Prince Louis Resignation
Accepts Prince Louis of Battenberg's resignation as First Sea Lord amid intense public hostility to his German background.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1914 in Great Britain — Page 7
Explore 490 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1914.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1914
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 490 unique records.
490Unique records
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36Named events on this page
12Named people on this page
12Places on this page
October
Battle of Ypres, 1st
Byng commands cavalry at Ypres.
Battle of Ypres, 1st
Commands the 3rd Cavalry Division at Ypres
First Sea Lord Wartime Recall
Fisher returns to the Admiralty as First Sea Lord after Prince Louis of Battenberg leaves office.
Lord Fisher First Sea Lord
Appoints Admiral Lord Fisher as First Sea Lord following Prince Louis of Battenberg's resignation.
Battle of Gheluvelt
Bulfin sends reinforcements during the crisis at Ypres.
Battle of Gheluvelt
FitzClarence helps restore the line near Ypres.
Battle of Ypres, 1st
Gough commands cavalry near Ypres.
German Breakthrough at Gheluvelt Contained
French's BEF survives a major crisis around Gheluvelt as reserves restore the line east of Ypres.
HMS Hermes Sinking
The loss of HMS Hermes to a German submarine highlights the danger facing ships supporting naval aviation operations.
Awake Young Men of England
Publishes an early patriotic poem in a local newspaper.
BEF Moves North during Race to the Sea
French shifts the BEF northward as both sides attempt to outflank each other toward Flanders.
Canadian Contingent Deployment Supported
Integrates the arriving Canadian contingent into Britain's expanding imperial war effort.
Dunkirk Seaplane Base
The Admiralty establishes a seaplane base at Dunkirk to support coastal operations and anti-submarine patrols.
First Lord of Admiralty
Appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, 2nd term
First Ypres Cavalry Corps
Leads the Cavalry Corps during the First Battle of Ypres.
New Army Ammunition Requirements Raised
Expands ammunition requirements as Britain builds forces far larger than the prewar army.
New Army Artillery Requirements Expanded
Orders increased provision of guns and artillery units for the growing volunteer formations.
North Sea Offensive Priority Restored
Fisher makes offensive preparations in northern waters a central element of his renewed wartime naval strategy.
Territorial Force Overseas Use Expanded
Supports wider overseas employment of Territorial Force units as regular army demands increase.
Third New Army Formation Expanded
Continues raising additional divisions as recruiting remains strong through the autumn.
November
Battle of Coronel
The Admiralty confronts a severe defeat after Admiral Cradock's squadron is destroyed by Admiral von Spee off Chile.
Battle of Coronel
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
Dardanelles Demonstration Instructions Issued
Churchill instructs Admiral Carden to conduct a limited bombardment against the outer Dardanelles forts.
North Sea Military Area Declared
The Admiralty declares the North Sea a military area and issues controlled routes for neutral shipping.
Battle of Dardanelles
Churchill orders the first British attack on the Dardanelles following the opening of hostilities between Ottoman and Russian empires
Emergency 612-Vessel Programme Launched
Fisher presides over an emergency building programme totalling 612 vessels for expanded wartime naval operations.
Fifty Seagoing Patrol Boats Programme
The emergency programme includes fifty seagoing patrol boats for expanded coastal and anti-submarine patrol work.
Fifty-Six Destroyers Programme
The emergency programme authorises fifty-six destroyers for fleet screening, patrol and offensive duties.
Five Fast Battlecruisers Programme
Fisher's emergency programme calls for five fast, shallow-draught battlecruisers intended for offensive operations.
Five Flotilla Leaders Programme
Fisher's building programme includes five flotilla leaders to improve command of destroyer forces.
Fourteen-Inch Turrets Secured for Monitors
Fisher and Churchill seize the opportunity to use four American-built twin fourteen-inch turrets in new shallow-draught monitors.
HMS D5 Lost after Yarmouth Raid
The submarine HMS D5 strikes a British mine while responding to the German raid on Yarmouth.
Kum Kale Outer Fort Bombarded
British and French warships bombard Ottoman positions on the Asian side of the Dardanelles entrance.
Ninety Small Barges Programme
The emergency construction programme provides for ninety smaller barges alongside the larger motor-barge fleet.
Sedd el Bahr Magazine Destroyed
The Allied bombardment detonates an Ottoman ammunition magazine at Sedd el Bahr.
Sixty-Four Submarines Programme
Fisher's emergency programme includes sixty-four submarines, reflecting his strong commitment to undersea warfare.
Submarine Construction Red Tape Waived
Fisher argues that normal paperwork and peacetime procedures must not delay urgent submarine production.
Thirty-Seven Monitors Programme
The emergency programme includes thirty-seven monitors for shallow-water and heavy coastal bombardment roles.
Thirty-Six Sloops Programme
Fisher's 612-vessel programme includes thirty-six sloops for patrol, escort and minesweeping-related duties.
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.