At the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, let’s look at some items from Acumen that reflect the events of the war’s earliest days.

July 28 — Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand; Russia mobilizes in response
August 1 — Germany declares war on Russia
August 3 — Germany declares war on France; Belgium denies Germany the right to pass through to France
August 4 — Germany invades Belgium; United Kingdom declares war on Germany

August 4 — United States declares neutrality

August 6 – Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia
August 11 – France declares war on Austria Hungary

August 12 – United Kingdom declares war on Austria-Hungary; Battle of the Frontiers begins

August 14 – France invades Lorraine, a German border territory that was long part of France

August 17 – Russia invades East Prussia in the Battle of Stalluponen, the first battle of the Eastern Front, a Central Powers victory

August 20 – Germany occupies Brussels (Belgium); Battle of Mulhouse (Alsace, Germany), a Central Powers victory
August 22 – Austria-Hungary declares war on Belgium

August 28 – First Battle of Heligoland Bight (North Sea), first naval battle of the war, Allied Powers victory

August 17 — Battle of Tannenberg (Germany), Central Powers victory

September 5 — First Battle of the Marne, Allied Powers stop advance of Germans through France

While this first month of the war saw armies on the move, soon after trench warfare set in along the Western Front, to last for most of the duration of the war.

To learn more about the American experience of WWI, take a look at our new digital exhibit, WWI: Centennial Reflections.