Primary Documents - 1914
This page of the Primary
Documents section of the website collects together archive source documents
originating in 1914, the year the First World War began.
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Included among the 1914 documents are the various declarations of war, as well as Count Franz von Harrach's memoir of the events surrounding the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. America's 1914 policy of neutrality is also well documented.
The list presented below - with each entry accompanied by a brief summary of its significance - is sorted by date, with earlier documents listed first.
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
 Tampico Incident |
April - U.S. action against Mexico |
| Archduke Franz Ferdinand's Assassination |
June - Memoir of Archduke's assassination |
| Austrian Ministerial Council Meeting |
July - Official council minutes urging war against Serbia |
| Austrian Report into Assassination |
July - Report highlighting Serbian role in assassination |
| Germany's Offer of a 'Blank Cheque' |
July - Germany's tacit encouragement of Austrian action |
| Kaiser Wilhelm II on Austrian Ultimatum |
July - German Kaiser's impatience for action against Serbia |
| Austrian Ultimatum to Serbia and Reply |
July - Austrian precursor to declaration of war |
| Austrian Explanation for Ultimatum |
July - Letter sent to powers explaining Austria's approach |
| Serbia's Appeal for Russian Assistance |
July - Serbian King's plea for Russia's help against Austria |
| Belgian Reaction to Austrian Ultimatum |
July - Belgian Ambassador to Berlin's dismay |
| British Reaction to Austrian Ultimatum (1) |
July - Sir Edward Grey's disappointment |
| British Reaction to Austrian Ultimatum (2) |
July - British Ambassador to Austria's view of events |
| French Reaction to Austrian Ultimatum |
July - Ambassador to Berlin's moves to secure peace |
| U.S. Reaction to Austrian Ultimatum |
July - Ambassador to Turkey's belief in German culpability |
| Austria's Declaration of War with Serbia |
July - Formal Austro-Hungarian declaration of war |
| Wilhelm II's Account of July Crisis |
July - German Kaiser's account of events in July 1914 |
| Willy-Nicky Telegrams |
July/August - Diplomatic notes between Kaiser and Tsar |
| Germany's Declaration of War with Russia |
August - Note to Russia declaring war |
| German Statement on Outbreak of War |
August - Statement attributing blame for war on Russia |
| British Reaction to German Statement |
August - Rebuttal of Germany's account of start of war |
| Germany's Appeal to U.S. |
August - Appeal by Germany to garner U.S. sympathy |
| Turco-German Alliance |
August - Military alliance preceding entry into war |
| German Request for Passage via Belgium |
August - Germany's request - and Belgium's refusal |
| Germany's Declaration of War with France |
August - Note to France declaring war |
| Britain's End of Relations with Germany |
August - British Ambassador to Berlin's account |
| The Scrap of Paper |
August - German Chancellor's use of the term |
| President Poincare's War Address |
August - French President's address to Parliament |
| French Prime Minister's Statement on War |
August - Account of countdown to war |
| Belgian King's Address to Parliament |
August - King Albert I's call to arms |
| U.K. Daily Mirror Report on News of War |
August - British tabloid newspaper's reaction |
| British Prime Minister's Address |
August - Herbert Asquith's account of run-up to war |
| French Proclamation on Invasion of Alsace |
August - Joseph Joffre's premature declaration of victory |
| King George V's Message to British Troops |
August - British Monarch's encouragement |
| U.K. Defence of the Realm Act |
August - British government's request for measures |
| Japanese Ultimatum to Germany (1) |
August - Japanese demand for control of Tsingtao |
| Japanese Ultimatum to Germany (2) |
August - Japanese explanation of war with Germany |
| Kitchener's Guidance to British Troops |
August - War minister's urge for restraint in France |
| Austrian Statement on War Against Serbia |
August - War minister's statement |
| Fall of Liege: General Leman's Letter |
August - Leman's letter to King Albert I |
| Fall of Liege: General Leman's Diary |
August - Leman's prison diary entries regarding fall of Liege |
| Fall of Liege: German Officer's Account |
August - First-hand account of the fall of Liege |
| Germany's Second Request for Passage |
August - Chancellor's request for an accommodation |
| Flight of the Goeben and Breslau |
August - U.S. Ambassador to Turkey's first-hand account |
| Wilhelm II and the British Army |
August - Letter in which Kaiser dismissed the British Army |
| U.S. Policy of Neutrality |
August - President Wilson's address to Congress |
| Proclamations of German Military Governor |
August - Text of two proclamations |
| Battle of Tannenberg: Paul von Hindenburg |
August - Account of the German victory |
| Battle of Tannenberg: Vasily Gurko |
August - Account of the Russian failure |
| Abandonment of Paris by French Govt. (1) |
August - Text of the proclamation |
| Sack of Louvain: German Statement |
August - Gottlieb von Jagow's justification re: Louvain |
| Sack of Louvain: Judicial Report |
August - Belgian report into sack of Louvain |
| German Chancellor's Speech to Reichstag |
August - Bethmann-Hollweg on countdown to war |
| Abandonment of Paris by French Govt. (2) |
August - Text of the second proclamation |
| Wilhelm II on German Rule in France |
August - Alleged letter in which Kaiser supported terror |
| Triple Entente: No Separate Peace |
September - Britain, France and Russia agree to act |
| Sir John French's First Despatch |
September - British Commander-in-Chief's report |
| Wilhelm II's Letter to U.S. Re: Belgium |
September - German Kaiser's complaint against Belgium |
| Belgian Ambassador on War in Turkey |
September - Ambassador's report home |
| Battle of Ourcq River: French Proclamation |
September - Joseph Joffre's Congratulations |
| Battle of Ourcq River: French Memoir |
September - General Clergerie's Memoir |
| Battle of Ourcq River: German Reaction |
September - Helmuth von Moltke's Announcement |
| First Battle of the Marne: French Reaction |
September - Joseph Joffre's Order of the Day |
| First Battle of the Aisne: British Reaction |
September - Sir John French's Order of the Day |
| First Battle of the Marne: Poincare Reacts |
September - President Poincare's Letter to War Minister |
| First Battle of the Marne: British Report |
September - Sir John French's Disputed Report |
| First Battle of the Marne: French Report |
September - Joseph Joffre's Report |
| First Battle of the Marne: German Account |
September - German First Army commander's account |
| British Journalism at the Aisne |
September - Ernest Swinton's 'Eye Witness' Reports |
| Sinking of Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue (1) |
September - Otto Weddigen's U-boat Memoir |
| Sinking of Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue (2) |
September - Official British Report |
| Siege of Antwerp (1) |
October - Arthur Conan Doyle's Summary |
| Siege of Antwerp (2) |
October - Winston Churchill's Account |
| Siege of Antwerp (3) |
October - Belgian Commandant's Account |
| Siege of Antwerp (4) |
October - Erich von Falkenhayn's Account |
| Battle of the Yser (1) |
October - Belgian Minister of Justice's Summary |
| Battle of the Yser (2) |
October - Erich von Falkenhayn's Account |
| Talaat Pasha on Turkey's Decision for War |
October - Background to Turkey's entry into the war |
| Joseph Joffre's Report on 1st Ypres |
October - French Commander-in-Chief's account |
| Hindenburg on German Attack on Warsaw |
November - German Field Marshal's summary |
| British Account of Battles of Warsaw |
November - Written by British observer with Russian Army |
| Issuance of Ottoman Fetva |
November - Religious commandment to Muslims worldwide |
| Proclamation of Sultan Mehmed V |
November - Ottoman call to arms |
| Carl Lody's Final Letters |
November - Convicted German spy's final letters |
| German Reaction to Fall of Tsingtao |
November - Newspaper article lamenting German defeat |
| British Journalism at 1st Ypres |
November - Ernest Swinton's 'Eye Witness' Report |
| German Army Order Regarding Warsaw |
November - Hindenburg's triumphal communiqué |
| French Army Review of the War |
December - Joseph Joffre's review of campaign in August |
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