The Great War (1914-1918) in real time

[lordroel]

Day 1543 of the Great War, October 27th 1918

Western Front

German attack north-west of Le Quesnoy repulsed.

Enemy gives way on Serre-Oise salient; French pursue.

Americans take Bois Belleu (east bank of Meuse).

General Ludendorff succeeded by von Lossberg.

Italian Front: Allies Cross the Piave

The Italian attack on Mt. Grappa had faltered, and flood waters of the Piave had repeatedly delayed a river crossing. The Allies finally crossed the Piave in force by the 27th, establishing several bridgeheads, but the river and Austrian artillery destroyed many of them, leaving pockets of Italian forces isolated on the far side. While the Italians attempted to rebuild the bridges and expand the bridgeheads with what supplies they had available, the British had better luck. Having already crossed the bulk of the river to Papadopoli island, the far bank was only a short distance away; some even were able to ford the river. The British were able to establish a bridgehead over two miles deep on the 27th; Austrian counterattacks were beaten off and Austrian batteries quickly ran out of shells. One British soldier recalled: “A new carefree attitude was taking control. We were no longer the frightened troops nailed to the earth by a storm of steel. We were advancing into enemy-held territory, victors at last.”

The next morning, the Austrians began falling back to the Tagliamento. The Austrian army was becoming increasingly unreliable, and units (especially those not engaged in active fighting with the Allies) began to openly disobey orders or simply disappeared. Although the Allied advance was still limited, the Austrian high command knew that their army was falling apart. On the same day, Austrian Chief of Staff Arz made the decision to ask for an armistice, with whatever terms necessary: “Every stipulation would be acceptable that does not infringe upon the honor of the army or constitute an outright capitulation.”

Macedonian Front

Serbs drive enemy back north of Kraguyevats.

Mesopotamian campaign

British cavalry seize Muslimie junction (north of Aleppo, on Baghdad railway).

British main body in touch with Turks on Lower Zab.

Turks fall back to hills covering Shergat.

France

Colonel House arrives in Paris as U.S.A. special representative.

United States

German reply to President Wilson's Note published.

Austria-Hungary

Austro-Hungarian Note asks for Armistice (published 29 October).

Naval operations: ship losses

HMT CALCEOLARIA (Royal Navy) The naval trawler struck a mine laid by UB 12 (Ernst Schöller) and sank in the North Sea off the Elbow Lightship ( United Kingdom) (51°26′N 1°36′E) with the loss of five of her crew.

CHAPARRA (Cuba) The cargo ship struck a mine laid by U 117 (Otto Dröscher) and sank in the Atlantic Ocean 70 nautical miles (130 km) south east of the Barnegat Lighthouse, New Jersey, United States with the loss of six of her crew.

MARIA EMILLIA (Portugal) The barque sprang a leak in the Atlantic Ocean (30°20′N 66°12′W) and was abandoned by her crew. They were rescued by Themistocles ( Greece).

HMT NEPTUNIAN (Royal Navy) The naval trawler collided with another vessel and sank in the Atlantic Ocean off Rathlin Island, County Donegal.

U-78 (Imperial German Navy) The Type UE I submarine was torpedoed and sunk in the Skagerrak (56°02′N 5°08′E) by HMS G2 ( Royal Navy) with the loss of all 40 crew.

[lordroel]

Day 1544 of the Great War, October 28th 1918

Western Front

Slight British advance south of Valenciennes.

Heavy French fighting at Verly (Oise) and (American) about Grand Pre.

Great French bombing raid on Seraincourt (north-west of Rethel).

Russian Civil War

Siberian Coalition Ministry formed under Admiral Kolchak (War and Marine); MM. Shekin (Foreign Affairs), Orlov (Commerce) and Ostrugov (Communications).

Italian Front: Boroevic prepares for Austria-Hungary’s last stand

The Austro-Hungarians are being pressed hard by the Italians. Assaults on Monte Grappa have been repulsed but now the Italians have crossed the Piave in strength and are pushing towards Vittorio Veneto. Discipline is breaking down in the Austro-Hungarian army, with reserve units refusing to move up to the front and desertion rampant. Boroevic, the local Austro-Hungarian commander, reports that only German-Austrian troops in his army are proving entirely reliable (which is no doubt personally embarrassing to him as he is a Slav but one totally loyal to the Empire). When told that Emperor Karl is about to request an armistice he fears that this news will cause the army’s complete disintegration.

With the enemy now advancing from the Piave, Boroevic orders a retreat to a new line on the banks of the Monticano. He hopes that his men will be able to hold the Italians here until the war ends.

Macedonian Front

Italians enter Allessio (Albania).

Mesopotamian campaign

Turks attack British on east bank of Tigris, but are heavily beaten on west bank, and retreat.

British beat Turks at Shergat.

Germany

German sailors mutiny at Schillig Roads mutiny.

Kaiser's decree to Chancellor states "Kaiser's office is one of service to German people".

France

Allied Conference in Paris.

Austria-Hungary

Professor Lammasch succeeds Baron Hussarek as Austrian Prime Minister.

Fresh Austrian Note to President Wilson urging immediate Armistice.

Czech National Council takes over administration in Prague.

United Kingdom

Admiral Prince Yorihito arrives in London.

Naval operations: U-Boat Sunk While Attempting to Infiltrate Scapa Flow

After Prince Max ended unrestricted submarine warfare to meet Wilson’s armistice conditions, Scheer recalled all remaining U-boats and planned a final sortie to deal as much damage to the Royal Navy as possible before the end of the war. As in previous sorties, Scheer hoped to lure the Grand Fleet out over his U-boats, sinking as many ships as possible with torpedoes before engaging them with his surface fleet. One boat, UB-116, decided to be more proactive, however, and headed for Scapa Flow itself, hoping to catch the Grand Fleet at anchor. The Grand Fleet had transferred to the Firth of Forth earlier in 1918, however, leaving Scapa Flow empty. The entrance, Hoxa Sound, was also guarded by a shore-controlled minefield. Hydrophones picked up the boat’s approach after dark on October 28, and searchlights were activated to try to find the boat. The boat’s periscope was spotted around 11:30 PM; at this point, it should have been clear to the captain that the British were aware of his presence. However, he continued on undeterred. Two minutes later, the large metal detectors in the minefield located his vessel, and operators on the shore detonated several mines, instantly destroying the U-boat and killing all on board. UB-116 was the last U-boat lost to enemy action during the war.

Naval operations: ship losses

German Navy scuttles 5 U-boats in the port of Pula (Croatia) as they prepare to evacuate in the face of Italian and Allied advances and the disintegration of Austria-Hungary:

SM U-47 (Imperial German Navy) The Type U 43 submarine was scuttled at Pula, Austria-Hungary (44°52′N 13°50′E).

SM U-65 (Imperial German Navy) The Type U 63 submarine was scuttled at Pula (44°52′N 13°50′E).

SM UB-48 (Imperial German Navy) The Type UB II submarine was scuttled at Pula (44°52′N 13°50′E).

SM UC-25 (Imperial German Navy) The Type UC II submarine was scuttled at Pula (44°52′N 13°50′E).

SM UC-53 (Imperial German Navy) The Type UC II submarine was scuttled at Pula (44°52′N 13°50′E).

SM UC-54 (Imperial German Navy) The Type UC II submarine was scuttled at Trieste, Italy (45°39′N 13°45′E).

[lordroel]

Day 1545 of the Great War, October 29th 1918

Western Front

Successful French attack on 7.5-mile front north-west of Chateau Porcien (west of Rethel).

Italian Front: The Austro-Hungarians retreat to the Italian border

After three years of failure the hour of victory appears at last to have arrived for the Italians. Their troops are now pouring across the Piave and pressing eastwards. The Austro-Hungarians attempt to make a stand on the Monticano but the Italian wave is too much for them. Lest the army be destroyed, Boroevic now calls for a unilateral withdrawal to the frontier. With Emperor Karl having already requested an armistice, Arz, the Austro-Hungarian commander, reluctantly agrees. The Austro-Hungarians begin their great retreat.

Mesopotamian campaign

Pursuit of Turks continues: position cut-off and captured.

Austria-Hungary

Archduke Joseph charged by Emperor Karl with scheme for independence of Hungary.

Independence of Croatia and Yugo-Slav lands agreed to by Croat Congress at Agram.

Naval operations: Germany

Scheer had decided, without informing the government or the Kaiser, to send his fleet out in one last attempt to take on the Grand Fleet. A victory could possibly prevent an armistice or give them better peace terms, but a more likely outcome was an annihilation of the outnumbered High Seas Fleet. Scheer and his officers were determined on this course, but the sailors of the High Seas Fleet, well aware that the war was likely near its end, had no desire for a “fight to the death” or a “suicide mission.” On October 29, the High Seas Fleet assembled outside of Wilhelmshaven, and it became obvious to everyone on board the ships that a major operation was soon to occur. Several hundred men quietly slipped off the ships as they were exiting port. Insubordination spread throughout the fleet; on the MARKGRAF, spontaneous cheering erupted for President Wilson.

Hipper called a final conference of his captains that evening; the captain of the THURINGEN was delayed because the men on board his ship wanted to prevent him from leaving. By 10PM, after having heard of the extent of the disturbances, he decided that the fleet could not set sail the next morning, as planned. He still hoped, at the very least, to send out his destroyers, but overnight the disturbances spread to other ships and mutineers had seized control of the THURINGEN and HELGOLAND . To keep the situation under control, Hipper decided to disperse his fleet to different ports, hoping that this would prevent the loss of his entire fleet to mutiny. The mutinies on the THURINGEN and HELGOLAND were only dispersed after he turned his U-boats and destroyers on the mutinous vessels, threatening to sink them with torpedoes unless they surrendered.

Naval operations: ship losses

SMS A51 (Imperial German Navy) The A26-class torpedo boat was scuttled at Rijeka, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.

SMS A82 (Imperial German Navy) The A56-class torpedo boat was scuttled at Rijeka.

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Day 1546 of the Great War, October 30th 1918

Western Front

Over 30,000 prisoners taken in Flanders during past month.

Region above Valenciennes flooded by Germans.

Mannheim bombed by British.

Italian Front

Serbs reach Danube east of Semendria and occupy and Pozharevats.

Italian advance continues between Upper Brenta and sea; 33,000 prisoners.

Severe fighting at Grappa.

State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs

Fiume surrendered to the Croats by the Hungarians.

Mesopotamia campaign

The Ottoman Empire signs the Armistice of Mudros, which ends the fighting with the Allies tomorrow at noon. Ottoman Army in Mesopotamia surrenders to the British, bringing the Middle Eastern theatre of the war to a close.

United Kingdom

Serious influenza epidemic in London; 2,200 deaths last week.

Hungary: National revolution in Hungary

The collapse of Austro-Hungarian forces in the field has convinced the various peoples of the Empire that their future lies in independence. National committees have appeared across Austria-Hungary and are taking over powers that would previously have belonged to officials appointed from Vienna or Budapest. The local civil administrations are transferring their allegiance to these new bodies, leading in many cases to a surprisingly seamless transition. It is as though the Empire is just fading away.

In Zagreb a national committee of Croats has taken over the local administration. Now it declares Croatia part of a new united nation of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, to be colloquially known as Yugoslavia. With Serbian and Allied forces advancing up the Balkans the Austro-Hungarian authorities are in no position to block this new state’s emergence. Meanwhile in Hungary the situation is more tense. A power struggle has emerged in Budapest between the national committee of Károlyi and forces loyal to the Habsburg crown. Demonstrators have been killed by the security forces, but the tide is flowing towards the nationalists. Nationalism has made inroads into the city’s garrison and now Hungarian army officers are themselves joining the revolution. The city’s telephone exchange is taken over by rebel troops, leaving Lukachich, Budapest’s loyalist commander, isolated and unable to exercise any control over events.

Germany

German Note to U.S.A. received stating Armistice terms are being awaited.

Italy

National Council of Fiume proclaims independence of city and desires union with Italy.

Ottoman Empire: Turkey Exits the War

With Bulgaria’s collapse opening the way to Constantinople, the new Ottoman government quickly asked for an armistice. Negotiating with the British alone, they received stricter terms than they were hoping for, but were nonetheless compelled to accept. The armistice, signed on the pre-dreadnought Agamemnon on the evening of October 30, went into effect at noon the following day. Turkey would open the straits at the Dardanelles and Bosporus, and hand over control of their forts to the Allies. The Turks would demobilize entirely, and surrender any remaining garrisons in Syria, Mesopotamia, Arabia, and Yemen. All Allied prisoners of war and any remaining Armenians interned during the genocide would be handed over to the Allies, while Turkish PoWs would remain in Allied hands. Finally, the Allies were given the blanket right to “occupy any strategic point in case of a threat to their security.”

When the armistice came into effect, the British had were on the border of European Turkey with Bulgaria; per the terms of the armistice, they moved on Constantinople, arriving there on November 12, joined by a fleet that had sailed peacefully through the Dardanelles. The Young Turk leadership, including Enver, Talaat, and Djemal Pashas, fled the city by German U-boat on November 1. In Syria, Allenby’s forces were between Haritan and Alexandretta. In Mesopotamia, British forces had hurriedly pushed north in the last week of October to secure British interests there before the end of the war, and on the day the armistice was signed they forced the surrender of most of the Turkish forces in the area. However, by the time news of the armistice reached the area on November 1, they were still twelve miles south of Mosul. Nevertheless, the British occupied the city on November 4, despite the Turks’ insistence that Mosul was not part of Mesopotamia and thus did not need to be surrendered under the terms of the armistice. The British decision to ignore these objections would have profound consequences for the future of Iraq.

Naval operations: ship losses

SM U-73 (Imperial German Navy) The Type UE I submarine was scuttled at Kotor, State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (44°52′N 13°50′E).

SM UC-34 (Imperial German Navy) The Type UC II submarine was scuttled at Pula, Austria-Hungary (44°52′N 13°50′E).

[lordroel]

Day 1547 of the Great War, October 31st 1918

Western Front

British captures in last three months: 172,659 prisoners, 2,378 guns, 17,000 machine guns, 2,750 trench mortars, etc.

British successful attack south-west of Audenarde (Courtrai), carrying all objectives; 1,000 prisoners.

Italian Front: Vittorio Veneto recaptured, Monte Grappa outflanked

As the Austro-Hungarians retreat to the pre-war frontier Italian troops race to recover lost territory. Italian troops advancing from the Piave today recover Vittorio Veneto; later advance troops make it all the way to the Livenza river. In accordance with Diaz‘s plan, other Italian units wheel to the north, threatening to outflank the Austro-Hungarian defenders of Monte Grappa. Thus far the Austro-Hungarian defenders here have held their positions against a series of Italian attacks, inflicting some 25,000 casualties on the enemy, but now they are in danger of being enveloped. After night falls they begin a retreat to the north.

Macedonian Front

Scutari (Albania) captured by Italians.

Austrians in Trentino and Venetian Alps separated and chased back, losing all positions between the Brenta and Piave.

Austria-Hungary

Austrian Commander-in-Chief applies to General Diaz for an Armistice.

Revolution in Vienna.

Count Tisza assassinated in Vienna.

Austria-Hungary: Revolutions Across Austria-Hungary

Emperor Charles’ misguided attempts to save his empire with a last-minute reform plan had failed, and Wilson had made it clear that any peace would require, at the very least, independence for the Czechs and the south Slavs. The Hungarians, worried what this would mean for their position in their half of the empire, quickly distanced themselves from Austria and Emperor Charles. On October 24, students went to the streets in Budapest, demanding independence, peace, and a government under the left-wing Count Míhály Károlyi. Two days later, Károlyi founded a Hungarian National Committee, claiming to be the legitimate authority in Hungary, and called for peace, independence from Austria and a breaking of ties with Germany, universal male and female suffrage, and autonomy for Hungary’s ethnic minorities. The revolutionary crowds grew, especially after police fired on protesters on the Chain Bridge.

By October 30, much of the Budapest garrison had gone over to the revolution, along with the telephone exchange. The commander of the garrison appealed to Emperor Charles for any reliable troops, but Charles told him that “enough blood has already been spilt.” On October 31, the revolutionaries were firmly in control, and Károlyi was installed as Prime Minister. He quickly ordered Hungarian troops still in the field to stop fighting and return home. That afternoon, in one of the few acts of bloodshed that day, soldiers broke into former PM Tisza’s house in the outskirts of the city and killed him. Tisza had been instrumental in taking Austria-Hungary into the war (despite preliminary objections), and was the personification of the repressive old guard in Hungary that the revolution was sweeping out.

Revolution had also broken out across the Austrian half of the empire, especially after news that the army was actively seeking an armistice with Italy. The Czechoslovak National Committee took control in Prague on October 28 and declared Czechoslovak independence (following Masaryk’s proclamation in exile a few weeks earlier); Habsburg government officials in Bohemia and Moravia quickly began serving the new independent government. On October 31, the Poles of Cracow quickly disarmed the local garrison and pledged allegiance to an independent Poland (which did not yet exist). On November 1, Ukrainian soldiers seized power in Lviv, though fighting soon broke out with the local Polish population. On October 29, a State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs declared independence in Zagreb. The Austro-Hungarian Navy was transferred to their control on October 31, hoping to avoid it falling into the hands of the Allies. Admiral Horthy quickly departed for Hungary.

The Italians, however, were not apprised of the transfer. In the wee hours of November 1, two Italian frogmen made it into the naval base at Pola on a manned torpedo and placed charges on the dreadnought Viribus Unitis (renamed the Yugoslavia after the transfer). The frogmen were captured and informed their captors that they had placed explosives (but not where they had been placed). The ship was evacuated, but many returned to the ship when the explosives did not go off as predicted, believing the Italians to have been bluffing, When they did explode fifteen minutes later, the ship quickly sank and around 350 were killed, including the ship’s captain.

State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs

Austrian Fleet handed to Yugo-Slav Council and Danube flotilla to Hungarians.

Ottoman Empire

Hostilities between Turkey and Entente cease at noon.

Naval operations: Merchant shipping losses

British, Allied and Neutral ships lost to enemy submarines, mines and cruisers etc in the month - 69 ships of 117,000 tons gross. (Lloyd's War Losses)

Naval operations: ship losses

SM UB-129 (Imperial German Navy) The Type UB III submarine was scuttled at Rijeka, State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (45°19′N 14°26′E).

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Day 1548 of the Great War, November 1st 1918

YouTube (Italy Attacks - The Battle of Vittorio Veneto)



Western Front

Battle of the Sambre begins.

British reach outskirts of Valenciennes.

British, French and Americans reach Gavere, on Scheldt (ten miles south of Ghent).

Western Front: American Breakthrough in the Meuse-Argonne

In over a month of fighting since September 26, the Americans had suffered tens of thousands of casualties in the Meuse-Argonne and had not broken through the German lines as hoped. Compared to the massive victories in Flanders and against the Hindenburg Line, this was a disappointment for the Allies, and Clemenceau had even called for Pershing’s removal. Nonetheless, they had taken key positions in the last month, and had learned valuable lessons from the fighting, and were well-prepared for another offensive, in conjunction with the French, to be launched on November 1.

The Americans used much more artillery support than before; a two-hour preliminary bombardment essentially destroyed the German lines in the area. They used mustard gas for the first time, and airplanes provided ground support to the troops. Even a few tanks were deployed, but they were largely rendered redundant by the overwhelming force of the artillery. American infantry officers had learned to be more adaptable to the conditions on the ground, not sticking to fixed lines and objectives so rigidly. There was a major improvement in American supply, which had been a mess ever since the St Mihiel offensive; supply depots were now further forward, ready for an advance.

The German defenders were quickly overwhelmed by the American firepower and numbers. The First Army advanced over five miles on the first day of the offensive, taking the last German fixed defensive line in the area and seizing the heights around Barricourt. This outflanked German positions further east, in the Bois de Bourgogne, and the Germans began a general withdrawal from the area the next day, while the Americans began to set their sights on Sedan.

Polish–Ukrainian War: Polish-Ukrainian War Begins

In the embers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire another new state was born that day as the West Ukrainian People’s Republic proclaimed its independence in western Ukraine, centered around Lvov. But the takeover showcased the impossibility of cleanly dividing up Europe into ethnic states, as Wilson’s Fourteen Points wanted. The majority of Lvov’s population was Polish, and before long several thousand organized themselves into partisan groups and began waging a war with the Ukrainian newcomers. Soon an elite Ukrainian riflemen brigade called the Sich Riflemen arrived to clean them out.

By the end of the day Lvov had become a warzone. Soldiers who had previously served side-by-side in the Austrian and Russian armies were now bitter enemies. The war between Poland and Ukraine which started that day lasted eight months, with Poland the eventual victor after thousands had died on both sides. The cosmopolitan Europe of 1914 had died with them in the Great War.

Lemberg proclaimed to be in state of siege.

Macedonian Front: Belgrade Liberated

Belgrade is liberated on November 1. Serbian guns on the heights around the city shelled the Hungarian monitors guarding it, and then entered the capital they had been driven out of in 1914 in triumph. The war had begun here four years ago.

Italian Front

Austrians retreat from Venetian Alps and plain towards River Tagliamento.

France

Versailles Conference opens.

Bulgaria

Abdication of King Boris of Bulgaria announced; peasant Government established at Tirnova under leadership of Mr. Stambuliski.

Austria-Hungary

Revolution in Vienna.

Hungarian National Council assumes power. Count Michael Karolyi becomes Premier.

Bosnia

Great Serbian National Council proclaimed at Sarajevo (Bosnia).

Naval operations: ship losses

SM U-72 (Imperial German Navy) The Type UE I submarine was scuttled at Kotor, State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (42°30′N 18°41′E).

SMS VIRIBUS Unitis (State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs) The Tegetthoff-class battleship was sunk at Pula by an Italian human torpedo.

WIEN (State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs) The ocean liner was mined and sunk at Pula by Regia Marina forces.

[lordroel]

Day 1549 of the Great War, November 2nd 1918

Western Front

Allied advance continued.

Germans retreat in Argonne Forest.

Americans capture Buzancy.

French capture south bank of Canal des Ardennes between Semuy and Neuville.

Western Front: Canadians Take Valenciennes

While the Americans and French were attacking in the Meuse-Argonne, the Allies launched their own renewed offensive in Flanders and in northern France. On November 1, the Canadians unleashed one of the heaviest barrages of the war on the German defenders of Mont Houy on the outskirts of Valenciennes, on the Scheldt. Seven tons of high explosive shell were dropped every minute on a front of less than two miles. Over the course of three hours, they used almost as much ammunition as was used during the entire Boer War. Shells were sent from almost every direction, including some that were designed to make the Germans think they were being shelled by their own artillery. The hill was taken with only 60 Canadian fatalities, a very small figure by the standards of the war so far. The artillery was then moved forward and brought to bear on its next targets; the Canadians had pushed past the torn-up ground of what had been Western Front, making it much easier for them to move supplies and heavy equipment forward.

On November 2, the Canadians entered Valenciennes itself, a major rail junction and one of the last major towns in France still under German occupation. The Canadians spent the remainder of the war pursuing the quickly-retreating Germans back to Mons, the site of one of the first British actions in the war.

Photo: Canadian Patrol crossing the railway in Valenciennes, France, under heavy machine gun fire, 2 November 1918



Photo: Canadian 5th Div., Trench Mortar Brigade in action, within 500 yards of centre of Valenciennes, France. Comment : the mortar is a 6-inch "Newton" mortar, 2 November 1918



Italian Front: Italy presents its armistice terms to Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary is being torn apart by disaffection within and defeat on the battlefield. The Allies are now advancing up the Balkans, pushing the Austro-Hungarians from territories they have occupied since 1915. Today French and Serbian troops liberate Belgrade, which brings them to the pre-war frontier with Austria-Hungary. Now of course the Empire’s southern Slav territories are seceding in the hope of forming a new state with Serbia, the very nightmare that Austria-Hungary’s leaders went to war in 1914 to prevent.

On the Italian front the army is in a state of collapse. Italian troops are pressing eastward and are now across the Tagliamento. The forced evacuation of Monte Grappa meanwhile has allowed the Italians to push northwards into the Asiago plateau. The Austro-Hungarians seem incapable of further resistance here and are surrendering in large numbers; one British division attached to the Italian army here manages to capture some 20,000 prisoners for the loss of only 150 of their own men killed or wounded.

In Trieste the Austrian governor has fled the city after being informed by Vienna that it is being abandoned. And in the Villa Giusti outside Padua Austro-Hungarian negotiators are presented with Italy’s armistice terms. The Austro-Hungarian army must cease fighting, surrender half its artillery and demobilise. The Austro-Hungarians must also evacuate the territories promised to Italy by the Treaty of London and place their transport network at the Allies’ disposal. They have until midnight tomorrow to accept or reject the terms.

Photo: Italian and British troops passing abandoned Austro-Hungarian artillery on the Val d'Assa mountain road, 2 November 1918



East Africa campaign

Von Lettow attacks Fife (frontier post of Rhodesia) and is repulsed.

Poland

Polish Regency Council orders formation of regular Standing Army.

Ottoman Empire

Publication of armistice terms with Turkey.

United Kingdom

Mass meeting of Trade Unionists in London to consider Labour's part in the Peace.

Austria-Hungary

Baron Flotow succeeds Count Andrassy as Minister for Austria-Hungarian Foreign Affairs.

State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs

Slovenes take over administration of Carniola.

Naval operations: ship losses

MURCIA (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 12 nautical miles (22 km) north of Port Said, Egypt (31°26′N 32°21′E) by SM UC-74 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of a crew member.

SMS S61 (Imperial German Navy) The S49-class torpedo boat was scuttled in the Terneuzen Canal, Belgium.

SURADA (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Port Said (31°34′N 32°21′E) by SM UC-74 ( Imperial German Navy). Her crew survived.

SMS V47 (Imperial German Navy) The V43-class destroyer was scuttled in the Terneuzen Canal.

SMS V67 (Imperial German Navy) The V67-class destroyer was scuttled in the Terneuzen Canal.

SMS V77 (Imperial German Navy) The V67-class destroyer was scuttled in the Terneuzen Canal.

SMS V69 (Imperial German Navy) The V67-class destroyer was scuttled at Ghent, West Flanders, Belgium.

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Day 1550 of the Great War, November 3rd 1918

Italian Front: Austria-Hungary’s army messes up its own capitulation

At the Villa Giusti outside Padua an Austro-Hungarian delegation has been presented with armistice terms by the Italians. The terms are non-negotiable; if they are not accepted the Italians will just press on and invade Austria. With Austria-Hungary disintegrating and the army unable to mount any resistance, the Austro-Hungarians have no choice but to agree to the Italian terms. Austria-Hungary is now obliged to release all Italian prisoners, hand over half its artillery pieces and retreat out of the territory coveted by the Italians. They must also expel all German military personnel.

The armistice is meant to come into effect in 24 hours hence but the Austro-Hungarian commanders manage to make a mess of the armistice’s implementation. They tell their own troops that the armistice has taken effect immediately, ordering them to cease all resistance. But this just means that as the Italians press forward they find themselves capturing a vast number of Austro-Hungarian troops.

And the Italians are indeed pressing on wherever they can, staking a claim to territories they want to be awarded in the post war settlement to come. Udine, Cadorna‘s headquarters before Caporetto, is liberated today, as is Gorizia (previously captured in 1916 during the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo). To the north Trento falls to the Italians, but the biggest prize of the day is Trieste. This great port, the target of Italian dreams since they launched their first attacks on the Isonzo, today receives its first Italian governor, General Carlo Petitti di Roreto, who arrives onboard an Italian destroyer.

Photo: Italian troops landing in Trieste, 3 November 1918



German Revolution: The Kiel Mutiny

In response to the mutinies in the High Seas Fleet, Hipper cancelled the planned final attack on the British, and dispersed his fleet to various ports. He hoped, by breaking up a large single congregation of sailors into smaller units, that the chances of a general revolt would be minimized and that the sailors could be more easily kept under control. In fact, the reverse was true–it in fact spread the mutiny to a large number of ports, each of which now had to deal with thousands of mutinous sailors.

On November 3 in Kiel, many sailors took to the streets to demand the release of their comrades who had been imprisoned during the initial mutinies at sea. They were joined by local dockyard workers and even some elements of the local garrison, and marched toward where the prisoners were being held. They encountered an armed patrol, comprised of loyal NCOs and officers. After a brief confrontation, the patrol fired into the crowd, killing seven and wounding twenty-nine. The crowd quickly dispersed. The port’s commander, Wilhelm Souchon (who had spent most of the war as effective head of the Turkish fleet), had just been appointed to the position, mistakenly believed the situation was under control, and cancelled a call for reinforcements.

The next morning, however, the sailors and soldiers freed the prisoners and soon formed soldiers’ councils, on the Russian model, and issued increasingly strident demands for political freedoms, peace, and social equality. By November 5, the sailors were firmly in control of the port. A socialist member of the Reichstag, Gustav Noske, was sent to bring the mutineers back under control of the central government. After a few days of negotiations, he was largely successful, but by that point the revolution had spread far beyond Kiel.

Photo: "With the rebellion of the sailors and workers on 3 November 1918 in Kiel the November revolution starts. picture shows the soldiers' council of the PRINZREGENT LUITPOLD"



Naval operations: ship losses

No reported ship losses.

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Day 1551 of the Great War, November 4th 1918

Western Front

Great British (1st, 3rd and 4th Armies) and French offensive on 30-mile front from east of Scheldt at Valenciennes to Guise on Oise, reaching to east of Le Quesnoy, half way through Mormal Forest, past Landrecies on Sambre and across Sambre-Oise Canal. 10,000 prisoners and 200 guns captured.

Belgians advance to north-west and southern suburbs of Ghent.

French reach Le Chesne on Ardennes Canal.

Americans advance to Stenay on Meuse.

Italian Front: The Italian Front armistice comes into effect

The armistice between Italy and Austria-Hungary does not take effect until 3.00 pm today, but in an unfortunate mix-up the Austro-Hungarian high command ordered its men to stop fighting yesterday. As a result some 350,000 Austro-Hungarians find themselves captured in the war’s last hours as the Italians race to capture as much territory as they can. The Italians have not prepared for this number of prisoners; the conditions in which they are to be held will be harsh. Many of them are abused by Italian civilians as they are herded to the rear.

Newspapers: Nov 4, 1918, US media coverage of Austria-Hungary exiting the war



The armistice does not halt the Italian advance. Diaz, the army commander, and Orlando, the prime minister, are anxious that Italian troops occupy at least all the territories promised in the Treaty of London and so Italian troops are pressing onwards towards the Brenner pass and eastwards to establish an overland route to Trieste. Conquest of the Dalmatian coast will follow. The Italians are also casting their eyes towards Fiume, a Hungarian port specifically not allocated to them by the treaty.

In celebration of the victory, Diaz issues a pompous communique hailing his army’s great victory. Neither the assistance provided to Italy by its allies nor the fact that Austria-Hungary was already falling apart is mentioned.

Map: Battle of Vittorio Veneto



German Revolution: The Red Flag flies over Kiel

German sailors in Kiel were engaged in acts of mutiny but now, after exchanging gunfire with officers yesterday, they are now engaged in revolution. The sailors are demanding the overthrow of the German monarchy, an immediate end to the war and radical reform of the German constitution, including votes for women and universal adult suffrage. Souchon, the naval commander at Kiel, is unable to control the situation. The city’s garrison is largely siding with the sailors, leaving Souchon with no force to suppress the revolt. Port workers too are joining the revolutionary sailors, who now are preparing to send agitators to other bases to encourage them to join the revolution.

Spread of revolution to Hamburg, etc.

United States

U.S.A. recognise Polish army as autonomous and co-belligerent.

Naval operations: ship losses

WAR ROACH (United Kingdom) The cargo ship struck a mine laid by UC 74 (Hans Schüler) and was damaged in the Mediterranean Sea off Port Said, Egypt (31°19′N 29°48′E). She was beached but was later refloated, repaired and returned to service.

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Day 1552 of the Great War, November 5th 1918

Western Front

Allied advance from Scheldt to Meuse continued.

Between Scheldt and Sambre British capture Le Quesnoy and Mormal Forest. Between Oise and Aisne French capture Chateau-Porcien (on Aisne) and Guise (on Oise). Between Aisne and Meuse French cross Ardennes Canal; Americans cross Meuse at Brieulles and Clery-le-Petit and take Beaumont.

Marshal Foch in supreme strategical direction.

Russian civil War

Resignation of Siberian Government in favour of "All-Russian Government".

Italian Front

Italians enter Pola.

German Revolution

German troops are sent to Kiel to disperse the mutinous sailors, but many end up refusing orders or joining the revolutionaries. The city of Kiel falls under the control of the revolutionary sailors and workers.

United States

U.S.A. elections for Congress; Republican majority returned.

President Wilson replies to Germany re: Armistice.

United Kingdom

British Ministerial changes; Sir A. Geddes becomes President of Local Government Board in place of Mr. W. Hayes-Fisher, resigned.

Announcement of Mr. Lloyd-George in Commons re: Armistice.

Naval operations: ship losses

HMS CAMPANIA (Royal Navy) The seaplane tender collided with HMS ROYAL OAK and then HMS GLORIOUS (both Royal Navy) in the Firth of Forth and sank. The wreck was cleared in 1923.

Photo: HMS CAMPANIA sinking, 5 November 1918



STAVNOS (Italy) The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Egypt by SM UC-74 ( Imperial German Navy).

[lordroel]

Day 1552 of the Great War, November 6th 1918

YouTube (Revolution in Germany - Armistice in Austria)



Western Front

German armistice delegates leave Berlin for Western Front.

German retreat from Scheldt to Meuse becomes general.

British advance towards Mons, Mauberge and Avesnes.

French between Oise and Aisne capture Vervins and Rethel on Aisne.

Main German lateral line of communications cut.

Western Front: Americans Reach Sedan

The American breakthrough that began on November 1 had continued with little sign of stopping, despite heavy fire from rearguard German machine guns. By dusk on November 6, they had reached the outskirts of Sedan, eighteen miles north of Barricourt, which they had taken five days earlier. Sedan was a key strategic point, marking the closest point to the Allies of the lateral railway running behind the length of the Western Front from Strasbourg and Metz to Lille. For four years, the Germans had used this to quickly move reserves along their interior lines to threatened sections of the front. When German traffic halted on this railroad on November 6, this left four German armies isolated, dependent on the Belgian railways.

Arguably more important, however, was the symbolic value of Sedan, the site of the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian war that cost them Alsace-Lorraine and set the stage for the current conflict. The French wanted to retake the town themselves, and initial plans for the advance called for precisely that. Pershing was determined to have the honor for his own troops, however, and ignored the planned lines of advance. In an even more questionable action, Pershing wanted the 1st Division to take the city, and shifted them across two other divisions in the middle of the battle accordingly. This caused extreme confusion in an army already struggling with supply difficulties, and extreme resentment in the 42nd Division, which was displaced by the move. The two divisions occasionally came to blows; Col. Douglas MacArthur, the chief of staff of the 42nd Division was even briefly arrested by the 1st Division, ostensibly due to suspicion that he was a German spy.

Poland: Polish Republic Formed

The annexation of Poland by the Prussian, Austrian, and Russian empires was a gradual process, and so was Polish independence. During the war Germany occupied Poland and planned to create a Polish monarchy as part of the German empire, but only got around to installing a regency council. The council declared Poland independent in October, but it was still a German vassal state. As of November 6, 1918, only the German empire remained intact of Poland’s old conquerors, and the Kaiser’s throne looked doomed. On that day, in Lublin, leading Polish politicians proclaimed a Provisional People’s Republic to reclaim full independence for the state. The socialist Ignacy Daszyński was Prime Minister of the new government.

The key moment in Polish independence was the return of Józef Piłsudski, and old socialist and a hardened battlefield commander who had led Polish troops on the field during the war. After refusing to swear loyalty to the Kaiser, he had been imprisoned. He was released as the war ended and returned to Warsaw, where he was given leadership of the new government, with Daszyński stepping down, and the regency council ceding authority to him. Meanwhile hundreds of Poles were returning home from the front, wearing red-and-white armbands on their German or Austrian uniforms. A war had already started with Ukraine in Galicia for the city of Lvov.

The German administration remained in Poland, however, and so did German troops. Piłsudski‘s return gave Poland a strong military leader able to negotiate their eventual withdrawal, and secure the borders against the Ukrainians, groups of buccaneering German freebooters called Freikorps, and eventually the Bolsheviks in the climactic Polish-Soviet War, which was won in 1920. Poland’s new independence was destined to be dynamic, dramatic, and covered in blood. In 1926 Piłsudski, disillusioned by democracy after the assassination of his successor, staged a military coup and became an increasingly conservative dictator.

German Revolution

By evening, mutinous sailors control Lubeck, Hamburg, Cuxhaven, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven, and the garrisoned towns in Schleswig-Holstein. As the rebellion spreads, SPD and USPD representatives try to organize the sailors.

Austria-Hungary

Publication of terms of Austrian Armistice.

United States

U.S.A. promises to exercise influence to secure for Romania political and territorial rights.

As the result of yesterday’s midterm elections in the United States, the Republicans take control over the House and Senate.

Naval operations: ship losses

BERNISSE (Netherlands) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Baltic Sea off Öland, Sweden. She was later raised, repaired and returned to service.

[lordroel]

Day 1553 of the Great War, November 7th 1918

Western Front

Allies' advance continues.

British make formal entry into Valenciennes, gain west outskirts of Avesnes, reach Haumont (three miles from Mauberge) and Elouges (9.5 miles south-west of Mons).

French and Americans threaten Charleville-Mezieres.

Germany/Entente Armistice Talks: Germany’s armistice negotiators cross the lines

Wilson‘s latest note told the Germans that Foch had been authorised to present armistice terms to a German delegation. The way is therefore clear for the war’s conclusion. Prince Max, the Chancellor, was initially wary of seeking an immediate ceasefire but his mind has been concentrated for him by the revolutionary chaos spreading in Germany. Groener meanwhile has warned that the army is on the brink of collapse. French and American troops have finally reached Sedan; without this vital rail hub the entire German position in France becomes untenable. The ability of the German army to continue resistance is ebbing away by the day.

Prince Max persuades Erzberger to head the armistice delegation. Erzberger is the leader of the Centre Party, which represents Catholic interests. He had previously called for an end to the war, so Prince Max hopes that the Allies will treat him more favourably.

Today under a white flag of truce Erzberger and his delegation cross the Allied lines. They are brought to a train that will transport them to meet Foch and his team.

German Revolution

Following Kiel, the German port of Wilhelmshaven also falls to revolutionary sailors and workers. Revolutionary sailors of battleship SMS PRINZREGENT LUITPOLD.

Friedrich Ebert, leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany: “If the Kaiser does not abdicate, the social revolution is inevitable. But I do not want it, I even hate it like sin.”

United Kingdom

(British) Appointment of Civil Department of Demobilisation and Re-settlement.

Health Ministry Bill introduced into Commons.

Yugoslavia

Yugo-Slav-Serbian Government to be formed.

Germany

Flight of King of Bavaria from Munich.

United Kingdom/French relations

British and French Governments proclaim deliverance of Eastern peoples from Turkish oppression.

Naval operations: ship losses

CONSTER (United Kingdom) The fishing smack struck a mine and sank in the English Channel off Rye, Sussex.

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Day 1554 of the Great War, November 8th 1918

Western Front

Allies continue advance: French reach outskirts of Hirson and Mezieres; French and Americans clear heights east of Meuse; British capture Avesnes and Maubeuge, advance towards Mons capturing Conde, cross Scheldt Canal and occupy west part of Tournai.

Over 18,000 prisoners taken by British since 1 November.

German Revolution

Revolutionary sailors sieze the city of Cologne and raise the red flag.

Germany/Entente Armistice Talks: Allies Receive German Armistice Delegation

With Ludendorff’s departure, both the military and civilian leadership of Germany were willing to seek an armistice. In a conference in Paris from October 29 through November 4, Allied leaders (Colonel House representing the Americans) came to an agreement on the armistice terms that would be acceptable to the Allies. The Allies largely agreed to the Fourteen Points as a basis, though the British insisted on a reservation regarding the freedom of the seas (which they objected to as a limit on their naval power and right to blockade), while the French insisted on their right to reparations from Germany. Otherwise, the Americans were willing to leave the military details to the generals and admirals, and on November 5 Lansing informed the Germans that they must contact Foch to seek terms. The details of the agreement were of increasingly little importance to the Germans, with their army in full retreat Groener did not think they could hold while revolution was breaking out behind the lines. On November 6, Groener informed Prince Max that an armistice must be concluded by Saturday the 9th; Monday the 11th would be too late.

On November 7, a German delegation led by Mathias Erzberger (chief proponent of the Reichstag peace resolution in 1917) crossed the front line. The local ceasefire that allowed this was mistakenly interpreted as a general armistice by the United Press Association, leading to false reports of an armistice in the United States that day. At 9AM on November 8, the delegation met with First Sea Lord Wemyss and Foch, who had the Allies’ proposed terms read aloud. The Germans would hand over large quantities of military stores, and evacuate Belgium, France, and Alsace-Lorraine within two weeks, while Allied forces would occupy the Rhineland. Ten dreadnoughts, six battlecruisers, eight cruisers, fifty destroyers, and 160 U-boats would be interned in neutral ports. The blockade of Germany would continue unabated until a final peace was concluded. Any violation of the armistice terms would result in a resumption of hostilities within forty-eight hours.

The Germans were shocked by the harsh terms. The naval representative protested at the naval terms, saying that the undefeated German fleet could not be interned; Wemyss tersely replied that if that was required, the German fleet only had to leave their ports. Erzberger realized that the terms would be difficult for his government to accept, and requested an immediate ceasefire to stop the bloodshed and let the German army prevent a Bolshevik takeover in Germany while more lasting armistice terms were agreed to. This was not without precedent; the Central Powers had agreed to a ceasefire with Russia until a formal armistice was signed at Brest-Litovsk a week later. Foch refused; Bolshevism was “the usual disease prevailing in beaten armies” and was not worried about any revolution spreading beyond Germany. The only concession the Germans were able to extract was the reduction in the number of submarines to be interned from 160 (a number they did not have) to their entire submarine fleet, which was what the British wanted anyway. At 1PM, Erzberger forwarded the Allied terms back to Berlin.

Poland/Austria-Hungary relations

Polish Government informs Austrian Premier that Polish sovereignty has been assumed over Galicia.

Germany: Bavaria becomes a republic but the Kaiser insists that Germany will not lost its Emperor nor Prussia its King

Revolution is spreading through Germany with the masses turning against the royal families that have long ruled them. Yesterday the King of Bavaria fled to Austria; today in Munich the monarchy is declared abolished. Bavaria is now a socialist republic with Kurt Eisner of the Independent Social Democrats (USPD) its first premier.

The position of the Kaiser as head of Prussia and Germany meanwhile is increasingly under threat. The Social Democrats have called for his removal, a move calculated to prevent their support ebbing away to more radical rivals like the USPD or the Spartacists of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. Prince Max, the Chancellor, fears that the country will descend into a civil war if the Kaiser does not go. From Berlin he telephones the Emperor at Spa, warning him that he should resign to prevent the country descending into chaos. The Kaiser is again furious, railing at Max that he has no intention of abdicating and will restore order to Germany at the head of his army if needs be. The Chancellor offers to resign, but the Kaiser will not let him go; he wants Prince Max to stay on so that blame for the armistice terms will attach itself to him.

Germany

Abdication of King of Wurttemberg and Duke Ernest of Brunswick.

In Berlin the majority Socialist pary demands the resignation of the Kaiser. When news comes from Spa that he has refused, they resign en masse and call for a nation-wide strike.

In the evening Admiral von Hintze arrives in Spa to tell the Kaiser he no longer has the support of the navy.

United Kingdom

(British) Minister of Blockade informs neutral countries that transfer of enemy ships to neutrals will not be recognised.

Naval operations: ship losses

No reported ship losses.

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Day 1555 of the Great War, November 9th 1918

Western Front

British enter Maubeuge, approach Mons, capture Tournai.

French surround Mezieres and occupy Hirson.

Germany/Entente Armistice Talks: Erzberger remonstrates with Foch, in vain

In the forest of Compiègne armistice negotiators are trying to bringing the war to an end. The German team is still reeling from the unexpected harshness of the terms presented by Foch yesterday. Now Erzberger, the lead negotiator, asks again for an immediate ceasefire so that the German army can be deployed home to prevent revolutionary chaos. Foch brushes him off once more: German disorder is a problem for Germany and there can be no ceasefire until all the terms are agreed. Erzberger for his part is still waiting for word from Berlin as to whether the terms can be accepted, so he is unable to agree the Allied terms. The war therefore will continue.

Poland

Polish Government formed at Lyublin.

Romania

Romanian ultimatum to Marshal von Mackensen: German troops to leave Romania within 24 hours.

Syria

French occupy Alexandretta (northern Syria).

Germany: German Republic Declared; Kaiser Forced Out

The Kaiser left Berlin for OHL headquarters in Spa on November 8, hoping to avoid increasing calls for his abdication–or, if revolution should come, to avoid the fate of his cousin Nicholas II. He found little solace there; Groener and Hindenburg had opposed abdication, believing it would cause a complete collapse of morale at the front, as it had in Russia after the February Revolution. Briefly, Groener thought it best that the Kaiser should go fight at the front himself–such an act of bravery would inspire the troops, and if he were killed in battle, it would quietly circumvent the abdication question.

However, by November 9, the spreading revolution across Germany made it clear that the Kaiser’s abdication was necessary to prevent a civil war. Hindenburg and Groener met with the Kaiser that morning. Hindenburg, breaking out in tears, could not bring himself to do it, and asked to resign himself. Groener had no such compunctions, and told the Kaiser that he must abdicate. The Kaiser was infuriated at what he viewed as a violation of Groener’s oath. The Kaiser proposed leading an army himself back to Germany to restore order personally. Groener warned this would just lead to a civil war, and besides was impossible due to the rebels’ control of the railroads. The army would march back to Germany under the its generals, but not under the Kaiser. The Kaiser demanded a statement in writing from his generals, but this was impossible, and instead there was an informal poll of any army officers as to whether they would follow the Kaiser back to Germany. Only one said they would, and most even doubted they could suppress a Bolshevik uprising even if the Kaiser resigned.

At 1PM, the Kaiser agreed to a half-measure; he would resign as Emperor of Germany, but remain as King of Prussia. This was a constitutional impossibility, but hoped it would let him keep some of his pride and at least one of his thrones. Hindenburg would take over as supreme commander of the Army, and an armistice could be immediately concluded.

Matters were taken out of the hands of the meeting at Spa, however, by events in Berlin. The revolution had spread to the capital, and large crowds gathered in public places, while the garrison had gone over to the rebels and mutineers from other cities arrived in the capital. Prince Max, attempting to control the situation, unilaterally announced unilaterally announced that the Kaiser and Crown Prince had both abdicated.

Photo: The declaration of the Republic at the Reichstag building on 9 November 1918



After announcing the Kaiser’s abdication, Prince Max handed the chancellorship to Friedrich Ebert, head of the mainline socialist party, the SPD. Whether he decided this himself, or under urging from Ebert, is unclear, as accounts differ. Later that day, hoping to preempt a declaration by the USPD (as had happened in Munich the previous day) or the Spartacists, SPD deputy chairman Philipp Scheidemann went out to a balcony on the Reichstag declared Germany to be a republic:

The old and decayed have fallen! The Monarchy is shattered! Long live the new! Long live the German Republic!

This angered Ebert, who hoped to defer the constitutional question until later, but there was no avoiding it at this point. Shortly after , Spartacist Karl Liebknecht made a similar declaration from the city hall. That evening, revolutionary factory stewards, distrustful of Chancellor Ebert, seized the Reichstag, and announced that soviets were to be elected the next day, that would in turn elect a revolutionary government.

Back in Spa, the Crown Prince returned to command his Army Group, while the Kaiser condemned Prince Max’s declaration as treason. Groener and Hindenburg met with the Kaiser again. The Kaiser, infuriated with Groener, refused to talk with him, using the excuse that, as a Württemberger, he was no longer a subject of the King of Prussia. Hindenburg spoke instead, telling the Kaiser that there was no means to counteract Prince Max’s declaration, and that the Kaiser’s personal safety could no longer be guaranteed, even with the Army. He urged him to leave for in the neutral Netherlands. The next morning, the Kaiser crossed the border into exile, where he would remain until his death in 1941.

Romania

Reported resignation of Marghiloman Cabinet at Jassy; General Coanda to form New Cabinet.

Switzerland

Swiss Federation of Workmen's Unions orders general strike.

Naval operations: ship losses

HMS BRITANNIA (Royal Navy) The King Edward VII-class battleship was torpedoed and sunk in the Strait of Gibraltar by the submarine SM UB-50 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of 50 of her 762 crew.

USS SEATIA (United States Navy) The cargo ship struck a mine – probably laid by the submarine SM U-117 ( Imperial German Navy) – and sank in the Atlantic Ocean off Fenwick Island, Delaware, 10 nautical miles (19 km) south-southeast of the Fenwick Island Lightship without loss of life. Nineteen of her crew in two life rafts were rescued by the steamship KENNEBEC (flag unknown) and landed at Cape May, New Jersey, and the other 66 members of her crew landed at Ocean City, Maryland, in four lifeboats.

[lordroel]

Day 1556 of the Great War, November 10th 1918

Western Front: Canadian troops close in on Mons

By now it is clear that the war is about to end, yet the Allies continue to attack the Germans. The German position on the Western Front is collapsing. With the rail hub of Sedan now in Allied hands the German occupation forces cannot be adequately supplied: it would be impossible for them to make a stand even if they were to want to. Everywhere the Germans are being pushed back, with only the most limited resistance being presented to the Allies. In Belgium Canadian troops are now at the gates of Mons. While not a target of any great strategic importance, Mons has a symbolic significance to the British and their Commonwealth allies. It was here in 1914 that British forces first clashed with the Germans and suffered their first defeat. Now Currie, the Canadian commander, is determined that Mons will be recaptured before the war ends.

Photo: Canadian troops marching through the streets of Mons on the morning of 11 November 1918



Second Romanian campaign: Romania Re-Enters the War

Since Bulgaria’s collapse, the Romanians had quietly been preparing to re-enter the war. With most of their country occupied, however, doing so before linking up with the French advancing north through Bulgaria would have been a disastrous move; the Germans and Austro-Hungarians could have crushed them with little effort. By the second week of November, however, the situation had changed. Austria-Hungary had left the war (even if Hungary’s status was still in question), and Germany was actively negotiating armistice terms with the Allies. If the Romanians wanted a seat at the peace table and the gains they wanted from Bulgaria and Hungary, re-entry into the war would greatly help them. However, even if the Germans were no longer in a condition to attack the Romanians, they could still carry out severe damage in occupied Romania.

Nevertheless, the Romanians announced an immediate mobilization and sent an ultimatum to General Mackensen, demanding that all German troops leave Romania within 24 hours. Mackensen’s forces were already doing so, to prevent being cut off from Germany by Austria-Hungary’s exit, but such a short timeline was impossible. At dawn on the 10th, French forces crossed the Danube into German-occupied Romania; the Germans offered only desultory resistance. Romanian troops had already begun moving into Bukovina (in the former Austrian half of the empire) at the invitation of local Romanian councils, and on November 10 the Romanian National Council in Transylvania similarly invited the Romanian army to intervene there.

At the expiry of the ultimatum on November 10, Romania declared war on Germany, less than twenty-four hours before the general armistice. What little fighting there was ended when the news of the armistice reached Romania on the 12th.

Germany/Entente Armistice Talks

Word from Berlin reaches General Foch that the Germans will immediately depart from Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Alsace-Lorrane. All deported inhabitants of those places will be repatriated. German forces will retreat behind the Rhine river and surrender 5,000 cannon, 25,000 machine guns, 3,000 trench mortars and 1,700 aeroplanes. Also to be surrendered are 5,000 railway engines and 150,000 railway cars and 5,000 lorries. Black Sea ports will be evacuated and all captured Allied merchant ships returned.

Austria-Hungary: Emperor Karl renounces power but without actually abdicating as his empire dissolves around him

Austria-Hungary has made peace with the Allies. This effectively marks the end of the Habsburg Empire. Emperor Karl issues a statement renouncing power in Austria, but it is worded so carefully that it does not constitute an actual abdication. Karl continues to consider himself the rightful Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary.

Austria and Hungary are both going their separate ways, and both are being torn apart by the conflicting national aspirations of Czechoslovaks, Yugoslavs and Italians, as well as those of the German-Austrians and Hungarians themselves. Hungary also looks like it might be losing Transylvania, coveted by Romania. Romania was bludgeoned into submission by Germany earlier this year but now it has sprung back into life. Yesterday it declared war on Germany and today it invades the eastern Austrian province of Bukovina. Transylvania (inhabited both by Hungarians and Romanians) is surely next on its list.

Syria

British join French at Alexandretta.

United Kingdom

Tewfik Pasha (ex-ambassador to London) is appointed by Sultan Grand Vizier and forms pro-Entente Government at Constantinople.

Netherlands

Kaiser crosses into Holland.

Naval operations: ship losses

HMS ASCOT (Royal Navy) The RACECOURSE-class minesweeper was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off the Farne Islands, Northumberland (55°38′N 1°30′W) by SM UB-67 ( Imperial German Navy) with the loss of 51 of her crew.

HMT RENARRO (Royal Navy) The naval trawler struck a mine and sank in the Dardanelles with some loss of life.

36PN (Regia Marina_ The PN-class torpedo boat struck a mine and sank in the Adriatic Sea off the Cape of Rodon, Albania.