22 January 1914ArmamentWinston Leonard Spencer Churchill
Churchills proposals to increase Naval expenditure split the cabinet
Historical records for Great Britain in 1914, rendered directly from the World History Database and ordered by month, day and event.
Churchills proposals to increase Naval expenditure split the cabinet
Churchills proposals to increase Naval expenditure split the cabinet
Birth of Alan Hodgkin
Churchills proposals in cabinet to increase Naval expenditure are accepted
Churchills proposals in cabinet to increase Naval expenditure are accepted
The Admiralty's Sopwith Sociable associated with Churchill makes its first flight at Brooklands.
Inspects Sopwith Aviation during his continuing effort to understand and encourage naval aviation.
Explains a supplementary naval estimate to the House of Commons and defends the additional expenditure.
Presents the Navy Estimates for 1914-15 and explains Admiralty policy and construction commitments.
Answers Commons questions on the number of completed British dreadnoughts.
Answers Commons questions about the disposition of Royal Navy forces.
Answers Commons questions concerning German naval estimates and comparative naval strength.
Answers Commons questions concerning HMS Iron Duke during discussion of the naval programme.
Answers parliamentary questions concerning the Royal Naval Museum at Greenwich.
Addresses Commons questions about Canadian ships and their relationship to Imperial naval policy.
Provides comparative information on British and foreign dreadnought strength.
Defends Admiralty policy concerning guns carried by merchant steamships.
Answers Commons questions concerning Royal Navy warship movements.
Takes part in Commons discussion concerning the relationship between civil authority and military forces.
Succeeds Seely at the War Office during the Curragh crisis and threat of Irish civil conflict.
Successor to Seely during the "Curragh Mutiny" & threat of Irish civil war
Appointed Secretary of State for War
Temporarily assumes the War Office during the Curragh crisis.
Alec Guinness is born as Alec Guinness de Cuffe
Responds in the Commons during an inquiry into reported naval and military movements.
Resigns as Chief of the Imperial General Staff after the Curragh Mutiny
Resigns as Chief of the Imperial General Staff after the Curragh Mutiny
Answers Commons questions about piracy and British naval responsibilities in Chinese waters.
Answers parliamentary questions about the Royal Flying Corps and naval aviation responsibilities.
Answers Commons questions on the Admiralty's growing use of oil fuel.
Provides parliamentary information concerning wages paid within naval establishments.
Answers parliamentary questions concerning conditions affecting petty officers and seamen.
Answers parliamentary questions concerning submarine accidents and naval safety.
Answers parliamentary questions concerning HMS Chatham.
Answers Commons questions about the Austro-Hungarian naval programme.
Answers Commons questions concerning the Royal Navy engineering branch.
Addresses Commons questions concerning government dockyards and Admiralty administration.
Answers parliamentary questions concerning hospital-ship provision for the Royal Navy.
Answers parliamentary questions concerning naval materiel and Admiralty supply arrangements.
Answers Commons questions about British naval policy and commitments in the Pacific.
Provides a parliamentary answer concerning instructional allowances in naval service.
The House of Commons passes the Welsh Church Disestablishment Bill for the third time
The Commons passes Welsh Church disestablishment legislation for a third time.
Answers a parliamentary question concerning the application of King's Regulations in the naval service.
Provides parliamentary information concerning battleships then under construction.
Answers questions concerning admirals superintendent serving at Royal Navy dockyards.
Argues for compromise over Irish Home Rule as the Liberal Government attempts to contain the constitutional crisis.
Provides parliamentary information concerning the Royal Navy's light-cruiser construction programme.
Britain acquires control of Persian Gulf oil interests from the Anglon Oil Company.
Britain acquires control of oil in the Persian Gulf from the Anglon Oil Company
The House of Commons passes the Irish Home Rule Bill
The Commons passes the Irish Home Rule Bill in May 1914.
The House of Commons passes the Irish Home Rule Bill
The House of Commons passes the Irish Home Rule Bill
Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
British-German agreement on the Baghdad Railway & Mesopotamia
Britain and Germany reach agreement concerning the Baghdad Railway and Mesopotamia.
Explains that new government capital will finance wells, pipelines, refinery plant, storage, transit and other development.
Moves Commons authorization for up to two million two hundred thousand pounds to acquire company share or loan capital.
Helps secure a long-term Persian oil supply for the Royal Navy through government involvement in the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.
Confirms that the Government of India was consulted about the proposed controlling investment in Anglo-Persian.
Explains that Admiralty oil transport will use British-flag vessels under government freight arrangements.
Defends the Anglo-Persian oil contract in the House of Commons.
Explains Admiralty policy concerning the arming of British merchant ships.
Answers Commons questions concerning naval service in the Persian Gulf.
Answers parliamentary questions about securing oil fuel supplies within the United Kingdom.
Answers Commons questions concerning new Royal Navy construction.
The Endurance arrives in the Thames for Shackletons expedition to the South Pole
Oversees creation of the Royal Naval Air Service as a distinct naval air organisation.
Provides parliamentary information concerning British naval missions connected with Greece and Turkey.
Answers Commons questions concerning coal and oil supplies for the Royal Navy.
Secures Commons approval for financing the government's acquisition of Anglo-Persian share and loan capital.
Defends government acquisition of a controlling financial interest in the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.
Refuses to disclose the maximum price payable under the Admiralty's Anglo-Persian oil supply arrangements.
Answers Commons questions comparing Admiralty policy for battleships, submarines and airships.
Answers Commons questions concerning appeals available to lower-deck naval ratings.
Answers Commons questions concerning the Fourth Battle Squadron.
Provides a written parliamentary answer concerning German naval policy.
Answers Commons questions concerning marriage regulations affecting petty officers and ratings.
Explains that Admiralty requirements in the Mediterranean depend on wider strategic and state-policy considerations.
The Irish Home Rule conference opens at Buckingham Palace.
1st day of the Irish Home Rule Conference in Buckingham Palace
1st day of the Irish Home Rule Conference in Buckingham Palace
1st day of the Irish Home Rule Conference in Buckingham Palace
1st day of the Irish Home Rule Conference in Buckingham Palace
1st day of the Irish Home Rule Conference in Buckingham Palace
Orders the Fleet to take up its War Stations in the North Sea
The Endurance sails from the Thames for the expedition to reach the South Pole
Orders completion and requisition of Ottoman battleships being built in British yards as the European crisis deepens.
Declares in the Commons the British army will act immediately if Belgium is threatened
Declares in the Commons the British army will act immediately if Belgium is threatened
Appointed Minister of War
Emergency bank holidays and debt moratoria help contain financial panic at the outbreak of war.
Creates a small Admiralty War Group of senior naval leaders to direct major strategic decisions after war begins.
Beatty's battlecruisers mobilise for North Sea operations as Britain enters the war against Germany.
Reports the British ultimatum demanding that Germany respect Belgian neutrality.
Explains to Parliament why the German invasion of Belgium has brought Britain into the European war.
French commands the BEF before the First Battle of Ypres.
The Admiralty signals Royal Navy ships and establishments to commence hostilities against Germany.
Visits George IV who supports the expedition to the South Pole despite immenent war
British cable operations sever German transatlantic communications shortly after war begins.
Supports emergency expansion of the Army as Britain mobilises for a continental war.
Backs emergency financial measures intended to protect credit and currency after the outbreak of war.
Supports the £100 million Vote of Credit needed for the opening phase of the war.
Emergency currency legislation restricts gold payments and introduces Treasury notes during the war.
The BEF lands at Ostend, Calais & Dunkirk
Calls for the first one hundred thousand volunteers needed to begin building the New Armies.
The BEF lands at Ostend, Calais & Dunkirk
Endurance sails from Plymouth as Shackleton begins the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
Appointed Chief Officer of the Endurance
The Anglo-Persian Oil Company Acquisition of Capital Act receives Royal Assent.
Addresses wartime regulations affecting Civil Service employees and their availability for national service.
Faces criticism after Goeben and Breslau reach Ottoman waters despite British attempts to intercept them.
Reviews measures concerning domestic food production and distribution during wartime disruption.
Addresses the position of volunteer forces in Ireland during the opening weeks of the war.
Great Britain enters war with Austria.
Great Britain is at war with Austria
The BEF cross the Channel to France
Churchill records that Britain cannot command both the North Sea and Baltic before defeating Germany's main fleet.
Commands the 5th Cavalry Brigade against the Germans at Mons
French deploys the BEF near Mons before retreating toward the Marne.
Awarded the Victoria Cross
Awarded the Victoria Cross
Awarded the Victoria Cross
The German First Army sufferss heavy losses but force the British back to the River Marne
Murray summoned the Corps Chiefs of Staff at around 1am on 24 August (the night after the Battle of Mons), and ordered them to retreat, but gave them no detailed plans, leaving them to work out the details themselves
Addresses British policy toward international maritime rules governing wartime commerce.
Reports information from Sir John French concerning the British Expeditionary Force in France.
Addresses early casualty information concerning the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front.
Responds to parliamentary questions about whether compulsory military service will be introduced.
Addresses proposals to extend the age limits for men available for emergency military service.
Reports the destruction of German auxiliary cruiser Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse by HMS Highflyer.
Discusses the conduct of public political meetings while the country is at war.
Uses a Commons statement to reinforce the national appeal for voluntary Army recruits.
Driven back from Le Cateau
Moves an address expressing admiration for Belgian resistance and British determination to support Belgian independence.
Answers questions about the wartime Press Bureau and the handling of military information.
Reviews practical measures intended to speed the enlistment of wartime volunteers.
The Royal Navy wins an early North Sea action against German light forces off Heligoland.
Beatty withdraws his battlecruisers after the German light forces have suffered severe losses.
Addresses arrangements for Belgian refugees displaced by the German invasion.
Answers questions about publishing official lists of British military casualties.
Beatty's heavy ships overwhelm German cruisers encountered during the closing phase of the battle.
Beatty commits his battlecruisers despite mine and submarine risks to support the hard-pressed British flotillas.
Beatty moves his battlecruisers toward the fighting after British light forces come under increasing pressure.
Beatty's intervention helps turn the confused action into a clear British naval victory.
Explains wartime handling of Irish Home Rule legislation while hostilities continue.
Responds to criticism concerning censorship and the treatment of newspaper reporting during the war.
Gives Parliament a further statement on the developing war and the Government response.
Secures government support for expanding Britain's small professional army through successive volunteer formations.
Beatty's force is used as fast heavy support for British cruiser and destroyer operations in the North Sea.
Bristol aircraft production expands for wartime service.
Appointed Commander of the British Expeditionary Force
Appointed Commander of the British Expeditionary Force
Appointed Chief of Staff to the BEF
Appointed Chief of Staff to the BEF
Appointed Chief of Staff to the BEF
Appointed Commander of the British Expeditionary Force
Appointed Commander of the British Expeditionary Force
Directs Admiralty efforts to locate and contain the German battlecruiser Goeben and light cruiser Breslau in the Mediterranean.
Begins organising the first six New Army divisions from the initial mass of volunteers.
Appointed Lieutenant to a battalion at Shorncliffe, part of 10th Brigade
Warns ministers that the conflict will require mass armies and may last for years.
Plans for a continental army large enough to sustain a prolonged industrial war.
Carden's Malta appointment ends as the Royal Navy shifts fully onto a wartime footing in the Mediterranean.
Supports the Royal Navy strategy of restricting German overseas trade and access to strategic imports.
"lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime"
Expands recruiting machinery through towns, workplaces and local organisations across Britain.
Serves with 1st Royal Warwickshire Regiment during the retreat from Mons as the BEF falls back through France.
Creates the Royal Naval Division from naval reservists and marines not immediately required for service at sea.
Authorises further volunteer formations as enlistment quickly exceeds the first recruiting target.
Joins the government's central strategic discussions immediately after becoming Secretary of State for War.
Churchill urges Kitchener to release additional trained artillery for the armies fighting in France.
Murray had an important meeting with Gallieni (Military governor of Paris) and Maunoury (commander, French 6th Army) to discuss the planned Allied counterattack which would become the First Battle of the Marne
Murray had an important meeting with Gallieni (Military governor of Paris) and Maunoury (commander, French 6th Army) to discuss the planned Allied counterattack which would become the First Battle of the Marne
The Admiralty reviews the first loss of a warship to a submarine-fired torpedo.
Joins in the battle linking the BEF with the French 5th and 6th Armies
Joins in the battle linking the BEF with the French 5th and 6th Armies
Addresses provision for disabled servicemen and for the widows and dependants of men killed in service.
Asks Parliament to authorise up to 500,000 additional land forces for wartime service.
Reviews allowances and pensions available to servicemen and their dependants.
Reports on recruiting progress as the Government seeks a much larger wartime Army.
The Admiralty receives news that HMS Carmania has sunk the German auxiliary cruiser Cap Trafalgar.
Addresses improved financial support for the dependants of men serving in the armed forces.
Addresses reported violations of the laws of war during the German invasion of Belgium.
Defends delaying the operation of major Irish and Welsh constitutional legislation during the war.
Addresses parliamentary questions concerning expenditure connected with Indian troops serving in the war.
Reports the response of King Albert to British expressions of sympathy and support for Belgium.
The British naval mission withdraws from Ottoman service as relations deteriorate before Turkey enters the war.
Seeks increased parliamentary provision for the expanding military demands of the war.
Carden assumes command of the Eastern Mediterranean Squadron during the opening months of the First World War.
Royal Naval Air Service aircraft attack Zeppelin sheds at Dusseldorf and Cologne from their Belgian base.
The sinking of three British cruisers by German submarine U-9 exposes the growing danger from submarines.
Churchill reviews protective measures after U-9 sinks three British armoured cruisers in rapid succession.
The Ottomans close the Dardanelles to Allied shipping after an incident when the British Dardanelles squadron had seized a Ottoman torpedo boat
Entertains plans of capturing the Dardanelles as early as September 1914
Supports deployment of Indian Army formations to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force in France.
Carden directs British naval patrol and readiness duties in the eastern Mediterranean as regional tensions increase.
Expands training camps to accommodate the huge influx of inexperienced wartime volunteers.
Beatty continues aggressive sweeps intended to locate German heavy ships beyond their defended waters.
Supports deployment of Royal Naval Air Service aircraft to Belgium for reconnaissance and attacks against German airship bases.
Visits the Grand Fleet and meets senior officers while inspecting naval readiness at northern bases.
Expands officer recruitment and training to provide leadership for rapidly forming New Army battalions.
War Office arrangements improvise clothing and equipment while uniform production struggles to match recruitment.
The Admiralty decides to mine the North Sea
The Admiralty decides to mine the North Sea
The Admiralty decides to mine the North Sea.
The Belgians plan to evacuate Antwerp, Churchill visits it & rallies its defence
Churchill discusses the city's defence with Belgian and British authorities after arriving at Antwerp.
Birth of Sarah Churchill, Churcills 3rd child
The Admiralty helps coordinate withdrawal as the Belgian position becomes untenable.
Royal Naval Air Service aircraft destroy a German Zeppelin in its shed during a successful raid on Dusseldorf.
Receives command of the British Expeditionary Force Cavalry Corps.
Takes command of the newly formed BEF Cavalry Corps.
Naval Division units withdraw toward the coast as German forces complete the siege of Antwerp.
The British occupy Ypres
Shot through the right lung by a sniper at Meteren and severely wounded.
Leads men forward near Meteren before being shot through the lung by a sniper.
British forces occupy Ypres.
Royal Navy vessels bombard German forces on the Belgian coast while supporting the Allied flank.
Allenby leads cavalry during the fighting around Ypres.
French directs the BEF during the First Battle of Ypres.
Haig commands I Corps in the Ypres salient.
Smith-Dorrien holds part of the line near Ypres.
French directs BEF operations as German attacks intensify around Ypres during the First Battle of Flanders.
Rawlinson helps hold the line during First Ypres.
Keeps the loss of HMS Audacious from immediate publication after the battleship strikes a mine off the Irish coast.
Accepts Prince Louis of Battenberg's resignation as First Sea Lord amid intense public hostility to his German background.
Byng commands cavalry at Ypres.
Commands the 3rd Cavalry Division at Ypres
Fisher returns to the Admiralty as First Sea Lord after Prince Louis of Battenberg leaves office.
Appoints Admiral Lord Fisher as First Sea Lord following Prince Louis of Battenberg's resignation.
Bulfin sends reinforcements during the crisis at Ypres.
FitzClarence helps restore the line near Ypres.
Gough commands cavalry near Ypres.
French's BEF survives a major crisis around Gheluvelt as reserves restore the line east of Ypres.
The loss of HMS Hermes to a German submarine highlights the danger facing ships supporting naval aviation operations.
Publishes an early patriotic poem in a local newspaper.
French shifts the BEF northward as both sides attempt to outflank each other toward Flanders.
Integrates the arriving Canadian contingent into Britain's expanding imperial war effort.
The Admiralty establishes a seaplane base at Dunkirk to support coastal operations and anti-submarine patrols.
Appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, 2nd term
Leads the Cavalry Corps during the First Battle of Ypres.
Expands ammunition requirements as Britain builds forces far larger than the prewar army.
Orders increased provision of guns and artillery units for the growing volunteer formations.
Fisher makes offensive preparations in northern waters a central element of his renewed wartime naval strategy.
Supports wider overseas employment of Territorial Force units as regular army demands increase.
Continues raising additional divisions as recruiting remains strong through the autumn.
The Admiralty confronts a severe defeat after Admiral Cradock's squadron is destroyed by Admiral von Spee off Chile.
The British under Craddock fail to prevent German commerce raiding in the south Pacific. The British are outnumbered & defeated & lose 2 cruisers & 1,500 crew. British defeat by Admiral Spee including the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau & Nurnberg
Churchill instructs Admiral Carden to conduct a limited bombardment against the outer Dardanelles forts.
The Admiralty declares the North Sea a military area and issues controlled routes for neutral shipping.
Churchill orders the first British attack on the Dardanelles following the opening of hostilities between Ottoman and Russian empires
Fisher presides over an emergency building programme totalling 612 vessels for expanded wartime naval operations.
The emergency programme includes fifty seagoing patrol boats for expanded coastal and anti-submarine patrol work.
The emergency programme authorises fifty-six destroyers for fleet screening, patrol and offensive duties.
Fisher's emergency programme calls for five fast, shallow-draught battlecruisers intended for offensive operations.
Fisher's building programme includes five flotilla leaders to improve command of destroyer forces.
Fisher and Churchill seize the opportunity to use four American-built twin fourteen-inch turrets in new shallow-draught monitors.
The submarine HMS D5 strikes a British mine while responding to the German raid on Yarmouth.
British and French warships bombard Ottoman positions on the Asian side of the Dardanelles entrance.
The emergency construction programme provides for ninety smaller barges alongside the larger motor-barge fleet.
The Allied bombardment detonates an Ottoman ammunition magazine at Sedd el Bahr.
Fisher's emergency programme includes sixty-four submarines, reflecting his strong commitment to undersea warfare.
Fisher argues that normal paperwork and peacetime procedures must not delay urgent submarine production.
The emergency programme includes thirty-seven monitors for shallow-water and heavy coastal bombardment roles.
Fisher's 612-vessel programme includes thirty-six sloops for patrol, escort and minesweeping-related duties.
Fisher's programme includes twenty-four light river gunboats for operations in confined and shallow waters.
Fisher's emergency plan includes twenty-four specialised submarine-destroying vessels.
Fisher's programme includes two hundred oil-engined motor barges for amphibious and logistical operations.
The emergency programme includes two light cruisers among the new wartime construction.
Fisher declares rapid acquisition of additional submarines an urgent national requirement and presses for immediate construction.
The Admiralty reviews German battlecruiser operations off Yarmouth and Britain's attempted interception.
The Director of Naval Construction is instructed to develop shallow-draught monitors around the newly available fourteen-inch turrets.
After news of Coronel, Fisher moves quickly to create an overwhelming force to hunt Admiral von Spee.
Fisher orders battlecruisers Invincible and Inflexible detached from home forces for the hunt for von Spee.
Britain captures Cyprus
Britain takes control of Cyprus during the war.
Great Britain & France declare war on Turkey
Great Britain and France declare war on Turkey.
The Admiralty welcomes the destruction of the German cruiser Emden by HMAS Sydney.
"Business carried on as usual during alterations on the map of Europe"
A contract is signed with Bethlehem Steel for twenty H-type submarines as part of Fisher's rapid expansion programme.
British units resist the last German push at Ypres.
Fisher refuses to delay the South Atlantic force and requires the battlecruisers to sail even with workmen still aboard.
Invincible and Inflexible leave Devonport under Sturdee on the mission Fisher had organised after Coronel.
The Admiralty sends Invincible and Inflexible south under Admiral Sturdee to hunt Admiral von Spee after Coronel.
Leads the Government case during the parliamentary debate on the wartime Address.
Churchill answers questions about HMS Canopus following the defeat of Admiral Cradock's squadron.
Churchill answers Commons questions concerning the training and employment of naval cadets during wartime.
Supports a further Vote of Credit as military expenditure rises during the first winter of the war.
Churchill answers criticism concerning oilskins and equipment supplied to Royal Naval Division personnel.
Answers Commons questions concerning equipment and oilskins for men of the Royal Naval Division.
Churchill reports that roughly one thousand Royal Naval Division personnel remain listed as missing after Antwerp.
Provides the House of Commons with figures for Royal Navy killed, wounded and missing since the war began.
Royal Naval Air Service aircraft raid the Zeppelin base and hydrogen facilities at Friedrichshafen.
French's army holds Ypres as the mobile campaign in Flanders settles into trench warfare.
Churchill answers parliamentary questions concerning wartime commissions between the armed services.
Churchill addresses questions concerning the destruction of Cradock's squadron off the Chilean coast.
Answers Commons questions about the service and condition of Royal Naval and Marine brigades.
Answers parliamentary questions concerning the escape of the German battlecruiser Goeben.
The Admiralty reports the destruction of HMS Bulwark after an internal explosion at Sheerness.
Churchill defends the Navy's discipline, power and efficiency during a Commons debate.
Churchill argues that pressure at the Dardanelles could threaten Constantinople and relieve strategic pressure elsewhere.
Carden strengthens the watch on the Dardanelles entrance as Allied planners consider operations against Ottoman defences.
Fisher warns that forcing the Dardanelles without adequate troops could expose the fleet to serious losses.
Carden conducts reconnaissance of the Ottoman forts and mine defences guarding the Dardanelles entrance.
Carden concentrates Allied naval forces outside the Dardanelles after the Ottoman Empire enters the war.
Fisher insists repairs and preparation of Invincible and Inflexible be accelerated for immediate South Atlantic service.
Four large monitors are ordered to carry the American fourteen-inch twin turrets obtained during Fisher's emergency programme.
Kitchener judges that troops cannot yet be spared for a large Gallipoli landing.
The new large monitors incorporate anti-torpedo bulges while being rushed from design to construction.
Accelerates procurement of rifles, uniforms, artillery and transport for newly raised formations.
Ottoman entry into the war turns Carden's squadron toward blockade, reconnaissance and possible operations against the Dardanelles.
Churchill revives consideration of attacking the Dardanelles as the Ottoman Empire moves closer to war.
Fisher deploys Princess Royal toward the West Indies to guard against a possible German move through the Panama route.
Fisher seeks to enlist the country's wider engineering and shipbuilding capacity for accelerated wartime construction.
The Admiralty develops the codebreaking organisation later known as Room 40 to exploit captured German naval signals material.
Fisher supports purpose-built shallow-draught ships able to bring heavy guns close to hostile coasts.
Fisher places Doveton Sturdee in command of the South Atlantic and Pacific force formed to destroy von Spee.
Fisher directs that speed of submarine construction should take precedence over peacetime concerns about lowest cost.
Asquith's War Council considers but initially rejects a major landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula.
The Royal Navy destroys most of Admiral von Spee's East Asia Squadron, reversing the shock of the Coronel defeat.
Sturdee sinks Spees cruisers the Scharnhorst & Gneisenau. Destroys the German Navys South American commerce raiding force. A Reversal of the Battle of Coronel
Sturdee's force destroys most of von Spee's squadron, vindicating Fisher's decision to send superior battlecruisers south.
Holbrook brings B11 back through the minefield despite currents, grounding and Ottoman pursuit.
Holbrook takes submarine B11 beneath the defended minefield in the Dardanelles.
Winn serves as first lieutenant during B11's successful attack on Mesudiye and hazardous return passage.
Holbrook torpedoes the Ottoman battleship Mesudiye after penetrating the Dardanelles mine barrier.
A German squadron bombs Hartlepool, Scarborough & Whitby
A German squadron bombards Hartlepool, Scarborough and Whitby.
Hipper's force escapes despite British interception attempts after bombarding Scarborough, Whitby and Hartlepool.
Churchill reviews naval defensive arrangements after German battlecruisers bombard Hartlepool.
Beatty's battlecruisers participate in the British effort to intercept German forces returning from the east-coast raid.
The Admiralty reviews the German bombardment of Scarborough and the failure to force a decisive interception.
Announces a British protectorate over Egypt after Ottoman entry into the First World War, changing the canal's sovereignty framework.
Royal Naval Air Service seaplanes launched from converted ships raid German naval and Zeppelin facilities around Cuxhaven.
Churchill proposes opening new strategic pressure against Germany and considers the requirements for Baltic operations.
Carden reviews ships, bases and logistical arrangements required for sustained naval operations near the Dardanelles.
The failed December interception reinforces concern about information sharing and signalling among British naval forces.
Receives the Distinguished Service Order for his conduct during the opening campaign in France.
The monitor programme expands with eight vessels designed around twelve-inch battleship turrets.
The Admiralty develops Rosyth as a forward base better positioned for Beatty's fast battlecruiser operations.
Anchors in the Weddell Sea trapped in ice, The Endurance is crushed & sinks
Appointed Member of First Rhodesia Regiment
Churchill strengthens the Admiralty's wartime collection and distribution of naval intelligence.
Leads the Cavalry Division during operations on the Aisne.
Some retreating Royal Naval Division personnel cross into neutral Netherlands and are interned.
Appointed Commander of the ANZAC forces
Appointed Commander of the ANZAC forces
Leads the Cavalry Corps at the 1st Battle of Ypres
Commands the British Expeditionary Force Cavalry Division when war begins.
Bethman-Hollweg offers not to invade France if Britain remains neutral, Grey refuses
Birmingham raises locally recruited battalions for service during the First World War.
Appointed President of the Board of Trade
Appointed President of the Board of Trade, 1st term
Appointed Commander of the First Army as part of the BEF sent to France
Appointed Commander of the First Army as part of the BEF sent to France
Sub Chief of Staff to the BEF, Wilson was Sir John Frenchs most important advisor during the 1914 campaign
Royal Navy patrols help the Expeditionary Force cross the Channel without German naval interference.
Churchill wins his case to increase the budget on the Navy
During World War I, Attlee was given the rank of captain and served with the South Lancashire Regiment in the Gallipoli Campaign in Turkey
During World War I, Attlee was given the rank of captain and served with the South Lancashire Regiment in the Gallipoli Campaign in Turkey
Deploys to France in command of the British Cavalry Division.
Appointed Chairman of the Labour Party, 2nd term
The Admiralty increases minesweeping and patrol activity to protect troop and merchant routes.
The Admiralty organises naval protection for transports carrying the British Expeditionary Force to France.
Appointed Chief of the War Staff
Fisher presses redesign of capital ships under construction to use oil fuel for greater speed and operational efficiency.
Appointed Commander in Chief, Home Defence Army in Britain
Appointed Commander in Chief, Home Defence Army in Britain
Appointed Commander of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron
Appointed Commander of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron
Appointed Commander of the 5th Army
Appointed Commander of the 5th Army
Appointed Commander of the ANZAC forces
Appointed Commander of the ANZAC forces
Appointed Commander of the Cavalry Division of the BEF
Appointed Commander of the Cavalry Division of the BEF
Appointed Commander of the First Army as part of the BEF sent to France
Appointed Commander of the First Army as part of the BEF sent to France
Appointed Commander of the Grand Fleet
Appointed Commander of the Grand Fleet
Appointed Commander of the Royal Flying Corps
During the Curragh Incident encourages senior officers to resign rather than enforce Home Rule in Ulster
Emergency powers are granted through the Defence of the Realm Act.
Studies X-rays emitted by metals. Makes sense of the periodic table by stating elements can only have integral numbers
Appointed Captian of the Endurance for Shackletons expedition to the South Pole
Loses the leadership due to his opposition to World War 1
Uses cavalry dismounted to help hold the line south of Ypres.
Naval forces at Dover intensify patrol, escort and defensive duties protecting the Channel approaches.
Dunkirk becomes an important Admiralty base for coastal patrols, aviation and support operations.
Passes his Bachelor of Law degree and had applied to the Inner Temple in London to become a barrister when, in 1914, war broke out
The Admiralty directs action against German merchant vessels found within British-controlled waters.
Appointed Financial Secretary to the Treasury from 1914 to 1915
Appointed Commander of the First Army as part of the BEF sent to France
Appointed Commander of the First Army as part of the BEF sent to France
Churchill sends additional Royal Naval Division troops to support the defence of Antwerp.
Appointed General
Appointed General
Appointed General
Admiralty cryptanalysts begin exploiting captured German naval codes to improve operational intelligence.
The Admiralty develops systematic interception of German naval wireless traffic for intelligence purposes.
Two government-appointed directors join the company board with special veto rights over defined strategic matters.
The British government acquires a majority interest, giving Anglo-Persian new capital while preserving commercial management.
Becomes chairman of Anglo-Persian as the company enters its decisive partnership with the British government.
Operated on for appendicitis
Travels to the USA to raise financial support for the INV
Orders the creation of armored cars to protect naval installations at Dunkirk
France & Britain test the new tank which is introduced into combat in 1915. Caterpillar tracks are added to armoured cars which become tank prototypes
Draws up plans for what will become the 1st ever tank
The Admiralty supports operations containing the German cruiser Königsberg in the Rufiji River.
Delivers the Gifford lectures on "Theism & Humanism"
The Defence of the Realm Act is passed conferring emergency powers
Captured German naval code material reaches Britain and strengthens Admiralty signals intelligence.
Commands cavalry during the Allied advance associated with the Marne fighting.
Elected Liberal Member of Parliament for Hartlepool
Joins British military intelligence work after the outbreak of the First World War.
Leads cavalry during the fighting around Mons.
Applies extensive cavalry experience during the mobile opening campaign in France and Belgium.
Churchill supports deployment of armed naval vehicles to assist reconnaissance and communications in Belgium.
Merchant vessels are advised to use Admiralty-directed routes through the Channel and along Britain's east coast.
Bethman-Hollweg offers not to invade France if Britain remains neutral, Grey refuses
The Admiralty enlarges mine countermeasures after German mining and submarine operations threaten shipping.
The Admiralty strengthens cruiser patrols between Scotland and Iceland to intercept suspect shipping.
Leeds the Courtai Offensive
The Admiralty sends naval personnel and equipment to strengthen Allied activity around Ostend.
Appointed Party Leader of the Labour Party
Appointed Platoon Commander
Appointed Platoon Commander
Appointed President of the Board of Trade
Appointed President of the Board of Trade, 1st term
Appointed Principal Liaison Officer to the French HQ
Appointed Principal Liaison Officer with the French HQ
Meets the Kaiser & persuades him that he can foment trouble in Ireland
Meets the Kaiser & persuades him that he can foment trouble in Ireland
The Defence of the Realm Act is passed conferring emergency powers
Fisher redirects the Renown design toward a very fast oil-burning battlecruiser suited to his northern offensive ideas.
Fisher redirects Repulse toward a fast battlecruiser design rather than the slower battleship concept previously planned.
Resigns the Party leadership because of British involvement in World War I
Resigns as President of the Board of Trade over Britains involvement in World War I
Directs cavalry covering movements during the British retreat from Mons.
The Admiralty dispatches Royal Marines to reinforce the threatened Belgian fortress during the German advance.
The Admiralty expands RNAS armoured-car units for reconnaissance and mobile support on the Belgian coast.
Churchill supports wider RNAS reconnaissance from coastal stations as naval aviation enters wartime service.
Awarded the Rumford Medal
Another naval brigade is committed as Britain attempts to prolong Antwerp's resistance.
Appointed Staff Officer of the 5th Division in France
Appointed Staff Officer of the 5th Division in France
Publication of "The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists"
Concludes a long-term arrangement guaranteeing the Royal Navy a secure supply of Persian fuel oil.
Serves as a senior British cavalry commander during the opening Western Front battles.
Appointed Whip of the Labour Party, 1st term
Develops political views in the South Wales coalfield.
Commands cavalry engaged in the critical fighting around Ypres.
Wins praise for leadership during the 1914 fighting at Ypres.
His cavalry formations help hold threatened sectors during the Ypres fighting.
This page is generated from stored World History Database records matching the exact country and year shown above. Exact duplicate display records are collapsed. Records without a month are listed after the monthly sections. Source provenance varies by record; formal academic citation should be checked against the relevant primary source, archive or specialist historical reference.