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Battle of Liege
The Battle of Liege was the first land battle of World War I. The twelve day battle from August 5-16, 1914 was fought between the Germans and the Belgians. The Germans attacked first with the intent to sieze the city of Liege, known as the "gateway city to Belgium." Although greatly outnumbered, the Belgians claimed victory and the Germans suffered great losses. -
Siege of Antwerp
Following the Battle of Liege, the Seige of Antwerp began on August 16, 1914. It lasted until October 10, 1914. Heavy artillery were used in this battle. The Germans succeeded in penetrating two of Antwerp's forts and Belgiun resistance weakened. The Belgiun capital was relocated to ostend and British occupied Antwerp until its liberation in late 1918. -
Battle of the Ardennes
The Battle of the Ardennes was one of the Battles of the Fronteirs. It lasted from August 21-23, 1914. It was sparked by the collision of German and French forces in the Ardennes forest. The Germans settled and built trenches, but the French were unorganized and retreated. The Germans were able to gain possession of iron resources and continued their advance into France. It was a victory for the Germans. -
Battle of Bita Paka
The Battle of Bita Paka was a battle between the Germans and Australians in German New Guinea. The Australians scattered the defense with their artillery, but the Germans counterattcked when most of the Australians were sleeping. The Germans destroyed the Bita Paka radio tower. Knowing that Australian reinforcements would not be long, the Germans surrendered. -
Battle of Sandfontein
The Battle of Sandfontein was fought between the Germans and the British, who were backed by South African natives. They wanted to control Sandfontein because of its location on the Orange River. All of the troops went to the wells to get water and the Germans surrounded them. The British surrendered. -
Capture of Basra
The capture of Basra lasted from November 5-21, 1914. It was fought between British-led forces and the Turks. The British found success in using 18 poun artillery to scatter the Turks. The Turks withdrew, leaving Basra empty for the British forces to claim. In total, the British lost 500 men to the Turks' 1,000. -
First Battle of Champagne
The First Battle of Champagne was between the French and the German Third army. The Germans, although outnumbered, built trenches and had a strong defense. The battle was paused for both sides to reorganize and resumed on March 17th, 1914. In the end, the Germans and the French had the same number of casualties, but the Germans retreated. -
Defense of the Suez Canal
The Defense of the Suez Canal was fought between the Turks and the British. The Turks led an expedition in attempt to surprise the British and seize control of the Suez Canal. After losing 2,000 casualties compared to the British 150, the Turks retreated. The expedition was a failure. -
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was the longest lasting battle in World War I. The Germans attacked the French city in attempt to draw the French to the town. The French had heard of the planned attack and prepared forces. The battle lasted until December 1916 when the Germans withdrew. There were equal casualties on both sides. -
Battle of Romani
The Battle of Romani was the second notable Turkish attempt to claim the Suez Canal. They intended to occupy the left bank of the canal and then use heavy artillery to hinder allies. Successful British counterattacks, however, forced the Turks into retreat. In the end, the Turks had 4,000 casualties in addition to more being taken prisoner. The british had only 1,100 casualties and continued to move eastward. -
Fall of Jerusalem
The Fall of Jerusalem consisted of the British marching in to take the holy city of Jerusalem from the Turks. The city fell after one day of fighting, however there were sporadic fights throughout the few days following along with several failed counterattacks from the Turks. The British entered the holy city on December 11. The British lost a total of 18,000 men compared to the Turkish 25,000. -
Battle of the Piave River
The Battle of the Piave River was the last major Austro-Hungarian attack on the Italians. The battle lasted from June 15-19, 1918. Germany demanded the Austro-Hungarians to attack across the Piave River. The Austro Hungarians, however, were lacking in equipment and supplies, while the Italians were burgeoning. In the end, the Austro-hungarians failure to succeed in battle accelerated the disintegration of their army.
