British succeed with few casualties as detonate 19 mines under German front lines – the explosions are reportedly heard from England.
13th June
Germans launch first major heavy bomber raid of London – kills and injures 594.
25th June
First US troops arrive in France.
31st July
Start of the Third Battle at Ypres – a 15 mile front in Flanders. Initial attacks are successful as the German forward trenches are lightly manned.
15th August
The Battle of Lens (Hill 70). – Canadians at the forefront , won a high vantage point, though loss of 9,200 men.
20th August
Third Battle of Verdun begins. French progress is marked by gaining lost territory in the earlier battles.
9th October
The third phase of the Ypres Offensive begins with British and French troops taking Poelcapelle. 25mm of rain falls in 48 hours and the battlefield turns into a quagmire.
12th October
British launch assault at Ypres Against the Passchendale Ridge. New Zealand and Australians take terrible casualties. Bogged down in mud and forced back to start lines.
24th October
Battle of Caporetto – Italian Army heavily defeated.
26th October
Second Battle of Passchendaele begins, 12,000 men lost and 300 yards gained (ends 10th November – 500,000 casualties, 140,000 deaths and 5 miles gained).
6th November
Britain launches major offensive on the Western Front.
20th November
Victory for British tanks at Cambrai - The Royal flying Corps drop bombs at the same time on German anti-tank guns and strong points. Early example of the ‘Blitzkrieg’ tactics later used by Germany in World War Two.
5th December
Armistice between Germany and Russia signed.
1918
16th January
Riots in Vienna and Budapest with dissatisfaction at the war.
3rd March
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed between (Soviet) Russia and Germany.
21st March
Second Battle of the Somme marked by the German spring offensive, the ‘Kaiserschlacht’. Germans attack along a 50 mile front south of Arras.
22nd March
Victory for Germany with operation Michael - Use of new ‘Storm trooper’ assault to smash through British positions west of St. Quentin, taking 16,000 prisoners.
23rd March
Greatest air battle of the war takes place over the Somme, with 70 aircraft involved.
5th April
The German Spring Offensive halts outside Amiens as British and Australian forces hold the Line. The second 1917 battle of the Somme ends, as Germany calls off operation Michael.
9th April
Germany starts offensive in Flanders –Battle of the Lys (ends 29th April).
19th May
German air force launches largest raid on London, using 33 aircraft.
27th May
Operation Blucher – The Third German Spring Offensive attacks the French army along the Aisne River. French are forced back to the Marne, but hold the river with help from the Americans.
15th July
Second battle of the Marne started; final phase of German spring offensive.Start of the collapse of the German army with irreplaceable casualties.
8th August
Second Battle of Amiens – German resistance sporadic and thousands surrender.
27th September
British offensive on the CambraiFront leads to the storming of the Hindenburg Line. Battle of St. Quentin – British and U.S troops launch devastating offensives.
4th October
Germany asks the allies for an armistice (sent to Woodrow Wilson).
8th October
Allies advance along a 20 mile front from St. Quentin to Cambrai, driving the Germans back and capturing 10,000 troops.
29th October
Germany’s navy mutinies (at Jade).
3rd November
Austria makes peace. German sailors mutiny at Kiel.
9th November
Kaiser Wilhelm abdicates and revolution breaks out in Berlin.
11th November
Germany signs the armistice with the allies – coming into effect at 11.00am (official end of WWI).
1919
10th January
Communist Revolt in Berlin (Battle of Berlin).
18th January
Paris Peace Conference Begins.
25th January
Principle of a League of Nations ratified.
6th May
Under conditions of the Peace conference, German colonies are annexed.
21st June
The surrendered German naval fleet at Scapa Flow was scuttled.
28th June
Treaty of Versailles signed.
19th July
Cenotaph unveiled in London.
17th H.L.I.
THE GIFT OF THE MEMBERS OF
THE GLASGOW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
Image 1. British Highland regiments marching through Boulogne, France
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
John McCrae, May 1915
A Soldier’s Cemetery
Behind that long and lonely trenched line
To which men come and go, where brave men die,
There is a yet unmarked and unknown shrine,
A broken plot, a soldier’s cemetery.
There lie the flower of youth, the men who scorn’d
To live (so died) when languished Liberty:
Across their graves flowerless and unadorned
Still scream the shells of each artillery.
When war shall cease this lonely unknown spot
Of many a pilgrimage will be the end,
And flowers will shine in this now barren plot
And fame upon it through the years descend:
But many a heart upon each simple cross
Will hang the grief, the memory of its loss.
by John William Streets (killed and missing in action on 1st July 1916 aged 31)
“The stern hand of fate has scourged us to an elevation where we can see the great everlasting things which matter for a nation—the great peaks we had forgotten, of Honour, Duty, Patriotism, and, clad in glittering white, the great pinnacle of Sacrifice pointing like a rugged finger to Heaven.”
David Lloyd George (1863–1945), British Liberal
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