THE IRISH IN UNIFORM

1918
German General Ludendorff mounted offensives against the British Lines in March, April and July 1918, in an attempt to break through and advance on Paris. The Allies mounted a massive counter-attack in August, which resulted in 100,000 German casualties and marked the beginning of the final defeat of the German Army. Allied troops pushed the Germans back towards Germany through Northern France and Belgium; until at the date of The Armistice which ended the war, the Front Line was in central Belgium from Ostend through Mons, Charleroi, Sedan and Stenay to to The Lorraine. German troops were then pushed back into their homeland, and a 30 mile-wide de-militarised zone was established along the East Bank of the River Rhine for 15 years.
DATE MAJOR EVENTS NOTES ON THE EVENTS & BATTLE ACTIONS
8 January 1918 Peace suggestion U.S. President Woodrow Wilson announces his Fourteen Points for Peace in Europe and proposes the formation of a League of Nations
19 January 1918 Russian assmbly A Constituent Assembly in Petrograd is dispersed by Bolshevik forces
28 January 1918 Invasion Russian Bolshevik forces occupy the Finnish capital of Helsinki
3 March 1918 Treaty of Brest-Livotsk Treaty signed between Russia and Germany on The Eastern Front
21 March 1918 Germany's "Spring Offensive" & Michael Offensive Germany begins a massive Spring Offensive with The Michael Offensive against British positions and penetrates the British lines.
22 March 1918 Second Battle of The Somme German troops reach the River Somme and capture the town of Peronne
23 March 1918 Independence The state of Lithuania declares its independence from Russian rule
26 March 1918 German advance German forces capture the towns of Albert and Noyon, and advance towards the French capital City of Paris, determined to capture it at last
26 March 1918 Allied conference The Allied hold a conference at Doulenns on the unity of command, and decide to appoint a supreme commander
27 March 1918 Germans halted The German advance is halted at the River Scarpe
29 March 1918 New Leader The French General Foch is appointed to co-ordinate the military actions of all the Allied forces
28 March 1918 French counter-attack A French counter-offensive halts the Germans throughout the Somme region
1 April 1918 Royal Air Force The British Royal Flying Corps formally becomes The Royal Air Force
9 to 29 April 1918 The Georgette Offensive Strong German offensive along The Western Front. Germans capture Bailleul (15 April), Wytschaete & Meteren (16 April), Kemmel & Dranoutre (17 April)
14 April 1918 New leader French General Foch appointed Commander-in-Chief of all the Allied forces in France
22 & 23 April 1918 Naval action The British Naval raid on the port of Zeebrugge is hugely successful
1 May 1918 Western Front American troops join the Allied forces on the Western Front at Amiens
24 May 1918 Landings British troops land at the port of Murmansk in Russia
27 May 1918 The Blucher Offensive German troops attack along the River Aisne
29 May 1918 French retreat French forces are driven back across the River Aisne by German troops, and the Germans capture the town of Soissons
30 May 1918 Allied retreat German troops reach the River Marne
9 to 13 June 1918 The Gneisenau Offensive German troops mount an offensive near Compiegne on The Western Front, which is halted by Allied troops on 11 June
15 to 23 June 1918 Battle of the Piave Austro-Hungarian forces attack the Italian front line, but the attack is beaten off.
15 July to 4 August 1918 Friedensturm, Second Battle of the Marne The fifth and last attack of the German Spring Offensive. British troops counter-attack South-West of the River Marne
16 July 1918 Assassination The Russian Tsar Nicholas Romanov and his entire femily are shot at Ekatinerinburg
18 July to 10 November 1918 The last Allied Western Front offensive Allied forces make a very strong counter-offensive against German military actions & positions along the whole Western Front. From 8 August onwards, Allied gains become progressively larger and more rapid.
22 July 1918 German retreat German troops along the River Marne retreat in the face of fierce British counter-attacks
22 July 1918 Crossing of The Marne Allied forces cross the River Marne and progress onward against German positions, causing the Germans to continue their retreat.
1 August 1918 Russian Front Allied troops land at the Northern Russian port of Archangelesk
3 August 1918 Russian front British troops land at the Russian port of Vladivostok, to assist Russian troops on The Eastern Front
3 August 1918 to 3 September 1918 Second Battle of the Somme British troops mount a massive attack. German Army suffers heavy losses of over 100,000
6 to 12 August 1918 Battle of Amiens (2nd) Second Battle of Amiens. Allies attack along a 15 mile front against the German lines with 2,000 guns and 200 tanks
9 to 16 August 1918 French victory French troops advance and capture the town of Lassigny
11 August 1918 German decision to end war German General Ludendorff offers his resignation. The Kaiser refuses it, but makes a decision that "The war must be ended."
16 August 1918 Russian front Japanese troops land at the Russian port of Vladivostok
17 August 1918 Russian front American troops land at the Russian port of Vladivostok to aid Russia
17 to 20 August 1918 Battle of the Aisne French troops attack The Aisne Heights and drive back the German forces
21 to 23 August 1918 Battle of Bapaume, British victory, The Second Battle of Bapaume. British forces recapture Albert (22 August), Bapaume (29 August), & Peronne (31 August)
25 August 1918 Battle of Grevillers New Zealand forces capture the town of Grevillers
26 August 1918 Battle of The Scarpe British troops capture Monch-le-Preux (26 August) and break through the Drocourt-Quenat line (2 September)
2 to 8 September Battle of St.Quentin British, French and American troops attack simultaneously along a 12 mile front, cross the St. Quentin Canal and capture Bellecourt.
3 to 9 September 1918 German retreat German troops fall back to the strongly fortified Hindenburg Line in an organised retreat
4 September 1918 British victories British troops seize control of Le Canal du Nord and retake Ploegsteert ("Plugstreet"), Bailleul, Kemmel and Neuve Chapelle
  French victory French troops retake the town of Soissons
6 September 1918 American victory American troops advance to the River Aisne.
12 & 13 September 1918 American victory American troops capture the St. Mihiel salient
14 September 1918 German retreat German troops retreat to the area between the rivers Meuse and Moselle
15 September 1918 Allies defeat Bulgaria Allied troops break through the enemy lines in Bulgaria and advance
19 to 30 September 1918 British victory in The Middle East The British Army in Palestine concludes a successful campaign by capturing the Syrian capital of Damascus. British troops defeat the Turkish Army.
26 to 29 September 1918 American attack American troops mount an offensive on the Argonne area
26 to 30 September French attack French troops mount a successful offensive in the Champagne Region
28 to 22 October 1918 Battle of Cambrai (2nd.) The Second Battle of Cambrai. British troops attack the German lines on a 30 mile front stretching from St.Quentin to Le Sensee.
28 September 1918 to 22 October 1918 Battle of Flanders British troops attack and reach Menin (1 October) liberate Roulers (14 October), capture Menin (15 October), Douai (17 October) and Lille (18 October).
28 September 1918 American attack American troops engage in fierce fighting in the Argonne Forest,causing the Germans to evacuate Argonne (9 October)
29 September 1918 Germany seeks an Armistice Commander-in-Chief Hindenburg and Quartermaster-General Ludendorff suggest that Germany becomes a constitutional monarchy, and seek an armistice with The Allies to end the war
30 September 1918 Armistice The Bulgarians sign an Armistice with the Allies, following their defeat on 15 September 1918
30 September 1918 Resignation The German Chancellor, Count Georg Hertling, resigns
1 October 1918 French victory French troops capture the town of St. Quentin
3 October 1918 Allied victory Allied troop stormThe Hindenburg Line and breach it, causing the Germans to retreat. Many German prisoners taken.
5 October 1918 French attack French troops attack along the Aisne River and cross the river on 16 October
6 to 12 October 1918 Battle of Le Cateau (2nd) Second Battle of Le Cateau
8 October 1918 British victory British troops capture Cambrai
10 October 1918 British victory British troops capture Le Cateau
12 October 1918 Peace Terms German and Austria-Hungary agree to U.S. Pesident Wilson's terms that their troops should retreat to their own territories before any final armistice is signed
17 October 1918 Belgian victories Belgian troops enter the Belgian port of Ostend and also liberate the port of Zeebrugge and the town of Bruges
17 October 1918 New country The new Czechoslovakian Republic is declared in Prague
17 October Battle of the Selle British troops attack in The Battle of The River Selle.
18 October 1918 Liberation of Lille Irish troops of the 8th. Liverpool Irish Regiment - "The Tyneside Irish" - formally liberate the town of Lille in Northern France.
21 to 31 October 1918 Battle of Verdun American troops take part in a fierce engagement
21 to 31 October 1918 Battle of the Meuse French troops in action along The Meuse River
24 to 31 October 1918 Battle of The Piave (3rd.) Britishtroops fight with the Italians in the Third Battle of The Piave on The Italian Front
25 to 30 October 1918 Surrender in The Middle East The Turkish Army surrenders to British troops in Mesopotamia
26 October 1918 Resignation German General Ludendorff resigns
27 October 1918 Peace moves Austria-Hungary seeks an Armistice through The United States of America
28 October 1918 Battle of the Piave Victorious Italian and British and Italian troops cross the River Piave
28 October 1918 Mutiny German sailors mutiny in the port of Kiel
30 October 1918 Armistice Turkey signs an Armistice withThe Allies on the warship HMS "Agamemnon" at Mudros
31 October 1918 Armistice & Revolution Revolution in Austrian capital Vienna. Austrian soldiers ask for an Armistice
1 to 11 November 1918 Battle of The Bourgogne American troops make a rapid advance through Le Foret de Bourgogne (The Bourgogne Forest)
1 to 11 November 1918 Battle of The Sambre British troops advance from The River Sambre to the River Scheldt
2 November 1918 British victory British troops clear Le Foret Mormal (Mormal Forest) and capture Valenciennes
3 November 1918 Armistice The Allies sign an Armistice with Austria-Hungary, to come into force on 4th. November
4 November 1918 General cessation of hostilities, but not yet an overall surrender Armed hostilities between Austria-Hungary and the Allies end. Civil revolution takes place in Hamburg, Germany.
6 November 1918 French & American Victories Americans capture Sedan, French capture Rethel in The Bourgogne
7 November 1918 New State A German Republic is declared in Bavaria, in Southern Germany
9 November 1918 New leader Max Ebert replaces Crown Prince Max as Chancellor of Germany
10 November 1918 Support for Republic The new Republic of Germany receives support from the armed forces and worker's councils in Berlin
10 November 1918 Ruler abdicates The German soverign Kaiser Wilhelm II flees to Holland with The Crown Prince Max
11 November 1918 Final Armistice

 British troops enter the town of Mons. A General Armistice with the Central Powers is signed at 5 A.M. The fighting is halted at 11 A.M. Thus, the dead of World War I are commemorated "at the 11th. hour of the 11th. day of the 11th. month" each year in memorial services around the world, which feature "Flanders poppies" as a lasting image of a conflict which in its time was known as "The Great War" or "The War to end all wars".

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