CHRONOLOGY OF WORLD WAR
_Comprehensive Chronology of the Four Years of War--Dates of Important
Battles and Naval Engagements--Ready Reference of Historical Events from
June, 1914, to End of War in 1918._
June 28--Archduke Ferdinand and wife assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
July 28--Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
August 1--Germany declares war on Russia and general mobilization is
under way in France and Austria-Hungary. Aug. 2--German troops enter
France at Cirey; Russian troops enter Germany at Schwidden; German army
enters Luxemburg over protest, and Germany asks Belgium for free passage
of her troops. Aug. 3--British fleet mobilizes; Belgium appeals to Great
Britain for diplomatic aid and German ambassador quits Paris.
Aug. 4--France declares war on Germany; Germany declares war on Belgium;
Great Britain sends Belgium neutrality ultimatum to Germany; British
army mobilized and state of war between Great Britain and Germany
is declared. President Wilson issues neutrality proclamation. Aug.
5--Germans begin fighting on Belgium frontier; Germany asks for Italy's
help. Aug. 6--Austria declares war on Russia. Aug. 7--Germans defeated
by French at Altkirch. Aug. 9--Germans capture Liege. Portugal announces
it will support Great Britain; British land troops in France. Aug.
10--France declares war on Austria-Hungary.
Aug. 12--Great Britain declares war on Austria-Hungary; Montenegro
declares war on Germany. Aug. 15--Japan sends ultimatum to Germany to
withdraw from Japanese and Chinese waters and evacuate Kiao-chow; Russia
offers autonomy to Poland. Aug. 20--German army enters Brussels. Aug.
23--Japan declares war on Germany; Russia victorious in battles in East
Prussia. Aug. 24--Japanese warships bombard Tsingtao. Aug. 25--Japan
and Austria break off diplomatic relations. Aug. 28--English win naval
battle over German fleet near Helgoland, Aug. 29--Germans defeat
Russians at Allenstein; occupy Amiens; advance to La Fere, sixty-five
miles from Paris.
September 1--Germans cross Marne; bombs dropped on Paris; Turkish army
mobilized; Zeppelins drop bombs on Antwerp. Sept. 2--Government of
France transferred to Bordeaux; Russians capture Lemberg. Sept.
4--Germans cross the Marne. Sept. 5--England, France, and Russia sign
pact to make no separate peace. Sept. 6--French win battle of Marne;
British cruiser Path finder sunk in North sea by a German submarine.
Sept. 7--Germans retreat from the Marne. Sept. 14--Battle of Aisne
starts; German retreat halted. Sept. 15---First battle of Soissons
fought. Sept. 20--Russians capture Jaroslau and begin siege of Przemysl.
October 9-10--Germans capture Antwerp. Oct. 12--Germans take Ghent. Oct.
20--Fighting along Yser river begins. Oct. 29--Turkey begins war on
Russia.
November 7--Tsingtro falls before Japanese troops. Nov. 9--German
cruiser Emden destroyed.
December 11--German advance on Warsaw checked. Dec. 14--Belgrade
recaptured by Serbians. Dec. 16--German cruisers bombard Scarborough,
Hartlepool, and Whitby, on English coast, killing fifty or more persons;
Austrians said to have lost upwards of 100,000 men in Serbian defeat.
Dec. 25--Italy occupies Avlona, Albania.
January 1--British battleship Formidable sunk. Jan. 8--Roumania
mobilizes 750,000 men; violent fighting in the Argonne. Jan. 11--Germans
cross the Rawka, thirty miles from Warsaw. Jan. 24--British win naval
battle in North sea. Jan. 29--Russian army invades Hungary; German
efforts to cross Aisne repulsed.
February 1--British repel strong German attack near La Bassee. Feb.
2--Turks are defeated in attack on Suez canal. Feb. 4--Russians capture
Tarnow in Galicia. Feb. 8--Turks along Suez canal in full retreat;
Turkish land defenses at the Dardanelles shelled by British torpedo
boats. Feb. 11--Germans evacuate Lodz. Feb. 12--Germans drive Russians
from positions in East Prussia, taking 26,000 prisoners. Feb.
14--Russians report capture of fortifications at Smolnik. Feb.
16--Germans capture Plock and Bielsk in Poland; French capture two miles
of German trenches in Champagne district.
February 17--Germans report they have taken 50,000 Russian prisoners in
Mazurian lake district. Feb. 18--German blockade of English and French
coasts put into effect. Feb. 19-20--British and French fleets bombard
Dardanelles forts. Feb. 21--American steamer Evelyn sunk by mine in
North sea. Feb. 22--German war office announces capture of 100,
Russian prisoners in engagements in Mazurian lake region; American
steamer Carib sunk by mine in North sea. Feb. 28--Dardanelles entrance
forts capitulate to English and French.
March 4--Landing of allied troops on both sides of Dardanelles straits
reported; German U-4 sunk by French destroyers. March 10--Battle of
Neuve Chapelle begins. March, 14--German cruiser Dresden sunk in Pacific
by English. March 18--British battleships Irresistible and Ocean and
French battleship Bouvet sunk in Dardanelles strait. March 22--Fort
of Przemysl surrenders to Russians. March 23--Allies land troops on
Gallipoli peninsula. March 25--Russians victorious over Austrians in
Carpathians.
April 8--German auxiliary cruiser, Prinz Eitel Friedrich, interned at
Newport News, Va. April 16--Italy has 1,200,000 men mobilized under
arms; Austrians report complete defeat of Russians in Carpathian
campaign. April 23--Germans force way across Ypres canal and take 1,
prisoners. April 25--Allies stop German drive on Ypres line in Belgium.
April 29--British report regaining of two-thirds of lost ground in Ypres
battle.
May 7--Liner Lusitania torpedoed and sunk by German submarine off the
coast of Ireland with the loss of more than 1,000 lives, 102 Americans.
May 9--French advance two and one-half miles against German forces north
of Arras, taking 2,000 prisoners. May 23--Italy declares war on Austria.
June 3--Germans recapture Przemysl with Austrian help. June 18--British
suffer defeat north of La Bassee canal. June 28--Italians enter Austrian
territory south of Riva on western shore of Lake Garda.
July 3--Tolmino falls into Italian hands. July 9--British make
gains north of Ypres and French retake trenches in the Vosges. July
13--Germans defeated in the Argonne. July 29--Warsaw evacuated; Lublin
captured by Austrians.
August 4--Germans occupy Warsaw. Aug. 14--Austrians and Germans
concentrate 400,000 soldiers on Serbian frontier. Aug. 21--Italy
declares war on Turkey.
September 1--Ambassador Bernstorff announces Germans will sink no more
liners without warning. Sept. 4--German submarine torpedoes liner
Hesperian. Sept. 9--Germans make air raid on London, killing twenty
persons and wounding 100 others; United States asks Austria to recall
Ambassador Dumba. Sept. 20--Germans begin drive on Serbia to open route
to Turkey. Sept. 22--Russian army retreating from Vilna, escapes German
encircling movement. Sept. 25-30--Battle of Champagne, resulting in
great advance for allied armies and causing Kaiser Wilhelm to rush to
the west front; German counter attacks repulsed.
October 5--Russia and Bulgaria sever diplomatic relations; Russian,
French, British, Italian, and Serbian diplomatic representatives ask for
passports in Sofia. Oct. 10--Gen. Mackensen's forces take Belgrade. Oct.
12--Edith Cavell executed by Germans. Oct. 13--Bulgaria declares war on
Serbia. Oct. 15--Great Britain declares war on Bulgaria. Oct. 16--France
declares war on Bulgaria. Oct. 19--Russia and Italy declare war on
Bulgaria. Oct. 27--Germans join Bulgarians in northeastern Serbia and
open way to Constantinople. Oct. 30--Germans defeated at Mitau.
November 9--Italian liner Ancona torpedoed.
December 1--British retreat from near Bagdad. Dec. 4--Ford "peace party"
sails for Europe. Dec. 8-9--Allies defeated in Macedonia. Dec. 15--Sir
John Douglas Haig succeeds Sir John French as chief of English Armies on
west front.
January 8--British troops at Kut-el-Amara surrounded. Jan. 9--British
evacuate Gallipoli peninsula. Jan. 13--Austrians capture Cetinje,
capital of Montenegro. Jan. 23--Scutari, capital of Albania, captured by
Austrians.
February 22--Crown prince's army begins attack on Verdun.
March 8--Germany declares war on Portugal. March, 15--Austria-Hungary
declares war on Portugal. March 24--Steamer Sussex torpedoed and sunk.
April 18--President Wilson sends note to Germany. April 19--President
Wilson speaks to congress, explaining diplomatic situation. April
24--Insurrection in Dublin. April 29--British troops at Kut-el-Amara
surrender to Turks. April 30--Irish revolution suppressed.
May 3--Irish leaders of _insurrection executed_. May 4--Germany makes
promise to change methods of submarine warfare. May 13--Austrians begin
great offensive against Italians in Trentino. May 31--Great naval battle
off Danish coast.
June 5--Lord Kitchener lost with cruiser Hampshire. June 11--Russians
capture Dubno. June 29--Sir Roger Casement sentenced to be hanged for
treason.
July 1--British and French begin great offensive on the Somme. July
6--David Lloyd George appointed secretary of war. July 9--German
merchant submarine Deutschland arrives at Baltimore. July 23--Gen.
Kuropatkin's army wins battle near Riga. July 27--English take Delville
wood; Serbian forces begin attack on Bulgars in Macedonia.
August 2--French take Fleury. Aug. 3--Sir Roger Casement executed for
treason. Aug. 4--French recapture Thiaumont for fourth time; British
repulse Turkish attack on Suez canal. Aug, 7--Italians on Isonzo front
capture Monte Sabotino and Monte San Michele. Aug. 8--Turks force
Russian evacuation of Bitlis and Mush. Aug. 9--Italians cross Isonzo
river and occupy Austrian city of Goeritz. Aug. 10--Austrians evacuate
Stanislau; allies take Doiran, near Saloniki, from Bulgarians.
August 19--German submarines sink British light cruisers Nottingham and
Falmouth. Aug. 24--French occupy Maurepas, north of the Somme; Russians
recapture Mush in Armenia. Aug. 27--Italy declares war on Germany;
Roumania enters war on side of allies. Aug. 29--Field Marshal von
Hindenburg made chief of staff of German armies, succeeding Gen.
von Falkenhayn. August 30--Russian armies seize all five passes in
Carpathians into Hungary.
September 3--Allies renew offensive north of Somme; Bulgarian and German
troops invade Dobrudja, in Roumania. Sept. 7--Germans and Bulgarians
capture Roumanian fortress of Tutrakan; Roumanians take Orsova,
Bulgarian city. Sept. 19--German-Bulgarian army captures Roumanian
fortress of Silistria. Sept. 14--British for first time use "tanks."
Sept. 15--Italians begin new offensive on Carso.
October 2--Roumanian army of invasion in Bulgaria defeated by Germans
and Bulgarians under Von Mackensen. Oct. 4--German submarines sink
French cruiser Gallia and Cunard liner Franconia. Oct. 8--German
submarines sink six merchant steamships off Nantucket, Mass. Oct.
11--Greek seacoast forts dismantled and turned over to allies on demand
of England and France. Oct. 23--German-Bulgar armies capture Constanza,
Roumania Oct. 24--French win back Douaumont, Thiaumont field work,
Haudromont quarries, and Caillette wood near Verdun, in smash of two
miles.
November 1--Italians, in new offensive on the Carso plateau, capture
5,000 Austrians. Nov. 2--Germans evacuate Fort Vaux at Verdun. Nov.
5--Germans and Austrians proclaim new kingdom of Poland, of territory
captured from Russia. Nov. 6--Submarine sinks British passenger steamer
Arabia. Nov. 7--Cardinal Mercier protests against German deportation of
Belgians; submarine sinks American steamer Columbian. Nov. 8--Russian
army invades Transylvania, Hungary. Nov. 9--Austro-German armies defeat
Russians in Volhyina and take 4,000 prisoners.
November 13--British launch new offensive in Somme region on both sides
of Ancre. Nov. 14--British capture fortified village of Beacourt, near
the Ancre. Nov. 19--Serbian, French, and Russian troops recapture
Monastir; Germans cross Transylvania Alps and enter western Roumania.
Nov. 21--British hospital ship Britannic sunk by mine in Aegean sea.
Nov. 23--Roumanian army retreats ninety miles from Bucharest. Nov.
24--German-Bulgarian armies take Orsova and Turnu-Severin from
Roumanians. Nov. 25--Greek provisional government declares war on
Germany and Bulgaria. Nov. 28--Roumanian government abandons Bucharest
and moves capital to Jassy.
December 5--Premier Herbert Asquith of England resigns. Dec. 7--David
Lloyd George accepts British premiership. Dec. 8--Gen. von Mackensen
captures big Roumanian army in Prohova valley. Dec. 12--Chancellor von
Bethman-Hollweg announces in reichstag that Germany will propose peace;
new cabinet in France under Aristide Briand as premier, and Gen. Robert
Georges Nivelle given chief of command of French army. Dec. 15--French
at Verdun win two miles of front and capture 11,000.
December 19--Llloyd George declines German peace proposals. Dec.
23--Baron Burian succeeded as minister of foreign affairs in Austria
by Count Czernin. Dec. 26--Germany proposes to President Wilson "an
immediate meeting of delegates of the belligerents." Dec. 27--Russians
defeated in five-day battle in eastern Wallachia, Roumauia.
January 1--Submarine sinks British transport Ivernia. Jan. 9--Russian
premier, Trepoff, resigns. Golitzin succeeds him. Jan. 31--Germany
announces unrestricted submarine warfare.
February 3--President Wilson reviews submarine controversy before
congress; United States severs diplomatic relations with Germany;
American steamer Housatonic sunk without warning. Feb. 7--Senate
indorses President's act of breaking off diplomatic relations. Feb.
12--United States refuses German request to discuss matters of
difference unless Germany withdraws unrestricted submarine warfare
order.
February 14--Von Bernstorff sails for Germany. Feb. 25--British under
Gen. Maude capture Kut-el-Amara; submarine sinks liner Laconia without
warning; many lost including two Americans. Feb. 26--President Wilson
asks congress for authority to arm American merchantships. Feb.
28--Secretary Lansing makes public Zimmerman note to Mexico, proposing
Mexican-Japanese-German alliance.
March 9--President Wilson calls extra session of congress for April 16.
March 11--British under Gen. Maude capture Bagdad; revolution starts in
Petrograd. March 15--Czar Nicholas of Russia abdicates. March 17--French
and British capture Bapaume. March 18--New French ministry formed by
Alexander Ribot.
March 21--Russian forces cross Persian border into Turkish territory;
American oil steamer Healdton torpedoed without warning. March
22---United States recognizes new government of Russia. March 27--Gen.
Murray's British expedition into the Holy Land defeats Turkish army near
Gaza.
April 2--President Wilson asks congress to declare that acts of Germany
constitute a state of war; submarine sinks American steamer Aztec
without warning. April 4--United States senate passes resolution
declaring a state of war exists with Germany. April 6--House passes war
resolution and President Wilson signs joint resolution of congress.
April 8--Austria declares severance of diplomatic relations with United
States.
April 9--British defeat Germans at Vimy Ridge and take 6,000 prisoners;
United States seizes fourteen Austrian interned ships. April 20--Turkey
severs diplomatic relations with the U.S. April 28--Congress passes
selective service act for raising of army of 500,000; Guatemala severs
diplomatic relations with Germany.
May 7--War department orders raising of nine volunteer regiments of
engineers to go to France. May 14--Espionage act becomes law by passing
senate. May 18--President Wilson signs selective service act. Also
directs expeditionary force of regulars under Gen. Pershing to go
to France. May 19--Congress passes war appropriation bill of
$3,000,000,000.
June 5--Nearly 10,000,000 men in U. S. register for military service.
June 12--King Constantino of Greece abdicates. June 13--Gen. Pershing
and staff arrive in Paris. June 15--First Liberty loan closes with large
over-subscription. June 26--First contingent American troops under Gen.
Sibert arrives in France. June 29--Greece severs diplomatic relations
with Teutonic allies.
July 9--President Wilson drafts state militia into federal service. Also
places food and fuel under federal control. July 13--War department
order drafts 678,000 men into military service. July 14--Aircraft
appropriation bill of $640,000,000 passes house; Chancellor von
Bethmann-Hollweg's resignation forced by German political crisis.
July 18--United States government orders censorship of telegrams and
cablegrams crossing frontiers. July 19--New German Chancellor Michaelis
declares Germany will not war for conquest; radicals and Catholic party
ask peace without forced acquisitions of territory. July 22--Siam
declares war on Germany. July 23--Premier Kerensky given unlimited
powers in Russia. July 28--United States war industries board created to
supervise expenditures.
August 25--Italian Second army breaks through Austrian line on Isonzo
front. Aug. 28--President Wilson rejects Pope Benedict's peace plea.
September 10--Gen. Korniloff demands control of Russian government.
Sept. 11--Russian deputies vote to support Kerensky. Korniloff's
generals ordered arrested. Sept. 16--Russia proclaims new republic by
order of Premier Kerensky. Sept. 20--Gen. Haig advances mile through
German lines at Ypres. Sept. 21--Gen. Tasker H. Bliss named chief of
staff, U.S. army.
October 16--Germans occupy islands of Runo and Adro in the Gulf of Riga.
Oct. 25--French under Gen. Petain advance and take 12,000 prisoners on
Aisne front. Oct. 27--Formal announcement made that American troops in
France had fired their first shots in the war. Oct. 29--Italian Isonzo
front collapses and Austro-German army reaches outposts of Udine.
November 1--Secretary Lansing makes public the Luxburg "spurlos
versenkt" note. Nov. 7--Austro-German troops capture? Nov. 9--Permanent
interallied military commission created. Nov. 24--Navy department
announces capture of first German submarine by American destroyer. Nov.
28--Bolsheviki get absolute control of Russian assembly in Russian
elections.
December 6--Submarine sinks the Jacob Jones, first regular warship
of American navy destroyed. Dec. 7--Congress declares war on
Austria-Hungary. Dec. 8--Jerusalem surrenders to Gen. Allenby's forces.
January 5--President Wilson delivers speech to congress giving "fourteen
points" necessary to peace. Jan. 20--British monitors win seafight
with cruisers Goeben and Breslau, sinking latter. Jan. 28--Russia and
Roumania sever diplomatic relations.
February 2--United States troops take over their first sector, near
Toul. Feb. 6--United States troopship Tuscania sunk by submarine,
lost. Feb. 11--President Wilson, in address to congress, gives four
additional peace principles, including self-determination of nations;
Bolsheviki declare war with Germany over, but refuse to sign peace
treaty. Feb. 13--Bolo Pasha sentenced to death in France for treason.
Feb. 25--Germans take Reval, Russian naval base, and Pskov; Chancellor
von Hertling agrees "in principle" with President Wilson's peace
principles, in address to reichstag.
March 1--Americans repulse German attack on Toul sector. March 2--Treaty
of peace with Germany signed by Bolsheviki at Brest-Litovsk. March
4--Germany and Roumania sign armistice on German terms. March 13--German
troops occupy Odessa. March 14--All Russian congress of soviets ratifies
peace treaty. March 21--German spring offensive starts on fifty mile
front. March 22--Germans take 16,000 British prisoners and 200 guns.
March 23--German drive gains nine miles. "Mystery gun" shells Paris.
March 24--Germans reach the Somme, gaining fifteen miles. American
engineers rushed to aid British. March 25--Germans take Bapaume. March
27--Germans take Albert. March 28--British counter attack and gain;
French take three towns; Germans advance toward Amiens. March
29--"Mystery gun" kills seventy-five churchgoers in Paris on Good
Friday.
April 4--Germans start second phase of their spring drive on the Somme.
April 10--Germans take 10,000 British prisoners in Flanders. April
16--Germans capture Messines ridge, near Ypres; Bolo Pasha executed.
April 23--British and French navies "bottle up" Zeebrugge. April
26--Germans capture Mount Kemmel, taking 6,500 prisoners.
May 5--Austria starts drive on Italy. May 10--British navy bottles
up Ostend. May 24--British ship Moldavia, carrying American troops,
torpedoed; 56 lost. May 27--Germans begin third phase of drive on west
front; gain five miles. May 28--Germans take 15,000 prisoners in drive.
May 29--Germans take Soissons and menace Reims. American troops capture
Cantigny. May 30--Germans reach the Marne, fifty-five miles from Paris.
May 31--Germans take 45,000 prisoners in drive.
June 1--Germans advance nine miles; are forty-six miles from Paris. June
3--Five German submarines attack the coast and sink eleven ships.
June 5--U. S. marines fight on the Marne near Chateau Thierry. June
9--Germans start fourth phase of their drive by advancing toward Noyon.
June 10--Germans gain two miles. U. S. marines capture south end of
Belleau wood.
June 12--French and Americans start counter attack. June 15--Austrians
begin another drive on Italy and take 16,000 prisoners. June
17--Italians check Austrians on Piave river. June 19--Austrians cross
the Piave, June 22--Italians defeat Austrians on the Piave. June
23--Austrians begin great retreat across the Piave.
July 18---Gen. Foch launches allied offensive, with French, American,
British, Italian and Belgian troops. July 21--Americans and French
capture Chateau Thierry. July 30--German crown prince flees from the
Marne and withdraws army.
August 2--Soissons recaptured by Foch. Aug. 4--Americans take Fismes.
Aug. 5--American troops landed at Archangel. Aug. 7--Americans cross the
Yesle. Aug. 16--Bapaume recaptured. Aug. 28--French recross the Somme.
September 1--Foch retakes Peronne. Sept. 12--Americans launch successful
attack in St. Mihiel salient. Sept. 28--Allies win on 250 mile line,
from North sea to Verdun. Sept, 29--Allies cross Hindenburg line. Sept.
30--Bulgaria surrenders, after successful allied campaign in Balkans.
October 1--French take St. Quentin. Oct. 4--Austria asks Holland to
mediate with allies for peace. Oct. 5--Germans start abandonment of
Lille and from Douai. Oct. 6--Germany asks President Wilson for
armistice. Oct. 7--Americans capture hills around Argonne. Oct.
8--President Wilson refuses armistice. Oct. 9--Allies capture Cambrai.
Oct. 10--Allies capture Le Gateau. Oct. 11--American transport Otranto
torpedoed and sunk; 500 lost. Oct. 13--Foch's troops take Laon and La
Fere.
October 14:--British and Belgians take Koulers; President Wilson demands
surrender by Germany. Oct. 15--British and Belgians cross Lys river,
take 12,000 prisoners and 100 guns. Oct. 16--Allies enter Lille
outskirts. Oct. 17--Allies capture Lille, Bruges, Zeebrugge, Ostend, and
Douai. Oct. 18--Czecho-slovaks issue declaration of independence; Czechs
rebel and seize Prague, captial of Bohemia; French take Thielt.
October 19--President Wilson refuses Austrian peace plea and says
Czecho-slovak state must be considered. Oct. 21--Allies cross the Oise
and threaten Valenciennes. Oct. 22--Haig's forces cross the Scheldt.
Oct. 23--President Wilson refuses latest German peace plea. Oct.
27--German government asks President Wilson to state terms. Oct.
28--Austria begs for separate peace.
October 29--Austria opens direct negotiations with Secretary Lansing.
Oct. 30--Italians inflict great defeat on Austria; capture 33,
Austrians evacuating Italian territory. Oct. 31--Turkey surrenders;
Austrians utterly routed by Italians; lose 50,000; Austrian envoys,
under white flag, enter Italian lines.
November 1--Italians pursue beaten Austrians across Tagliamento river;
allied conference at Versailles fixes peace terms for Germany. Nov.
3--Austria signs armistice amounting virtually to unconditional
surrender. Nov. 4--Allied terms are sent to Germany. Nov. 7--Germany's
envoys enter allied lines by arrangement.
November 9--Kaiser Wilhelm abdicates and crown prince renounces throne.
Nov. 10--Former Kaiser Wilhelm and his eldest son, Friedrick Wilhelm,
flee to Holland to escape widespread revolution throughout Germany.
November 9---Kaiser Wilhelm abdicates and crown prince renounces throne.
British battleship Britannia torpedoed and sunk by German submarine off
entrance to Straits of Gibraltar. Nov. 10--Former Kaiser Wilhelm and
his eldest son, Frederick Wilhelm, flee to Holland to escape widespread
revolution throughout Germany. King of Bavaria abdicates. Nov.
11--Armistice signed at 11 o'clock a. m., Paris time. Firing ceased on
all fronts. An American battery from Providence, Rhode Island, fired
last shot at exactly 11 o'clock on the front northwest of Verdun.
Germans began evacuation of Belgium and Alsace-Lorraine.
November 12--German republic proclaimed at Berlin. Emperor Charles of
Austria abdicates. Belgium demands complete independence instead of
guaranteed neutrality. To secure status as a belligerent at the peace
council, Roumania again declares war on Germany. United States decides
to feed the German people. United States stops draft boards and lifts
war restriction of industries. Nov. 13--American troops cross the German
former frontier and enter Alsace-Lorraine.
November 14--Polish troops occupy the royal palaces in Warsaw and seize
telegraph and telephone connections with Vienna. United States loans
another hundred million dollars to Italy for food supplies. Dangerous
bolshevik disorders in Germany and Austria. German crown prince interned
in Holland.
November 15--Distinguished Service Medal conferred on General Pershing
at his headquarters in France by General Tasker H. Bliss. United States
Postoffice department takes control of all ocean cable lines, consent
of other governments having been obtained. Prof. Thomas G. Masaryk
proclaimed President of the new Czecho-Slav republic.
November 16--Copenhagen reported many German ships due for surrender
under armistice conditions. Demobilization of United States troops
ordered by the government, beginning with those in army camps at home.
United States takes over express service. Belgian troops enter Brussels.
German cruiser Wiesbaden torpedoed by German revolutionary sailors, with
loss of 330 lives.
November 17--Two hundred and fifty thousand American troops advance nine
miles in French territory evacuated by Germans. French armies advance
across the west boundary of Alsace-Lorraine and occupy many towns.
People of Luxemburg demand abdication of Grand Duchess.
November 18--President Wilson decides to attend the peace conference to
be held in Europe. French occupy Metz. American troops reach the
German border. British troops land at Gallipoli. American troops defeat
bolshevik forces at Fulka, on the river Dvina. United States government
takes over German insurance companies' agencies in America to be sold by
the Custodian of alien property.
November 29--The President announced names of commissioners to represent
the United States at peace conference. They are: Woodrow Wilson,
President of the United States; Robert Lansing, Secretary of State; Col.
Edward M. House; Henry White, former ambassador to Italy and to France,
and Gen. Tasker H. Bliss, American adviser of the supreme war council.
December 4, 1918--President Wilson and a numerous staff sailed for
Europe from New York aboard the George Washington, escorted by warships
under command of Admiral Mayo, to attend the Peace Conference at
Versailles, France.