Year 1918

In 1918 the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II, was executed with his wife and children after the ‘February Revolution’.

After the ‘February Revolution’ between the 8^th and 12^th of March (called the February Revolution because it started in February based on the old Julian calendar used at the time) Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate by the will of the people. His Army garrison in the capital of Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) had also joined the revolutionaries calling for socialist reforms and it was not safe for him or his family anymore. Upon his abdication, he named his brother as his successor, but he wisely turned down the position which ended Tsarist rule in Russia. When counter-revolutionary forces began to advance on the captive ex-Tsar’s position in July 1918, the soviet revolutionaries executed Nicholas, his wife, children and many of the servants, shooting them dead on the night of the 16^th of July 1918.

In 1918 the most decisive battle of World War I “The Battle of Amiens” ends in victory to the Allies.

The Russian revolution of 1917 led them to agreeing a ceasefire on the eastern front on the 15^th of December 1917 effectively leaving the First World War. With the Eastern Front ended Germany’s most senior officer, Erich Ludendorff, suddenly had a huge supply of battle ready troops ready to fight against the remaining allies on the Western Front.

Ludendorff devised a plan he called the “Emperor’s Battle” which involved the full force of the new troops attacking one point in the western front which was being held by the British Expeditionary Forces near the strategically important city of Amiens. On the 21^st of March Lundendorffs attack began, starting with the most intense gas and artillery fire bombardment of the entire war for five hours against the British forces. This was followed by several waves of Germany soldiers that broke through the lines and killed about 30% of the British Soldiers in that section. By the 5^th of April the German forces had gained 28 miles before finally being subdued by the Allies. By July the Allies had managed to regroup and British Commander Henry Rawlison was given the task of forcing the Germans back. The Americans entrance into the war the previous year gave the allies much needed resources. With new tanks and artillery, a huge force of Allied soldiers and the newly formed RAF, Rawlison had a tremendous force to accomplish his mission.

On the morning of the 8^th of August the allies began to advance, supported by heavy artillery fire and the RAF taking out German strongholds.  British, Canadian and Australian regiments continued to advance driving back the Germans and gaining more ground on that day then had previously been achieved in any single day of the war. The push continued for three days with the battle ending on the 11^th of August. Despite the huge loss of life to the allies, the shock of the successful attack against the previously strong German line caused many Germans to surrender. The crippling attack also led Ludendorff to declare to the German Emperor, Wilhelm II that the war was lost.

This Battle is also considered the beginning of the “Hundred Days Offensive” that led to the German Armistice on the 11^th of November 1918. Although the Russian revolution initially aided the Germans it would also aid there downfall. Germany was being suffocated by not only the human loss but also the financial loss of the war and after the “battle of Amiens” it became apparent that it was a war they may indeed loose. With the German people suffering the thoughts of their own revolution began to cross their minds. Soldiers continued to surrender as the “Hundred Days Offensive” progressed and when the German Navy were ordered to attack the superior Royal Navy in what would have been a suicide mission the entire navy began a revolt which quickly spread throught the armed forces and country leading to the Germans calling for an Armistice, and effectively surrendering on the 11^th of November.

Sadly despite the time and date of the Armistice known for some time in advance fighting continued right up until the last moments before 11:00 am on the 11^th of November 1918. The Americans lost huge numbers of soldiers on the final day, having been ordered to advance right up to the final moments of the Armistice. Some of the commanders felt they had something to prove while others believed that the Germans needed to taste true defeat and know that they were beaten rather than have an armistice. One such general prolifically said that if they are not defeated in battle than they would try again.

In 1918 fighting in the First World War ended at 11:00 am

On the 6^th of October 1908, the Austro-Hungarian Empire officially announced its Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina which angered Serbia, Montenegro, the Russian Empire and many of the Bosnian people in what became known as the “Bosnian Crisis”. Serbia backed many would-be-assassins against the Empire's officials and soon it would orchestrate one of the most infamous assassinations in history.

In June 1913 Emperor Franz Joseph I sent his nephew and heir, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, to the Bosnian capital Sarajevo to inspect the Hungarian troops there. The Inspection was set for the 28^th of June and both Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie Chotek von Chotvoka, arrived early in the day..

Seven Serbian terrorists, who were part of the Black Hand group, planned the assassination attempt of Archduke Ferdinand while on his visit. The seven men were in place along the planned route each with the intent to carry out the assassination if the others were unable. The first two assassins couldn’t strike due to the crowds on the street but the third, Vaso Čubrilović, was able to throw a timed bomb at the car containing Ferdinand and his wife. The bomb however bounced off the car and exploded under another car in the Archduke's motorcade. The remaining cars in the motorcade continued at high speed to the town hall preventing another attempt. After the Archduke and his wife briefly recovered from the experience they planned to visit the victims of the bomb blast in the hospital. While on their way to the hospital, their driver took a wrong turn and as he stopped the car to reverse, another of the Assassins, Gavrilo Princip, walked up to the car and fired just two shots from about 5 meters away. One shot hit Archduke Ferdinand in the neck and another hit his wife in the stomach. Franz Ferdinand, his wife and his unborn child all died from the shots.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire blamed the Serbian government for the incident and sent an ultimatum, The July Ultimatum, to Serbia, requesting, certain demands be met including that they punish anyone in Serbia guilty of the Assignation of the Archduke. Serbia agreed with some of the proposals but ultimately rejected it. The Serbian Empire had already confirmed their Alliance with Russia and mobilised troops before they rejected the Ultimatum and similarly, Austro-Hungary confirmed their alliance with Germany before sending it. With the Ultimatum rejected Austro-Hungary declared war on Serbia on the 28^th of July 1914 and their allies soon joined starting one of the bloodiest wars in history.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 led them to agree to a ceasefire on the eastern front on the 15^th of December 1917 effectively leaving the First World War. With the Eastern Front ended Germany’s most senior officer, Erich Ludendorff, suddenly had a huge supply of battle-ready troops ready to fight against the remaining allies on the Western Front.

Ludendorff devised a plan he called the “Emperor’s Battle” which involved the full force of the new troops attacking one point in the western front which the British Expeditionary Forces were holding near the strategically important city of Amiens, in France. On the 21^st of March, the Lundendorff attack began, starting with the most intense gas and artillery fire bombardment of the entire war for five hours against the British forces. This was followed by several waves of German soldiers that broke through the lines and killed about 30% of the British Soldiers in that section. By the 5^th of April, the German forces had gained 28 miles before finally being subdued by the Allies. By July the Allies had managed to regroup and British Commander Henry Rawlinson was given the task of forcing the German forces back. The American's entrance into the war the previous year gave the Allies much-needed resources. With new tanks and artillery, a huge force of Allied soldiers and the newly formed RAF, Rawlison had a tremendous force to accomplish his mission.

On the morning of the 8^th of August, the Allies began to advance, supported by heavy artillery fire and the RAF taking out German strongholds.  British, Canadian and Australian regiments continued to advance driving back the Germans and gaining more ground on that day than had previously been possible. The push continued for three days with the battle ending on the 11^th of August. Despite the huge loss of life to the Allies, the shock of the successful attack against the previously strong German line caused many Germans to surrender. The crippling attack also led Ludendorff to declare to the German Emperor, Wilhelm II that the war was lost.

This Battle is also considered the beginning of the “Hundred Days Offensive” that led to the German Armistice on the 11^th of November 1918. Although the Russian Revolution initially aided the Germans it would also aid their downfall. Germany was being suffocated by not only the human loss but also the financial loss of the war and after the “battle of Amiens” it became apparent that it was a war they may indeed loose. With the German people suffering the thoughts of their own revolution began to cross their minds. Soldiers continued to surrender as the “Hundred Days Offensive” progressed and when the German Navy was ordered to attack the superior Royal Navy in what would have been a suicide mission the entire navy began a revolt which quickly spread throughout the armed forces and country leading to the Germans calling for an Armistice, and effectively surrendering on the 11^th of November.

At 5:00 am on the morning of the 11^th of November 1918 officials from all the major countries met and signed an armistice which effectively ended the war and the news of which quickly spread around the world. Sadly despite the time and date of the Armistice known for several hours in advance fighting continued right up until the last moments before 11:00 am on the 11^th of November 1918. The Americans lost huge numbers of soldiers on the final day, having been ordered to advance right up to the final moments of the Armistice. Some of the commanders felt they had something to prove while others believed that the Germans needed to taste true defeat and know that they were beaten rather than have an armistice. One such general prolifically said that if they were not defeated in battle then they would try again. American author Joseph E Persico estimated the death toll on the final day of the war to be as high as 11,000 men. At least 300 American soldiers were killed when General Wright, of the 89th American Division ordered his men to attack the German-occupied town of Stenay so his men could make use of the shower facilities there, despite being fully aware that in a few hours, he and his men could walk into the town unhindered.