Thursday, September 3, 1914. Pope Benedict XV starts his reign.

Giacomo della Chiesa became Pope Benedict XV, the 258th Pope.

His papacy would be short, ending upon his death in 1922.  He had to endure the disaster of the First World War and its aftermath, including the Anglo Irish War and Irish Civil War.

Prince William of Albania left he country after a mere six months on the throne.  He was a Prussian by birth and was really a remnant of an earlier era, a Lutheran monarch in the Balkans making no sense whatsoever.   Having said that, he refused to throw Albania into the Great War as an Austro Hungarian vassal.

He returned to Germany and served in the German Army during World War One under a pseudonym, as his reign had not officially terminated.  That termination came in 1925, but when Albania was reestablished as as monarch in 1928, the former Prime Minister becoming its Islamic King, he attempted to be declared the king, which had been his title inside of Albania.

He'd been a pre war Imperial German officer, so that made sense, but oddly he relocated after the Great War to Romania, where he died in 1945.

The Russians exploited Austro Hungarian gaps at the Battle of Rawa.

French composer Lucien Denis Gabriel Albéric Magnard died defending his property from the Germans.  His actions made him a hero in France, but the actions truly would have made him a francs-tireurs.

Sioux County, North Dakota was established.

Last edition:

Friday, September 2, 1914. Staging for Tsingtao.

Labels: 1910s, 1914, 1940s, 1946, 1948, 1949, Battle of Tannenberg, China, German Empire, Germany, Japan, Propaganda, Republic of China, The written word, Tsingtao (Qingdao) China, United Kingdom, World War One

Sunday, August 23, 1914. Maurice James Dease

The Battle of Mons occurred in which the BEF held the German forces, but began a month long retreat to the Marne.

Irishman Maurice James Dease became the first British officer to be killed in action, for which he additionally won the Victoria Cross.

The machine gun crews were constantly being knocked out. So cramped was their position that when a man was hit he had to be removed before another could take his place. The approach from the trench was across the open, and whenever a gun stopped Lieutenant Maurice Dease... went up to see what was wrong. To do this once called for no ordinary courage. To repeat it several times could only be done with real heroism. Dease was badly wounded on these journeys, but insisted on remaining at duty as long as one of his crew could fire. The third wound proved fatal, and a well deserved VC was awarded him posthumously. By this time both guns had ceased firing, and all the crew had been knocked out. In response to an inquiry whether anyone else knew how to operate the guns Private Godley came forward. He cleared the emplacement under heavy fire and brought the gun into action. But he had not been firing long before the gun was hit and put completely out of action. The water jackets of both guns were riddled with bullets, so that they were no longer of any use. Godley himself was badly wounded and later fell into the hands of the Germans.

German troops killed 654 Belgian civilians in Dinant, Belgium in confusion or panic regarding francs-tireurs

The French were defeated in the  Battle of the Ardennes and the Battle of Charleroi.

The Battle of Tannenberg began between the German Army and the Imperial Russian Army.

The Battle of Kraśnik began between the Austro Hungarian Army and the Imperial Russian Army.

Japan declared war on Germany.  China canceled the German lease of the Kiaochow Bay.

New Zealand occupied the German colony of German Samoa, following an unopposed invasion.

Last edition:

Saturday, August 22, 1914. British at Mons.

Labels: Art, Battle of Rosignol, Battle of Waterloo, British Army, French Army, French Empire, Geology, Mons, Napoleonic Wars, World War One