WORLD WAR - I - 1916

1916

January

• 11. Greek island of Corfu occupied by French.
• 13. Cettinje, capital of Montenegro, occupied by Austrians.
• 29-31. German Zeppelins bomb Paris and towns in England.

February

• 10. British conscription law goes into effect.
• 19. Kamerun, German colony in Africa, conquered by British forces.
• 21. Battle of Verdun begins. Germans take Haumont.
• 25. Fort Douaumont falls to Germans in Verdun battle.

March

• 9. Germany declares war on Portugal on the latter's refusal to give up seized ships.
• 15. Austria-Hungary at war with Portugal.
• 24. Sussex, French cross-channel steamer, with many Americans aboard, sunk by submarine off Dieppe. No Americans lost.
• 31. Melancourt taken by Germans in Verdun Battle.

April

• 19. President Wilson publicly warns Germany not to pursue submarine policy.
• 20. Russian troops landed at Marseilles for service on Frenchfront.
• 24. Irish rebellion begins in Dublin. Republic declared. Patrick Pearse announced as first President.
• 29. British force of 9000 men, under Gen. Townshend, besieged in Kut-el-Amara, surrenders to Turks.
• 30. Irish rebellion ends with unconditional surrender of Pearse and other leaders, who are tried by court-martial and executed.

May

• 8. Cymrio, White Star liner, torpedoed off Irish coast.
• 14. Italian positions penetrated by Austrians.
• 15. Vimy Ridge gained by British.
• 26. Bulgarians invade Greece and occupy forts on the Struma.
• 31. Jutland naval battle; British and German fleets engaged;heavy losses on both sides.

June

• 5. Kitchener, British Secretary of War, loses his life when the cruiser Hampshire, on which he was voyaging to Russia, is sunk off the Orkney Islands, Scotland.
• 6. Germans capture Fort Vaux in Verdun attack.
• 21. Allies demand Greek demobilization.
• 27. King Constantine orders demobilization of Greek army.

July

• 1. British and French attack north and south of the Somme.
• 14. British penetrate German second line, using cavalry.
• 15. Longueval captured by British.
• 25. Pozieres occupied by British.
• 30. British and French advance between Delville Wood and the Somme.

August

• 3. French recapture Fleury.
• 27. Roumania declares war on Austria-Hungary.
• 28. Italy at war with Germany.
• 28. Germany at war with Roumania.
• 31. Bulgaria at war with Roumania. Turkey at war with Roumania.

September

• 2. Bulgarian forces invade Roumania along the Dobrudja frontier.
• 13. Italians defeat Austrians on the Carso.
• 15. British capture Flers, Courcelette, and other Germans positions on Western front, using tanks.
• 26. Combles and Thiepval captured by British and French.
• 29. Roumanians begin retreat from Transylvania.

October

• 24. Fort Douaumont recaptured by French.

November

• 2. Fort Vaux evacuated by Germans.
• 7. Woodrow Wilson re-elected President of the United States.
• 13. British advance along the Ancre.
• 21. Britannic, mammoth British hospital ship, sunk by mine in Aegean Sea.
• 22. Emperor Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary, dies. Succeeded by Charles I.
• 23. German warships bombard English coast.
• 28. Roumanian government is transferred to Jassy.

December

• 1. Allied troops enter Athens to insist upon surrender of Greek arms and munitions.
• 6. Bucharest, capital of Roumania, captured by Austro-Germans.
• 7. David Lloyd George succeeds Asquith as Prime Minister.
• 15. French complete recapture of ground taken by Germans in Verdun battle.
• 18. President Wilson makes peace overtures to belligerents.
• 26. Germany replies to President's note and suggests a peace conference.
• 30. French government on behalf of Entente Allies replies to President Wilson's note and refuses to discuss peace till Germany agrees to give restitution, reparation and guarantees.