Chronology of the War

Chronology of the War is a three volume set edited by Lord Edward Gleichen and published between 1918 and 1920.

Preface
This Chronology is divided into three parts. (I) Tables of contemporaneous events (preceded in the first Volume by a short chapter on Events anterior to the outbreak of War), followed by a short Resume of the year's events; (II) Appendices explaining and enlarging on certain important events; and (III) a voluminous Index, which gives a record as well of a good many minor events which are not found in the Tables, and short abstracts of events in different theatres. The main basis has been the Times newspaper, corrected, checked, and amplified by various histories and records, the chief ones of which are: —
 * Nelson's History of the War, by John Buchan. (Useful.)
 * Times History of the War.
 * Blue Books, White (Germany), Yellow (France), Orange (Russia), Grey (Belgium) and Red (Austria-Hungary) Books and Papers.
 * Various Diaries of the War in different periodicals, notably in Whitaker's Almanack, the Journal of the Royal United Service Institution, and the Fortnightly Review.
 * The Annual Register.
 * Chronologie de la Guerre (Berger-Levrault, Paris).
 * Tablettes Chronologiques (Larousse).
 * Kriegsdepeschen (official, Boll u. Pickardt, Berlin).
 * Kriegschronik (Münchner Neueste Nachrichten).
 * Chronik des deutschen Krieges (Beck, Munich).

Various newspapers and ofi&cial records, English and foreign, besides other works. (For the pre-War part, acknowledgment is also due to Mr. J. W. Headlam and his book The History of Twelve Days, and to Mr. W. Archer's The Thirteen Days.) The Chronology has been compiled with the greatest care from the most reliable authorities — English, French and German — and where these give different dates for the same event every effort has been made to arrive at the right one. At the same time, it cannot be denied that where equally good authorities (even official ones in some cases) differ, it is more than possible that some errors may have crept in. The Editors do not, however, wish to overburden the text by giving the various authorities for conflicting dates; they must therefore content themselves with appealing to their readers to assist them in discovering any errors, fixing the correct dates, and notifying them for correction in a subsequent issue.

Addendum to preface (Vol. II)
The Third Volume will carry the Chronology, through 1918, down to the Signing and Ratification of Peace in 1919. To the list of Diaries of the War above must be added that of The New Europe since 1917. Attention is called to the separate small War Atlas, published as a companion volume. (Constable price 3/6.)

Columns

 * "Western Front" Comprises the Franco-German-Belgian front and any military action in Great Britain, Switzerland, Scandinavia and Holland.
 * "Eastern Front" Comprises the German-Russian, Austro-Russian and Austro-Rumanian fronts.
 * "Southern Front" Comprises the Austro-Italian and Balkan (including Bulgaro-Rumanian) fronts, and Dardanelles.
 * "Asiatic and Egyptian theatres" Comprises Egypt, Tripoli, the Sudan, Asia Minor (including Transcaucasia), Arabia, Mesopotamia, Syria, Persia, Afghanistan, Turkestan, China, India, etc.
 * "Naval and overseas operations" Comprises operations on the seas and in Colonial and Overseas theatres, America, etc.
 * "Political, etc." Comprises political and internal events in all countries, including Notes, speeches, diplomatic, financial, economic and domestic matters. (These include mobilisations, dec-larations of war and similar semi-military matters. Diplomatic documents or despatches referring to definite active operations come under the column concerned, e.g., a Note on the sinking of the RMS Lusitania would come under 'Naval' but a Note on submarine warfare in general would come under 'Political').

On all the fronts, unfamiliar localities are generally defined by the name of some well-known district or place being given in brackets alongside; but when this is difficult on the Eastern or Western Front, the letters N., C. or S. (Northern, Centre or Southern) are given. On the Western Front the 'Centre' includes all ground between lines running East and West through Compiègne and through Nancy (inclusive), and on the Eastern Front through Grodno and through Kolomea (inclusive).