Battle of Coronel — The Royal Navy suffered its first defeat of World War I, after a British squadron commanded by Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock met and was defeated by superior German forces led by Vice-Admiral Maximilian von Spee in the eastern Pacific. Cradock perished in the battle, along with 1,570 sailors, when both HMS Good Hope and HMS Monmouth were sunk.[2]
Battle of Armentières — Fighting continued south of the Lys River in France while French cavalry were forced out of Messines, exposing the northern flank of the main French fighting force. A new reserve line was formed between the French towns of Fleurbaix and Nieppe, and artillery rations were doubled to help maintain the line from German attacks.[5]
Cuba held mid-term parliamentary elections to fill up half the seats in the House of Representatives and a single seat in the Senate. The National Party of Cuba won the most seats, with 22 of the 49 House seats and the single Senate seat.[6]
The Saint Justin Theology Seminary was established in Daegu, Korea, eventually expanding into a series of colleges before officially obtaining university status as the Catholic University of Daegu in 1980.[9]
Battle of Armentières — The battle officially ended although fighting continued north of the Lys River. German forces lost nearly twice as many men as the French, with 11,300 casualties compared to 5,700.[15]
Battle of La Bassée — Allied reserve battalions dug in at Bailleul, France while engineers built more field fortifications, officially ending the battle. The Allies sustained around 15,000 casualties, while best estimates from the German side were 6,000 (although accounts were incomplete).[16]
First Battle of Ypres — German forces lost an estimated 17,250 men after five days of fighting and were quickly becoming outnumbered as fresh troops from the British Expeditionary Force arrived for battle. The new pressure on the front line delayed the German Army's plans to attack using the west Belgium towns of Messines and Langemark.[37]
Raid on Yarmouth — The Imperial German Navy attacked the British North Sea port of Great Yarmouth after sea patrols surprised a mine-laying operation at the mouth of the port.[38] The German navy lost their battle cruiser SMS Yorck when it struck two of the mines their patrol laid down, killing somewhere between 235 and 336 sailors (reports varied).[39] The British lost a submarine (HMS D5) when it struck a mine going out to meet the German fleet, killing 25 sailors.[40]
Battle of Tanga — Most of the British Indian forces landed in Tanga harbor and began their march on the Tanzanian city the next day.[43]
Battle of Kilimanjaro — An Indian Expeditionary Force of 1,500 clashed with German colonial troops at the famous mountain in German East Africa. Despite having a force strength half the size of the British, the Germans were victorious. The British force lost 312 men while the Germans lost 109.[44]
The East Asia Squadron of the Imperial German Navy entered Valparaíso harbor in Chile and were welcomed as heroes by the German population for their victory over the Royal Navy at the Battle of Coronel two days earlier. Admiral Maximilian von Spee refused to join in the celebration, knowing the victory only stacked the odds against his squadron for surviving another campaign against the Royal Navy. When presented with a bunch of flowers, Von Spee was said to have commented, "these will do nicely for my grave". His words were prophetic, as Von Spee and many of his squadron would die at the Battle of the Falkland Islands just over a month later.[46]
Battle of Tanga — British Indian and German colonial soldiers clashed in the streets and jungles around Tanga, Tanzania. Despite a company of Gurkhas capturing key buildings in the city, the Germans were able to stop most of the advance. In one of the battle's more odd episodes, a large beehive was disturbed and a swarm attacked and broke up a major British infantry regiment while causing a defending force to scatter, leading to the nickname "Battle of the Bees". After several more hours of brutal street fighting, disorganization and mounting casualties forced the British to withdraw, despite outnumbering German defenders eight to one. British forces in all lost 360 men, had 487 wounded and 148 missing. German defenders lost 70 men and 76 wounded.[50]
The German cruiserSMS Karlsruhe sank near Barbados after an internal explosion tore the vessel in half, killing 133 of its 373 crew, including its captain Erich Köhler. The stern of the ship stayed afloat long enough for the 140 survivors to board a pair of colliers attending the ship. After the second one was scuttled, the remaining ship slipped through a Royal Navy blockade formed to hunt SMS Karlsruhe for sinking or capturing 15 British merchant ships and damaging the British cruiser HMS Bristol on August 6.[51] As a result, Germany kept the sinking secret until British intelligence learned of the ship's fate in March 1915.[52]
Siege of Mora– An Allied artillery bombardment initially forced defending German colonial forces to abandon the northern side of the mountain near Mora, German Cameroon but a counterattack retook the position.[53]
A court martial against British Admiral Ernest Troubridge, who had commanded the British Mediterranean Fleet that pursued and failed to capture the German battleships SMS Goeben and SMS Breslau before they reached Turkey, was held on board HMS Bulwark moored at the Isle of Portland. Troubridge faced charges of failing to engage the enemy, especially since the German ships helped strengthen the Empire's naval fleet and emboldened them to join the Central Powers in World War I.[62]
With Italy continuing to declare its neutrality during the first year of World War I, Italian volunteer soldiers with the French Foreign Legion formed the 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment, more popularly known as the Garibaldi Legion, to fight the Germans.[64]
Siege of Tsingtao — The Japanese softened Germany's defenses with a week of bombardment until German ammunition had run out. Japanese infantry then stormed the German trenches and forced them to surrender the following day.[70]
Bergmann Offensive — Russian forces made contact with Ottoman troops in the Caucasus region and fighting began over the next three days.[71]
German spy Carl Hans Lody was executed by firing squad in the Tower of London, the first such execution to be held there in 167 years. He was the only captured German spy to be put on public trial in Great Britain in World War I.[74]
Irish aviation pioneer Francis Annesley disappeared after taking off with pilot Flight Lieutenant C.F. Beevor from an airfield at Eastchurch, England in a Bristol airplane bound for France. He and Beevor were officially declared dead on December 2 after two German prisoners of war testified a plane matching the description of the missing aircraft had been shot down over Dixmude, Belgium.[75]
American biologist Jacques Loeb published a paper on artificial parthenogenesis in sea urchins. His paper provided experimental evidence that it was possible to cause the eggs of sea urchins to begin embryonic development without sperm by slightly modifying the chemical composition of the water in which the eggs were kept.[76]
The first issue of The New Republic was published in the United States.The first sentences of the opening article in the first issue simple stated: "The New Republic is frankly an experiment. It is an attempt to find national audience for a journal of interpretation and opinion."[81]
The planet Mercury visibly crossed the face of the sun, starting at 09:57 UTC and ending 14:09 UTC.[84]
Fao Landing — Soldiers with the British Indian Army captured the seaside fortress overlooking Fao beach in Iraq using the newly arrived British artillery to breach the walls. The capture of the fort, along with 300 prisoners, ensured the Ottoman Empire could not threaten Allied shipping in the Persian Gulf.[85]
The German light cruiser SMS Emden arrived at the Australian-held Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean on a mission to disable a wireless and cable transmission station. However, the station was able to send out a distress signal before it was taken out, alerting the Australian command ship HMAS Melbourne which ordered HMAS Sydney to investigate.[86]
Dr. Luis Agote (second from right) overseeing one of the first safe and effective blood transfusion
Battle of Cocos — Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney spotted and disabled the German cruiser SMS Emden, the last active warship of the Central Powers in the Indian Ocean, with 133 sailors out of the 345 crew killed.[89] A German landing party of 50 sent to destroy the wireless station witnessed the battle from the shore and realized it did not have enough men to hold the island. Instead, it commandeered a schooner and set course for Padang in the neutral Dutch East Indies.[90]
First Battle of Ypres — German armies attacked the French and Belgian forces between Langemark and Dixmude and forced them back to the Yser River, where the Belgians blew up the crossings.[91]
British Admiral Ernest Troubridge was acquitted of the charge of failing to engage an enemy after the court-martial concluded the Admiralty of the Royal Navy was responsible for failing to communicate its orders to the admiral properly and delaying the Mediterranean Fleet's chances of intercepting a pair of German battleships from reaching Turkey.[92]
First Battle of Ypres — German armies launched a new offensive in west Belgium from the forest Nonne Bosschen (Nun's Copse) that ran from Langemark and Dixmude in what historians referred to as the Battle of Nonne Bosschen.[94]
Battle of Cocos — The Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney commenced rescue of the surviving sailors on the beached SMS Emden after learning the German landing party on the islands had escaped in a schooner.[96]
Born:Moshe Wolman, Polish-Israeli medical researcher, leading researcher of biochemistry and the first to diagnose the genetic disorder Wolman disease, in Warsaw (d. 2009)
First Battle of Ypres — The Germans launched a major offensive from Messines, Belgium and broke through the Allied line to advance on Zwarteleen, some 3,000 yards (2,700m) east of Ypres, where they were checked by a British cavalry brigade. At the same time, the Germans captured a strategic rise classified as Hill 60, which became a major battle location the following year.[99]
Battle of Łódź — Russian forces were surprised and routed by a sneak German attack on the left bank of the Vistula River in Poland, resulting in 12,000 Russian troops being captured. The attack created a 50km (31mi) gap between the Russian First and Second Armies.[100]
Bergmann Offensive — Ottoman forces counter-attacked and hit the Russian flanks, forcing the invading army to retreat in the Caucasus region.[101]
Battle of Basra — Troops with the Ottoman Empire tried to ambush British troops marching on Basra (in what is now southern Iraq) while they camped en route. However, the camp's defenses were able to repel the attack.[102]
An Australian propaganda film The Day, directed by Alfred Rolfe, was released to popular acclaim. The film depicted reenactments of reported German atrocities during the Rape of Belgium in August. The film is now considered lost.[108]
First Battle of Ypres — German forces bombarded British defenses and broke through the line, but did not have enough support to advance. German casualties for the battle had now reached about 80,000 men and casualties for the British Expeditionary Force since arriving in France in August nearly reached 90,000 men. The Belgian army had been reduced by half and the French had lost 385,000 men.[109]
Bergmann Offensive - Russian reinforcements under command of the General Mikhail Przevalski arrived to halt the retreat of General Georgy Bergmann's forces in northeastern Turkey.[110]
A mob of 1,500 people lynched John Evans in St. Petersburg, Florida, for the alleged murder of a local real estate developer and an assault on his wife, who claimed they were attacked by "two Negros". Evans innocence or guilt in the crime was never proven.[113]
First Battle of Ypres — Germany launched a surprise attack on French forces while British forces arrived to support the line. Meanwhile, the weather became much colder, with rain turning to snow within 48 hours. With night frost becoming common within the week and snow covering the ground, troops on opposing sides were succumbing to frostbite and fatigue. Snipers would shoot troops nodding off in trenches half-full of freezing water while artillery bombed opposing trenches. In 12 days, the battle would end simply because troops on both sides were too exhausted to fight.[114]
Battle of El Herri — A French colonial garrison of 1,200 men under command of Lieutenant-Colonel René Laverdure attacked Berber tribesmen part of the Zaian Confederation at a small settlement near the city of Khenifra in central Morocco, in direct violation of orders by General Hubert Lyautey not to engage in any military action while negotiating peace terms with the Confederation to end the Zaian War. The attack proved disastrous, after the Berber tribesmen regrouped, attacked and surrounded the French garrison after it attempted to return to Khenifra. The garrison was annihilated, with 623 troops and officers killed (including Laverdure) and another 176 wounded. The Berbers lost only 182 men.[115]
The traditional American Southern folk song "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" was recorded by American opera singer Alma Gluck but written by African-American musician and songwriter James A. Bland in 1878. The song - released by the Victor Talking Machine Company - proved to be a hit and became the first recording by a celebrity classical singer to sell over a million copies.[116]
The Georgia Supreme Court upheld the decision by state judge Ben Hill not to grant Leo Frank a new trial. Frank had been found guilty in 1913 of the murder of 13-year old Mary Phagan in Atlanta but maintained his innocence.[118]
Kaiser Wilhelm II met with his cabinet and concluded that the Great War could not be won. Nonetheless, they continued the war for four more years.[123]
Bergmann Offensive — Taking advantage of Russian forces concentrating on slowing their retreat in Turkey, Ottoman forces crossed the border and defeated a Russian column near Borchka, a city in the lower Choruh valley of the Caucasus. The defeat forced the Russians to evacuate the cities of Borchka, Artvin and Ardanuch.[125]
The first major fatality in professional football occurred when Harry Turner, center for the Canton Professionals in the Ohio League, died after his back was broken following a tackle against opponent Joe Collins during a game against the Akron Indians. His manager Jack Cusack was at his bedside and reported Turner's last words were: "I know I must go but I'm satisfied, for we beat [Akron Indians coach] Peggy Parratt." Canton won the game 6–0.[127]
Battle of Kolubara — Austro-Hungarian forces under command of Oskar Potiorek made a third attempt to invade Serbia by way of the Kolubara River. The battle between invading forces and the defending Serbian army commenced over the next five days in heavy rain and snowfall, with many soldiers on both sides succumbing to hypothermia and frostbite as they did to bullets.[133]
Siege of Tsingtao — Japanese and British forces formally took over the German colonial port of Tsingtao. Japanese casualties numbered 236 killed and 1,282 wounded; the British had 12 killed and 53 wounded, and the Germans had 199 dead and 504 wounded.[134]
Battle of Łódź — The Russian Fifth Army was ordered to Łódź to reinforce existing forces around the city from a suspected German offensive following a surprise assault five days earlier. In actuality, German commander Paul von Hindenburg intended the attack as a ruse to focus most of Russia's strength in one area and create a weakened flank German forces could exploit.[136]
Russian forces under command of General Mikhail Przevalski crossed the Aras River in northeastern Turkey and launched a dawn attack on Ottoman forces to halt their advance.[137]
Battle of Basra — British forces defeated Ottoman troops defending Saihan, Iraq, south of Basra, with the Ottomans suffering 250 casualties.[138]
British writer M. P. Shiel was convicted and imprisoned for "indecently assaulting and carnally knowing" his 12-year-old stepdaughter on October 26 in London.[144]
Died:Shunrō Oshikawa, Japanese journalist and writer, considered the pioneer of genre fiction in Japan including detective and science fiction (b. 1876)
The British government announced that income tax was to be doubled in order to finance the war-time budget.[148]
The German cruiserSMS Friedrich Carl struck two mines laid down by the Imperial Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea. However, she was able to stay afloat for a few hours, allowing the crew to complete a seaplane attack on the Russian port of Libau. The ship's 585-man crew then evacuated before it capsized.[149]
The inaugural meeting of the Union of Democratic Control was held in London to set up an advocacy group focused on the British government forming a more responsive foreign policy following the end of World War I. While meant to be non-partisan, it was dominated by members of the Labour Party and Liberal Party.[151]
Battle of Kolubara — Austro-Hungarian forces began an assault on the Serbian town of Lazarevac, which would provide a strategic launching spot for a siege on Belgrade to the north.[154]
Battle of Łódź — Russian and German forces clashed near Łódź, Poland in bitter winter conditions, even though both armies were still outfitted in summer clothing.[155] A damaged bridge forced German forces to locate an alternative crossing over the Vistula River, and mixed orders caused some units to halt while other advanced too far, spreading out forces thinly. With a large contingent of German troops in danger of being surrounded, Russia ordered trains to the front to anticipate capturing up to 20,000 prisoners (in actuality, there was only a German force of 11,000).[156]
Battle of Cape Sarych — German battleship SMS Goeben, now the Yavuz for the Ottoman Navy, along with its sister ship SMS Breslau, now the Midilli, engaged with ships with the Russian Black Sea Fleet off the Crimean coast. The Yavuz exchanged fire with the Russian battleship Evstafi, with the Black Sea Fleet warship scoring a hit that killed 13 crew and wounded three more. However, Yavuz scored more devastating hits on Evstafi, killing 34 Russian crew and wounding another 24, forcing the ship and the rest of the fleet to retreat.[158]
AdmiralAlfred von Tirpitz, Secretary of State for the Imperial German Navy, advocated massed Zeppelin attacks on London in a letter: "The English are now in terror of the Zeppelin, perhaps not without reason ... one could set fire to London in thirty places, then what in a small way is odious would retire before something fine and powerful."[160]
Karolina Kózka, a 16-year-old girl who was fully committed to her Catholic faith, died while resisting an attempted rape by a Russian soldier near her village of Wał-Ruda, Poland. Kózka was stabbed several times by a bayonet and died from her wounds after escaping. Because of her strong religious faith and her violent death, her burial site became a religious shrine for many Polish Catholics who saw her as a martyr. In 1987, after much campaigning from Poland, Pope John Paul II beatified her as a "martyr of Christ".[161]
Battle of Basra — The British captured a mud fortress built by the Ottomans at Sahil, Iraq. Ottoman troops retreated, losing 1,000 men while the British lost 350.[163]
Battle of Kolubara — Austro-Hungarian and Serbian forces clashed at Mount Maljen in Serbia, with the Serbians giving up the mountain after three days of intense fighting.[168]
Battle of Basra — The British learned the Ottoman forces had abandoned the city of Basra in Iraq and were able to take the city unopposed.[169]
First Battle of Ypres — The battle wound down as neither side planned new attacks to allow soldiers to rest and prepare for winter. The Allies suffered major casualties, with the French sustaining somewhere 50,000 to 80,000 casualties, followed by the British with over 58,000, and Belgium with over 21,000. The Germans sustained a minimum 46,000 casualties and may have gone as high as over 100,000.[174]
Ottoman Navy minelayer Nilufer, formally the British passenger vessel SS Frederica, struck a mine in the Black Sea and sank with all crew evacuated.[175]
Defence of Festubert — A German infantry regiment captured 800 yards (730m) of trench east of Festubert, France from British Indian Corps. However, Sikh and Indian troops counter-attacked at night and recovered the trenches.[177]
The U.S. Marines withdrew from Veracruz, Mexico after occupying the town since April, allowing soldiers under the command of Venustiano Carranza to move in to set up the leader's main headquarters.[178]
British guard boat Dorothy Gray spotted a submarine periscope belonging to German submarine SM U-18 off the coast of Scotland and managed to ram it twice. Severely damaged, the sub was forced to surface and most of the crew were captured before the vessel sank.[179]
Battle of Łódź — A surrounded German force of 11,000 broke out of its pocket by exploiting confused Russian movements, allowing them to capture 12,000 prisoners and 64 guns.[185]
Battle of Kolubara — Austro-Hungarian forces attempted to cross a critical juncture in Serbia where the river Kolubara met with the Sava River, but were beaten back by stiff Serbian resistance and forced out of the area the following day.[186]
A schooner carrying 50 German navy men from the landing party of the destroyed SMS Emden were allowed entry in the port of Padang of the Dutch East Indies, but under strict terms so the Netherlands could maintain their stance of neutrality during World War I.[192]
A methane gas explosion hit in New Yūbari coal mine in Hokkaido, Japan. According to Japanese government official confirmed report, 423 people were human fatalities. The fourth worst coal mine disaster in nation's history.[citation needed]
The German landing party that commandeered a schooner after SMS Emden was disabled at the Battle of Cocos left Padang port in the Dutch East Indies rather than risk having the schooner confiscated by authorities. The commanding officer left a message with German merchant fleet in the area to meet them at a rendezvous point away from Dutch territorial waters.[194]
Battle of Łódź — Fearing a repeat of the disaster at Tannenberg in August, Russia ordered its armies to withdraw to defensive positions around Warsaw, leaving Łódź unprotected.[198]
Battle of Kolubara — Despite the Serbian army inflicting heavy casualties on the invading Austro-Hungarian Army, officials in Belgrade felt defenses would not hold against renewed attacks and ordered the city to be evacuated.[199]
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