FILTER

  • 1914

  • Archduke Assassinated - 28/6/1914

    Franz Ferdinand assassinated in Sarajevo

  • Germany invades Belgium - 4/8/1914

    Belgium is invaded despite being neutral

  • Britain declares war on Germany - 4/8/1914

    Having promised to defend Belgium, Britain goes to war

  • Sinking of HMS Amphion - 6/8/1914

    First Royal Navy ship sunk.

  • Battle of Mons - 23/8/1914

    First major battle of the war

  • First Battle of the Marne - 6/9/1914

    Germany's invasion of France is stopped

  • First Welsh VC of the War - 14/9/1914

    Lance Corporal William Fuller is rewarded for bravery at the Battle of Aisne.

  • Lloyd George and a Welsh Army - 19/9/1914

    Lloyd George calls for more Welsh soldiers.

  • Welsh Soldiers at Tsingtao - 10/1914

    Japan organises a siege of the German port

  • First Battle of Ypres - 19/10/1914

    The two sides fight over Ypres for the first time

  • Battle of Coronel - 1/11/1914

    Two Royal Navy ships destroyed

  • Battle of the Falklands - 8/12/1914

    The Royal Navy defeats the German fleet.

  • Christmas Truce - 25/12/1914

    Guns fall silent on Christmas Day

  • 1915

  • Trench Warfare Established - 1915

    Armies dig in to trenches

  • POW escape! - 4/4/1915

    Three German officers escape

  • Poison Gas at Ypres - 22/4/1915

    One of the war's new weapons

  • Second Battle of Ypres - 22/4/1915

    German forces attack

  • Invasion of Gallipoli - 25/4/1915

    Allies land on Turkish shores

  • William Charles Williams VC - 25/4/1915

    Sailor posthumously rewarded for bravery at Gallipoli

  • Lusitania Sunk - 7/5/1915

    Passenger liner sunk by German submarine

  • Frederick Barter VC - 16/5/1915

    Fusilier is rewarded for bravery at the Battle of Festubert.

  • Shell Crisis - 25/5/1915

    David Lloyd George becomes responsible for overseeing the supply of shells to the front.

  • Munitions of War Act - 7/1915

    The act has a big impact on the workforce and the role of women becomes even more important.

  • Miners' Strike - 15/7/1915

    Miners strike over pay

  • Welsh land at Suvla Bay - 9/8/1915

    53rd (Welsh) Division arrive

  • First WI opens in Wales - 16/9/1915

    Llanfairpwllgwyngyll branch opens

  • Welsh Guards at Loos - 25/9/1915

    British forces use poison gas

  • Evacuation from Gallipoli

    53rd Welsh Division evacuated

  • 1916

  • Conscription introduced in Britain - 24/1/1916

    Military service becomes compulsory

  • Germany attacks Verdun - 21/2/1916

    The French Army fights for survival

  • Kut al Amara - 4/1916

    The Welsh are sent to help in modern-day Iraq.

  • Conscientious objector arrested - 29/5/1916

    Morgan Jones arrested as a conscientious objector

  • Battle of Jutland - 31/5/1916

    The biggest naval battle of the war

  • The Somme - 1/7/1916

    Huge Allied offensive costs thousands of lives

  • Airman wins VC - 1/7/1916

    Pilot from north Wales evades German fighter planes.

  • 38th at Mametz Wood - 7/7/1916

    A Welsh attack

  • ‘The Welsh at Mametz Wood’ - 11/7/1916

    Welsh artist captures the horrors at Mametz.

  • Introduction of the tank - 15/9/1916

    A new master of the battlefield

  • Pembrokeshire man awarded VC

    ‘Stokey’ Lewis at Salonika

  • Prime Minister David Lloyd George - 5/12/1916

    First Welshman in history appointed Prime Minister.

  • 1917

  • Russian Revolution - 1917

    Revolution takes Russia out of the war

  • Women's Land Army Created - 1/1917

    Women encouraged to work on the land.

  • Unrestricted submarine warfare resumed - 31/1/1917

    Many ships off the coast of Wales are attacked by the enemy.

  • German armies withdraw to Hindenburg Line - 21/2/1917

    German forces move to stronger positions

  • First Battle of Gaza - 26/3/1917

    Welsh casualties in the Middle East

  • America joins the war - 6/4/1917

    President Wilson declares war

  • Welsh seaman awarded VC - 7/6/1917

    Sailor from Anglesey rewarded for bravery on board HMS Pargust.

  • Lawrence of Arabia - 6/7/1917

    Welshman’s influence in the Middle East.

  • Third Battle of Ypres - 31/7/1917

    Ypres sees fighting for the third time

  • Pembrey factory explosion - 1/8/1917

    Lives on the home front also lost as part of the war effort.

  • ‘Anfon y Nico i Landwr’ - 4/8/1917

    Welsh poet Cynan writes his first war poem at the front.

  • The Black Chair Eisteddfod - 6/9/1917

    Chairing ceremony commemorates the death of Hedd Wyn.

  • Cardiganshire man awarded VC - 4/10/1917

    Lewis Pugh Evans rewarded for bravery at Passchendaele.

  • Anglesey medic awarded VC - 6/11/1917

    Anglesey doctor rewarded for bravery in Palestine.

  • Welsh VC at Cambrai - 20/11/1917

    The Allies attack the Hindenburg Line.

  • General Allenby captures Jerusalem - 11/12/1917

    Jerusalem falls in time for Christmas

  • 1918

  • Votes for women - 6/2/1918

    Women over 30 given the vote.

  • Germany launches Spring Offensive - 21/3/1918

    Germany makes a last try to win the war

  • RAF formed - 1/4/1918

    RFC and RNAS merge to form the RAF.

  • Battle of Amiens - 8/8/1918

    The Allies win a brilliant victory

  • 100 Days Offensive - 20/8/1918

    The Allies enjoy success after success

  • Flintshire man awarded VC - 26/8/1918

    Royal Welsh Fusilier is rewarded for his bravery.

  • Welshpool man awarded VC - 18/9/1918

    William Herbert Waring posthumously receives highest award.

  • Chaos in Germany - 3/11/1918

    German sailors refuse to fight

  • Jack Williams awarded VC

    The final Welshman to receive the award.

  • Armistice - 11/11/1918

    The war comes to an end

  • 1919

  • Treaty of Versailles - 1/1919

    The Treaty of Versailles is written

  • Mutiny at Milford Haven - 19/1/1919

    Mutiny aboard the HMS Kilbride

  • Kinmel Park Riots

    Riot by Canadian soldiers leads to deaths.

  • Newport Race Riot - 6/6/1919

    Tensions between white and ‘foreign’ workers erupt.

  • Cardiff Race Riot - 11/6/1919

    Further race riots take place in south Wales.