Era · c. 1800 – 1945

Modern Era

Industry, science and global conflict: the century and a half that built the modern world.

Battle of Cambrai (1917): The First Mass Tank Attack in History

Inconclusive: a deep British break-in on 20 November was largely reversed by the German counter-attack of 30 November.

November-December 1917 · 6 min read

Britain publicly backed a Jewish national home in Palestine; the pledge was later written into the League of Nations Mandate for Palestine.

2 November 1917 · 6 min read

Decisive Austro-German victory; the Italian army retreated about 100 km to the Piave, where the line was stabilised.

October-November 1917 · 6 min read

Canadian Corps victory; the ridge was taken within four days and held for the rest of the war.

April 1917 · 6 min read

Its publication turned American opinion sharply against Germany and helped lead to the US declaration of war on 6 April 1917.

1917 · 6 min read

British and Empire forces advanced about 8 km and took Passchendaele ridge at enormous cost, without the hoped-for breakthrough.

1917 · 8 min read

The Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government and set up a Soviet government led by Lenin, leading to civil war and the Soviet state.

November 1917 · 8 min read

Nicholas II abdicated, ending three centuries of Romanov rule; a Provisional Government shared power with the Petrograd Soviet.

March 1917 · 8 min read

Decisive Italian-led victory; the Austro-Hungarian army collapsed and the Armistice of Villa Giusti ended the war in Italy.

Oct-Nov 1918 · 4 min read

Decisive British Empire victory; the Ottoman Seventh and Eighth Armies were destroyed and Damascus fell on 1 October.

September 1918 · 5 min read

Allied victory; German lines were broken on the first day and the Hundred Days Offensive began.

August 1918 · 4 min read

American victory; the wood was cleared by 26 June at the cost of nearly 10,000 US casualties.

June 1918 · 5 min read