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Key dates of the First World War

272 key events from 1914 to 1923, from Sarajevo to the Greater Poland Uprising, each with its date and one sentence.

The list covers the events marked in the chronicle as turning points. Each title leads to the full article. Print it or save it as a PDF for revision.

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1914

  1. 28 June 1914Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated in SarajevoOn 28 June 1914 Gavrilo Princip shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, setting off the July Crisis.
  2. 28 July 1914Austria-Hungary declares war on SerbiaOn 28 July 1914 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia by telegram. That same night Belgrade was shelled and the First World War began.
  3. 1 August 1914Germany mobilises and declares war on RussiaOn 1 August 1914 Germany ordered general mobilisation and in the evening declared war on Russia. The war ceased to be a Balkan conflict.
  4. 3 August 1914Germany declares war on FranceOn 3 August 1914 Germany declared war on France, citing invented French air raids. The war on two fronts had begun.
  5. 4 August 1914Britain declares war on GermanyAt 11 p.m. London time on 4 August 1914 the ultimatum expired. Britain and its whole empire found themselves at war with Germany.
  6. 4 August 1914Germany declares war on BelgiumOn 4 August 1914 Germany announced to Belgium that it would use force and entered its territory. The chancellor admitted he was breaking international law.
  7. 5 August 1914Montenegro declares war on Austria-HungaryOn 5 August 1914 Montenegro declared war on Austria-Hungary, siding with Serbia. Guns on Mount Lovćen threatened the fleet base at Kotor.
  8. 6 August 1914Austria-Hungary declares war on RussiaOn 6 August 1914 the Austro-Hungarian ambassador in St Petersburg handed over the declaration of war. The monarchy's main front shifted to Galicia.
  9. 6 August 1914Serbia declares war on GermanyOn 6 August 1914 Serbia declared war on Germany, ally of Austria-Hungary. The two states had no common border, but the declaration was a political statement.
  10. 6 August 1914Battle of the Frontiers beginsIn early August 1914 the Battle of the Frontiers began, a series of clashes between French and German armies that lasted until the Battle of the Marne.
  11. 8 August 1914French troops take MulhouseOn 8 August 1914 French troops entered Mulhouse in Alsace. France celebrated, but within two days a German counter-attack forced the French to retreat.
  12. 12 August 1914Britain and France declare war on Austria-HungaryOn 12 August 1914 Britain and France declared war on Austria-Hungary. From then on the Entente powers were at war with both Central Powers.
  13. 14 August 1914Battles of Morhange and Sarrebourg beginOn 14 August 1914 the French armies launched a great offensive in Lorraine. It began a series of battles that ended in defeat at Morhange and Sarrebourg.
  14. 18 August 1914Battle of the GeteOn 18 August 1914 the Belgian army faced the Germans on the Gete. Threatened with encirclement, King Albert I ordered a retreat to the fortress of Antwerp.
  15. 21 August 1914Battle of Charleroi beginsOn 21 August 1914 the French 5th Army and the German 2nd Army clashed on the Sambre. The Germans seized the river crossings before the French could occupy them.
  16. 22 August 1914Austria-Hungary declares war on BelgiumContemporary chronicles date Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Belgium to 22 August 1914, but the Belgians received the note only on 28 August.
  17. 22 August 1914Battle of the Ardennes beginsOn 22 August 1914 French armies advancing through the Ardennes ran into strong German forces. It was the bloodiest day in the history of the French army.
  18. 23 August 1914Battle of MonsOn 23 August 1914 the British Expeditionary Force fought its first battle at Mons. It inflicted heavy losses on the Germans but had to begin a retreat.
  19. 23 August 1914Japan declares war on GermanyOn 23 August 1914 Japan declared war on Germany. The war spread to the Far East and the Pacific, and Japan reached for Germany's possessions in Asia.
  20. 25 August 1914Battle of the Meuse beginsOn 25 August 1914 the French Fourth Army, pulled back from the Ardennes, took post behind the Meuse from Mézières to Stenay. The fight for the crossings began.
  21. 25 August 1914Battle of the Mortagne beginsOn 25 August 1914 the armies of Castelnau and Dubail halted the German drive on the Trouée de Charmes in Lorraine and went over to a counter-offensive.
  22. 26 August 1914Battle of Le CateauOn 26 August 1914 Smith-Dorrien's II Corps stood and fought at Le Cateau against the wishes of GHQ. It paid a high price but halted the German pursuit.
  23. 29 August 1914Battle of Guise beginsOn 29 August 1914 Lanrezac's French Fifth Army broke off its retreat and counter-attacked Bülow's German Second Army on the river Oise.
  24. 4 September 1914Battle of the Grand Couronné beginsOn 4 September 1914 Crown Prince Rupprecht's army struck the Grand Couronné heights before Nancy. General Castelnau's French held the city for over a week.
  25. 5 September 1914Battle of the Ourcq beginsOn 5 September 1914 Maunoury's French Sixth Army struck the flank of Kluck's army near Meaux. The clash at Monthyon opened the great Battle of the Marne.
  26. 6 September 1914Battle of the Marne beginsOn 6 September 1914 the French armies and the British went over to the counter-offensive from Paris to Verdun. The battle that decided 1914 had begun.
  27. 9 September 1914Germans retreat from the MarneOn 9 September 1914 the German 1st and 2nd Armies began to retreat from the Marne, sealed by Moltke's envoy Hentsch. The plan for a quick victory failed.
  28. 12 September 1914Battle of the Aisne beginsOn 12 September 1914 the British and French, pursuing the Germans after the Marne, reached the Aisne. The Germans dug in on the heights beyond the river.
  29. 22 September 1914First Battle of Picardy beginsOn 22 September 1914 General de Castelnau's new French Second Army attacked north of the Oise. The Race to the Sea had begun.
  30. 22 September 1914First Battle of Albert beginsIn September 1914 the French and Germans clashed at Albert and Bapaume. On the heights above the Somme a front formed that held until the Somme battle of 1916.
  31. 27 September 1914Siege of Antwerp beginsOn 27 September 1914 the Germans began the siege of Antwerp, Belgium's last fortress. The next day heavy mortars began to smash the outer forts.
  32. 27 September 1914First Battle of Artois beginsOn 27 September 1914 the Race to the Sea reached Artois. The French and Germans began fighting for Arras, Lens and the heights that shaped the front for years.
  33. 1 October 1914Battle of Arras beginsOn 1 October 1914 three German corps attacked between Arras and Douai. The Battle of Arras began, the heaviest phase of the fighting in Artois.
  34. 10 October 1914Battle of La Bassée beginsOn 10 October 1914 the British II Corps, moved from the Aisne, marched towards Béthune and La Bassée. So began the British fighting in Flanders.
  35. 12 October 1914Battle of Messines beginsOn 12 October 1914 Allenby's British cavalry took the Mont des Cats in Flanders. The battle for the Messines ridge south of Ypres had begun.
  36. 13 October 1914Battle of Armentières beginsOn 13 October 1914 the British III Corps attacked the Germans at Meteren in Flanders. After a day's fighting in rain it took the village, losing over 700 men.
  37. 16 October 1914Battle of the Yser beginsOn 16 October 1914 the Germans attacked Diksmuide. By Belgian reckoning this began the Battle of the Yser, in defence of the last strip of their country.
  38. 19 October 1914First Battle of Ypres beginsOn 19 October 1914 a British attack on Menin ran into new German corps. This was how the First Battle of Ypres began.
  39. 21 October 1914Battle of Langemarck beginsOn 21 October 1914 the British I Corps advanced from Ypres towards Bruges. It ran into new German reserve corps and went over to the defensive that same day.
  40. 29 October 1914Battle of Gheluvelt beginsOn 29 October 1914 the Germans attacked the crossroads at Gheluvelt on the Menin–Ypres road in fog. The next day Fabeck's group began its great offensive.
  41. 29 October 1914Ottoman fleet attacks Russian portsOn 29 October 1914 Admiral Souchon's Ottoman warships shelled Russian Black Sea ports without a declaration of war. Turkey entered the war.
  42. 31 October 1914Critical day at YpresOn 31 October 1914 the Germans broke the British line at Gheluvelt. A counter-attack by the 2nd Worcestershire closed the gap, ending the Battle of Gheluvelt.
  43. 2 November 1914Russia declares war on TurkeyOn 2 November 1914 Nicholas II issued a manifesto of war with Turkey. The Tsar said it would open Russia's way to its Black Sea aims, that is, the Straits.
  44. 5 November 1914Britain and France declare war on TurkeyOn 5 November 1914 Britain and France declared war on Turkey. London abandoned its century-old policy of defending the Ottoman Empire against Russia.
  45. 11 November 1914Prussian Guard attack at Nonne BosschenOn 11 November 1914 the Prussian Guard broke into the British line at Ypres. Gunners and an Oxfordshire counter-attack stopped the last great German attack.
  46. 15 December 1914German airship off the English coastOn 15 December 1914 a German airship was sighted off the Humber estuary. It was the first confirmed presence of an enemy aircraft off the English coast.
  47. 20 December 1914First Battle of Champagne beginsOn 20 December 1914 the French Fourth Army attacked the German trenches in Champagne. The first great offensive against fortified lines in the west had begun.
  48. 20 December 1914Defence of GivenchyOn 20 December 1914 the Germans blew mines under the Indian Corps' trenches at Givenchy and broke its line. Men from Manchester retook the village that evening.

1915

  1. 8 January 1915Start of the battle of SoissonsOn 8 January 1915 the French attacked German trenches on the heights above the Aisne north of Soissons. Moroccan tirailleurs took Hill 132 in minutes.
  2. 19 January 1915First airship raid on EnglandOn 19 January 1915 the airships L 3 and L 4 bombed Great Yarmouth, King's Lynn and Norfolk villages. Four people died. It was the first airship raid on England.
  3. 10 March 1915The Battle of Neuve Chapelle beginsOn 10 March 1915, after a 35-minute bombardment, the British First Army attacked at Neuve Chapelle. It took the village in hours but could go no further.
  4. 17 April 1915British capture Hill 60On 17 April 1915 the British blew mines under Hill 60 south of Ypres and took it within minutes. Over the following days they beat off counter-attacks.
  5. 22 April 1915Second Battle of Ypres beginsOn 22 April 1915 the Germans released a cloud of chlorine at Ypres. Two French divisions broke, and a gap several kilometres wide opened north of the town.
  6. 22 April 1915Battle of Gravenstafel Ridge beginsOn the night of 22–23 April 1915 Canadians counter-attacked at Ypres to close the gas-attack gap. Of 1,500 men who charged the wood, under 500 were left.
  7. 24 April 1915Battle of St Julien beginsOn 24 April 1915 the Germans struck the Canadians at Ypres with chlorine. The 1st Canadian Division's front gave way, and in the afternoon St Julien fell.
  8. 25 April 1915Allies land at GallipoliOn 25 April 1915 British, Australian, New Zealand and French troops landed at the Dardanelles. The Turks put up fierce resistance.
  9. 1 May 1915Start of the Battle of GorliceOn 1 May 1915 German and Austro-Hungarian guns began shelling the Russians at Gorlice, and on 2 May Mackensen's army attacked and broke through the front.
  10. 7 May 1915Sinking of the LusitaniaOn 7 May 1915 U-20 torpedoed the British liner Lusitania off Ireland. Within 18 minutes almost 1,200 people died, including more than a hundred Americans.
  11. 8 May 1915Battle of Frezenberg Ridge beginsOn 8 May 1915, after a hurricane bombardment, the Germans broke the British front on Frezenberg Ridge near Ypres. The last reserves closed the gap at night.
  12. 9 May 1915British attack Aubers RidgeOn 9 May 1915 the British First Army attacked Aubers Ridge to support the French in Artois. Machine-gun fire stopped the attack in no man's land.
  13. 9 May 1915Second Battle of Artois beginsOn 9 May 1915 the French Tenth Army attacked near Arras. Pétain's corps reached Vimy Ridge in two hours, but without reserves it could not hold it.
  14. 15 May 1915Start of the Battle of FestubertAt 11.30 p.m. on 15 May 1915 the British 2nd Division and the Garhwal Brigade attacked the Germans at Festubert, the first British night attack of the war.
  15. 23 May 1915Italy declares war on Austria-HungaryOn 23 May 1915 Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary, its ally in the Triple Alliance. The state of war took effect the following day.
  16. 24 May 1915German gas attack at BellewaardeAt dawn on 24 May 1915 the Germans released chlorine at Ypres on a 7 km front, took Mouse Trap Farm and part of Bellewaarde Ridge but did not break through.
  17. 31 May 1915First airship raid on LondonIn the night of 31 May – 1 June 1915 the German airship LZ 38 bombed east London. Seven people were killed, including children, and 35 were injured.
  18. 20 July 1915Start of the Battle of Le LingeOn 20 July 1915 French chasseurs alpins attacked the German positions on the Linge ridge in the Vosges. The first assault collapsed under fire from bunkers.
  19. 5 August 1915Germans occupy WarsawOn 5 August 1915 troops of the German Ninth Army entered Warsaw, abandoned by the Russians overnight. Russian rule, in place since 1815, came to an end.
  20. 21 August 1915Italy declares war on TurkeyOn 20 August 1915 the Italian ambassador handed the grand vizier a declaration of war. From 21 August Italy was at war with the Ottoman Empire.
  21. 5 September 1915Nicholas II takes supreme commandOn 5 September 1915 Nicholas II arrived at the Stavka in Mogilev and took command of the army. Grand Duke Nicholas left; Alekseyev became chief of staff.
  22. 25 September 1915Battle of Loos beginsOn 25 September 1915 the British attacked at Loos behind chlorine gas, taking the village, Hill 70 and the Hohenzollern Redoubt, but reserves were too far back.
  23. 25 September 1915Third Battle of Artois beginsOn 25 September 1915 the French Tenth Army again attacked Vimy Ridge. The left wing reached Souchez, but on the rest of the front the attack broke down.
  24. 25 September 1915Second Battle of Champagne beginsOn 25 September 1915 two French armies attacked in Champagne. They took the German first line and 14,000 prisoners, but the second position stopped the attack.
  25. 5 October 1915Entente landing at SalonikaOn 5 October 1915 the French 156th Division and British 10th Division began landing at Salonika to save Serbia, but that day Venizelos's government fell.
  26. 6 October 1915Central Powers attack SerbiaOn 6 October 1915 Mackensen's guns opened fire along the Sava, Danube and Drina, and the first Austro-Hungarian units crossed. The conquest of Serbia began.
  27. 12 October 1915Execution of Edith CavellOn 12 October 1915 the Germans shot the British nurse Edith Cavell in Brussels. She had helped Allied soldiers escape from occupied Belgium.
  28. 14 October 1915Bulgaria and Serbia declare war on each otherOn 14 October 1915 Tsar Ferdinand issued a manifesto on war with Serbia. Bulgaria joined the Central Powers and struck at Serbia from the east.
  29. 19 October 1915Russia and Italy declare war on BulgariaOn 19 October 1915 Nicholas II's manifesto on war with Bulgaria, "betrayer of the Slav cause", was published. Italy also declared war on Bulgaria that day.
  30. 7 December 1915Siege of Kut beginsOn 7 December 1915 Ottoman troops began to surround Kut, where Townshend's division stood at bay. Nureddin called on the British to surrender.
  31. 19 December 1915Start of the evacuation of Suvla and AnzacOn the night of 18/19 December 1915 half of the last garrisons left Suvla and Anzac. Next day the remaining troops staged an ordinary day for the Turks.

1916

  1. 8 January 1916End of the evacuation of GallipoliOn the night of 8–9 January 1916 the last British troops sailed from Helles. After eight months of fighting the Gallipoli campaign ended in Allied defeat.
  2. 10 January 1916Austrians capture LovćenOn 10 January 1916 Austro-Hungarian infantry reached the summit of Lovćen, the Montenegrin mountain fortress above Kotor. The road to Cetinje lay open.
  3. 27 January 1916Britain introduces conscriptionOn 27 January 1916 the Military Service Act received royal assent. Unmarried men in Great Britain aged 18 to 41 became liable for conscription.
  4. 16 February 1916Russians capture ErzurumOn 16 February 1916 Cossacks rode into Erzurum, left by the Turks. The fall of a fortress thought impregnable was Russia's greatest success in the Caucasus.
  5. 18 February 1916Surrender of MoraOn 18 February 1916, after a siege of a year and a half, the German garrison of the mountain above Mora surrendered. It was the end of the fighting in Kamerun.
  6. 21 February 1916Start of the Battle of VerdunOn 21 February 1916 more than 1,200 German guns opened fire on the French positions at Verdun. A battle began that lasted until December 1916.
  7. 5 March 1916Start of the Kilimanjaro offensiveOn 5 March 1916 General Stewart's 1st Division set off south from Longido. It was to go round Kilimanjaro from the west and cut off the German retreat.
  8. 9 March 1916Germany declares war on PortugalOn 9 March 1916 the German minister Friedrich Rosen handed over a note in Lisbon stating that Germany considered itself at war with Portugal.
  9. 15 March 1916Austria-Hungary at war with PortugalOn 15 March 1916 Austria-Hungary followed Germany and broke with Portugal. The two were now at war, though by contemporary sources with no separate declaration.
  10. 24 March 1916Torpedoing of the SussexOn 24 March 1916 UB-29 torpedoed the French passenger ferry Sussex without warning in the Channel. At least 50 people died; Americans were among the wounded.
  11. 17 April 1916Russians capture TrebizondIn mid-April 1916 the Turks abandoned Trebizond, the chief port of northern Anatolia, without a fight. On 18 April General Lyakhov's Russians entered it.
  12. 24 April 1916Outbreak of the Easter RisingOn 24 April 1916 the Irish Volunteers and the Citizen Army seized central Dublin. Patrick Pearse read the proclamation of the Irish Republic at the GPO.
  13. 26 April 1916Sykes–Picot AgreementOn 26 April 1916 Russia and France exchanged secret notes. Russia accepted the Anglo-French plan to partition Asiatic Turkey and secured Armenia for itself.
  14. 29 April 1916Surrender of KutOn 29 April 1916 the starving garrison of Kut surrendered to the Turks. After a 147-day siege over 13,000 of Townshend's soldiers and followers were captured.
  15. 31 May 1916Start of the Battle of JutlandOn 31 May 1916 the Grand Fleet and the High Seas Fleet clashed off Jutland. By day the British lost three battlecruisers but cut off the Germans' way home.
  16. 4 June 1916Brusilov offensive beginsOn 4 June 1916 Russian guns opened fire from the Styr to Czernowitz. The Brusilov offensive had begun, and on the Dniester the Russians broke through at once.
  17. 5 June 1916Start of the Arab RevoltOn 5 June 1916 the sons of the Sharif of Mecca, Ali and Faisal, proclaimed near Medina the Arabs' independence from the Turks. Thus began the Arab Revolt.
  18. 5 June 1916Death of KitchenerOn 5 June 1916 the cruiser Hampshire, carrying Lord Kitchener to Russia, struck a mine off Orkney. The war minister died with almost all the crew; 12 survived.
  19. 1 July 1916First day on the SommeOn 1 July 1916 the British and French attacked on the Somme. The French and the British right succeeded, but the British Army lost 57,000 men.
  20. 1 July 1916The Lochnagar mine is blownAt 7.28 a.m. on 1 July 1916 the Lochnagar mine, the largest yet on the Western Front, went up at La Boisselle. The 34th Division's attack still failed.
  21. 4 July 1916Battle of Kostiuchnówka beginsOn 4 July 1916 the Russian XLVI Corps attacked the First and Third Brigades of the Legions on the Styr. After a day of shelling it took Polish Hill.
  22. 14 July 1916Battle of Bazentin Ridge beginsAt dawn on 14 July 1916, after a night approach and five minutes of shelling, the British took the German second position from Longueval to Bazentin-le-Petit.
  23. 15 July 1916Battle of Delville Wood beginsOn 15 July 1916 Lukin's South Africans broke into Delville Wood near Longueval. By afternoon they held almost all of it, and the Germans counter-attacked.
  24. 19 July 1916Attack at FromellesOn the evening of 19 July 1916 British and Australian troops attacked at Fromelles. By morning the 5th Australian Division had lost 5,533 men and held nothing.
  25. 23 July 1916Battle of Pozières Ridge beginsOn the night of 23 July 1916 the 1st Australian Division took most of Pozières on the Somme, the only success of the great British attack that night.
  26. 27 August 1916Romania declares war on Austria-HungaryOn 27 August 1916 a crown council approved Romania's entry into the war. That evening its envoy handed a note in Vienna and troops crossed the Carpathians.
  27. 28 August 1916Germany declares war on RomaniaOn 28 August 1916 Germany declared war on Romania, a day after it turned against Austria-Hungary. The surprise at Pless cost Falkenhayn his post.
  28. 28 August 1916Italy declares war on GermanyOn 27 August 1916 Sonnino sent a declaration through the Swiss government that from 28 August Italy considered itself at war with Germany.
  29. 29 August 1916Hindenburg becomes Chief of the General StaffOn 29 August 1916 Wilhelm II dismissed Falkenhayn. Hindenburg became Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army, with Ludendorff as his deputy.
  30. 30 August 1916Turkey declares war on RomaniaOn 30 August 1916 Turkey announced that, together with Germany and Bulgaria, it was declaring war on Romania. Enver Pasha was readying a corps for Dobruja.
  31. 1 September 1916Bulgaria declares war on RomaniaOn 1 September 1916 Bulgaria declared war on Romania to regain the Dobruja lost in 1913. Tsar Ferdinand called for a fight against the "treacherous neighbour".
  32. 2 September 1916Airship raid and the downing of SL 11On the night of 2–3 September 1916, 16 airships set out for London. Lieutenant Leefe Robinson shot down SL 11 over Cuffley, and the rest of the raid collapsed.
  33. 3 September 1916Battle of Guillemont beginsOn 3 September 1916 British and Irish troops took Guillemont on the Somme in under three hours, after it had been fought for in vain since late July.
  34. 9 September 1916Capture of GinchyOn 9 September 1916 the Irish 16th Division took the ruins of Ginchy on the Somme in about two hours. Among the dead was the poet and former MP Tom Kettle.
  35. 15 September 1916Start of the Battle of Flers-CourceletteOn 15 September 1916 tanks went into battle for the first time, on the Somme. The British took Flers, Martinpuich and High Wood; the Canadians took Courcelette.
  36. 25 September 1916Start of the Battle of MorvalOn 25 September 1916 the British Fourth Army attacked on the Somme at noon and took Morval and Lesbœufs in three hours. At Gueudecourt the attack failed.
  37. 26 September 1916Start of the Battle of Thiepval RidgeOn 26 September 1916 the Reserve Army attacked Thiepval Ridge on the Somme. The 18th Division broke into Thiepval and the 11th at last took Mouquet Farm.
  38. 1 October 1916Start of the Battle of the Transloy RidgesOn 1 October 1916 the British Fourth Army attacked on the Somme at Eaucourt l’Abbaye and the Flers Line, aided by tanks and New Zealanders. Next day it rained.
  39. 1 October 1916Start of the Battle of the Ancre HeightsOn 1 October 1916 the Canadians attacked Regina Trench beyond the Thiepval ridge on the Somme. Uncut wire and German marines repelled almost the whole assault.
  40. 21 October 1916Assassination of Prime Minister StürgkhOn 21 October 1916 in a Vienna restaurant the socialist Friedrich Adler shot Austrian Prime Minister Karl Stürgkh, who had ruled without parliament since 1914.
  41. 24 October 1916The French recapture Fort DouaumontOn 24 October 1916 three French divisions attacked in fog at Verdun. The colonial regiment from Morocco retook Fort Douaumont, lost eight months earlier.
  42. 5 November 1916Act of 5 NovemberOn 5 November 1916 a manifesto of the German and Austrian emperors was proclaimed in Warsaw and Lublin, promising a Kingdom of Poland without a king or borders.
  43. 13 November 1916Capture of Beaumont-HamelOn 13 November 1916, in fog, Scots of the 51st Division took Beaumont-Hamel, where the Newfoundlanders had bled on 1 July. At Serre the attack failed again.
  44. 18 November 1916End of the Battle of the SommeOn 18 November 1916, in the first snowstorm of winter, the British attacked on the Ancre for the last time. After four and a half months the Somme was over.
  45. 21 November 1916Death of Franz JosephOn 21 November 1916 the 86-year-old Emperor Franz Joseph I died at Schönbrunn after almost 68 years on the throne. His great-nephew Charles I succeeded him.
  46. 23 November 1916Provisional government declares war on Germany and BulgariaOn 23 November 1916 Venizelos's National Defence government in Salonika declared war on Germany and Bulgaria. Greece now had two governments, one at war.
  47. 6 December 1916Fall of BucharestOn 6 December 1916 Falkenhayn's and Mackensen's troops entered Bucharest unopposed. Ploiești fell the same day, and the cut-off Cerna Group laid down its arms.
  48. 7 December 1916Lloyd George becomes prime ministerOn 7 December 1916 David Lloyd George became Prime Minister. He relied on the Conservatives and Labour, while most Liberals backed Asquith.
  49. 12 December 1916German peace offerOn 12 December 1916 Germany and her allies proposed peace negotiations to the Entente. The note contained no terms, but plenty of boasting.
  50. 18 December 1916Wilson's peace noteOn 18 December 1916 President Wilson asked all the belligerents to state on what terms they were ready to end the war. The Allies took offence.
  51. 18 December 1916End of the Battle of VerdunOn 18 December 1916 Zouaves retook Les Chambrettes farm, ending Mangin's December attack and the Battle of Verdun, under way since February, the war's longest.
  52. 30 December 1916Murder of RasputinBefore dawn on 30 December 1916 aristocratic plotters in Petrograd killed Grigori Rasputin, the imperial couple's favourite, and sank his body in the Neva.

1917

  1. 19 January 1917The Zimmermann TelegramOn 19 January 1917 the German embassy in Washington passed a secret offer of an alliance against the US to Mexico. The British had been reading it for two days.
  2. 31 January 1917Germany declares unrestricted submarine warfareOn 31 January 1917 Germany told the USA that from the next day its U-boats would sink all ships around the British Isles without warning.
  3. 3 February 1917US breaks off relations with GermanyOn 3 February 1917 Wilson told Congress that the United States was breaking off diplomatic relations with Germany. Ambassador Bernstorff got his passports.
  4. 25 February 1917Germans withdraw from the AncreOn 25 February 1917 the British took Serre and Pys on the Ancre, abandoned by the Germans, in the first stage of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line.
  5. 11 March 1917British take BaghdadOn 11 March 1917 Maude's troops entered Baghdad unopposed, the Turks having left it overnight. It was Britain's greatest success in the Middle East so far.
  6. 12 March 1917February RevolutionOn 12 March 1917 the Petrograd garrison joined the strikers. Tsarist rule in the capital collapsed; a Duma Committee and a Soviet arose in the Tauride Palace.
  7. 15 March 1917Abdication of Nicholas IILate on 15 March 1917 at Pskov Nicholas II gave up the throne for himself and his son in favour of his brother Michael. The next day Michael declined the crown.
  8. 30 March 1917Provisional Government proclamation to the PolesOn 30 March 1917 the Russian Provisional Government's proclamation recognised the Poles' right to an independent state, bound to Russia by a military alliance.
  9. 6 April 1917United States declares war on GermanyOn 6 April 1917 the House of Representatives passed the war resolution and Wilson signed it. The United States was at war with Germany.
  10. 7 April 1917Cuba and Panama declare war on GermanyOn 7 April 1917, a day after the USA, Cuba and Panama declared war on Germany. The Cuban Congress voted unanimously; in Panama the president decided.
  11. 9 April 1917Battle of Arras (1917) beginsOn Easter Monday, 9 April 1917, the British and Canadians attacked at Arras. In one day they advanced 5 km and took thousands of prisoners.
  12. 9 April 1917Assault on Vimy RidgeOn 9 April 1917, in a snowstorm, four Canadian divisions attacked Vimy Ridge. By evening they held almost all of it except the highest point, Hill 145.
  13. 16 April 1917Nivelle offensive beginsAt 6 a.m. on 16 April 1917 the French attacked on the Chemin des Dames. Meant to break through in two days, by evening they were stuck below the ridge.
  14. 17 April 1917Battle of the Hills beginsOn 17 April 1917 the French 4th Army attacked the Moronvilliers hills east of Reims. Zouaves took Mont Sans Nom, but Cornillet held out.
  15. 23 April 1917Second Battle of the Scarpe beginsOn 23 April 1917, St George's Day, the British struck again at Arras. They took Gavrelle and Guémappe, but at Rœux and Monchy the fighting was indecisive.
  16. 28 April 1917Canadians capture ArleuxOn 28 April 1917 the Canadian 2nd Brigade took Arleux-en-Gohelle, the day's only success, as British attacks at Rœux, Gavrelle and Oppy failed.
  17. 3 May 1917Third Battle of the Scarpe beginsAt 3.45 a.m. on 3 May 1917, still in darkness, three British armies struck again at Arras. They failed almost everywhere. Only the Canadians succeeded.
  18. 3 May 1917Battle of Bullecourt beginsOn 3 May 1917 the Australians broke into the Hindenburg Line east of Bullecourt. The 6th Brigade held the breach, but the British 62nd Division's attack failed.
  19. 3 May 1917Start of the French Army mutiniesOn 3 May 1917 near Soissons about 1,000 men of the 2nd Colonial Division shouted "Down with the war!". After Nivelle's defeat, mutinies swept the army.
  20. 15 May 1917Pétain becomes commander-in-chiefOn 15 May 1917 the French government removed Nivelle. Pétain became commander-in-chief of the armies of the North and North-East, Foch chief of staff.
  21. 7 June 1917Battle of Messines (1917) beginsOn 7 June 1917 at 3.10 a.m. 19 great mines blew up under German trenches on Messines Ridge. By evening Plumer's 2nd Army held the ridge and Oosttaverne Line.
  22. 12 June 1917Abdication of King ConstantineOn 12 June 1917 King Constantine I, forced by the Entente, left Athens, leaving the throne to his younger son Alexander. He did not formally abdicate.
  23. 13 June 1917Gotha raid on LondonOn 13 June 1917 fourteen Gothas bombed the City and East End by day, killing 162 people, 18 of them children at a Poplar school. No bomber was lost.
  24. 27 June 1917Greece enters the warOn 27 June 1917 Venizelos took power in Athens. His government broke off relations with the Central Powers, and all of Greece went to war on the Entente side.
  25. 1 July 1917Kerensky Offensive beginsOn 1 July 1917, after two days of artillery fire, Russian infantry attacked in eastern Galicia. At Koniuchy it broke through the Austro-Hungarian front.
  26. 22 July 1917Siam declares war on Germany and Austria-HungaryOn 22 July 1917 King Vajiravudh declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. At dawn the Siamese interned the Germans and seized nine German ships.
  27. 22 July 1917Arrest of PiłsudskiOn the night of 21–22 July 1917 the Germans arrested Józef Piłsudski and Kazimierz Sosnkowski in Warsaw. The Commandant spent over a year in Magdeburg.
  28. 31 July 1917Third Battle of Ypres beginsOn 31 July 1917 the British and French attacked from Ypres. They took Pilckem Ridge but stalled on the Gheluvelt plateau, and in the afternoon a downpour began.
  29. 4 August 1917Liberia declares war on GermanyOn 4 August 1917 the Liberian Congress unanimously declared war on Germany. The same day the Germans in Monrovia were taken aboard the French cruiser Desaix.
  30. 14 August 1917China declares war on Germany and Austria-HungaryAt 10 a.m. on 14 August 1917 China proclaimed a state of war with Germany and Austria-Hungary. The proclamation was signed by President Feng Guozhang.
  31. 15 August 1917Battle of Hill 70 beginsAt dawn on 15 August 1917 the Canadian Corps took Hill 70 above Lens and then broke a series of German counter-attacks with artillery fire.
  32. 16 August 1917Battle of Langemarck (1917) beginsOn 16 August 1917 the British took the ruins of Langemarck near Ypres, but the Irish divisions bled at Frezenberg and the Gheluvelt plateau held out again.
  33. 8 September 1917Kornilov affairOn 8 September 1917 Vladimir Lvov passed General Kornilov's "demands" to Kerensky, who took them for a coup and that night dismissed the commander-in-chief.
  34. 12 September 1917Patent on the Regency CouncilOn 12 September 1917 Germany and Austria-Hungary issued a patent giving power in the Kingdom of Poland to a three-man Regency Council, under occupiers' control.
  35. 20 September 1917Start of the Battle of the Menin Road RidgeOn 20 September 1917 Plumer's armies advanced at Ypres behind a huge barrage. The Australians took Glencorse Wood and Nonne Bosschen and reached Polygon Wood.
  36. 26 September 1917Battle of Polygon Wood beginsOn 26 September 1917 the Australians took Polygon Wood and the Butte near Ypres, and the British entered Zonnebeke. Artillery broke the German counter-attacks.
  37. 4 October 1917Battle of BroodseindeOn 4 October 1917 the Anzacs took the Broodseinde ridge near Ypres, colliding in no man's land with attacking Germans. They took thousands of prisoners.
  38. 9 October 1917Battle of PoelcappelleOn 9 October 1917, after a night march through mud, the British attacked at Ypres towards Passchendaele and were repulsed. Guards and French reached Houthulst.
  39. 12 October 1917First Battle of PasschendaeleOn 12 October 1917 Anzacs advanced in the rain on Passchendaele. By evening they were back on their old lines, and 845 New Zealanders were dead.
  40. 15 October 1917Execution of Mata HariOn 15 October 1917 Mata Hari, a Dutch dancer convicted of spying for Germany, was shot at Vincennes. The evidence of her guilt is disputed to this day.
  41. 24 October 1917Battle of Caporetto beginsOn 24 October 1917, after a gas bombardment, Germans and Austrians struck on the upper Isonzo. By evening they had broken the Italian front and taken Caporetto.
  42. 26 October 1917Brazil declares war on GermanyOn 26 October 1917 the Brazilian Congress recognised that Germany had imposed a state of war on Brazil. The immediate cause was the sinking of the Macau.
  43. 26 October 1917Start of the Second Battle of PasschendaeleOn 26 October 1917 the Canadians attacked the Passchendaele ridge in rain. After hard fighting they took the Bellevue spur, where the New Zealanders had failed.
  44. 31 October 1917The charge at BeershebaOn 31 October 1917 the British took Beersheba. At dusk two regiments of the Australian Light Horse galloped into the town and saved its wells.
  45. 2 November 1917Balfour DeclarationOn 2 November 1917 Arthur Balfour assured Lord Rothschild that Britain supported the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.
  46. 7 November 1917October RevolutionOn 7 November 1917 the Bolsheviks seized Petrograd and overthrew the Provisional Government. The Winter Palace fell at night; the Soviet Congress took power.
  47. 20 November 1917Battle of CambraiOn 20 November 1917 hundreds of British tanks, with no preliminary bombardment, broke the Hindenburg Line at Cambrai. Over 4,000 prisoners were taken.
  48. 7 December 1917United States declares war on Austria-HungaryOn 7 December 1917 Congress, at Wilson's request, declared the United States at war with Austria-Hungary. Only one congressman voted against.
  49. 9 December 1917Surrender of JerusalemOn 9 December 1917, after the Turks fled overnight, Jerusalem's mayor went out to the British with a white flag. The city surrendered without a fight or damage.
  50. 10 December 1917Panama declares war on Austria-HungaryOn 10 December 1917 Panama's National Assembly unanimously declared a state of war with Austria-Hungary, three days after the US Congress did so.
  51. 15 December 1917Armistice of Brest-LitovskOn 15 December 1917 at Brest-Litovsk Soviet Russia and the Central Powers signed an armistice from the Baltic to the Black Sea, taking Russia out of the war.
  52. 16 December 1917Cuba declares war on Austria-HungaryOn 16 December 1917 Cuba proclaimed a state of war with Austria-Hungary. President Menocal's request passed both houses of Congress in a few days.

1918

  1. 8 January 1918Wilson's Fourteen PointsOn 8 January 1918 Wilson laid a fourteen-point peace programme before Congress. In the thirteenth he demanded an independent Poland with access to the sea.
  2. 19 January 1918Dispersal of the Constituent AssemblyAt dawn on 19 January 1918 the guard broke up the Constituent Assembly; that evening Soviet power dissolved it. Russia's first free parliament met only once.
  3. 9 February 1918Peace of Brest-Litovsk with UkraineOn 9 February 1918 the Central Powers made peace with the Ukrainian People's Republic at Brest. For grain they promised it Chełm Land, angering the Poles.
  4. 18 February 1918Operation Faustschlag beginsAt noon on 18 February 1918 the armistice on the Eastern Front expired. The Germans advanced and that same day, almost without a fight, took Dvinsk and Lutsk.
  5. 3 March 1918Treaty of Brest-LitovskOn 3 March 1918 Soviet Russia signed peace with the Central Powers at Brest. It lost Poland, Lithuania, Courland, Livonia, Estonia, Finland and Ukraine.
  6. 21 March 1918Operation Michael beginsOn 21 March 1918, after a five-hour bombardment and in thick fog, three German armies broke the British front on the Somme. The British lost over 38,000 men.
  7. 24 March 1918Germans take Bapaume and PéronneOn 24 March 1918 the Germans crossed the old Somme battlefield. Péronne was theirs, the British gave up Bapaume at night, and at Dury Pétain alarmed Haig.
  8. 25 March 1918Germans capture NoyonOn 25 March 1918 Hutier's army broke the French reinforcements on the Oise and entered Noyon in the evening. The gap between the French and British widened.
  9. 26 March 1918Doullens conferenceOn 26 March 1918, in the town hall at Doullens, the French and British entrusted General Foch with coordinating the Allied armies on the Western Front.
  10. 27 March 1918Fighting at RosièresOn 27 March 1918 six exhausted divisions of British XIX Corps held off an attack by eleven German divisions before Rosières, on the road to Amiens.
  11. 28 March 1918German attack at ArrasOn 28 March 1918 the Germans attacked at Arras in Operation Mars. The British defence held; in the evening Ludendorff called it off and turned to Amiens.
  12. 4 April 1918Fighting on the AvreOn 4 April 1918, in the rain, the Germans struck at Amiens. By evening they were at Villers-Bretonneux, but an Australian counter-attack threw them back.
  13. 5 April 1918Fighting on the AncreOn 5 April 1918 the Germans attacked on the Ancre. At Dernancourt the Australians lost the embankment but held the ridge. Ludendorff then ended Michael.
  14. 9 April 1918Start of the Battle of the LysOn 9 April 1918, in fog, the German Sixth Army struck on the Lys. The Portuguese 2nd Division broke, but the British held Givenchy and the line of the rivers.
  15. 10 April 1918Germans take MessinesOn 10 April 1918 the German 4th Army attacked in fog north of Armentières and took Messines. In the evening the South Africans briefly retook the village.
  16. 12 April 1918Start of the Battle of HazebrouckOn 12 April 1918 the German Sixth Army struck at Hazebrouck. It broke through at Pacaut and Doulieu, but the Guards and 5th Division held it at Nieppe Forest.
  17. 13 April 1918Battle of Bailleul beginsOn 13 April 1918 the Germans attacked the hills between Bailleul and Neuve-Église. The British gave up an exposed salient but held the Ravelsberg ridge.
  18. 14 April 1918Foch becomes Allied commander-in-chiefOn 14 April 1918 Foch became commander-in-chief of the Allied armies in France. That day at Abbeville he refused to relieve Haig's British divisions.
  19. 17 April 1918Start of the First Battle of Mount KemmelOn 17 April 1918 the Germans attacked the Flanders hills near Kemmel and the Belgians at Merkem. British, Australians, French and Belgians beat off the attacks.
  20. 18 April 1918Fighting at BéthuneOn 18 April 1918 six German divisions attacked Givenchy, Festubert and the La Bassée canal. The British repulsed the attack and Béthune stayed in their hands.
  21. 23 April 1918Zeebrugge raidOn St George's night, 23 April 1918, the Royal Navy attacked Zeebrugge and Ostend to seal the Germans' exits from Bruges. Two blockships were sunk at Zeebrugge.
  22. 23 April 1918Guatemala declares war on GermanyOn 23 April 1918 President Estrada Cabrera promulgated a decree by which Guatemala adopted towards Germany the same belligerent attitude as the United States.
  23. 24 April 1918Fighting at Villers-BretonneuxOn 24 April 1918 the Germans took Villers-Bretonneux with tanks, and at Cachy tanks fought tanks for the first time. That night the Australians retook the town.
  24. 25 April 1918Germans take Mount KemmelOn 25 April 1918, after a gas bombardment, the Alpenkorps took the French-held Kemmelberg in just over an hour. The British held the flank at Ypres.
  25. 29 April 1918Fighting for the ScherpenbergOn 29 April 1918 the Germans attacked the Scherpenberg and Mont Rouge. The French and British repulsed them, and that evening Ludendorff halted the offensive.
  26. 7 May 1918Peace of BucharestOn 7 May 1918 in Bucharest the Marghiloman government signed peace with the Central Powers. Romania lost Dobruja and the Carpathian passes; Germany got its oil.
  27. 8 May 1918Nicaragua declares war on GermanyOn 8 May 1918 Nicaragua announced that Congress had declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. President Chamorro openly sided with the United States.
  28. 11 May 1918Fighting at KaniówIn the night of 10/11 May 1918 the Germans attacked the Polish II Corps at Kaniów. The Poles held out all day, but short of ammunition they capitulated.
  29. 23 May 1918Costa Rica declares war on GermanyOn 23 May 1918 Federico Tinoco's government, unrecognised by Washington, declared war on Germany. Congress gave way only under threat of dissolution.
  30. 27 May 1918Third Battle of the Aisne beginsOn 27 May 1918, after a bombardment by over 1,000 batteries, the Germans took the Chemin des Dames, broke British IX Corps and crossed the Aisne to the Vesle.
  31. 3 June 1918Versailles declarationOn 3 June 1918 at Versailles the French, British and Italian prime ministers made a united, independent Poland with access to the sea a condition of peace.
  32. 9 June 1918Start of the Battle of the MatzOn 9 June 1918 the German Eighteenth Army struck between Montdidier and Noyon. The French knew the hour of attack, yet by evening lost 10 km in the centre.
  33. 15 June 1918Start of the Second Battle of the PiaveOn 15 June 1918 Austria-Hungary attacked at Asiago, the Grappa and the Piave. In the mountains it failed, but on the river it took the Montello and bridgeheads.
  34. 4 July 1918Australians take HamelAt 3.10 a.m. on 4 July 1918 Australians with Mark V tanks and Americans attacked Hamel on the Somme. In about 90 minutes they took the village, woods and ridge.
  35. 12 July 1918Haiti declares war on GermanyOn 12 July 1918 Haiti's Council of State, standing in for the dissolved parliament, declared a state of war with Germany. US-occupied Haiti followed Washington.
  36. 15 July 1918Second Battle of the Marne beginsOn 15 July 1918 the Germans attacked either side of Reims. In Champagne they broke against Gouraud's defence; on the Marne they crossed at Dormans and stalled.
  37. 16 July 1918Murder of the imperial familyOn the night of 16–17 July 1918 in Yekaterinburg the Bolsheviks murdered the former Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, their five children and four companions.
  38. 18 July 1918Mangin's counter-offensiveOn 18 July 1918 Mangin's French Tenth Army, with Americans and hundreds of tanks, struck the German flank from Villers-Cotterêts without a bombardment.
  39. 19 July 1918Honduras declares war on GermanyOn 19 July 1918 President Francisco Bertrand declared a state of war with Germany by decree. Honduras was the last of eight Latin American states to do so.
  40. 23 July 1918Start of the Battle of the Soissonnais and the OurcqOn 23 July 1918 the British 15th and 34th Divisions, thrown in straight off the march, attacked with Mangin's army south of Soissons. They gained very little.
  41. 8 August 1918Battle of Amiens beginsOn 8 August 1918, in fog, Canadians, Australians and tanks broke the front at Amiens, taking over 15,000 prisoners. Ludendorff called it the "black day".
  42. 8 August 1918Start of the Battle of MontdidierOn 8 August 1918 Debeney's French First Army attacked alongside the British at Amiens. It took Moreuil and crossed the Avre, but did not reach Arvillers.
  43. 13 August 1918Czechoslovaks declare war on GermanyOn 13 August 1918, per the British chronology, the Czechoslovaks declared war on Germany too. They had three armies, in Russia, France and Italy.
  44. 14 August 1918Crown council at SpaOn 14 August 1918 a crown council at Spa accepted that Germany could not win the war militarily. It resolved to seek peace, but only at a "suitable moment".
  45. 17 August 1918Second Battle of Noyon beginsOn 17 August 1918 Mangin's French Tenth Army attacked between the Oise and the Aisne to drive back German outposts. Three days later it struck in full strength.
  46. 18 August 1918Capture of Outtersteene RidgeAt noon on 18 August 1918 the Scottish 9th Division surprised the Germans near Bailleul and took Outtersteene Ridge. The clearing of the Lys salient had begun.
  47. 21 August 1918Second Battle of Albert beginsIn thick fog on 21 August 1918 Britain's Third Army attacked with tanks north of the Ancre, took Bucquoy and Achiet-le-Petit and reached the Albert–Arras line.
  48. 26 August 1918Start of the Battle of the ScarpeAt 3 a.m. on 26 August 1918 the Canadians attacked east of Arras and retook Monchy-le-Preux by 8 a.m. The Allied offensive spread to the First Army front.
  49. 30 August 1918Assassination attempt on LeninOn 30 August 1918 Lenin was gravely wounded in Moscow; that morning Uritsky, the Petrograd Cheka chief, was killed. The Bolsheviks answered with Red Terror.
  50. 31 August 1918Second Battle of Bapaume beginsOn 31 August 1918 Australians attacked Mont Saint-Quentin above Péronne as the Third Army beat off counter-attacks beyond Bapaume. The battle began.
  51. 2 September 1918Breaking of the Drocourt–Quéant LineOn 2 September 1918 the Canadians broke the Drocourt–Quéant Line near Arras, and at noon the German command ordered a retreat to the Hindenburg Line.
  52. 12 September 1918Start of the Battle of Saint-MihielOn 12 September 1918 Pershing's American First Army attacked the German Saint-Mihiel salient. In the rain it got through the wire and advanced about 8 km.
  53. 12 September 1918Battle of Havrincourt beginsOn 12 September 1918 Byng's Third Army took Havrincourt and Trescault in front of the Hindenburg Line, while New Zealanders fought the elite Jäger Division.
  54. 18 September 1918Battle of ÉpehyOn 18 September 1918, in rain and fog, the British and Australians attacked the outposts of the Hindenburg Line. They took over 9,000 prisoners and Épehy.
  55. 19 September 1918Battle of Megiddo beginsAt dawn on 19 September 1918 Allenby's infantry broke the Turkish front by the sea within hours, and three cavalry divisions raced north through the gap.
  56. 26 September 1918The Meuse–Argonne offensive beginsOn 26 September 1918 the Americans attacked between the Meuse and the Argonne, the French in Champagne. The first German position fell, but Montfaucon held.
  57. 27 September 1918Start of the Battle of the Canal du NordAt 5.20 a.m. on 27 September 1918 the Canadians crossed the dry Canal du Nord; by evening they held Bourlon Wood and the Third Army was in the Hindenburg Line.
  58. 28 September 1918Fifth Battle of Ypres beginsOn 28 September 1918 the Belgians and British under King Albert I attacked from Ypres. In one day they retook Passchendaele, Gheluvelt and Houthulst Forest.
  59. 29 September 1918Battle of the St Quentin Canal beginsOn 29 September 1918 the British 46th Division crossed the St Quentin Canal in fog, while Americans and Australians stormed the Hindenburg Line at Bellicourt.
  60. 29 September 1918Ludendorff demands an armisticeOn 29 September 1918 at Spa Hindenburg and Ludendorff demanded an immediate armistice request. The Kaiser agreed to appeal to Wilson and to parliamentary rule.
  61. 30 September 1918Armistice of SalonicaOn 29 September 1918 Bulgaria signed an armistice at Salonica. The fighting stopped at noon on 30 September, the first Central Power out of the war.
  62. 3 October 1918Start of the battle of the Beaurevoir LineOn 3 October 1918 the British and Australians broke the Beaurevoir Line, the Hindenburg Line's last position. Montbrehain fell, but the Germans retook it.
  63. 4 October 1918Peace notes to WilsonOn 4 October 1918 Germany and Austria-Hungary sent President Wilson notes asking for an armistice and peace talks on the basis of the Fourteen Points.
  64. 7 October 1918Declaration of the Regency CouncilOn 7 October 1918 the Regency Council's proclamation "To the Polish Nation" declared the aim of an independent Poland and dissolved the Council of State.
  65. 8 October 1918Battle of Cambrai beginsOn 8 October 1918 the British Third and Fourth Armies and the Americans attacked between Sequehart and Cambrai. At Niergnies the Germans used captured tanks.
  66. 14 October 1918Battle of Kortrijk beginsOn 14 October 1918 the Belgians, British and French attacked again in Flanders. They broke through the last German position and retook Roeselare.
  67. 17 October 1918Start of the Battle of the SelleOn 17 October 1918 the British Fourth Army, with two American divisions, forced the Selle in fog and by evening had retaken Le Cateau.
  68. 24 October 1918Battle of Vittorio Veneto beginsOn 24 October 1918, the anniversary of Caporetto, the Italians attacked the Grappa. The Austrians held, and the swollen Piave delayed the main crossing.
  69. 28 October 1918Czechoslovak independenceOn 28 October 1918 the National Committee took power in Prague and passed its first law: "The independent Czechoslovak state has come into being".
  70. 30 October 1918Armistice of MudrosOn 30 October 1918, aboard the battleship Agamemnon at Mudros, the Ottoman Empire signed an armistice with the Entente. Fighting ended at noon on 31 October.
  71. 31 October 1918Liberation of KrakówOn 31 October 1918 Polish soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army disarmed the Kraków garrison without a shot. The Austrian command handed power to the Poles.
  72. 1 November 1918Battle of Valenciennes beginsOn 1 November 1918 the Canadians took Mont Houy near Valenciennes in under an hour, supported by fire such as no other brigade had ever had.
  73. 3 November 1918Armistice of Villa GiustiOn 3 November 1918 near Padua Austria-Hungary signed an armistice with the Allies. Fighting ceased at 3 p.m. on 4 November; the Habsburg monarchy left the war.
  74. 4 November 1918Battle of the Sambre beginsOn 4 November 1918 the British crossed the Sambre–Oise Canal and Mormal Forest in fog, and the New Zealanders took Le Quesnoy. Wilfred Owen fell at Ors.
  75. 9 November 1918Revolution in BerlinOn 9 November 1918 the revolution reached Berlin. The chancellor announced the Kaiser's abdication and handed power to Ebert; Scheidemann proclaimed a republic.
  76. 11 November 1918Armistice of CompiègneAt dawn on 11 November 1918 Germany signed an armistice with the Entente in Foch's railway carriage in the Forest of Compiègne. At 11 a.m. the guns fell silent.
  77. 11 November 1918Poland regains independenceOn 11 November 1918 the Regency Council handed Piłsudski command of the army, while Warsaw disarmed the Germans. The day became Independence Day.
  78. 1 December 1918Assembly at Alba IuliaOn 1 December 1918 the Great National Assembly at Alba Iulia proclaimed the union of Transylvania, the Banat and the Romanian lands of Hungary with Romania.
  79. 1 December 1918Proclamation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and SlovenesOn 1 December 1918 in Belgrade Regent Alexander received the Zagreb National Council's delegation and proclaimed the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
  80. 27 December 1918Outbreak of the Greater Poland UprisingOn 27 December 1918, after a German march in Poznań, shots rang out by the Bazar hotel. Poles attacked police headquarters and took the station and post office.

1919

  1. 14 February 1919Start of the Polish–Soviet WarOn 14 February 1919, at Mosty on the Niemen and at Bereza Kartuska, regular units of the Polish Army and the Red Army clashed for the first time.
  2. 19 April 1919Poles take VilnaOn 19 April 1919 Lt-Col Belina-Prażmowski's Polish cavalry burst into Vilna and took most of the city. By 21 April the Poles had driven the Bolsheviks out.
  3. 28 June 1919Poland signs the Treaty of VersaillesOn 28 June 1919 Paderewski and Dmowski signed the peace with Germany at Versailles. Poland regained Greater Poland and Pomerania; Danzig became a Free City.
  4. 17 July 1919End of the Polish–Ukrainian warIn mid-July 1919 the Ukrainian Galician Army withdrew beyond the Zbruch, and on 17 July the fighting ceased. The whole of Eastern Galicia was in Polish hands.

1920

  1. 13 August 1920Battle of Warsaw beginsOn 13 August 1920 the Red Army attacked the Warsaw bridgehead and took Radzymin, about 20 kilometres from the capital. The Battle of Warsaw had begun.

1921

  1. 18 March 1921Peace of RigaOn 18 March 1921 Poland and Soviet Russia and Ukraine signed a peace treaty in Riga. It ended the Polish–Soviet War and fixed Poland's eastern border.
  2. 2 May 1921Outbreak of the Third Silesian UprisingOn the night of 2–3 May 1921 the Wawelberg Group blew up bridges over the Oder and 40,000 insurgents went into action. Korfanty became dictator of the uprising.
  3. 20 October 1921Conference of Ambassadors divides Upper SilesiaOn 20 October 1921 the Conference of Ambassadors adopted the League of Nations plan to divide Upper Silesia. Poland got 29% of the area and most mines.

1923

  1. 15 March 1923Conference of Ambassadors recognises Poland's eastern borderOn 15 March 1923 the Conference of Ambassadors recognised Poland's eastern borders with Russia and Lithuania and its sovereignty over Eastern Galicia and Vilna.