Chapter V: Introduction (5)

The end of the Battle of Havrincourt and Epéhy (see Sept. 12): strong German counterattacks are repulsed; and Mœuvres, which had been lost, is retaken by the British. In this battle the British 3rd and 4th Armies have captured the outer Hindenburg defences, with nearly 12,000 prisoners and 100 guns.

Macedonian Front:--Serbian cavalry advance rapidly on the Tcherna Front; British and Greek troops attack east and west of Lake Doiran and advance against fierce resistance.

Sept. 19 (Thur.)

Macedonian Front:--The Serbians and the French advance rapidly, at many points in pursuit of a routed enemy; British attacks are stubbornly resisted.

Palestine:--General Allenby launches an offensive in great strength; he breaks the Turkish defences near the coast on a front of 16 miles and his infantry and cavalry advance rapidly through the breach; the infantry reach Tul Keram, the cavalry strike towards Shechem and Beisan to cut off the enemy's retreat; nearer the Jordan the British attack and advance against a stiffer resistance.

Sept. 20 (Fri.)

The French capture Benay, south of St. Quentin.

Palestine:--The battle develops into a decisive victory: British cavalry enter Beisan and Nazareth.

Sept. 21 (Sat.)

Macedonian Front:--Serbian and French forces reach the Vardar in the direction of Negotin.

Palestine:--The British infantry reach the line Bir Asur--Samaria--Beit Dejan; captures to date exceed 18,000 prisoners and 120 guns.

Sept. 22 (Sun.)

Macedonian Front:--The Bulgarians are in full retreat along the whole line between Monastir and Lake Doiran; the Allies capture Ghevgeli.

Palestine:--General Allenby reports the complete destruction of the Turkish 7th and 8th Armies.

Sept. 23 (Mon.)

Macedonian Front:--The French capture Prilep.

Palestine:--The British capture Acre and Haifa and, east of the Jordan, Es Salt; Arab forces capture Maan.

Sept. 24 (Tues.)

Macedonian Front:--The Bulgarians retreat in disorder beyond Veles.

Sept. 25 (Wed.)

Macedonian Front:--The Serbians capture Ishtip and Veles; the British enter Bulgaria near Kosturino; the Bulgarian Government proposes an Armistice.

Palestine:--The British advance continues with increasing rapidity: Tiberias, on the Sea of Galilee, and Amman, on the Hedjaz railway, are occupied; captures to date approximate 45,000 prisoners and 265 guns.

Sept. 26 (Thur.)

The Americans and the French attack in the region of the Argonne on a front of over 40 miles, from the Meuse to the Suippe: Montfaucon, Varennes, and many villages are captured; the advance attains an average depth of several miles.

Macedonian Front:--Strumnitza is occupied by the British.

Sept. 27 (Fri.)

The Battle of Cambrai and the Hindenburg Line begins (see Oct. 5): the British attack in front of Cambrai, break through the Hindenburg defences, and capture Beaucamp, Graincourt, Bourlon Wood, and other important positions, with over 10,000 prisoners and 200 guns.

The Argonne Front:--The Americans and French make further progress; the number of prisoners to date exceeds 23,000.

Palestine Front:--Arab forces capture Deraa.

Sept. 28 (Sat.)

The Fourth Battle of Ypres: the Belgians attack from Dixmude to Ypres, the British from Ypres to Ploegsteert; very rapid progress is made by the Belgians, who capture the whole of Houthulst Forest; the British advance on their right beyond the furthest points reached by them in 1917.

The Argonne Front:--The French capture Somme-Py and Maure; the Americans reach Brieulles and Exermont.

Sept. 29 (Sun.)

The British capture Messines and the Messines Ridge; Dixmude is occupied by the Belgians; the Allied front is carried to the neighbourhood of Roulers, Courtrai, and Menin, an important salient being thus driven into the enemy's northern front which endangers his positions on the Belgian coast: this ends the Fourth Battle of Ypres.

Cambrai--St. Quentin Front:--The British, assisted by the 2nd American Corps, reach the outskirts of Cambrai and carry an important section of the Hindenburg defences between Cambrai and St. Quentin.

In the Oise-Aisne area the French reach the line of the Ailette.

Sept. 30 (Mon.)

Serbia:--The Battle of the Vardar (see Sept. 15) ends in complete victory for the Allies; the French capture Uskub.

An Armistice (signed on the previous day) comes into force between the Entente Powers and Bulgaria (see Appendix VI. (i)).

Palestine Front:--Damascus is captured by British and Arab forces.

Oct. 1 (Tues.)

The resignation of Count Hertling, the German Imperial Chancellor, is announced (see Nov. 1, 1917).

The French capture St. Quentin.

The Argonne Front:--The French advance on a front of 14 miles and capture Vaux, Autry, Condé, and Binarville.

Albania:--The Italians recapture Berat (see Aug. 26).

Oct. 2 (Wed.)

The British capture Ledeghem and cross the Lys between Werwicq and Comines.

The British break through a further line of the enemy defences between Cambrai and St. Quentin.

The Germans retreat rapidly between the Vesle and the Aisne, from Rheims westward.

The Adriatic:--Italian and British naval forces attack Durazzo and destroy it as a naval base.

Oct. 3 (Thur.)

Prince Max of Baden succeeds Count Hertling as German Imperial Chancellor (see Nov. 9).

Armentières is occupied by the British.

The British attack on an eight-mile front north of St. Quentin and make progress.

Oct. 4 (Fri.)

A Note from the German Government to President Wilson proposes that peace negotiations should be opened on the basis of his 'fourteen points' (see Appendix V.).

King Ferdinand of Bulgaria abdicates in favour of his son Prince Boris.

The British advance east and south of Armentières.

The Americans renew their offensive between the Meuse and the Argonne and make progress.

The Japanese liner _Hiramo Maru_ is sunk off the Irish coast with a loss of 292 lives.

Oct. 5 (Sat.)

The British advance east of the new breach they have made in the Hindenburg line and capture Montbrehain, Beaurevoir, and high ground further north: this marks the end of the Battle of Cambrai and the Hindenburg Line (see Sept. 27), by which victory, the main Hindenburg defences having been breached, the British directly threaten the enemy's chief line of communications.

The French advance on a front of 25 miles east of Rheims: they capture Fort Brimont, Nogent l'Abasse, and the Moronvilliers Ridge; the German retreat in this sector develops.

Oct. 6 (Sun.)

The British capture Fresnoy (north of the Scarpe, opposite Douai).

H.M.S. _Otranto_ (armed merchant cruiser), carrying United States troops, is sunk in a collision (431 lives lost).

Oct. 7 (Mon.)

North of the Scarpe the British capture Oppy and Biache St. Vaast.

North-east of St. Quentin the French capture Remancourt.

The French capture Berry-au-Bac (north-west of Rheims).

Palestine Front:--The British occupy Sidon; the French occupy Beirut.

Albania:--The Italians capture Elbasan.

Oct. 8 (Tues.)

The Second Battle of Le Cateau (see Oct. 10): the British 3rd and 4th Armies, with the 30th American Division, attack and make rapid progress on a front of 17 miles from Sequehart to south of Cambrai.

The French make important progress in Champagne, and the French and Americans east of the Meuse.

Oct. 9 (Wed.)

The British capture Cambrai and advance upon Le Cateau.

The French advance east of St. Quentin.

In the valley of the Aisne the French capture Grand-Ham and Lançon.

Oct. 10 (Thur.)

The British carry the whole Cambrai--Le Cateau road and enter Le Cateau; this ends the Second Battle of Le Cateau (see Oct. 8), by which the enemy is driven to the line of the Selle.

On the front north of Arras the British advance rapidly after the retiring enemy towards Douai.

The French reach the line of the Oise east of St. Quentin.

Serbia (where the advance of the Allies continues against the Austro-Germans):--The French occupy Prishtina.

The Irish mail boat _Leinster_ is sunk by a submarine between Kingstown and Holyhead with a loss of 527 lives.

Oct. 11 (Fri.)

The German retirement develops in the south, forced by the threat of the Le Cateau salient: the Germans evacuate the Chemin-des-Dames, and, further east, the line of the Suippe; the French and Americans advance, pressing the retreat, on a front of 37 miles.

Serbia:--The French capture Prisrend.

Oct. 12 (Sat.)

Serbia:--The Serbians recapture Nish (see Nov. 5, 1915).

Oct. 13 (Sun.)

The British reach the west bank of the Sensée Canal near Douai.

The Germans retire on a front of a hundred miles, from the Oise opposite St. Quentin to the Argonne; they evacuate St. Gobain Forest and the bend of the Aisne facing Rethel; the French capture Laon and La Fère.

Palestine Front:--The British capture Tripoli.

Oct. 14 (Mon.)

The British, French, and Belgians renew the offensive in the north between Dixmude and the Lys: rapid progress is made; Roulers and Iseghem are captured.

The French capture Sissomme on the 'Hunding' line.

Serbia:--Ipek and Novi Bazar are occupied by the Allies.

Albania:--The Italians capture Durazzo.

Oct. 15 (Tues.)

President Wilson's reply to Germany's peace overtures is published.

The British capture Menin, in the northern offensive; south-west of Lille, they cross the Haute Deule Canal.

Palestine Front:--Homs, 80 miles north of Damascus, is occupied by the British.

Oct. 16 (Wed.)

The Northern Offensive:--The British 2nd Army (Plumer) captures Werwick, Comines, Halluin, and Wevelghem, and reaches the outskirts of Courtrai; the French and the Belgians capture Ingelmunster and Lichtervelde and outflank Thourout.

Oct. 17 (Thur.)

Owing to the threat caused by the Allied advance in Central Belgium, the Germans begin to retire from the Belgian coast north of the salient and, below the salient, to the line of the Scheldt; in consequence, Ostend, Douai, and Lille fall to the Allies (Ostend is occupied by a British naval detachment under Sir Roger Keyes and by Belgian troops; Douai by the British 1st Army under General Horne; Lille is surrounded and captured by the British 5th Army under General Birdwood). The King and Queen of the Belgians visit Ostend.

Further south, the Battle of the Selle begins (see Oct. 25): the British 4th Army, with the 2nd American Corps, attacks the line of the Selle; south of Le Cateau the passage of the river is forced, and the capture of Le Cateau is completed. The French advance in cooperation on the right, south of Bohain.

Oct. 18 (Fri.)

On the Belgian coast the Allies occupy Blankenberghe; north-east of Courtrai the British cross the Sensée; further south the British occupy Roubaix and Tourcoing.

In the Battle of the Selle, British and American troops make further progress from Le Cateau southwards to east of Bohain; they capture Ribeauville and Wassigny. North of the Sensée Canal, Denain is captured by the British 1st Army.

Oct. 19 (Sat.)

Zeebrugge and Bruges are captured by the Belgians.

The French, operating between the Oise and the Serre, break the 'Hunding' line on a front of three miles.

Oct. 20 (Sun.)

The Belgian coast is completely cleared of the Germans, who retire at a number of points on the whole front between the Dutch frontier and Valenciennes.

In Central Belgium, the British 2nd Army approaches the Scheldt.

The Selle Front:--The British attack from Denain to Le Cateau and carry the line of the river.

Serbian Front:--French and Serbian forces approach the Danube near the Roumanian border.

The British monitor M 21 is mined off Ostend.

Oct. 21 (Mon.)

The Germans temporarily gain the protection of water (the Scheldt and its canals and other waterways) from the Dutch frontier to the neighbourhood of Valenciennes.

The British 5th Army reaches Tournai.

Oct. 22 (Tues.)

The French and Belgians advance upon Ghent; they cross the Lys Canal.

The British 1st Army enters the western outskirts of Valenciennes.

Further south the French advance on the River Serre Front.

Serbian Front:--The French occupy Negotin.

Oct. 23 (Wed.)

The British 3rd and 4th Armies attack on a twenty-mile front north-east of Le Cateau; they advance to a depth of four miles. The British 1st Army, advancing between Tournai and Valenciennes, captures Bruay, Bleharies, and Espain.

Further south the French cross the Souche against strong resistance.

Mesopotamian Front:--The British advance (east of the Tigris) along the road Kifri--Kirkuk--Alton Keupri.

Oct. 24 (Thur.)

The British 3rd and 4th Armies advance between the Scheldt and the Sambre; they approach Landrecies and the Forest of Mormal.

Italy:--The Allies launch an offensive on a wide front against the Austrian positions in the Trentino and on the Middle Piave; the Italians capture Monte Solarolo, the French Monte Sisemol; the British attack to force a crossing of the Piave.

Oct. 25 (Fri.)

The British 1st Army advances north of Valenciennes; the British 3rd Army captures eight miles of the Valenciennes-Avesnes railway: this ends the Battle of the Selle (see Oct. 17), which has forced the Germans from the line of the river, driven a new salient into their front, and cut their chief lateral communication, the Valenciennes-Metz railway. Captures in the battle amount to 21,000 prisoners and over 450 guns.

The French attack and advance on a front of twenty-five miles between the rivers Oise, Serre, Souche, and Aisne.

Italy:--Lord Cavan, in command of the 10th Army (of British and Italians), crosses the Piave against fierce resistance.

Mesopotamian Front:--The British capture Kirkuk (see May 24) and force the passage of the Lesser Zab.

Oct. 26 (Sat.)

General Ludendorff, the German First Quartermaster-General, resigns.

The British make progress south of Valenciennes.

Palestine Front:--British and Arab forces capture Aleppo; by this the conquest of Syria is completed and the Baghdad railway cut.

Oct. 27 (Sun.)

Austria asks for an Armistice, which is refused.

The Germans retreat before the French between the Oise and the Aisne towards Hirson.

Italy:--Lord Cavan's army advances several miles east of the Piave.

Albania:--The Italians capture the port of Alessio.

Oct. 28 (Mon.)

An Allied Conference opens at Versailles.

The Italians cross the Piave in the Montello area.

Mesopotamian Front:--General Marshall captures Kalat Shergat on the Tigris.

Oct. 29 (Tues.)

Italy:--The Allies advance rapidly against the yielding Austrians from the Brenta Valley to the sea; Lord Cavan's army forces the passage of the Monticano north of Oderzo; the Allies enter Asiago.

Mesopotamian Front:--General Marshall attacks and routs the Turks five miles north of Kalat Shergat.

Oct. 30 (Wed.)

A Czecho-Slovak State is proclaimed at Prague.

Mesopotamian Front:--The remaining Turkish forces on the Tigris surrender to General Marshall; the number of prisoners captured, including those taken in the last seven days' fighting, exceeds 11,000. This ends the Tigris campaign.

Oct. 31 (Thur.)

An Armistice (signed on the previous day) comes into force between the Entente Powers and Turkey. (Appendix VI. (ii).)

Count Tisza is assassinated.

The Hungarian National Government at Budapest assumes power and proclaims Hungary a Republic; this ends the Dual Monarchy.

Italy:--In the plains, the Austrian disorderly retreat becomes a rout; the Italians approach the Tagliamento in pursuit; in the Trentino, the Italians also advance rapidly against the disorganised enemy. The Austrian dreadnought and flagship _Viribus Unitis_ is sunk at Pola by an Italian naval motor boat.

Nov. 1 (Fri.)

The Battle of the Sambre begins (see Nov. 11); the British attack south of Valenciennes, force the passage of the Rhonelle, capture Maresches, Aulnoy, and other villages, and reach the southern outskirts of Valenciennes.

In Belgium, British, French, and American troops advance and reach the Scheldt in the neighbourhood of Gavere, ten miles south of Ghent.

Between the Aisne and the Meuse American and French troops attack and advance.

Italy:--The Austrian rout continues along the whole line from the Venetian Alps to the sea.

Serbia:--Belgrade is reoccupied by the Serbians.

Nov. 2 (Sat.)

The British complete the capture of Valenciennes.

The French capture Semuy and the south bank of the Canal des Ardennes from Semuy to Neuville; the Argonne Forest is completely cleared of the enemy; the Americans advance rapidly in the Meuse sector.

Nov. 3 (Sun.)

The sailors of the German Fleet at Kiel mutiny.

The Belgians advance south of the Dutch frontier and capture Baasvelde and Steydinge.

Between the Upper Aisne and the Meuse the Americans and French advance rapidly on a front of thirty miles.

Italian troops enter Trent and Udine; Italian military and naval forces occupy Trieste.

Mesopotamian Front:--The British occupy Mosul.

Nov. 4 (Mon.)

An Armistice (signed on the previous day) comes into force between the Entente Powers and Austria (see Appendix VI. (iii)).

Revolution spreads in Germany.

The British 1st, 3rd, and 4th Armies, in conjunction with General Débeney's Army on their right, attack on a front of over thirty miles, from east of Valenciennes to Guise: the British force the passage of the Sambre-Oise Canal; they capture Landrecies, the Forest of Mormal, and Le Quesnoy with its garrison; the French make equally rapid progress.

On the Aisne--Meuse Front the French reach the line of the Ardennes Canal and capture Le Chesne; the Americans approach Beaumont and Stenay.

Northern Albania:--The Italians occupy Scutari.

Nov. 5 (Tues.)

The German Government is informed through President Wilson that application for an Armistice must be made to Marshal Foch in the usual military form.

The French advance between the Oise and the Aisne towards Hirson.

The Aisne--Meuse Front:--The French cross the Ardennes Canal; the Americans capture Beaumont.

Nov. 6 (Wed.)

German delegates start for the Western Front to receive the terms of Armistice from Marshal Foch and Admiral Sir R. Wemyss.

The German retreat becomes general from the Scheldt north of Valenciennes to the Meuse at Sedan.

The British 1st, 3rd, and 4th Armies pursue the enemy towards Mons, Maubeuge, and Avesnes.

The French capture Vervins and Rethel.

The Americans enter Sedan.

Nov. 7 (Thur.)

The Bavarian Republic is proclaimed. Kiel and Hamburg fall into the hands of revolutionaries.

The British 1st Army makes a formal entry into Valenciennes.

The British capture Bavai and reach Haumont (in the valley of the Sambre).

Nov. 8 (Fri.)

The German delegates receive the terms of Armistice of the Allies.

Prince Max of Baden, the German Imperial Chancellor, resigns.

The revolutionary movement spreads rapidly through Germany.

The British capture Maubeuge, enter Tournai, cross the Scheldt south of it, capture Condé and Avesnes, and advance on Mons.

The French advance towards Mézières and Charleville.

Nov. 9 (Sat.)

The Kaiser abdicates and flies to Holland.

Herr Ebert succeeds Prince Max as Chancellor (see Oct. 3).

The pursuit of the enemy by the Allies continues.

H.M.S. _Britannia_ (battleship) is sunk by a submarine off Cape Trafalgar.

Nov. 10 (Sun.)

The French occupy Hirson, surround Mézières, and cross the Meuse.

The Americans advance towards Montmédy and the Briey basin.

Nov. 11 (Mon.)

The Belgians enter Ghent; the British (3rd Canadian Division) enter Mons at dawn.

The Armistice with Germany (see Appendix VI. (iv)) is signed in the Forest of Compiègne, near the Chateau Francport (in the train of Marshal Foch), at 5 A.M. Fighting ceases at 11 A.M.

* * * * *

_Note._--The Battle of the Sambre struck at and broke the enemy's last important lateral communications, turned his positions on the Scheldt, and forced him to retreat rapidly from Courtrai. This victory completed the great strategical aim of the Allies, viz. to divide the enemy's forces into two parts, one on each side of the great natural barrier of the Ardennes. The pursuit of the beaten enemy all along the Allied line was only stopped by the Armistice.

THE CHIEF EVENTS CONNECTED WITH THE WAR, BETWEEN THE SIGNING OF THE ARMISTICE ON THE 11TH NOVEMBER 1918 AND THE SIGNATURE ON THE 28TH JUNE 1919 OF THE TREATY OF PEACE WITH GERMANY.

1918

Nov. 12 (Tues.)

The Emperor Karl of Austria abdicates.

The Allied fleets pass through the Dardanelles, British and Indian troops occupying the forts.

Nov. 13 (Wed.)

The Allied fleets reach Constantinople.

Nov. 14 (Thur.)

East Africa:--The last of the German forces surrender, in compliance with the terms of the Armistice, on the Chambezi River in Northern Rhodesia.

Nov. 17 (Sun.)

In accordance with the terms of the Armistice, the advance of the Allies on the Western Front begins.

The Caspian:--British and Russian troops occupy Baku.

Nov. 18 (Mon.)

Belgian troops enter Brussels.

Nov. 19 (Tues.)

General Pétain, created a Marshal of France on this day, formally enters Metz at the head of French troops.

Belgian troops enter Antwerp.

Nov. 21 (Thur.)

British troops enter Namur.

The first and main instalment of the German High Sea Fleet (5 battle-cruisers, 9 battleships, 7 light cruisers, and 49 destroyers) surrenders to Admiral Sir David Beatty off the Firth of Forth.

Nov. 22 (Fri.)

King Albert re-enters Brussels after four years of exile.

Nov. 25 (Mon.)

Marshal Foch makes a ceremonial entry into Strasbourg.

Nov. 27 (Wed.)

The last German troops leave Belgium.

Nov. 28 (Thur.)

The Kaiser formally abdicates the crown of Prussia and the German Imperial crown.

Dec. 1 (Sun.)

British troops cross the German frontier.

Dec. 2 (Mon.)

Marshal Foch, M. Clemenceau, Signor Orlando, and Baron Sonnino visit London and receive a public welcome.

Dec. 6 (Fri.)

British troops enter Cologne.

Dec. 12 (Thur.)

British troops cross the Rhine and occupy the Cologne bridge-head.

1919

Jan. 18 (Sat.)

The Peace Conference (the 'Conference of Paris') is opened by M. Poincaré, President of the French Republic, at the Quai d'Orsay; M. Clemenceau is unanimously elected Chairman. On the same date, forty-eight years earlier (Jan. 18, 1871), the German Empire was proclaimed in the Galerie des Glaces, Versailles.

Feb. 11 (Wed.)

Herr Ebert is elected first President of the German Republic.

Feb. 12 (Thur.)

Herr Scheidemann, the first German Prime Minister, forms a Cabinet.

Mar. 25 (Tues.)

To draw up the Treaties of Peace a Council of Four (President Wilson, Mr. Lloyd George, M. Clemenceau, Signor Orlando--the 'Big Four') is substituted for the Council of Ten.

April 23 (Wed.)

President Wilson issues a public statement with regard to Fiume, which concludes with an appeal to the people of Italy as distinct from their Government.

April 24 (Thur.)

Signor Orlando leaves Paris for Italy as a protest against President Wilson's attitude and his published message on the Fiume question.

April 28 (Mon.)

The League of Nations is created by the adoption at the Peace Conference of the amended League of Nations Covenant (see Appendix VII., Part I.).

The Peace Conference adopts the 'Labour Charter,' viz. those sections of the Peace Treaty which create an International Organisation to deal with the needs and problems of Labour (see Appendix VII., Part XIII.).

May 7 (Wed.)

The Peace Terms are presented to the German delegates at the Trianon Palace Hotel, Versailles.

June 2 (Mon.)

The Allied Terms of Peace with Austria, incomplete in certain respects, are handed to the Austrian delegates at St. Germain.

June 19 (Thur.)

Italy:--Signor Orlando and his Cabinet resign.

June 20 (Fri.)

The German Ministry under Herr Scheidemann resign, having disagreed as to acceptance of the Peace Terms.

June 21 (Sat.)

The Germans scuttle their fleet interned at Scapa Flow.

A new German Ministry is formed with Herr Bauer as Premier. The German National Assembly debates the Peace Treaty, and resolves in favour of signature by 237 votes to 138.

Italy:--Signor Nitti forms a Ministry.

June 23 (Mon.)

The Government of the German Republic declares 'that it is ready to accept and sign the conditions of peace imposed by the Allied and Associated Governments.'

June 28 (Sat.)

The Treaty of Peace between the Allied and Associated Powers and the German Republic is signed in the Galerie des Glaces, Versailles, the ceremony beginning at 3 P.M. (see Appendix VII.).

Sept. 10 (Wed.)

The Treaty of Peace between the Allied and Associated Powers (_except Roumania and Jugo-Slavia_) and Austria is signed in the Stone Age Hall in the Château de Saint Germain.

Nov. 27 (Thur.)

The Treaty of Peace between the Allied and Associated Powers (_except Serbia and Roumania_) and Bulgaria is signed at the Mairie at Neuilly-sur-Seine.

1920

Jan. 10 (Sat.)

The Treaty of Peace between the Allied and Associated Powers and the German Republic is formally ratified in the Clock Room in the French Foreign Office, Paris, the ceremony beginning at 4 P.M.