world war 1917 Timeline

This timeline covers all the political and military events that occurred across Europe and the rest of the world during 1917. In this year the USA will enter the war, tanks will start to be seen on the Wesetrn front in large numbers and the Germans force Russia to withdraw from the war.

09/01/1917 German leaders decide to launch unrestricted U-boat warfare. 10/01/1917 Allies state peace objectives in response to US President Woodrow Wilson's December 1916 peace note. 19/01/1917 Reich Foreign Secretary Zimmermann's telegram to Mexico urging her entry into war against the United States is discovered and translated by the British. 22/01/1917 "Peace without Victory." speech is made by President Wilson. 31/01/1917 Germany announces that it will resume unrestricted U-boat warfare from the 1st February.   01/02/1917 Germany resumes unrestricted U-boat warfare. 03/02/1917 US severs diplomatic ties with Germany. 05/02/1917 The British General Staff estimates that no more than 250,000 American soldiers could be in Europe even after a year. 13/02/1917 The Chief of British Imperial General Staff Sir William Roberston expresses grave doubts about American fighting capabilities. 23/02/1917 German forces begin withdrawal to strong positions on the Hindenburg Line. 24/02/1917 The Sinking of the Laconia. The Zimmermann Telegram is passed to the US by Britain, detailing alleged German proposal of an alliance with Mexico against the US. 26/02/1917 US President Woodrow Wilson requests permission from Congress to arm US merchantmen.   01/03/1917 Zimmermann Telegram is released to press by US State Department. The Armed Ship Bill is passed by Congress. 04/03/1917 The US Senate adjourns without passing Armed Ship Bill, after a successful filibuster. 11/03/1917 British troops capture Baghdad. 12/03/1917 US President Woodrow Wilson announces arming of US merchantmen by executive order after failing to win approval. 15/03/1917 Tsar Nicholas II of Russia abdicates as a consequence of Russian Revolution. 20/03/1917 US President Woodrow Wilson's war cabinet votes unanimously in favour of declaring war on Germany. 29/03/1917 War College Division issues a report: Calling for a large force of between 500,000 and 1,000,000, and optimistically estimates that at least ten months would be required to ship a force of 500,000 to Europe once it was raised and trained, putting the earliest effects of US involvement in mid- to late-1918. The War College Division openly plans to send US forces overseas, but argues against offensives through Macedonia or Holland and repeats its opposition to sending an untrained American army overseas. Wilson publicly calls for a national army to be "raised and maintained exclusively by selective draft".   02/04/1917 President Woodrow Wilson delivers war address to Congress at 8:32 pm and asks the House of Representatives to declare war on Germany. 05/04/1917 German forces finish their withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. 06/04/1917 United States comes out of neutrality and declares war on Germany, thus entering the First World War. 09/04/1917 The Nivelle Offensive begins. 10/04/1917 Sir William Robertson advocates to Haig the dispatch of immediate American expeditionary force "to get some Americans killed and so get the country to take a real interest in the war". 13/04/1917 Canadian troops take Vimy Ridge and the surrounding area in one of Canada's finest battles of the war. 16/04/1917 Chemin des Dames Offensive begins. Lenin arrives in Russia. 20/04/1917 The Nivelle Offensive, which includes the Second Battle of Aisne and the Third Battle of Champagne ends in French Failure. 29/04/1917 Chemin des Dames Offensive ends in disastrous failure for the French having advanced only 500 yards at the cost of 250,000 casualties. A month long series of mutinies break out amongst the French army. Apr 1917 The German submarine campaign exacts its heaviest damage of war sinking 881,027 gross tons, 500,000 of which are British.   12/05/1917 The 10th battle of Isonzo begins. 20/05/1917 A month of sporadic mutinies in the French army finally fizzle out. 28/05/1917 U.S. Brigadier General Pershing leaves New York for France.   07/06/1917 The British explode 19 large mines under the Messines Ridge. 15/06/1917 U.S. Espionage Act is passed. 26/06/1917 The first U.S. troops begin arriving in France. These are men of the U.S. 1st Division. 27/06/1917 Greece enters the war on the side of the Allies. Jun 1917 Battle of Messines.   02/07/1917 U.S. Brigadier General Pershing makes his first request for army of 1,000,000 men. 06/07/1917 Aquaba captured by Arabs led by T.E.Lawrence. 11/07/1917 U.S. Brigadier General Pershing Pershing revises his army request figures upwards to 3,000,000 men. 16/07/1917 Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) begins. 31/07/1917 Another major British offensive is launched at Ypres.   06/08/1917 Aleksander Fyodorovich Kerensky appointed Prime Minister of Russia.   01/09/1917 German troops break through the northernmost end of the Russian front during the Riga offensive.   24/10/1917 The 12th battle of Isonzo ends in Italian failure. Austria-German forces breakthrough at Caporetto on Italian front.   07/11/1917 The Bolshevik overthrow the Kerensky's government and install of a Communist one under Lenin. 10/11/1917 British reach Passchendaele. Third Battle of Ypres ends. 20/11/1917 Battle of Cambrai begins with a surprise tank attack by the British.   03/12/1917 German-Russian armistice is signed by the new Russian government, represented by Leon Trotsky. 07/12/1917 The United States declares war on Austro-Hungary. 09/12/1917 Jerusalem captured from the Turks by the British. 22/12/1917 Russia opens separate peace negotiations with Germany at Brest-Litovsk.