| 1914 | |
| 1 August | France and Germany declare general mobilization. |
| 3 August | Germany declares war on France. |
| 4 August | German troops enter Belgium; Britain declares war on Germany. |
| 8–16 August | Bombardment and capture of the Liège forts. |
| 19 August | Mülhausen taken by the French. |
| 21 August | Start of battle of the Ardennes. |
| 23 August | Battle of Mons. |
| 26 August | Battle of Le Cateau. |
| 5 September | Fall of Rheims: end of ‘battles of the Frontiers’. |
| 6 September | Start of battle of the Marne. |
| 12 September | Start of battle of the Aisne. |
| 25 September | Start of ‘Race to the Sea’. |
| 10 October | Surrender of Antwerp to Germans. |
| 19 October | Start of First Battle of Ypres. |
| 21 October | Start of First Battle of Langemarck. |
| 20 December | Start of First Battle of the Champagne. |
| 1915 | |
| 25 January | First action at Givenchy. |
| 10–13 March | Battle of Neuve Chapelle. |
| 20 March | End of First Battle of the Champagne. |
| 22 April | Start of Second Battle of Ypres; first major gas attack. |
| 9 May | French offensive commences. Battle of Aubers Ridge. |
| 15–25 May | Battle of Festubert. |
| 19 June | First of several actions at Hooge. |
| 25 September | Second Battle of the Champagne and battle of Loos commence. |
| 29 September | French repulsed at Vimy Ridge. |
| 16 November | End of Second Battle of the Champagne. |
| 19 November | General Sir Douglas Haig appointed British Expeditionary Forces commander in France. |
| 1916 | |
| 21 February | Start of German offensive Gericht at Verdun. |
| 25 February | Fort Douamont falls to Germans. |
| 27 February | Start of actions at St Eloi crater. |
| 21 May | Morte Homme stormed, Verdun. |
| 24 June | Fleury falls, furthest extent of German advance at Verdun. |
| 1 July | Opening of battle of the Somme. |
| 29 August | Hindenburg replaces Falkenhayn as Chief of the German General Staff. |
| 15 September | Flers Courcelette. First use of tanks. |
| 24 October | French counter-attack commences at Verdun. |
| 1 November | Fort Vaux recaptured by French. |
| 13 November | Battle of the Ancre commences. |
| 18 November | End of battle of the Somme. |
| 16 December | End of French offensive operations at Verdun. |
| 1917 | |
| 11 January | Re-commencement of operations on the Ancre. |
| 14 March | Beginning of German retreat to the Hindenburg Line. |
| 5 April | Arras offensive begins. |
| 6 April | America declares war on Germany. |
| 9 April | Start of battle at Vimy Ridge. |
| 16 April | Start of French offensive on the Aisne. |
| 15 May | Arras offensive ends. |
| 7–14 June | Battle of Messines. |
| 31 July | Start of Third Battle of Ypres; attack at Pilckem. |
| 20 August | French second offensive starts at Verdun. |
| 20–25 September | Battle of Menin Road Ridge. |
| 12 October | Battle of Passchendaele. |
| 10 November | End of Anglo-Canadian offensives in Flanders. |
| 20 November | Great tank attack at Cambrai. |
| 23–28 November | Capture of Bourlon Wood. |
| 30 November | German counter-attacks commence at Cambrai. |
| 1918 | |
| 21 March | Operation Michael opens German Spring Offensive. |
| 26 March | French battle of the Avre. |
| 9 April | Battle of the Lys commences. |
| 14 April | Marshal Foch appointed Commander Allied Armies in France. |
| 27 May | Start of German offensive in the Champagne. |
| 1 June | Start of US actions at Belleau Wood. |
| 6 June | End of German offensive in the Champagne. |
| 5 July | Beginning of Fourth Battle of the Champagne. |
| 8 August | ‘Black Day of the German Army’ at Amiens. |
| 12–13 September | Battle at St Mihiel. First full-scale US offensive. |
| 17 October | Recapture of Douai. |
| 20 October | Actions commence at Serre and Lys. |
| 11 November | Armistice concluded. |