Grand Fleet
Establishes the Grand Fleet Strategy
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1918 in Great Britain
Explore 390 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1918.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1918
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 390 unique records.
390Unique records
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January
Industrial Manpower Transfers Proposed
Calls for younger men in essential industries to be replaced where possible and transferred to the forces.
Ireland Initially Excluded from New Conscription
States that the government will not yet extend compulsory military service to Ireland.
Manpower Programme Announced
Presents new measures to release more men from industry for military service.
Military Service Bill Defended
Defends further military service legislation as necessary to meet the army's manpower needs.
Constitution of Great Britain
The Parliament of Northern Ireland is established
Home Rule
The Government decided to extend conscription to Ireland, and that Ireland would have to be given home rule in order to make it acceptable, Carson disagrees in principle and again resigns
Resignation of Edward Carson
The Government decided to extend conscription to Ireland, and that Ireland would have to be given home rule in order to make it acceptable, Carson disagrees in principle and again resigns
Rule of Ireland
The Government decided to extend conscription to Ireland, and that Ireland would have to be given home rule in order to make it acceptable, Carson disagrees in principle and again resigns
Rule of Ulster
The Parliament of Northern Ireland is established. The Government decided to extend conscription to Ireland, and that Ireland would have to be given home rule in order to make it acceptable, Carson disagrees in principle and again resigns
Battle of Tafileh
Takes part in the Arab victory at Tafileh and is later awarded the Distinguished Service Order.
Grand Fleet Night Exercise Ordered
Beatty takes a large force from the Forth for an intensive night exercise involving ships and submarines.
Allied Manpower Balance Reviewed
Reviews Allied and German manpower resources as divisions are transferred from the Eastern Front.
BEF Manpower Shortage Reviewed
Haig warns that reduced infantry strength leaves British armies vulnerable to a major German offensive.
Food Rationing Expansion Approved
Supports wider compulsory rationing to protect civilian supplies during the final year of war.
Tafileh Operations
Helps Arab forces hold Tafileh against Ottoman counterattack.
February
Battle of May Island Collision Disaster Reviewed
Beatty's command reviews the chain of collisions during the night exercise later called the Battle of May Island.
Birth of Norman Wisdom
Birth of Norman Wisdom
Representation of the People Act Welcomed
Welcomes legislation expanding the electorate while the war continues.
Minister of Information
Appointed Minister of Information
Minister of Information
Appointed Minister of Information, the 1st person to hold this position
Robertson Dispute Brought before Parliament
Explains the government's disagreement with Sir William Robertson over Allied strategic coordination.
Versailles Allied Reserve Proposal Defended
Defends proposals for an Allied reserve controlled through common strategic machinery.
Henry Wilson Appointed Chief of Imperial General Staff
Supports Henry Wilson's appointment following Robertson's resignation.
Robertson Resignation Accepted
Accepts Robertson's departure as Chief of the Imperial General Staff after the Versailles dispute.
Versailles Military Executive Policy Backed
Backs stronger Allied machinery at Versailles for coordinating reserves and strategy.
March
Government Press Relations Defended
Answers criticism of government relations with newspapers and wartime information management.
Supreme War Council
Uses council meetings to press for unified Allied strategy.
Supreme War Council
Advises British ministers during Supreme War Council debates.
Mobilization
Cables all factories to requested increased output
Lord Pirrie Shipping Appointment Defended
Defends Lord Pirrie's appointment to strengthen merchant shipbuilding administration.
German Spring Offensive Crisis Reviewed
Confronts the emergency created by the opening German offensive on the Western Front.
Operation Michael Opens against BEF
Haig confronts the opening German spring offensive against the British Third and Fifth Armies.
Saint Quentin Defensive Crisis Managed
Haig directs emergency measures as German forces penetrate the Fifth Army front near Saint Quentin.
Fifth Army Withdrawal Coordinated
Haig coordinates retreat and reinforcement as the Fifth Army falls back under intense German pressure.
Bapaume Sector Withdrawal Reviewed
Haig reviews the retreat around Bapaume as Operation Michael continues westward.
Capture of Bapaume
Bapaume is captured by the German during Operation Michael
Michael
Bapaume is captured by the German during Operation Michael
Allied Generalissimo
Instrumental in getting General Ferdinand Foch appointed as Allied Generalissimo
Doullens Allied Command Agreement Accepted
Haig accepts Foch's coordinating authority during the emergency conference at Doullens.
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.