1914 in Germany
Encyclopedia
National level
- KaiserKaiserKaiser is the German title meaning "Emperor", with Kaiserin being the female equivalent, "Empress". Like the Russian Czar it is directly derived from the Latin Emperors' title of Caesar, which in turn is derived from the personal name of a branch of the gens Julia, to which Gaius Julius Caesar,...
- Wilhelm II - ChancellorChancellor of GermanyThe Chancellor of Germany is, under the German 1949 constitution, the head of government of Germany...
- Theobald von Bethmann-HollwegTheobald von Bethmann-HollwegTheobald von Bethmann Hollweg was a German politician and statesman who served as Chancellor of the German Empire from 1909 to 1917.-Origins:...
Kingdoms
- King of BavariaKing of BavariaKing of Bavaria was a title held by the hereditary Wittelsbach rulers of Bavaria in the state known as the Kingdom of Bavaria from 1805 until 1918, when the kingdom was abolished...
- Ludwig III of BavariaLudwig III of BavariaLudwig III , was the last King of Bavaria, reigning from 1913 to 1918.-Early life:... - King of Prussia - Kaiser Wilhelm II
- King of Saxony - Frederick Augustus III of SaxonyFrederick Augustus III of SaxonyThis article is about King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony. For the elector Frederick Augustus III, see Frederick Augustus I of Saxony.Frederick Augustus III was the last King of Saxony and a member of the House of Wettin.Born in Dresden, Frederick Augustus was the son of King George of Saxony...
- King of Württemberg - William II of WürttembergWilliam II of WürttembergWilliam II was the fourth King of Württemberg, from 6 October 1891 until the abolition of the kingdom on 30 November 1918...
Grand Duchies
- Grand Duke of Baden - Frederick II
- Grand Duke of Hesse - Ernest LouisErnest Louis, Grand Duke of HesseErnest Louis Charles Albert William , was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from 1892 until 1918...
- Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-SchwerinMecklenburg-SchwerinMecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1348, when Albert II of Mecklenburg and his younger brother John were raised to Dukes of Mecklenburg by King Charles IV...
- Frederick Francis IV - Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz - Adolphus Frederick V to 11 June, then Adolphus Frederick VI
- Grand Duke of Oldenburg - Frederick Augustus IIFrederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of OldenburgFrederick Augustus II was the last ruling grand duke of Oldenburg. He married Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, daughter of Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau and Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia...
- Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-EisenachSaxe-Weimar-EisenachThe Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was created in 1809 by the merger of the Ernestine duchies of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach. It was raised to a Grand duchy in 1815 by resolution of the Vienna Congress. In 1877, it officially changed its name to the Grand Duchy of Saxony , but this name was...
- William ErnestWilliam Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-EisenachWilhelm Ernst Karl Alexander Friedrich Heinrich Bernhard Albert Georg Hermann was the last Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.-Biography:...
Principalities
- Schaumburg-LippeSchaumburg-LippeSchaumburg-Lippe was until 1946 a small state in Germany, located in the present day state of Lower Saxony, with its capital at Bückeburg.- History :...
- Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-LippeAdolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-LippeAdolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe was the last ruler of the small Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe.-Biography:... - Schwarzburg-RudolstadtSchwarzburg-RudolstadtSchwarzburg-Rudolstadt was a small historic state in present-day Thuringia, Germany with its capital at Rudolstadt.-History:Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was established in 1599 in the course of a resettlement of Schwarzburg dynasty lands...
- Günther Victor, Prince of SchwarzburgGünther Victor, Prince of SchwarzburgGünther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg was the final sovereign prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.-Biography:... - Schwarzburg-SondershausenSchwarzburg-SondershausenSchwarzburg-Sondershausen was a small principality in Germany, in the present day state of Thuringia, with capital at Sondershausen.-History:...
- Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg - Principality of LippePrincipality of LippeLippe was a historical state in Germany. It was located between the Weser River and the southeast part of the Teutoburg forest.-History:...
- Leopold IV, Prince of LippeLeopold IV, Prince of LippeLeopold IV, Prince of Lippe was the final sovereign of the Principality of Lippe... - Reuss Elder LineReuss Elder LineThe Principality of Reuss Elder Line was a state in Germany, ruled by members of the House of Reuss. The Counts Reuss of Greiz, Lower- and Upper Greiz , were elevated to princely status in 1778. Its members bore the title Prince Reuss, Elder Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz...
- Heinrich XXIV, Prince Reuss of GreizHeinrich XXIV, Prince Reuss of GreizHeinrich XXIV, Prince Reuss of Greiz was the last reigning Prince Reuss of Greiz from 1902 to 1918. Then he became Head of the House Reuss of Greiz which became extinct at his death in 1927.-Early life:...
(with Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss Younger LineHeinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss Younger LineHeinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss Younger Line was the last reigning Prince Reuss Younger Line from 1913 to 1918. Then he became Head of the House of Reuss Younger Line from 1918 to 1928.-Early life:...
, as regent) - Reuss Younger Line - Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss Younger Line
- Waldeck and PyrmontWaldeck (state)Waldeck was a sovereign principality in the German Empire and German Confederation and, until 1929, a constituent state of the Weimar Republic. It comprised territories in present-day Hesse and Lower Saxony, ....
- Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
Duchies
- Duke of Anhalt - Frederick II, Duke of AnhaltFrederick II, Duke of AnhaltFrederick II was the Duke of Anhalt from 1904 until 1918.-Early life:He was born in Dessau in 1856 as the second son of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Anhalt-Dessau and his wife Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg....
- Duke of Brunswick - Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick
- Duke of Saxe-Altenburg - Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
- Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha - Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and GothaCharles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and GothaCharles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the fourth and last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, two duchies in Germany , and the head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1900 until his death in 1954...
- Duke of Saxe-Meiningen - Georg II, Duke of Saxe-MeiningenGeorg II, Duke of Saxe-MeiningenGeorg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen , was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1866 to 1914.-Family and early life:...
to 25 June, then Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Colonial Governors
- CameroonKamerunGerman Cameroon was a West African colony of the German Empire from 1884 to 1916 in the region of today's Republic of Cameroon.-History:-1800s:...
(Kamerun) — initially ... Full, acting governor, then Karl Ebermaier (2nd and final term) - Kiaochow (Kiautschou) — Alfred Meyer-Waldeck to 7 November
- German East AfricaGerman East AfricaGerman East Africa was a German colony in East Africa, which included what are now :Burundi, :Rwanda and Tanganyika . Its area was , nearly three times the size of Germany today....
(Deutsch-Ostafrika) — Albert Heinrich Schnee - German New GuineaGerman New GuineaGerman New Guinea was the first part of the German colonial empire. It was a protectorate from 1884 until 1914 when it fell to Australia following the outbreak of the First World War. It consisted of the northeastern part of New Guinea and several nearby island groups...
(Deutsch-Neuguinea) — Albert Hahl (2nd term) tol 13 February, then Eduard HaberEduard HaberJohann Karl Emil Eduard Haber was a German civil servant and diplomat.-Early life:Haber was born on 1 October 1866 in Mechernich, Germany...
(acting governor) until 17 October - German SamoaGerman SamoaGerman Samoa was a German protectorate from 1900 to 1914, consisting of the islands of Upolu, Savai'i, Apolima and Manono, now wholly within the independent state Samoa, formerly Western Samoa...
(Deutsch-Samoa) — Erich Schultz-Ewerth tol 29 August - German South-West AfricaGerman South-West AfricaGerman South West Africa was a colony of Germany from 1884 until 1915, when it was taken over by South Africa and administered as South West Africa, finally becoming Namibia in 1990...
(Deutsch-Südwestafrika) — Theodor Seitz - TogolandTogolandTogoland was a German protectorate in West Africa from 1884 to 1914, encompassing what is now the nation of Togo and most of what is now the Volta Region of Ghana. The colony was established during the period generally known as the "Scramble for Africa"...
— Duke Adolf Friedrich of MecklenburgDuke Adolf Friedrich of MecklenburgDuke Adolf Friedrich Albrecht Heinrich of Mecklenburg was a German explorer in Africa, a colonial politician, the elected Duke of the United Baltic Duchy from 5 November to 28 November, 1918, and the first president of the National Olympic Committee of Germany .- Biography :Born in Schwerin, Adolf...
tol 31 August
Events
- 3 August — World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
: Germany declares war on FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... - 4 August — World War I: German troops invade neutral BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
declares war on Germany after the latter fails to respect Belgian neutrality. - 7 August — World War I: French and British forces invade and occupy the German colony of TogolandTogolandTogoland was a German protectorate in West Africa from 1884 to 1914, encompassing what is now the nation of Togo and most of what is now the Volta Region of Ghana. The colony was established during the period generally known as the "Scramble for Africa"...
. - 9 August — World War I: Battle of MulhouseBattle of MulhouseThe Battle of Mulhouse , which began on August 9, 1914, was the opening attack of World War I by the French army against Germany...
begins, the opening attack of by the French army against Germany. - 9 August — World War I: The German submarine Unterseeboot 15Unterseeboot 15 (1912)SM U-15 was one of the three Type U 13 gasoline-powered U-boats produced by the German Empire for the Kaiserliche Marine. On 9 August 1914, U-15 became the first U-boat loss to an enemy warship after it was rammed by British light cruiser HMS Birmingham.Constructed by Kaiserliche Werft Danzig, U-15...
is sunk by the British HMS BirminghamHMS Birmingham (1913)HMS Birmingham was lead ship of the Birmingham group of three ships of the "Town" class of light cruisers built by the Royal Navy. Her sister ships were and...
. - 23 August — The Republic of ChinaRepublic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
cancels the German lease of Kiaochow Bay (Kiautschou). - 23 August — World War I: A New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
expeditionary force occupiesOccupation of German SamoaThe Occupation of Samoa was the takeover and subsequent administration of the Pacific colony of German Samoa in August 1914 by an expeditionary force from New Zealand called the Samoa Expeditionary Force and New Zealand's first action in World War I...
the German colony of German SamoaGerman SamoaGerman Samoa was a German protectorate from 1900 to 1914, consisting of the islands of Upolu, Savai'i, Apolima and Manono, now wholly within the independent state Samoa, formerly Western Samoa...
(Deutsch-Samoa), following an unopposed invasion. - 23 August — World War I: Battle of MonsBattle of MonsThe Battle of Mons was the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force in the First World War. It was a subsidiary action of the Battle of the Frontiers, in which the Allies clashed with Germany on the French borders. At Mons, the British army attempted to hold the line of the...
, the first major action of the war between the British Expeditionary Force and the German Army, in which the German forces are defeated. - 28 August — World War I: The Battle of Heligoland - three German cruisers are sunk by British cruisers.
- 5 September–12 September — World War I: First Battle of the MarneFirst Battle of the MarneThe Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...
begins: Northeast of ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, German forces are attacked by the British Expeditionary Force and the FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
6th Army. Over 2 million fight (500,000 killed/wounded) in victory for the Anglo-French forces. - 13 September–28 September — World War I: First Battle of the AisneFirst Battle of the AisneThe First Battle of the Aisne was the Allied follow-up offensive against the right wing of the German First Army & Second Army as they retreated after the First Battle of the Marne earlier in September 1914...
involving British, French and German forces. - 21 September — World War I: All German armed forces in German New GuineaGerman New GuineaGerman New Guinea was the first part of the German colonial empire. It was a protectorate from 1884 until 1914 when it fell to Australia following the outbreak of the First World War. It consisted of the northeastern part of New Guinea and several nearby island groups...
(Deutsch-Neuguinea) surrender to the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary ForceAustralian Naval and Military Expeditionary ForceThe Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force was a small volunteer force of approximately 2,000 men, raised in Australia shortly after the outbreak of the First World War to seize and destroy German wireless stations in German New Guinea in the south-west Pacific...
. - 19 October–22 November — World War I: First Battle of YpresFirst Battle of YpresThe First Battle of Ypres, also called the First Battle of Flanders , was a First World War battle fought for the strategic town of Ypres in western Belgium...
fought between British, French and German forces in YpresYpresYpres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
in BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. - 1 November — World War I: Battle of CoronelBattle of CoronelThe First World War naval Battle of Coronel took place on 1 November 1914 off the coast of central Chile near the city of Coronel. German Kaiserliche Marine forces led by Vice-Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee met and defeated a Royal Navy squadron commanded by Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher...
fought - German forces, led by Vice-Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee, defeat a Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
squadron. - 7 November — World War I: Following the Siege of Tsingtao, JapaneseJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
armed forces assume control of the German colonial concession at Kiaochow Bay (Kiautschou). - 8 December — World War I: The Battle of the Falkland IslandsBattle of the Falkland IslandsThe Battle of the Falkland Islands was a British naval victory over the Imperial German Navy on 8 December 1914 during the First World War in the South Atlantic...
, the German fleet is defeated by the British Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. - 24 December — World War I: German and British soldiers begin an unofficial Christmas truceChristmas truceChristmas truce was a series of widespread unofficial ceasefires that took place along the Western Front around Christmas of 1914, during the First World War...
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Deaths
- 31 March — Christian MorgensternChristian MorgensternChristian Otto Josef Wolfgang Morgenstern was a German author and poet from Munich. Morgenstern married Margareta Gosebruch von Liechtenstern on March 7, 1910...
, author (b. 18711871 in Germany-National level:* Kaiser — William I* Chancellor - Otto von Bismarck-Kingdoms:* King of Bavaria — Ludwig II of Bavaria* King of Prussia — Kaiser William I* King of Saxony — John of Saxony...
) - 11 June — Adolphus Frederick V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, nobleman (b. 1848)
- 25 June — Georg II, Duke of Saxe-MeiningenGeorg II, Duke of Saxe-MeiningenGeorg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen , was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1866 to 1914.-Family and early life:...
, nobleman (b. 1826)