Minister of War
Appointed Minister of War
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1915 in Germany
Explore 106 historical events and records for Germany in 1915.
Historical records for Germany in 1915
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 106 unique records.
106Unique records
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35Named events on this page
16Named people on this page
12Places on this page
January
Dogger Bank Patrol Ordered
Ingenohl orders Hipper's scouting force toward Dogger Bank to attack British fishing vessels and patrols.
Dogger Bank Raid Objective Set
Hipper sails with battlecruisers, Blücher, light cruisers and destroyers to strike British forces around Dogger Bank.
Battle of Dogger Bank
Hipper's squadron, sent to attack British fishing vessels and patrols, is intercepted by Beatty. SMS Blücher is sunk while the surviving German battlecruisers escape.
Blücher Left Behind during German Escape
Hipper's faster battlecruisers continue their withdrawal while the crippled Blücher falls farther behind.
British Force Sighted at Dogger Bank
Hipper recognises that stronger British forces are approaching and prepares to withdraw toward Germany.
German Battlecruisers Concentrate Fire on HMS Lion
Hipper directs concentrated German fire against Beatty's flagship HMS Lion, causing serious damage.
German Squadron Orders Retreat
Hipper turns southeast toward home after discovering that Beatty's battlecruiser force outguns his squadron.
Seydlitz Magazine Disaster Narrowly Avoided
Emergency action prevents the fire aboard Seydlitz from reaching its magazines and destroying the battlecruiser.
Seydlitz Moltke and Derfflinger Escape
Hipper escapes with Seydlitz, Moltke and Derfflinger after British fire shifts toward the damaged Blücher.
Sinking of SMS Blücher
SMS Blücher, slower than Hipper's battlecruisers, falls behind during the retreat and is sunk by British fire.
Sinking of SMS Blücher - German Rearguard
Blücher fell behind the German battlecruisers after heavy British fire and was overwhelmed during the withdrawal from Dogger Bank.
SMS Blücher Slows German Withdrawal
The slower armoured cruiser SMS Blücher prevents Hipper's squadron from escaping at the speed of its battlecruisers.
SMS Seydlitz Heavily Hit
Hipper's flagship SMS Seydlitz is heavily hit, causing a dangerous fire near its aft turrets and magazines.
Iron Cross
Awarded the Iron Cross, 1st class
February
Blockade of Great Britain
Germany declares submarine blockade of Britain, with all approaching ships considered targets, the start of Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Great Britain War Zone Declared
Germany treats ships approaching Britain as potential targets after declaring a submarine war zone around the islands.
Submarine Warfare
Germany declares submarine blockade of Britain, with all approaching ships considered targets, the start of Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Blockade of Great Britain
A German submarine blockade of Great Britain begins
Great Britain Submarine Blockade Begins
German submarines begin operating against shipping bound for Britain as the declared blockade takes effect.
Battle of Masurian Lakes
Following action at the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes in February wins the prestigious Pour le Merite
German Flash-Protection Reforms Follow Dogger Bank
The near-loss of Seydlitz leads Germany to improve anti-flash precautions and ammunition handling aboard major warships.
Ingenohl Removed after Dogger Bank
Ingenohl is removed from command of the High Seas Fleet after the German setback at Dogger Bank.
Kaiser Restricts High Seas Fleet Operations
Wilhelm II requires greater caution before major fleet operations, limiting the High Seas Fleet's offensive freedom.
Pohl Takes Command after Dogger Bank
Hugo von Pohl replaces Ingenohl and adopts a more cautious approach to High Seas Fleet operations.
March
Neutrality
The Reprisals Order, in which Britain bans all neutral parties from trading with Germany
Reprisals Order
The Reprisals Order, in which Britain bans all neutral parties from trading with Germany
Ottoman Fifth Army Command Assumed
Liman von Sanders takes command of the Ottoman Fifth Army responsible for defending Gallipoli.
Carpathian Offensive
Directs the Carpathian Offensive, March-April
Return to Front Line Service
Jodl returns to active service after recovering from his 1914 wound.
Socialist Womens Conference
Zetkin organises the Socialist Womens Conference
April
Battle of Ypres, 2nd
Deimling commands units during the gas attack at Ypres.
Battle of Ypres, 2nd
Albrecht commands German forces during Second Ypres.
Battle of Ypres, 2nd
Poison gas is first used on the Western Front, in a German attack on Canadian troops at Ypres
Gas Offensive Opens at Ypres
German forces release chlorine gas during the opening attack of the Second Battle of Ypres.
Poison Gas
Haber helps prepare chlorine gas use at Ypres.
Poison gas
Poison gas is first used on the Western Front, in a German attack on Canadian troops at Ypres
Western Front
Poison gas is first used on the Western Front, in a German attack on Canadian troops at Ypres
Commander of Eleventh Army
Appointed Commander of the Eleventh Army
Commander of Eleventh Army
Appointed Commander of the Eleventh Army
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.