The Chief Events connected with the War, between the Signing of the Armistice on the 11th November 1918 and the Signature on the 28th June 1919 of the Treaty of Peace with Germany.
Reading edition
1918
Nov. 12 (Tues.)
The Emperor Karl of Austria abdicates.
The Allied fleets pass through the Dardanelles, British and Indian troops occupying the forts.
Nov. 13 (Wed.)
The Allied fleets reach Constantinople.
Nov. 14 (Thur.)
East Africa:—The last of the German forces surrender, in compliance with the terms of the Armistice, on the Chambezi River in Northern Rhodesia.
Nov. 17 (Sun.)
In accordance with the terms of the Armistice, the advance of the Allies on the Western Front begins.
The Caspian:—British and Russian troops occupy Baku.
Nov. 18 (Mon.)
Belgian troops enter Brussels.
Nov. 19 (Tues.)
General Pétain, created a Marshal of France on this day, formally enters Metz at the head of French troops.
Belgian troops enter Antwerp.
Nov. 21 (Thur.)
British troops enter Namur.
The first and main instalment of the German High Sea Fleet (5 battle-cruisers, 9 battleships, 7 light cruisers, and 49 destroyers) surrenders to Admiral Sir David Beatty off the Firth of Forth.
Nov. 22 (Fri.)
King Albert re-enters Brussels after four years of exile.
Nov. 25 (Mon.)
Marshal Foch makes a ceremonial entry into Strasbourg.
Nov. 27 (Wed.)
The last German troops leave Belgium.
Nov. 28 (Thur.)
The Kaiser formally abdicates the crown of Prussia and the German Imperial crown.
Dec. 1 (Sun.)
British troops cross the German frontier.
Dec. 2 (Mon.)
Marshal Foch, M. Clemenceau, Signor Orlando, and Baron Sonnino visit London and receive a public welcome.
Dec. 6 (Fri.)
British troops enter Cologne.
Dec. 12 (Thur.)
British troops cross the Rhine and occupy the Cologne bridge-head.
1919
Jan. 18 (Sat.)
The Peace Conference (the 'Conference of Paris') is opened by M. Poincaré, President of the French Republic, at the Quai d'Orsay; M. Clemenceau is unanimously elected Chairman. On the same date, forty-eight years earlier (Jan. 18, 1871), the German Empire was proclaimed in the Galerie des Glaces, Versailles.
Feb. 11 (Wed.)
Herr Ebert is elected first President of the German Republic.
Feb. 12 (Thur.)
Herr Scheidemann, the first German Prime Minister, forms a Cabinet.
Mar. 25 (Tues.)
To draw up the Treaties of Peace a Council of Four (President Wilson, Mr. Lloyd George, M. Clemenceau, Signor Orlando—the 'Big Four') is substituted for the Council of Ten.
April 23 (Wed.)
President Wilson issues a public statement with regard to Fiume, which concludes with an appeal to the people of Italy as distinct from their Government.
April 24 (Thur.)
Signor Orlando leaves Paris for Italy as a protest against President Wilson's attitude and his published message on the Fiume question.
April 28 (Mon.)
The League of Nations is created by the adoption at the Peace Conference of the amended League of Nations Covenant (see Appendix VII., Part I.).
The Peace Conference adopts the 'Labour Charter,' viz. those sections of the Peace Treaty which create an International Organisation to deal with the needs and problems of Labour (see Appendix VII., Part XIII.).
May 7 (Wed.)
The Peace Terms are presented to the German delegates at the Trianon Palace Hotel, Versailles.
June 2 (Mon.)
The Allied Terms of Peace with Austria, incomplete in certain respects, are handed to the Austrian delegates at St. Germain.
June 19 (Thur.)
Italy:—Signor Orlando and his Cabinet resign.
June 20 (Fri.)
The German Ministry under Herr Scheidemann resign, having disagreed as to acceptance of the Peace Terms.
June 21 (Sat.)
The Germans scuttle their fleet interned at Scapa Flow.
A new German Ministry is formed with Herr Bauer as Premier. The German National Assembly debates the Peace Treaty, and resolves in favour of signature by 237 votes to 138.
Italy:—Signor Nitti forms a Ministry.
June 23 (Mon.)
The Government of the German Republic declares 'that it is ready to accept and sign the conditions of peace imposed by the Allied and Associated Governments.'
June 28 (Sat.)
The Treaty of Peace between the Allied and Associated Powers and the German Republic is signed in the Galerie des Glaces, Versailles, the ceremony beginning at 3 P.M. (see Appendix VII.).
Sept. 10 (Wed.)
The Treaty of Peace between the Allied and Associated Powers (except Roumania and Jugo-Slavia) and Austria is signed in the Stone Age Hall in the Château de Saint Germain.
Nov. 27 (Thur.)
The Treaty of Peace between the Allied and Associated Powers (except Serbia and Roumania) and Bulgaria is signed at the Mairie at Neuilly-sur-Seine.
1920
Jan. 10 (Sat.)
The Treaty of Peace between the Allied and Associated Powers and the German Republic is formally ratified in the Clock Room in the French Foreign Office, Paris, the ceremony beginning at 4 P.M.