EASTERN FRONT - JANUARY 1918

Russia - Expecting revolution to break out in Germany, the Russian Bolshevist delegates at Brest-Litovsk continue stalling and Foreign Minister Trotsky refuses to meet the terms of the Central Powers. The German Foreign Minister, Baron Richard von Kuhlman increases the pressure. Finland is not spared the agonies of Russia, and civil war begins at the end of the month. Ukraine declares its independence from Russia and the Russian Bolsheviks, a move shortly recognised by Germany and her allies.

Austria-Hungary - Partly due to food shortages, strikes break out in Austrian cities in favour of peace.

EASTERN FRONT - FEBRUARY 1918

Russia - On the 9th, a peace treaty is signed between the Central Powers and the newly independent Republic of the Ukraine. The next day and simply refusing to accept any terms, the Russian Bolshevist government just declares the war is at an end. On the 18th, the frustrated Germans start to Advance into Russia against little opposition. Troops soon occupy the Baltic provinces and later move into the Ukraine and Crimea. As the German advance endangers Petrograd, Lenin moves the capital to Moscow. Elsewhere the Civil War continues to rage. Moscow is threatened by the Whites, and the rest of Russia is in chaos. Far to the east in Siberia, the Japanese plan a landing to protect huge quantities of stock-piled military supplies.

Baltic Sea

25th February - Russian submarine 'EDINOROG' (1916, 650t, 4-45.7mm tt and 4 drop collars, 1-6.3cm). Previously damaged by stranding and now temporarily repaired at Reval, 'Edinorog' founders in on tow across the Gulf of Finland to Helsingfors (Helsinki).

EASTERN FRONT - MARCH 1918

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk - Under the terms of the treaty signed between Russia and the Central Powers on the 3rd, European Russia loses 25 percent of its territory and much of its industrial and natural resources - that is the Baltic provinces, Finland and the Aaland Islands, the Ukraine, and to Turkey, the southern Caucasus districts of Erivan, Kars and Batum. The Ukraine becomes a German puppet state; German forces shortly land on the Aaland Islands, and on the 7th Germany and Finland sign a peace treaty. Germany is now able to start transferring large numbers of troops from Russia to the Western Front.

Russian Civil War and Allied Intervention - The Russian Civil War continues. The Allies for various reasons, including keeping Russia in the war and the fear of world communism, intervene in the struggle. Troops and supplies are later sent to support the White Armies (commanded by Czarist officers) fighting the Reds in the Arctic, the Ukraine, Caucasus and Siberia. The anti-Bolshevist forces include the 'Czechoslovak Legion', made up of deserters and ex-prisoners of war from the Austro-Hungarian army which fights its way across Siberia and later joins the Allies in the west. The war ends in 1920 in the Bolsheviks favour, and by then a number of major warships on both sides have been lost.

Mainly British warships support the Allies on their seaward flanks and also on inland lakes and rivers.

Arctic Waters - With the signing of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, British warships including pre-dreadnought 'Glory' and armoured cruiser 'Cochrane' start operations against Murmansk and Archangel to prevent vast quantities of Allied supplies falling into Bolshevik or German hands.

Baltic Sea

15th March - German medium submarine 'UB-106' is accidentally sunk off the German coast, but raised three days later.

EASTERN FRONT - APRIL 1918

Russia - Russia continues in a state of chaos. In the north, German troops land near Helsinki to help Gen Mannerheim fight for Finnish independence against Bolshevik forces. In the south, the Germans push further into the Ukraine and the Crimea.

Baltic Sea

4th-8th April - British submarines 'E-1', 'E-8', 'E-9', 'E-19' (all 1913/15, 655t, 4tt and 1-12pdr), and 'C-26', 'C-27', 'C-35' (1909/10, 290t, 2tt). With the Germans ashore at Hango in Finland and moving on Helsingfors, the surviving submarines of the British Baltic Flotilla are taken to sea one at a time, blown up and scuttled off the port. Between the 4th and the 8th, 'E-1', 'E-8', 'E-9', 'E-19' and 'C-26', 'C-27', 'C-35' are denied to the Germans in this way. The senior officer, Cdr Cromie became de facto British ambassador at Petrograd, but is killed in an incident involving the Bolsheviks at the embassy.

Far Eastern Waters - Japanese and British Royal Marines land at Vladivostok in the Far East.

EASTERN FRONT - MAY 1918

Arctic Waters

British forces including a Royal Marine detachment, all under the command of Gen Poole land at Murmansk. A Royal Navy base is established as HMS 'Glory III'.

Baltic Sea

13th May - German medium submarine 'UB-114' sinks in Kiel harbour during trimming exercises. She is raised and later surrendered.

EASTERN FRONT - JUNE 1918

Russia - The Germans continue to advance into southern Russia and the Ukraine.

EASTERN FRONT - JULY 1918

Russia - The imprisoned Ex-Tsar Nicholas and his family are executed on the 16th by the Bolsheviks at Ekaterinburg in the Urals.

EASTERN FRONT - AUGUST 1918

Russia - Allied forces continue to enter Russia to support the Whites and protect ammunition and supplies. In the north, an Allied Expeditionary Force captures Archangel supported by Royal Navy warships. To the south, a British naval unit arrives at Baku on the Caspian Sea after travelling overland from Baghdad. And in the Far East, British, Japanese and U.S. troops land at Vladivostok for operations in Siberia.

Arctic Waters - Seized at Murmansk in July by the British Navy, the old Russian five-funnelled light cruiser 'Askold' is commissioned as HMS Glory IV and continues to serve in the Arctic.

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EASTERN FRONT - SEPTEMBER 1918

Russia - American troops land at Archangel in the Arctic.

Austria-Hungary - As the Austro-Hungarian Empire approaches its end, the United States recognises the Czechoslovaks as an allied nation. Austria-Hungary invites the belligerents to discussions on peace, but the proposals are rejected by the Allies.

Baltic Sea

5th September - German coastal minelayer 'UC-91' is sunk in collision with SS 'Alexandra Woermann' off the German coast. She is raised and repaired.

EASTERN FRONT - OCTOBER 1918

Russia - In the north, Allied forces battle with the Bolsheviks around Murmansk and Archangel. In the Far East, American, British and Japanese troops enter Siberia and push as far west as Lake Baikal. More fighting takes place around the Caucasus in the south.

Arctic Waters - Fighting takes place along the Dvina River, south of Archangel with the involvement of light naval forces.

EASTERN FRONT - NOVEMBER 1918

Austria-Hungary - On the 3rd, Austria-Hungary accepts an Allied armistice and withdraws from the war.

RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR - DECEMBER 1918

Baltic Sea

5th December - British light cruiser 'CASSANDRA' (1917, 4,100t, 5-6in). British naval forces in the Baltic under the command of Rear Adm Sir Walter Cowan are given the difficult task of protecting the Baltic States, evacuating German forces, and operating against the Bolsheviks. Warships on both sides are lost, some to the many Russian and German minefields. On the 5th the recently arrived 'Cassandra' is mined off the Gulf of Finland and sinks with 11 dead. (My grandfather Yeoman of Signals George Smith DSM, was one of those rescued)

26th December - Bolshevik destroyers 'SPARTAK' (ex-'Kapitan I Ranga Miklucha-Maklai') and 'AVTROIL' (1916, 1,350t, 5-10.2cm, 9-45.7cm tt). On the 26th/27th, these two modern destroyers bombard the Estonian port of Reval in the Gulf of Finland. Captured by a British squadron of light cruisers 'Calypso' and 'Caradoc' and four destroyers, they are later handed over to the Estonian Navy.

Caspian Sea - On the 8th, Bolshevik light naval forces are in action with the British units that reached Baku in August.

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