1917—1917: Battle of Cambrai - first use of massed tanks, but effect more psychological than actual
1917—1917: Ministry of Labour is established in Britain
Feb 1917—Feb 1917: February revolution in Russia; Tsar Nicholas abdicates
16 Apr 1917—16 Apr 1917: Lenin returns to Russia after exile
17 Apr 1917—17 Apr 1917: USA declares war on Germany
26 May 1917—26 May 1917: George V changes surname from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor (Royal
proclamation on 17 July)
Jul 1917—Jul 1917: Battle of Passchendaele - little gained by either side (Jul-Nov)
7 Nov 1917—7 Nov 1917: 'October' Revolution in Russia - Bolsheviks overthrow provisional government;
Lenin becomes Chief Commissar
6 Dec 1917—6 Dec 1917: Halifax (Nova Scotia) Explosion, one of the world's largest artificial non-nuclear
explosions to date: a ship loaded with wartime explosives blew up after a collision,
obliterating buildings and structures within two square kilometres of the explosion
9 Dec 1917—9 Dec 1917: British forces capture Jerusalem
2
1918
1918—1918: Vote for women over 30, men over 21 (except peers, lunatics and felons)
1918—1918: War of Independence in Ireland
18 Jan 1918—18 Jan 1918: Bentley Motors founded
8 Mar 1918—8 Mar 1918: Start of world-wide 'flu pandemic
Jul 1918—Jul 1918: Second Battle of the Marne: last major German offensive in WW1 (Jul-Aug)
1 Oct 1918—1 Oct 1918: Arab forces under Lawrence of Arabia capture Damascus
11 Nov 1918—11 Nov 1918: Armistice signed
Dec 1918—Dec 1918: First woman elected to House of Commons, Countess Markiewicz as a Sinn Fein
member refused to take her seat