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Timeline - 1916

Royal Scots Fusiliers entrenched in the basement of a ruin house at St. Eloi The First World War spanned four years and involved many nation states.

This section lists the events of the year 1916, the third year of the war.  During this year the Germans attempted to "bleed France white" at Verdun, and the British strove to breakthrough along the Somme river.  Both were doomed to failure; both were titanic struggles with correspondingly heavy losses.

Elsewhere possibly the greatest naval battle in history occurred at Jutland (which resulted in a tactical victory for Germany but a strategic victory for the British), and the Russians surprised everyone with impressive initial success in the Brusilov Offensive.

For a day by day account click any given month using the sidebar to the right.

Date Event
TimelineFebruary 21 - December 18 German attack on Verdun in the longest battle of the war, ultimately defended by the French at great cost to both sides
TimelineMarch 11 - November 14 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Battles of Isonzo between Italy and Austria-Hungary
TimelineApril British forces in Mesopotamia begin advance on Baghdad
TimelineMarch 9 Pancho Villa's raid on Columbus, New Mexico
TimelineMarch 24 French passenger ship, Sussex, torpedoed
TimelineApril 24 Easter rebellion starts in Ireland
TimelineMay 4 Germany renounces submarine policy
TimelineMay 19 Britain and France conclude Sykes-Picot agreement
TimelineMay 31 - June 1 Battle of Jutland, the biggest naval battle in history, ultimately without a clear victor
TimelineJune - August Turkish forces, led by Enver Pasha, are defeated by the Russians in the Caucasus
TimelineJune 4 - September 20 Russian Brusilov offensive in Carpathia nearly knocks Austria-Hungary out of the war
TimelineJune 5 With British support (led by T.E. Lawrence), Hussein, grand sherif of Mecca, lead an Arab revolt against the Turks in the Hejaz
TimelineJuly 1 Start of the Battle of the Somme, with the greatest number of casualties in British military history, 60,000
TimelineJuly 29 US marines land in Haiti
TimelineAugust - December Romania enters the war with the Allies, but is quickly overrun by German forces
TimelineAugust 28 Italy declares war on Germany
TimelineAugust 31 Germany suspends submarine assaults
TimelineSeptember 15 Tanks introduced for the first time on the Somme battlefield by the British
TimelineOctober 15 Germany resumes U-boat attacks
TimelineNovember 7-9 US President Woodrow Wilson secures re-election
TimelineNovember 18 End of the Battle of the Somme
TimelineNovember 28 First German airplane (as opposed to zeppelin) air-raid on Britain
TimelineNovember 29 US occupation of Santa Domingo proclaimed
TimelineDecember 7 David Lloyd George replaces Asquith as British Prime Minister
TimelineDecember 12 Germany issues peace note suggesting compromise peace
TimelineDecember 18 US President Woodrow Wilson requests statements of war objectives from warring nations in peace note

"Eggs-a-cook" were boiled eggs sold by Arab street vendors. It was later used by Anzac soldiers when going over the top.

- Did you know?

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