur. Fighting continues at Charleroi. Densely formed German attacks, aided by artillery directed by aerial observers, meet attacks by French 5th Army. Both sides suffer and inflict heavy loses. Lanrezac falls back by the end of the day. During the night, General Klemens von Hausen, commanding German 3rd Army, moves four corps into position on the Meuse and gains some bridgeheads, further menacing Lanrezac. British cavalry patrols clash with their German opposites, the first British ground actions in Europe. German troops are reported to have used local civilians as human shields for their advances.
Western Front, France In Alsace, the French are defeated around Luneville and begin a general retreat. There is fighting around Virton, Tantigny and Neufchateau. By day’s end, they are 15 miles behind their start line of the 14th. Fighting in the Ardennes intensifies. French 3rd Army attacks solidly occupied positions around Longwy and is disastrously repulsed. 4th Army advances a bit further but is also repulsed. German 6th Army begins assaults directed at Nancy.
War in the Air A British observation plane reports the Germans preparing to attack the BEF, in contradiction of other intelligence sources. This is the first important aerial observation.
Belgium The Germans levy an indemnity of 50 million francs on the city of Brussels and another 450 million on Brabant Province, to be paid within 10 days. .
Eastern Front In Poland, the Russians evacuate Kyeltsi under Austrian pressure.
Serbian Front The Austrians are defeated along the Drina.
Russia A ban on vodka goes into effect for the duration. It is, naturally, both unpopular and ineffective.
Diplomatic Relations Austria-Hungary declares war on Belgium.
Togoland A mixed British-French-African force attacks German positions on the Chra River. In the dense brush, the attack is poorly coordinated and the Germans slip away during the night.

August 22, 1915
Eastern Front Osovyets falls.
Russia Socialist groups meet secretly in Petrograd to set plans for action if further disasters compel the government to make peace. Some 2/3 of the moderate deputies in the Duma form a “progressive bloc” in support of a reform program, a direct challenge to the Tsar’s powers.
North Sea A German destroyer is sunk by two French destroyers near Ostend.
Greece Venizelos becomes Premier.
Caucasus A Russian attack at Malzgird is repulsed.

August 22, 1916
Western Front, Somme Two German counterattacks near Thiepval fail. The Germans retake some ground near Estrees.
Eastern Front The Russians gain the heights south of Jablonica Pass in the Carpathians. A German attack near Vilna is stopped with few gains.
Macedonia The Allies gain the Moglena and Doiran sectors.
Caucasus The Russians attack west of Lake Van.
German East Africa Van Deventer marches into Kilossa on the Central Railway without opposition and establishes his headquarters. From here, he is to move down the railway to meet Smuts at Morogoro for what Smuts hopes will be a decisive battle with Lettow-Vorbeck’s Schutztruppe. The Germans retire on Morogoro.

August 22, 1917
Western Front, Ypres There is heavy fighting at Ypres. The British gain 500 yards on a 1-mile front. As a result of the stagnated offensive, Haig and Admiral Bacon decide to cancel the amphibious operation on the Belgian coast.
Western Front, Elsewhere There are even smaller gains in the Lens sector.
War in the Air Bomber raids on Dover, Ramsgate, and Margate kill 12. Two bombers are lost. Assessing the new effectiveness of the British defenses, Captain Kleine, commanding the Gotha group, cancels further daylight raids and begins training his crews for night flying.
Germany Berlin halts private bathing to save water and coal.
Eastern Front At Raggazen, on the Gulf of Riga, the Russians retire 2 to 8 miles to shorten their line.

August 22, 1918
Western Front Rawlinson’s 4th Army joins the attack and captures Albert. Here they discover that the “Leaning Virgin” (a damaged image atop the church’s tower, which leaned over on its side) has toppled. The British soldiers harbor the superstition that the war will end soon after the statue falls. The French advance on Noyon and the Divette River.
Albania The Austrians begin a counteroffensive.

August 22, 1927
Hungary The Allied Military Control Commission is withdrawn.

[Ennath]

August 23, 1914
Diplomatic Relations Japan declares war on Germany.
Western Front, Belgium Namur falls in the evening. Without guidance from GQG, Lanrezac rejects his staff’s urgings to order Louis Franchet d’Esperey to counterattack. He learns that Langle de Cary’s 4th Army has been forced to retreat in the Ardennes, exposing his right. In the meantime, Haussen’s 3rd Army has increased its bridgeheads near Dinant. Surmising that the French armies are general retreat and that 5th Army is in danger of encirclement and destruction, Lanrezac, without consulting GQG, orders a general retreat. The move dooms Pan XVII. There will be no swift French victory bringing a quick end to the war.
British II Corps, with 70,000 men under Horace Smith-Dorrien, holds positions east and west of Mons, in the direct line of Kluck’s advance. Kluck has four corps with 160,000 men and 700 guns, but nearly half of this is held in reserve as ordered by Bülow. As a result, Kluck is unable to outflank the British and attacks head-on, meeting fierce resistance and deadly accurate gunfire, which takes a heavy toll of the dense German formations. The British retreat a short distance under heavy pressure, but inflict great loss. During the night, General French learns of Lanrezac’s retreat, threatening his army with isolation. The British withdraw to avoid being cut off. British losses at Mons have been about 1600, German about 5000. The legend grows up of intervention by an “Angel of Mons”, seen by many troops, aiding the defense. Another legend tells of ghostly longbow arrows, but there are no witnesses for this.
Western Front, France The French are withdrawing from northern Alsace. The Germans take Luneville and threaten St. Die. In the Ardennes 3rd and 4th Armies fall back on Verdun and Sedan, having lost much artillery. The German attacks on Nancy are stopped with 25,000 casualties. German 7th Army tries to go on the offensive in the Vosges, but is hampered by a lack of mountain troops.
War Crimes Haussen, supposedly upset by what he regards as “perfidious” behavior by local civilians around Dinant, has his troops round up men, women and children and hold them in the city’s main square. 612 are shot that evening.
Eastern Front, East Prussia Hindenburg and Ludendorff assume command in East Prussia. They discover that Hoffmann, now head of the Operations Department and the General Staff’s “Russian specialist” has managed to halt the retreat and has also devised a strategy to defeat the Russians in detail. Ludendorff adopts it wholeheartedly as it coincides with the thinking at OHL. German forces are to concentrate against Samsonov’s 2nd Army, while delaying 1st Army farther east. One cavalry division suffices for this task. The Germans evacuate Insterburg. An attack on Russian 2nd Army at Frankenau is repulsed, beginning the Battle of Tannenberg.
Eastern Front, Poland The Austrians begin a general offensive against Russian Poland, commanded directly by Conrad. Austrian 1st (Dankl), 4th (Auffenberg), and 3rd (Brudermann) Armies move north and east from Lemberg on a 200-mile front. Böhm-Ermolli’s 2nd Army is on its way from the Serbian front. They will face Nikolai Ivanov’s Southwest Front, comprising the 4th (Salza), 5th (Pleheve), 3rd (Ruzki), and 8th (Brusilov) Armies. Russian 4th Army, on the northern flank is attacked at Krasnik by Austrian 1st and 4th Armies. 3rd Army, disobeying orders, attacks northeast from Lemberg. In east Galicia, the Russians take Brody and Tarnopol.
China A Japanese squadron blockades Tsingtao.

August 23, 1915
Western Front Sir John French bows to the will of Joffre, who receives a battle plan from the British commander that agrees with Joffre’s entirely. French’s agreement results from a message from London the day before apprising him that Kitchener and the cabinet support Joffre. British 1st Army will attack in conjunction with the French on whatever date Joffre sets.
North Sea British ships bombard Zeebrugge.
Italian Front The Italians attack Tolmino in the Julian Alps.
Eastern Front The Russians hold against attacks at Kleszczeli.
Mediterranean A British submarine torpedoes the supply ship Isfahan near Constantinople.
Dardanelles After refusing to serve under General de Lisle at Suvla, General Bryan Mahon has been sent to Lemnos. Stopford is on his way back to England and General Hammersley collapses and must be removed from the peninsula. The August offensive, now at a standstill, has cost the British 40,000 casualties.

August 23, 1916
Western Front, Somme The British make slight gains south of Thiepval. A German attack at Guillemont is repulsed.
Western Front, Verdun Crown Price Wilhelm, dismayed to learn that his chief of staff, Knobelsdorf, still hopes to take Verdun, has finally persuaded his father, Kaiser Wilhelm II, himself dismayed by the failure of the Verdun offensive, to relieve Knobelsdorf of his position. The kaiser reassigns Knobelsdorf to command of a corps on the Eastern Front and appoints Walther von Luttwitz, who has been serving in Russia, as his successor. Luttwitz fortunately agrees with the Crown Prince’s assessment of the futile tragedy being enacted at Verdun. The French progress south of Fleury.
War in the Air The Germans form their first Jagdstaffel, or Jasta, a tactical fighter squadron of 14 planes, a move advocated by Oswald Boelcke, who is made commander of Jasta 2.
Caucasus The Russians again take Bitlis.
Persia A Turkish force at Rayat, near the border, is defeated.
Diplomatic Relations Russia assures the Americans that she still supports the Open Door Policy in China and that the treaty with Japan poses no threat to American interests.

August 23, 1918
Western Front French and British armies are on the attack along the entire front from Soissons to Arras. Although the French gain little, troops of Sir John Monash’s Australian Corps of 4th Army smash ahead near Chuignes. Byng’s troops also advance, approaching Bapaume. Attacks cross the Arras-Bapaume Road.

August 23, 1922
Mesopotamia Faisal is made King of Iraq, under a British protectorate. He continues to press for full independence.

[Ennath]

August 24, 1914
Western Front, Belgium The Allies are in general retreat from the Sambre and Meuse lines. Flanked by the French withdrawal, the British are compelled to abandon Mons. The marks the start of the Great Retreat. The Germans occupy Tournai, but are driven from Malines.
Western Front, France Joffre, accepting the current reality, sends a report to War Minister Messimy stating that the French army is “condemned to a defensive attitude.” Joffre blames his field commanders for the near catastrophe and the ministry backs his policy of removing them, authorizing him to “eliminate the old fossils without pity.” He anticipates forming a defensive line along the Somme and from there launching new offensives. Lille is declared an open city and evacuated. Maubeuge is attacked by German spearheads. The French again evacuate Mulhouse. At Charmes Gap, 1st and 2nd Armies counterattack, slowly pushing back to their line of August 14.
Foch’s XX Corps counterattacks near Morhange, driving the Germans back two miles and blocking them east of Nancy.
Eastern Front, East Prussia At Frankenau, the Russians force the Germans back ten miles, but suffer heavy losses. Having intercepted orders to Samsonov, transmitted in clear, German 8th Army headquarters sends Mackensen and Below south to confront Samsonov. Only minimal forces are retained to delay the cautious Rennenkampf.
Eastern Front, Poland Both the Austrians and Russians are relying on a doctrine focused on offensive action and pay the appropriate price. Cavalry scouting is also deficient and both are frequently taken by surprise at encountering the enemy. Russian 1st Army is already tired and low on supplies.
Eastern Front Austrian troops in Poland advance beyond Kyeltsi.
Serbian Front The Serbs recover Sabac and Loznitsa.
Adriatic A Franco-British squadron bombards Cattaro.

August 24, 1915
Eastern Front The Germans break into the advanced Russian positions at Dobrynka, near Brest-Litovsk.
Italian Front The Austrians launch a minor offensive.
Diplomatic Relations Germany apologizes to Denmark for the attack on E-13 on the 19th.
August 24, 1916
Western Front, Somme There is heavy fighting at the eastern edge of Delville Wood and west of Ginchy. The French secure the whole of Maurepas.
Macedonia Greek troops, technically not among the belligerents, surrender forts at Kavalla to units of Bulgarian 2nd Army.
Caucasus The Russians again take Mush, with 2300 prisoners.

August 24, 1917
Western Front, Ypres The British lose some ground to counterattacks.
Western Front, Elsewhere The French make more progress at Le Mort Homme, carrying Hill 304.
Italian Front The Austrian withdrawal is carried out smoothly and with minimal interference. Italian troops occupy the summit of Monte Santo and Vodice and continue their push toward the eastern edge of the Bainsizza Plateau. The Italians have advanced 4.5 miles here on a 12-mile front. The fighting subsides as the Italians consolidate their gains. The Italians’ lethargy allows the Austrians to restore their line. On the Carso, the Italians begin attacks on Monte San Gabriele.
Black Sea The Black Sea Fleet carries out a commando raid at Ordu on the Anatolian coast.
United States The quartering of a black regiment in Houston leads to riots. 17 are killed. Texas tries 34 black soldiers in state courts rather than deferring to the military, 19 are hanged. No whites are charged.

August 24, 1918
Western Front The British capture Bray, Thiepval Ridge, Miraumont, and Biefvillers and reach the western outskirts of Bapaume.
Portuguese East Africa At Namarroe, a column of Germans encounters and drives off a KAR column, capturing significant supplies.
Peru Army units mutiny, demanding war with Germany.

August 24, 1920
Eastern Europe Lithuanian troops reoccupy Vilna after the Red Army evacuates.
Persia The Persian Cossacks recover Resht from the Soviets, but a subsequent attempt to recover Enzeli is defeated.

August 24-September 16, 1921
Turkey The Greeks assault the Sakkarya defense line, the last Turkish position before Ankara. Although several trenches are taken, the cost is high. When a small Turkish cavalry force threatens the Greek left, the Greeks halt. Facing a deadlock and with his 350-mile line of communications threatened, Greek King Constantine falls back toward Eskesehir and Afyon.

August 24, 1924
Diplomatic Relations The Dawes Plan provides new arrangements for the payment of German reparations and forms the background to the stabilization of the German currency. About $250 million is to be paid each year and much of the money to finance this, and Germany’s economic recovery, is to be borrowed from abroad.

August 24 – September 5, 1924
Arabia Taif falls to the Saudis and Ikhwan; the city is plundered for three days.

[Ennath]

August 25 – September 3, 1904
China The Battle of Liaoyang occurs, considered by some as the first “modern” battle. 125,000 Japanese face 158,000 Russians. The Russians are forced to retire with the loss of 19,000 men. The Japanese lose 23,000.

August 25, 1914
Western Front, Belgium The last fort at Namur is silenced. Belgian forces from Malines suddenly attack Kluck’s rear guard and push to Louvain.
War Crimes During the fighting around Louvain, the Germans claim to have been fired upon by Belgian civilians and begin to burn the city in reprisal.
Western Front, France The British fight a rearguard action at Landrecies. The French leave a garrison in Maubeuge and pull back. A German corps is detached to besiege the fortress. After five days of fighting in the Ardennes, French 3rd and 4th Armies have been repulsed with shocking losses, falling back to reorganize west of the Meuse. German forces take Sedan and invest Maubeuge. Foch’s XX Corps begins three days of foiling German advances toward the Grand Couronné. To the south, 1st and Lorraine armies attack, leading to three indecisive days of fighting. German forces besiege Fort Manonviller, near Nancy. French 6th Army is forming around Paris. The initial French offensives have failed utterly, at a cost of some 300,000 casualties. Moltke, however, overestimates the extent of the German victory. His communications with his armies are poor, his information faulty and he has lost some 260,000 men. The German drive is becoming diffused and Moltke’s hand is uncertain. Joffre, on the other hand, has kept in close touch with his commanders. He realizes that, despite tactical defeats, the morale of his troops is still high. He is now aware of the German intention. Seemingly oblivious of the disastrous results of his Plan XVII, he calmly prepares for a counterattack.
Eastern Front, Poland Austrian 1st Army defeats the Russians at Krasnik and advances toward Lublin. Russian aviators detect the German build-up against 2nd Army, but their reports are ignored.
Serbian Front The first Austrian invasion of Serbia is over; it has failed with heavy losses.
Cameroon Allied forces occupy Tepe.
Diplomatic Relations Austria-Hungary declares war on Japan.

August 25, 1915
Western Front As more British troops reach the front, they are able to take over sections of trench from the French.
Eastern Front Brest-Litovsk is stormed and captured by Alexander von Linsingen’s Bug Army. The Russian command completes its move to Mogilev.
Serbian Front There is an action near Cattaro between the Austrians and Montenegrins.
Mediterranean The Allies declare a blockade of the Anatolian and Syrian coasts.

August 25, 1916
Western Front, Somme There is a determined German attack south of Thiepval.
Western Front, Elsewhere A German attack west of Tahure, in Champagne, is repulsed.
Macedonia Bulgarian troops occupy Serres. The offensive halts in the evening.
Black Sea Three Russian seaplane carriers, with 19 planes, attack the German seaplane base at Varna, while the Germans launch their own air attack on the Russians. One destroyer is damaged.
German East Africa Smuts’s Rhodesian and Indian troops arrive at Morogoro, but Lettow-Vorbeck has already left, moving southward. As the Germans leave the town, the rearguard torches supplies. The Germans have also dynamited the rail lines and some cars. Smuts now controls the Central Railway, which links Dar-es-Salaam on the Indian Ocean with Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika. But his elusive quarry, who fights and runs to fight another day, evades him.

August 25, 1917
Western Front, Ypres German attacks at Ypres take, and then lose some ground. Haig and Plumer confer. Haig overcomes Plumer’s deep reluctance, gaining his agreement that Plumer’s 2nd Army will assume the major burden of the Flanders offensive, as Gough’s assaults have gained only meager results. The 5th Army’s limited attacks will continue, however, as Plumer requires time to make plans and preparations for a resumption of the general offensive. The offensive has thus far cost 68,000 casualties and has nowhere advanced more than 4000 yards.
Eastern Front There is a lull on the Riga front.
Italian Front There is heavy fighting on the Bainsizza Plateau.
Russia The Russian National Conference is opened at Moscow by Kerensky, who warns extremists of the danger of their methods.

August 25, 1918
Western Front The British gain around Bapaume.
Albania Austrian attacks drive the Italians from Fieri and Berat.

August 25, 1925
Germany The French begin evacuating the Ruhr.