Although "Kaiserin Elisabeth" burned enormous quantities of coal, in 1914 she could still steam at a very fair speed and was stationed in China. Upon the outbreak of the First World War, "Kaiserin Elisabeth" took part in the defense of the German colony of Tsingtao, which was besieged by the Japanese on 25 August 1914; Japan had declared war on Germany on 23 August and the presence of "Kaiserin Elisabeth" led to Japan declaring war on Austria-Hungary on 25 August. At Tsingtao with "Kaiserin Elisabeth" were the Imperial German Navy light cruiser , gunboats , , and and the torpedo boat . (The German Asiatic Squadron, normally based at Tsingtau, had made a dash for home across the Pacific.) The ship′s crew was divided into two groups; one continued manning the ship, while the other bolstered the German garrison.