Battle of Marne, 1st
Plans to use 27 French Divisions but his plans are intercepted & the Allies advance 4 miles
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1917 in Great Britain — Page 3
Explore 328 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1917.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1917
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 328 unique records.
328Unique records
3 of 9Page
40Named events on this page
11Named people on this page
17Places on this page
April
Foreign Propaganda Controls Defended
Defends wartime controls intended to prevent hostile material circulating through foreign channels.
Battle of Arras
British Fifth Army advances against villages near the Hindenburg Line during the wider Arras operations.
Second Scarpe Attack Continued
Haig continues Arras operations despite stronger German resistance and mounting casualties.
Arleux Operations Supported
Haig supports British and Canadian attacks around Arleux during the later Arras fighting.
British Expeditionary Force (BEF)
During April the BEF loses 120,070, the heaviest since July 1917
Casualties
During April the BEF loses 120,070, the heaviest since July 1917
Anglo-American War Cooperation Expanded
Promotes closer cooperation with the United States on finance, shipping and military supply.
Arras Exploitation Failure
Third Army fails to fully exploit its initial breakthrough at Arras.
Arras Offensive Policy Reviewed
Reviews the British offensive at Arras within the wider Allied spring strategy.
Capture of Vimy Ridge
Captures Vimy Ridge
Convoy Policy Pressed against U-Boats
Supports stronger convoy protection as submarine losses threaten Britain's supply system.
Grand Fleet Readiness Maintained during U-Boat Crisis
Beatty keeps the battlefleet ready for German surface action while unrestricted submarine warfare intensifies.
Imperial War Cabinet Meets
Presides over meetings bringing British and Dominion leaders together for common wartime policy.
Imperial War Conference Opens
Supports wider imperial discussions on war policy and the future constitutional relationship of the Empire.
Nivelle Offensive Prospects Reassessed
Reassesses Allied strategy as the French spring offensive fails to produce the expected breakthrough.
May
Second Bullecourt Assault Continued
Haig continues operations at Bullecourt against heavily fortified Hindenburg Line positions.
Third Scarpe Attack Ordered
Haig orders another Scarpe attack as the Arras offensive approaches its final phase.
Aircraft Recovery
Joins a party recovering a crashed British aircraft near Wadi Hamdh.
Aqaba Expedition
Leaves Wejh with Arab forces for the inland expedition against Aqaba.
Arras Offensive Ended
Haig ends the Arras offensive after tactical gains but no strategic breakthrough.
Bullecourt Operations Coordinated
Birdwood's I ANZAC Corps coordinates Australian attacks during the prolonged fighting at Bullecourt.
Eton College
Wins a scholarship place at Eton College.
Henderson Mission to Russia Supported
Sends Arthur Henderson to Russia to assess political conditions and Allied cooperation.
Irish Convention Plan Announced
Proposes a representative convention to seek an agreed settlement of the Irish constitutional question.
Merchant Convoy System Adopted
Backs the adoption of escorted convoys for merchant ships facing the U-boat campaign.
North Sea Blockade Cover Maintained
The Grand Fleet continues providing strategic cover for Britain's blockade and northern patrol system.
Petain Appointment Welcomed
Supports continued Allied cooperation after Philippe Petain replaces Nivelle in French command.
Shipping Loss Emergency Measures Expanded
Orders further measures to conserve tonnage while the convoy system begins reducing losses.
War Cabinet Reviews French Army Crisis
Monitors the French Army crisis after failed offensives and widespread indiscipline.
June
Messines
Decides to distract the Germans from rebellion amongst French soldiers around Reims
Offensive
Orders an Allied offensive to distract the Germans from French mutinies
Railway Sabotage
Conducts reconnaissance and sabotage work on the Damascus-Aleppo railway near Baalbek.
Agricultural Labour
The Government appeals to farmers to use more women workers
Battle of Messines
Plumer captures Messines Ridge south of Ypres.
Messines Corps Assault Directed
Godley directs II ANZAC Corps during the successful attack on Messines Ridge.
Messines Ridge Assault Launched
Plumer's Second Army attacks after huge mines explode beneath German positions on Messines Ridge.
Messines Ridge Assault Opened
Haig opens the Messines operation after extensive mining and artillery preparation.
Messines Victory Welcomed
Welcomes the successful British attack at Messines as a major tactical achievement.
Messines Success Exploited
Haig orders consolidation and exploitation after British Empire forces capture Messines Ridge.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.