Declarations of war during World War I

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A declaration of war is a formal act by which one nation goes to war against another. A declaration is usually an act of delivering a performative speech (not to be confused with a mere speech) or the presentation of a signed document by an authorized party of a national government in order to create a state of war between two or more sovereign states. In the context of World War I, the official international protocol for declaring war was defined in the Hague Convention of 1907 (or Hague II).[1] For the diplomatic maneuvering behind these events, which led to hostilities between nations, see Diplomatic history of World War I.

List of war declarations[edit]

Below is a table showing the outbreaks of wars between nations which occurred during World War I. Indicated are the dates (during the immediate build-up to, or during the course of, World War I) from which a de facto state of war existed between nations. The table shows both the initiator states and the state at which the declaration of war was aimed. Events listed include those in which there were a simple diplomatic breaking of relations that did not involve any physical attack, as well as those involving overt declarations or acts of aggression.

Date[2][3][4] Initiator states Targeted states
July 28, 1914  Austria-Hungary  Serbia
August 1, 1914  German Empire  Russian Empire
August 3, 1914  Belgium
France France
August 4, 1914  British Empire  German Empire
August 5, 1914  Montenegro  Austria-Hungary
August 6, 1914  Austria-Hungary  Russian Empire
 Serbia  German Empire
August 8, 1914  Montenegro
August 12, 1914  British Empire  Austria-Hungary
France France
August 23, 1914  Japan  German Empire
August 25, 1914  Austria-Hungary
August 28, 1914  Austria-Hungary  Belgium
November 1, 1914  Russian Empire  Ottoman Empire
November 5, 1914 France France
 British Empire
November 11, 1914  Ottoman Empire  Russian Empire
 Japan
 British Empire
December 2, 1914  Serbia  Ottoman Empire
December 3, 1914  Montenegro
December 5, 1914  Japan
May 23, 1915  Italy  Austria-Hungary
August 21, 1915  Ottoman Empire
August 28, 1915  German Empire
October 14, 1915  Bulgaria  Serbia
October 15, 1915  Britain  Bulgaria
 Montenegro
October 16, 1915  Japan
France France
October 19, 1915  Italy
 Russian Empire
March 9, 1916  German Empire Portugal Portugal
March 15, 1916  Austria-Hungary
August 28, 1916  Romania  Austria-Hungary
 German Empire  Romania
August 30, 1916  Ottoman Empire
September 1, 1916  Bulgaria
April 6, 1917  United States  German Empire
April 7, 1917  Panama
Cuba Cuba
June 27, 1917  Greece  Austria-Hungary
 German Empire
 Bulgaria
 Ottoman Empire
July 22, 1917 Thailand Siam  Austria-Hungary
July 22, 1917  German Empire
August 4, 1917  Liberia
August 14, 1917 Beiyang government China  Austria-Hungary
August 14, 1917  German Empire
October 26, 1917 Brazil Brazil
December 7, 1917  United States  Austria-Hungary
December 10, 1917  Panama
April 23, 1918  Guatemala  German Empire
May 6, 1918  Nicaragua  Austria-Hungary
May 6, 1918  German Empire
May 23, 1918 Costa Rica Costa Rica
July 12, 1918 Haiti Haiti
July 19, 1918  Honduras

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ On the Opening of Hostilities; 1907; Yale Law School Library; retrieved March 2014.
  2. ^ "World War: Declarations of War from Around the World". Library of Congress.
  3. ^ "Who Declared War and When". Firstworldwar.com.
  4. ^ Ian F.W. Becket, The Great War, second edition, Pearson Education Ltd., 2007, ISBN 978-1-4058-1252-8