# Britain enters the First World War (1914)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/1914-britain-enters-the-first-world-war
Categories: battle, main-event

Britain declared war on Germany after the invasion of neutral Belgium. Within the broader Early 20th Century & World Wars period, mass democracy, the two world wars, Irish partition, economic crisis and the rise of Labour remade the political and social order. This event is placed at 4 August 1914 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The war mobilized society and empire on an unprecedented scale and transformed politics, economy and everyday life.

## Why it matters
The war mobilized society and empire on an unprecedented scale and transformed politics, economy and everyday life.

Ruler at the time: [George V](https://english-history.com/rulers/george-v)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Britain enters the First World War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Britain+enters+the+First+World+War&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Britain enters the First World War](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Britain+enters+the+First+World+War)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history)
- [The National Archives — twentieth-century resources](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/)