Accepting an invitation, kindly extended to me several days ago, I yesterday visited many of the French towns recently retaken in the invaded territory, making the trip in a military automobile. I was accompanied by military attaché Boyd. I regret to say that I found the various reports in circulation here, and doubtless forwarded to American newspapers, of the deplorable conditions in those towns are in no way exaggerated. With very few exceptions the places visited by me, though few in comparison, numbering upwards of thirty, had been quite destroyed by the Germans before evacuating them. The destruction wrought in the larger towns of Roye, Ham, and particularly the once thriving and attractive city Chauny, was complete. In many of the other smaller villages scarcely a house remains with its roof intact. A scene of desolation reigns everywhere over the reconquered territory. This is true not alone where the possibly excusable military operations carried out by the Germans protected their retreat, by the blowing up of all the bridges and the destruction of the means of telegraphic and telephonic connections, including portions of railway lines, and the blocking of highways by the felling of many trees, but also where, as far as the eye could see, nearly all the fruit trees had either been cut down or exploded so as to completely ruin them.

1918 World War I: Various:

List Regiment: Gefreiter Adolf Hitler's 16th RIR begins constructing fortified works in difficult defensive positions on an active front with German assault regiments near Fountaine (Montdidier). Adolf Meyer:

In view of the enormous extent of the greatly destroyed territory to our rear, which made bringing up all construction materials almost impossible, this work was effected with the greatest difficulty. In addition the enemy now exerted all force to prevent a further German advance. In violent attacks the united enemy forces tried to throw us back again into the wasteland to our rear. [For further details, Click here.]

RAF founded:

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is formed with the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). The RAF took its place beside the British navy and army as a separate military service with its own ministry. [For further details, Click here]

1920 Red Scare: Five members of the New York Legislature are expelled for being members of the Socialist Party. They will be legitimately re-elected, but once again will be refused permission to sit in session. (THP)

1922 Death: Emperor Karl I of Austria (and Charles IV of Hungary): Austria-Hungary's last emperor:

Born on 17 August 1887 in Persenbeug Castle, Austria, Karl was a grandnephew of the man he succeeded, the aging Emperor Franz Josef I. He became heir to the throne with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June 1914 (whose own children were barred from rights of succession based upon an agreement undertook by Ferdinand upon his marriage).

A cavalry officer until the outbreak of war in late July 1914, he subsequently took up an appointment as liaison officer, in which capacity he served during the opening Galician campaign. Following promotion he was recalled to court in mid-1915, but returned to active duty in May 1916. On the Italian Front he was given command of a corps before being transferred back to Galicia following the Russian Brusilov Offensive.

His military career was ended by the death of Franz Josef in late 1916; he became Austrian Emperor (Kaiser) on 21 November, and King of Hungary on 30 December. Acutely aware that Austria-Hungary's entry into the First World War (having essentially brought it about) was likely to prove the undoing of the empire, Karl quickly sought a means of negotiating a separate peace with the allies.

Much influenced by his pro-Allied wife, Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Karl sent peace feelers to France through the medium of his brother in law, Prince Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma. Inexpertly managed‑-clumsy even, since he refused to cede any territory to the Italians‑- his efforts were dismissed by the French government, although they were put to handy propaganda use the year during the great German push of Spring 1918 (to the great annoyance of his German allies, who never again trusted the Austro-Hungarian emperor).

Regarded as weak by both political extremes, left and right, Karl nonetheless drew support from political moderates. Karl responded with the appointed of a succession of liberal, reformist prime ministers, pretty much reflecting his own views.

Similarly determined to reform the army, Karl banned flogging, ended duels, called a halt to strategic bombing and limited the widespread use of poison gas; which served merely to infuriate his high command. He also decided to jettison Austria-Hungary's long-standing Chief of Staff, Conrad von Hotzendorf, replacing him with the more pliable Arz von Straussenberg.

It was all too late however. Utterly dependent upon German's military might, Karl's reforms achieved relatively little. With the Germans by now suspicious of Karl and Austria-Hungary generally, the new emperor was essentially coerced into what largely amounted to economic and military union with Germany following a meeting with the German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, at Spa on 11 May 1918.

Karl repeatedly attempted in the second half of 1918 to negotiate peace with the Allies, each time without success. By now it was clear that the tide was turning in favour of the Allied effort. With political extremism growing at home, and nationalism rampant, Karl's attempt at domestic reform‑-the October Manifesto‑-which established a federation of autonomous Austrian states, proved insufficient.

Unusually for a monarch, Karl foresaw and largely accepted the dismantling of his empire - at least initially. On 31 October 1918 he granted permission for his soldiers to join national armies; just under two weeks later, on 11 November, he renounced his constitutional powers. Having done so he then changed his mind, refusing to formally abdicate and instead vainly attempting to drum up royalist support. It was too late.

Forced to seek exile in Switzerland in March 1919 (with the assistance of the British), the Austrian parliament deposed him the following month. He attempted to return to Hungary two years later, but was denied permission on each occasion by the Horthy government.

The last of the Austro-Hungarian emperors died in penury in Madeira on 1 April 1922 of pneumonia at the tragically young age of 34. His wife, Zita, lived for a further 67 years, dying in Switzerland at the age of 96. She wore mourning black to the end.

1924 Adolf Hitler: Beer Hall Putsch sentence:

Adolf Hitler is sentenced for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch of November 8, 1923. The attempted coup in Munich by right-wing members of the army and the Nazi Party was foiled by the government, and Hitler was charged with high treason. Despite his conviction, Hitler was out of jail before the end of the year, with his political position stronger than ever.

Germany was in the midst of a national crisis in the early 1920s. After World War I, its economy was in shambles, and hyperinflation caused widespread discontent. Hitler and the Nazis stepped into this breach with often-racist demagoguery that attracted a significant following throughout the nation.

The failed coup turned out to be quite a boon for Adolf Hitler. His trial brought him more attention and publicity than ever before. With a crowd of thousands-including press from around the world-watching the proceedings, Hitler made the most of this opportunity by going on the offensive.

Taking every chance to turn the subject away from the putsch itself, Hitler frequently made speeches about Germany's postwar plight. He blamed the Jews, Marxism, and France for all of the country's problems, repeatedly returning to his theme of hypernationalism. The conservative-leaning judges did nothing to stop Hitler or keep the focus on the attempted coup. The prosecutors, who had been threatened by Hitler's student followers, shrank from challenging the defendant.

It soon became evident that Hitler was winning the public relations battle by using the 25-day trial as a showcase for his extreme right-wing views, even if he was technically losing the case. In his closing argument, Hitler declared that he would ignore the court's verdict because the "Eternal Court of History" would acquit him.

After his conviction, Hitler spent the remainder of the year in prison writing the first volume of Mein Kampf. By the time he was released, he had become more popular than ever, and within eight years he had taken over Germany. (History.com)

1930 Death: Cosima Wagner: daughter of Franz Liszt and wife of Richard Wagner. Although her mother was a descendant of well known Jewish family Bethmann, Cosima was a notorious anti-Semite, even much more than Wagner. She directed the Bayreuth Festival from the death of Richard Wagner (1883) to the outbreak of World War I in 1914. When the Festival re-opened in 1924, it was under the direction of her son Siegfried. She died at age 92 at Bayreuth.

1933 Various:

 


 







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