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Timeline - 1918

Washington DC World War I Monument The First World War spanned four years and involved many nation states.

This section lists the events of the year 1918, the final year of the war.  This year saw the German military high command attempt one final large-scale offensive on the Western Front.  A near success, Operation Michael's ultimate failure led to an increasingly sweeping series of successes by the Allies from the summer of 1918.

By the autumn the German Army was no longer able to continue fighting.  With revolution imminent, Germany's political leadership petitioned for an armistice.  It took effect at 11am on 11 November - the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.  The war was over, and with its end many of the European dynasties fell.

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

Date Event
TimelineJanuary - September T.E. Lawrence leads Arab guerrillas in successful campaign against Turkish positions in Arabia and Palestine
TimelineJanuary 8 US President Woodrow Wilson makes "Fourteen Points" speech to Congress
TimelineFebruary 11 US President Woodrow Wilson makes "Four Principles" speech to Congress
TimelineMarch 3 Soviet Russia concludes separate peace negotiations in treaty of Brest-Litovsk
TimelineMarch 21 Germany launches Spring push, eventually mounting five major offensives against Allied forces, starting with the Battle of Picardy against the British
TimelineMarch 26 Doullens Agreement gives General Ferdinand Foch "co-ordinating authority" over the Western Front
TimelineApril 9 Germany launches second Spring offensive, the Battle of the Lys, in the British sector of Armentieres
TimelineApril 14 Foch appointed Commander-in-Chief of Allied forces on Western Front
TimelineMay 25 German U-boats appear in US waters for first time
TimelineMay 27 Third German Spring offensive, Third Battle of the Aisne, begins in French sector along Chemin des Dames
TimelineMay 28 US forces (28th Regiment of 1st Division) victorious in first major action, Battle of Cantigny
TimelineJune 6 US 3rd Division captures Bouresches and southern part of Belleau Wood
TimelineJune 9 Germans launch fourth Spring offensive, Battle of the Matz, in French sector between Noyan and Montdider
TimelineJune 15 Italians prevail against Austro-Hungarian forces at Battle of Piave
TimelineJuly 6 US President Woodrow Wilson agrees to US intervention in Siberia
TimelineJuly 15 Final phase of great German Spring push, the Second Battle of Marne, begins
TimelineJuly 16-17 Former Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, and children, are murdered by the Bolsheviks
TimelineJuly 18 Allies counterattack against German forces, seizing initiative
TimelineAugust 3 Allied intervention begins at Vladivosto
TimelineAugust 8 Haig directs start of successful Amiens offensive, forcing all German troops back to the Hindenburg Line; Ludendorff calls it a "black day" for German army
TimelineSeptember 12 US forces clear the St.-Mihiel salient, during which the greatest air assault of the war is launched by the US
TimelineSeptember 19 Start of British offensive in Palestine, the Battle of Megiddo
TimelineSeptember 26 Battle of the Vardar pits Serb, Czech, Italian, French and British forces against Bulgarian forces
TimelineSeptember 26 Meuse-Argonne offensive opens; the final Franco-American offensive of the war
TimelineSeptember 27 - October 17 Haig's forces storm the Hindenburg Line, breaking through at several points
TimelineSeptember 29 Bulgaria concludes armistice negotiations
TimelineSeptember 28 - October 14 Belgian troops attack at Ypres
TimelineOctober 3-4 Germany and Austria send peace notes to US President Woodrow Wilson requesting an armistice
TimelineOctober 17 - November 11 British advance to the Sambre and Schledt rivers, taking many German prisoners
TimelineOctober 21 Germany ceases unrestricted submarine warfare
TimelineOctober 27 Erich Ludendorff resigns
TimelineOctober 30 Turkey concludes an armistice with the Allies
TimelineNovember 3 German fleet mutinies at Kiel
TimelineNovember 3 Trieste falls to the Allies; Austria-Hungary concludes an armistice
TimelineNovember 7-11 Germany negotiates an armistice with the Allies in Ferdinand Foch's railway carriage headquarters at Compiegne
TimelineNovember 9 Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates
TimelineNovember 10 Kaiser Wilhelm II flees to Holland
TimelineNovember 10 German republic is founded
TimelineNovember 11 Armistice day; fighting ceases at 11am

The USA suffered 57,476 fatal army casualties during the war.

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