1 January

Great War events that took place on 1 January.

1915 (Friday)

Western Front	French take a wood near Mesnil, Champagne.
Eastern Front	Russians advance on the Uzsok Pass and in the Bukovina.
Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres	Heavy fighting at Sarikamish (Russian Armenia).
Naval and Overseas Operations	HMS Formidable torpedoed by German submarine and sunk in the English Channel.
Political	▶ Institution of the Military Cross announced (Warrant of 28 December 1914).	▶ Dr. John Clifford's speech at Westbourne Park Chapel.

1916 (Saturday)

Eastern Front	Russian Offensive on the Strypa and the Styr (Galicia).^[a] Indecisive fighting in the north throughout the month.^[b]
Southern Front	King Peter of Serbia reaches Salonika.
Naval and Overseas Operations	British take Yaunde (Cameroons).
Political	▶ Canada increases her overseas force to 500,000.	▶ Tsar Nicholas II of Russia is appointed British Field Marshal.

1917 (Monday)

Western Front	Normal activity proceeding. Sir Douglas Haig promoted to Field Marshal.
Eastern Front	▶ Stubborn fighting in Carpathians on Moldavian frontier; slight enemy progress at various points.	▶ Enemy in touch with Sereth lines at Focsani and Fundeni.	▶ Further enemy progress at the Macin bridgehead (Dóbruja).
Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres	General Sir R. Wingate becomes High Commissioner of Egypt.
Naval and Overseas Operations	▶ Transport Ivernia sunk by submarine in Mediterranean; 153 missing.	▶ British carry German lines near Lissaki in the Mgeta valley (German East Africa), and pursue enemy towards the Rufiji valley at Kibambawe.
Political	Publication of denunciation by Turkey of Treaty of Paris (1856) and Treaty of Berlin (1878).

1918 (Tuesday)

Western Front	▶ German raids near Loos, Méricourt, and on other portions of front fail.	▶ French repulse raid at Beaumont (Verdun).
Eastern Front	▶ Reported German peace term cause consternation in Russia and denounced as annexationist.^[c]	▶ M. Litvinov appointed Bolshevik Plenipotentiary in London.
Southern Front	▶ Austrians bomb Bassano, Treviso and Mestre (Venice).	▶ Successful British raid across the Piave river.	▶ Austrians driven from Zenson.
Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres	British advance continues north of Jerusalem.
Naval and Overseas Operations	HMS Arbutus and HMS Grive (small vessels) reported torpedoed.
Political	▶ Inter-allied War Purchases Committee meets in Paris.	▶ Calcutta: All-India Moslem Association formed.^[d]

Notes

↑ General Ivanov began an offensive at the close of December and the beginning of January on a 250-mile front from the Pripet marshes to the Rumanian frontier. Heavy losses were suffered on both sides and no decisive results were obtained, but the offensive gave the Allies time to consolidate their position at Salonika.
↑ Russian aim in the northern sector was gradually to push the Germans out of their positions before Riga and Dvinsk: by content local attacks they deprived the Germans of the winter's rest promised to them by Hindenburg.
↑ Petrograd reports that German Peace Note declares occupation of Poland, Courland, Lithuania and Estonia to be an indispensable condition of peace. News of departure of British and French ships from Archangel creates deep impression and is considered premature by friends of Western Powers.
↑ "All-Indian Moselm Association," under Prince of Arcot, formed in Calcutta to oppose Home Rule doctrines of "Indian National Congress" and "All-Indian Moslem League."

Sources: Various material contemporary with the war have been used to compile The Great War On This Day and its associated Compendium.

On This Day pages are styled as timelines and have been transcribed from two out-of-copyright sources: Chronology of the War (1918-1920), and History of the Great War – Principle Events 1914-1918 (1922). The spelling of place-names is a particularly convoluted subject. Some names were spelt differently depending on source, others have changed over time for various political or geographical reasons. In general, spelling of place names are original to British use at the time of, and shortly after, the war. Some typos have been altered or corrected for consistency. Similar events between these sources have been amalgamated; as a result the date and wording may differ to their original texts.

Compendium entries form the central hub of (a) An index-like collection of places, people, ships, battles, political events, etc., and (b) Words and phrases of the Armed Forces of Great Britain during the Great War. The majority of these have been transcribed from Chronology of the War (1918-1920) and Soldier and Sailor Words and Phrases (1925) respectively, the later which is reflected in the language used and some may seem derogatory by today's standards.

Images come from scans or photographs of original sources, Wikimedia Commons, and the Imperial War Museum's online collections under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence. Attribution is given separately to the latter and does not come under the general licence of this site. Please be aware that some images, although very few, may depict distressing scenes.

Advisory note: The information in these sources may not accurately represent updated histories, present-day spellings, or geographical borders. It is also written from a British perspective, and words such as "enemy" are used extensively. For further details and a full list of sources, click here.

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[1] General Ivanov began an offensive at the close of December and the beginning of January on a 250-mile front from the Pripet marshes to the Rumanian frontier. Heavy losses were suffered on both sides and no decisive results were obtained, but the offensive gave the Allies time to consolidate their position at Salonika.

[2] Russian aim in the northern sector was gradually to push the Germans out of their positions before Riga and Dvinsk: by content local attacks they deprived the Germans of the winter's rest promised to them by Hindenburg.

[3] Petrograd reports that German Peace Note declares occupation of Poland, Courland, Lithuania and Estonia to be an indispensable condition of peace. News of departure of British and French ships from Archangel creates deep impression and is considered premature by friends of Western Powers.

[4] "All-Indian Moselm Association," under Prince of Arcot, formed in Calcutta to oppose Home Rule doctrines of "Indian National Congress" and "All-Indian Moslem League."

[a]

[b]

[c]

[d]