Dec
January
Feb
Great War events that took place on 8 January.
1915 (Friday)
| Western Front | ▶ Battle of Soissons begins (see 14 January). | ▶ French carry Hill 132, north of Soissons, and capture Perthes (Champagne). | ▶ Germans retake Burnhaupt-le-Haut. |
| Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres | ▶ Tabriz (North Persia) occupied by Turkish forces (see 5 and 30 January). | ▶ Battle of Kara Urgan (Caucasus) begins. |
1916 (Saturday)
| Eastern Front | Severe fighting in Galicia. |
| Southern Front | Evacuation of the Gallipoli Peninsula completed; one casualty. |
1917 (Monday)
| Eastern Front | ▶ Heavy fighting south of Lake Babit; no material change of positions. | ▶ Russians recover island in Dvina near Glandau. | ▶ Enemy advance in Casin and Susitsa valleys (Moldova), capture Focsani, with 5,500 prisoners, and make progress near Fundeni. |
1918 (Tuesday)
| Western Front | Strong enemy local attack near Bullecourt repulsed. | ▶ French make successful raid on large scale near Seicheprey (Woëvre). | ▶ Sir Douglas Haig's 4th Despatch is published. [a] |
| Political | ▶ USA: President Wilson addresses Congress with "14 Points" speech on the peace programme.[b] | ▶ Australia: Mr Hughs and Nationalist Cabinet resign. |
Notes
- ↑ Sir Douglas Haig's Despatch describes Battles of Arras, Lens, Messines and Ypres in the summer of 1917, resulting in defeat of 131 German divisions. It mentions changes made necessary by Russian revolution and refers to training and supply of men.
- ↑ Mr. Wilson in address on peace programme demands open diplomacy, freedom of seas, removal of economic barriers and reduction of armaments. He also emphasises necessity of complete restoration and suggests an Association of Nations. He lays down 14 points:
- Open diplomacy.
- Freedom of navigation.
- Removal of economic barriers.
- Reduction of armaments.
- Colonial claims dependent on interest of populations concerned.
- Evacuation of Russian territory and assistance in unhampered development.
- Evacuation and restoration of Belgium.
- French territory evacuated and the Alsace Lorraine wrong to be righted.
- Italian frontiers readjusted nationally.
- Austro-Hungarian people to be allowed autonomous development.
- Rumania, Serbia and Montenegro evacuated and Balkan questions settled.
- Turkish non-Ottoman nationalities to have free autonomous development and Dardanelles opened.
- Independent Polish State.
- General Association of Nations with mutual guarantees of independence and integrity.
Sources: Various material contemporary with the war have been used to compile The Great War On This Day and its associated Index.
Text has 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). Spelling of place names are original to British use at the time. Some typos have been altered or corrected for consistency. Duplicate or identical events between these sources have been amalgamated; as a result the date and wording may differ to the original texts.
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 do not come under the general licence of this site.
Advisory note: The information in these sources may not accurately represent up-to-date histories, present-day spelling of place names, or geographical boundaries. In some instances the language used may appear sexist or derogatory to the modern reader, and in rare cases, images may depict distressing scenes.
For further details and a full list of sources, click here.
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 do not come under the general licence of this site.
Advisory note: The information in these sources may not accurately represent up-to-date histories, present-day spelling of place names, or geographical boundaries. In some instances the language used may appear sexist or derogatory to the modern reader, and in rare cases, images may depict distressing scenes.
For further details and a full list of sources, click here.