France
France in the First World War →Tag
(541)1917
January
- 24
- Greece apologises to the AlliesOn 24–25 January 1917 Greece dismissed General Kallaris and formally apologised to the Entente ministers for 1 December. The flags were saluted on 29 January.
- Allied naval conference in LondonOn 23–24 January 1917 the admiralties of Britain, France and Italy met in London on defending Mediterranean shipping. Much was said of the lack of ships.
February
March
- 14
- Main German retreat to the Hindenburg Line beginsOn 14 March 1917 the British noticed the Germans leaving their trenches in St Pierre Vaast Wood. The main retreat to the Hindenburg Line was beginning.
- Lyautey resignsOn 14 March 1917 the Chamber of Deputies shouted down War Minister Lyautey when he said a debate on aviation endangered national defence. He resigned at once.
- 17
- French take RoyeOn 17 March 1917 the French advance guard entered Roye, ruined by the Germans. About 800 inhabitants whom the occupiers had not deported awaited the troops.
- Fall of the Briand governmentOn 17 March 1917 Aristide Briand, French prime minister since October 1915, resigned with his cabinet. After Lyautey left he found no new war minister.
- Airship L 39 destroyedAt dawn on 17 March 1917, after a failed raid on England, French anti-aircraft guns shot down the airship L 39 over Compiègne. The whole crew was killed.
April
- 05
- End of the retreat to the Hindenburg LineOn 5 April 1917 the British took Ronssoy and Lempire, the last villages before the Hindenburg Line. The British official history ends the German retreat there.
- Britain supports Polish independenceOn 5 April 1917 London assured the Provisional Government of its full support for an independent, united Poland. France and Italy sent similar notes.
May
- 04
- French retake CraonneOn 4 May 1917 the French 36th Division took the ruins of Craonne and broke onto the Californie plateau, one of the last successes of the Nivelle offensive.
- Third Battle of the Scarpe endsOn 4 May 1917 the British pulled the last troops out of the failed Scarpe attack. In Paris Haig and the French agreed the time for a breakthrough had passed.
June
- 12
- Key eventAbdication 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.
- Entente occupies Thessaly and the Isthmus of CorinthOn 10–12 June 1917 the French occupied the Isthmus of Corinth and entered Thessaly. On 12 June they took Larissa, and a landing force went ashore at Piraeus.
- 26
- Venizelos becomes prime minister of GreeceOn 24 June 1917 Zaimis refused to revive the chamber of 1915 and resigned. On 26 June Venizelos formed a government of the whole of Greece, now reunited.
- First American troops in FranceOn 26 June 1917 the first soldiers of the American 1st Division landed at Saint-Nazaire. The convoy from New York had crossed the Atlantic without loss.
July
August
September
October
- 23
- Battle of La Malmaison beginsAt 5.15 a.m. on 23 October 1917 the French Sixth Army attacked the western end of the Chemin des Dames. Zouaves took Fort La Malmaison; Chavignon fell too.
- Barthou becomes foreign ministerOn 23 October 1917 Louis Barthou replaced Alexandre Ribot at the head of French diplomacy. Ribot was brought down by a dispute over German peace feelers.
November
- 03
- French troops in ItalyOn 3 November 1917 the arrival of French troops in Italy was announced. After Caporetto France sent four divisions there at first, and then two more.
- Tonnage agreement for the AlliesOn 3 November 1917 Britain, France and Italy agreed that ships to carry food for the Allies were a common burden, and divided it among themselves.
- First American soldiers killed in actionEarly on 3 November 1917 the Germans raided the trenches of the 16th Infantry near Bathelémont. Three Americans died, the first AEF soldiers killed in combat.