World War I Day by Day

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World War I Day by Day Page 15

by Alex Hook


  30

  Mesopotamia: The Turkish Army on the Tigris surrenders to the British.

  Politics: At Mudros Turkey signs an armistice with the Allies. Hostilities cease at noon the following day.

  War at sea: The German High Seas Fleet starts to mutiny.

  31

  Italian Front: On the Southern Front the Austrian commander-in-chief applies to General Diaz for an armistice.

  November 1918

  German troops withdraw back to Germany as the Central Powers collapse in the face of Allied successes. The outcome is the liberation of France and Belgium and the overthrow of German and Ausrto-Hungarian monarchies and aristocracies.

  The British flag rises over Kirkuk on October 25, 1918,

  Three British dispatch riders on a road through an Alpine gorge on the Italian front narrowly escape the burst of a gas shell.

  American troops disembarking onto the quay at Liverpool. The first contingent arrived in autumn 1917.

  1

  Politics: The Hungarian National Council declares independence from Austria.

  King Boris of Bulgaria abdicates.

  Serbian troops reoccupy Belgrade.

  War at sea: At Pola in Austria the Austro-Hungarian dreadnought Viribus Unitis is sunk by Italians.

  Western Front: Battle of the Sambre begins with a Franco-American advance between the Aisne and Meuse in the Argonne Forest. The attack at Forêt de Bourgogne starts a rapid American advance. The British reach the suburbs of Valenciennes in Belgium.

  3

  Politics: Austria-Hungary signs an armistice with the Allies. The Yugoslav National Council announce their intention to form a common state with Serbia and Montenegro.

  War at sea: Kiel Mutiny. The German fleet mutinies at Kiel following the earlier mutiny of the High Seas Fleet.

  4

  Politics: Revolution in Hamburg.

  Western Front: Sambre Offensive. Huge Anglo-French offensive along a 30-mile front from Valenciennes to the Oise Canal. This is the last major attack by the Allies on the Western Front and it encounters mostly token German resistance. The last intense air combat of the war. The RAF claims 68 enemy aircraft for 60 losses.

  Review of French and American in the Vosges.

  5

  Politics: The Allied Supreme War Council accepts the German armistice terms.

  United States: In the U.S., elections for Congress return a republican majority.

  7

  Politics: The King of Bavaria flees from Munich into exile.

  8

  Politics: Protracted armistice negotions start. Allies present their ceasefire terms to the Germans in Ferdinand Foch’s railway carriage headquarters at Compiègne. Marshal Foch receives German peace delegates – if they refuse the Allies will continue to advance on Germany, disarm and imprison its troops and occupy the left bank of the Rhine.

  Prince Max of Baden declares that Germany is beaten and resigns as Chancellor.

  The King of Württemberg and Duke Ernest of Brunswick abdicate. In Munich the Provisional National Council’s president Kurt Eisner declares the Bavarian Republic.

  Western Front: The Allied advance continues: British take Avesnes and Maubeuge. The French and Americans clear the heights east of the Meuse.

  9

  Politics: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany abdicates and with the Crown Prince flees to Holland to live in exile.

  Revolution breaks out in Berlin and a provisional socialist coalition is formed.

  War at sea: Off Gibralter the British battleship HMS Britannia is torpedoed and sunk: 40 lives are lost.

  Sir Hugh Trenchard, commander of the independent air force in France in 1918.

  US troops from the 7th Infantry Regiment.

  The Armistice is signed at Compiègne, November 11, 1918. Foch carries the terms in his briefcase.

  10

  War at sea: Off the northeast coast of England British mine sweeper Ascot is torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine: 53 lost.

  11

  Politics: Armistice Day. The Armistice was signed at 5am to come into effect on the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, 1918. This effectively halts the war. The final Treaty of Versailles, is signed on June 28, 1919. Roughly ten million soldiers have been killed and a further ten million civilians died from disease and starvation.

  At 10:45am the crew of a 15 Sqn RE.8 observation aircraft landed at Auchy and reported that they had seen no enemy aircraft or anti-aircraft fire.

  Abdications across Germany – the Grand Dukes of Hesse, Mecklenberg and Saxe-Weimar; the King of Saxony and the Grand Duke of Oldenburg are deposed.

  Hungary declares itself a republic.

  Western Front: Before dawn the British capture and liberate Mons. End of the Battle of the Sambre.

  12

  Politics: The terms of the Armistice are published.

  13

  Politics: The abdication of Emperor Karl of Austria is announced in Vienna.

  War at sea: Allied navies occupy Constantinople.

  November 21, 1918: Germany’s fleet steams towards Britain to surrender….

  14

  Africa: In Northern Rhodesia General von Lettow-Vorbeck and his Schutztruppe (army) surrender at Abercorn to the British.

  Politics: In Vienna the Republic of German-Austria is proclaimed. The Czechoslovak National Assembly elects Tomas Masaryk head of state.

  16

  Politics: Emperor Karl abdicates the throne of Hungary.

  Western Front: Allied soldiers begin to move towards Germany.

  18

  United States: President Wilson announces that he will personally attend the peace conference.

  Western Front: Belgian troops enter Antwerp and Brussels to great rejoicing.

  19

  Politics: The King and Queen of the Belgians return to Antwerp.

  21

  War at sea: The ‘Capitulation of Rosyth’ sees the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet. Nine German dreadnoughts, five battlecruisers, seven cruisers, 49 destroyers. They are escorted by HMS Cardiff to anchor off the Firth of Forth by 33 dreadnoughts (including five U.S.), nine battlecruisers, one carrier, seven squadrons of cruisers and 150 destroyers, in two lines, six miles apart and 15 miles long.

  Off Harwich 39 German submarines surrender.

  On November 22, 1918, the King and Queen of the Belgians reenter Brussels.

  US 340mm railway gun in the Argonne. Crew 22; range 20 miles.

  People gather outside Buckingham Palace on Armistice Day.

  22

  Politics: The King and Queen of the Belgians return to Brussels.

  23

  Politics: At Agram an assembly of southern Slavic states announce the union of all Slavic states in Austria-Hungary together with Serbia and Montenegro to become Yugoslavia.

  24

  Politics: The Duke of Baden abdicates.

  25

  Africa: The last German forces in East Africa surrender to the British.

  Politics: Marshal Foch enters Strasburg.

  26

  Russian Revolution: Allied squadrons arrive at Odessa and Sevastopol.

  Western Front: The last German troops leave Belgium.

  28

  Politics: The Kaiser signs the formal deed of abdication.

  December 1918

  German troops greeted as returning heroes as they march through Berlin.

  1

  Politics: In Belgrade the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Yugoslavia) becomes official.

  War at sea: Eight more German submarines surrender at Harwich.

  Western Front: British Second Army enters Germany between Oudler and Eupen.

  American forces enter Germany and occupy Trier.

  The Supreme War Council of the Allies in session in Versailles discuss armistice terms.

  4

  United States: President Wilson sails for the Paris Peace Conference aboard the liner George Washington.

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  Western Front: Americans reach the River Rhine.

  French enter Mainz.

  11

  Western Front: American troops occupy Coblenz.

  12

  Western Front: British troops cross the Rhine and take possession of the Cologne bridgehead.

  13

  Politics: By mutual agreement the Armistice is prolonged for a month – until 17 January.

  Western Front: American troops cross the Rhine and take possession of the Coblenz bridgehead.

  President Wilson arrives at Brest, in France. becoming the first U.S. president to travel to Europe while holding office.

  14

  Politics: Polling day for the British General Election.

  President Wilson arrives in Paris.

  The boulevards of Paris on Armistice Day.

  French cavalry enter Strasbourg on November 25, 1918: it had been in German hands since being ceded to Germany in 1871.

  British forces—in the shape of 28th Brigade of 9th Division—occupy Cologne on December 7, 1918.

  28

  Politics: Announcement that Lloyd George and his Coalition Government have been returned to power in the general election in Great Britain.

  1919

  The peace processes lead to treaties designed to ensure World War I is the war to end all wars. In Russia the Civil War continues.

  January 1919

  12

  Paris Peace Conference starts.

  25

  Peace conference accepts principle of a League of Nations

  February 1919

  14

  Draft covenant of League of Nations completed

  23

  Benito Mussolini forms the Fascist Party in Italy.

  March 1919

  2

  The first Communist International meets in Moscow

  4

  Founding of Comintern (Third International) at Moscow

  The German fleet was scuttled on June 21, 1919. This is Hindenburg.

  13

  Admiral Kolchak begins his offensive against Bolsheviks in Russian Civil War

  14

  President Wilson returns to Paris after a month’s absence

  23

  In Milan, Italy, Benito Mussolini founds his Fascist political movement.

  April 1919

  24

  Italian Premier Orlando walks out of peace conference over Fiume issue

  May 1919

  6

  Peace conference disposes of German colonies

  7

  Treaty of Versailles drafted The German delegation arrives in Paris to sign the peace treaty. They are surprised by the severity of the terms and initially balk at signing.

  June 1919

  21

  German High Seas Fleet scuttled at Scapa Flow on expiration of armistace and before the Treaty of Versailles is signed. Only 1 dreadnought, 3 cruisers and some TBs beached and saved from sinking.

  28

  Treaty of Versailles signed by Germany and the Allies signed in the Hall of Mirrors at Versaille. The United States signs treaty of guaranty, pledging to defend France in case of an unprovoked attack by Germany.

  New York greets the news of the Armistice.

  French searchlights near Koblenz on the Rhine.

  July 1919

  19

  Cenotaph is unveiled in London.

  August 1919

  11

  In Germany, the Weimar Constitution is passed into law.

  September 1919

  10

  The Treaty of St Germain en Laye is signed by Austria and the Allies.

  October 1919

  2

  US President Woodrow Wilson suffers a massive stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed.

  November 1919

  At end of month health officials declare the global Spanish Flu Pandemic over

  19

  United States Senate fails to ratify Treaty of Versailles.

  27

  The Treaty of Neuilly is signed by Bulgaria and the Allies.

  British forces—a battalion of the King’s Regiment (Liverpool)—enter Lille.

  1920

  Poland becomes independent as WWI comes to an end. The country was devastated by the war. Approximately one million Poles died. All Polish institutions had to be rebuilt as the country once again formed a nation. The official boundaries are not set until 1923.

  January 1920

  10

  Treaty of Versailles takes effect.

  March 1920

  19

  United States Senate fails to ratify Treaty of Versailles for the second time.

  June 1920

  4

  The Treaty of Trianon is signed by Hungary and the Allies.

  August 1920

  10

  The Treaty of Sévres is signed by the former Ottoman Empire and the Allies.

  1921

  August 1920

  24-29

  United States signs separate peace treaties with Germany, Austria, and Hungary.

  Although almost obliterated by enemy bombardments, Ypres was the only important Belgian town not to fall to the Germans, despite being the scene of three of the costliest battles of the war. Postwar the city would have to be completely rebuilt.

  Bonn is occupied by the British, December 14, 1918.

  British graves at Abbeville tended by members of the WRACs.

  1970-1979

  1971

  Third Indo-Pakistan War

  1972

  Bloody Sunday in Northern ireland

  1973

  Fourth Arab-Israeli War

  1974

  Turks invade Cyprus

  1975

  Angolan Civil War

  1975

  Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge take Cambodia

  1976

  Entebbe hostage rescue

  1977

  Ogaden War begins

  1977

  Mogadishu hijack ended by German special forces

  1978

  Camp David accord

  1979

  Russo-Afghan War

  1979

  Vietnam-Cambodian War

 

 

 


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