Jul
August
Sep
Great War events that took place on 5 August.
1914 (Wednesday)
| Western Front | Liège: Fort Fléron silenced. | ||
| Naval and Overseas Operations | SS Königin Luise, German mine-layer, destroyed. SMS Goeben and SMS Breslau reach Messina.[a] | ||
| Political | ▶ Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia. | ▶ Great Britain mobilises. | ▶ Lord Kitchener is made War Secretary. |
1915 (Thursday)
| Western Front | Heavy fighting in the Vosges and at Hill 213 (Argonne). | ||
| Eastern Front | Capture of Ivangorod by Austrians. Germans enter Warsaw. | ||
| Southern Front | ▶ Italian airship captured at Pola. Progress on the Carso by Italians. | ▶ General Sarrail succeeds General Gouraud as Commander in Chief in Near East. | |
| Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres | Russians capture Turkish positions near Olti and Sarikamish (Transcaucasia) and repel counter-attacks. | ||
| Political | ▶ Strike in Belgian coal district; Germans fire on strikers. | ▶ Russian Ministry of Munitions proposed. | ▶ Duma votes 35 million roubles for refugees. |
Notes
- ↑ The SMS Breslau is chased into Messina Harbour by British cruisers. Owing to misunderstanding she escapes with the SMS Goeben on 6 August.
Sources: Various material contemporary with the war have been used to compile The Great War On This Day and its associated Index.
Text has been transcribed from two out-of-copyright sources: Chronology of the War (1918-1920), and History of the Great War – Principle Events 1914-1918 (1922). Spelling of place names are original to British use at the time. Some typos have been altered or corrected for consistency. Duplicate or identical events between these sources have been amalgamated; as a result the date and wording may differ to the original texts.
Images come from scans or photographs of original sources, Wikimedia Commons, and the Imperial War Museum's online collections under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence. Attribution is given separately to the latter and do not come under the general licence of this site.
Advisory note: The information in these sources may not accurately represent up-to-date histories, present-day spelling of place names, or geographical boundaries. In some instances the language used may appear sexist or derogatory to the modern reader, and in rare cases, images may depict distressing scenes.
For further details and a full list of sources, click here.
Images come from scans or photographs of original sources, Wikimedia Commons, and the Imperial War Museum's online collections under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence. Attribution is given separately to the latter and do not come under the general licence of this site.
Advisory note: The information in these sources may not accurately represent up-to-date histories, present-day spelling of place names, or geographical boundaries. In some instances the language used may appear sexist or derogatory to the modern reader, and in rare cases, images may depict distressing scenes.
For further details and a full list of sources, click here.