Timeline - 1915
The First World War spanned four years and involved many nation states.
This section lists the landmark events of the year 1915, the first full year of the war, which saw the Allies strive vainly to achieve a breakthrough on the Western Front, while the Germans achieved numerous successes elsewhere. It was to prove a disappointing year for the Allies, a correspondingly positive one for Germany and its allies.
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For a day by day account click any given month using the sidebar to the right.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
 January 1 - March 30 |
Allied offensive in Artois and Champagne |
| January 15 |
Japan's 21 demands on China |
| January 19-20 |
First German zeppelin attack on England |
| February 4 |
German U-boat attacks on Allied and neutral shipping; declares blockade of Britain |
| February 7-21 |
Russians suffer heavy losses at Second Battle of Masurian Lakes (also known as the Winter Battle) |
| February - April |
Austro-Hungarian attack on Russian Poland (Galicia) collapses, with the Russians counterattacking |
| February 19-August |
Allied amphibious attack on the Dardanelles and Gallipoli (initiated by Winston Churchill, who resigns as a consequence) ends with the Turkish siege of the Allied forces |
| March 1 |
First passenger ship sinks, the British liner Falaba |
| March 11 |
Britain announces blockade of German ports |
| April-June |
Germans focus on Eastern Front, breaking through Gorlice-Tarnow and forcing Russia out of much of Poland |
| April 22 - May 25 |
First use of poison gas by Germany starts Second Battle of Ypres |
| April 25 |
Allied landing at Gallipoli |
| April 26 |
France, Russia, Italy and Britain conclude secret Treaty of London |
| May 2 |
Austro-German offensive on Galicia begins |
| May 7 |
U-boat sinks British liner Lusitania with the loss of American lives, creating a US-German diplomatic crisis |
| May 9 |
Second Battle of Artois begins |
| May 23 |
Ignoring treaty agreements with the Central Powers, Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary |
| May 25 |
British Prime Minister Asquith reorganises his Liberal government as a coalition of the parties |
| June 29 - December 2 |
Italians launch unsuccessful attack on Hungarians at 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Battles of Isonzo; there are to be 12 in total |
| August 4 |
Germans capture Warsaw |
| September 5 |
Tsar Nicholas takes command of Russian armies |
| September 22 |
Second Battle of Champagne begins |
| October 3 |
Anglo-French force lands at Salonika in Greece |
| October - November |
Austro-German-Bulgarian forces invade Serbia, expelling Serbian army from the country |
| December 19 |
Sir Douglas Haig replaces Sir John French as commander of British Expeditionary Force |
| December 28 |
Allies begin withdrawal of troops from Gallipoli |
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Britain introduced conscription for the first time on 2 February 1916.
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