Primary
Documents - 1918
Updated - Saturday, 19 June, 2004
This page of the Primary Documents section of the website collects together archive source documents originating in 1918.
This, the final year of the war, saw the Allies triumph over the Central Powers, and the collapse of monarchies throughout Europe.
Included among the following documents is the text of U.S. President Wilson's famed Fourteen Points outlining the basis for peace. Also available is the text of the annexationist Treaty of Brest-Litovsk which Germany imposed against Russia; and Kaiser Wilhelm II's abdication proclamation.
The list presented below - with each entry accompanied by a brief summary of its significance - is sorted by date, with earlier documents listed first.
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President Wilson's
Fourteen Points (click
here) January - U.S. President's formula for peace |
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Ukraine's Call for
Inclusion at Brest-Litovsk (click
here) January - Vinichenko's plea for seat at peace conference |
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Russian Announcement
on Brest-Litovsk (click
here) January - Government announcement protesting terms |
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Count Hertling on the
Fourteen Points (click
here) January - German Chancellor's conciliatory response |
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Ukraine-Central Powers
Peace Treaty (click
here) February - Text of peace treaty agreed by Ukraine |
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Kuhlman on the Ukraine
Peace Treaty (click
here) February - Reaction of Brest-Litovsk Conference chairman |
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Severyuk on the Ukraine
Peace Treaty (click
here) February - Reaction of Ukraine government |
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Russian Withdrawal
from Brest-Litovsk (click
here) February - Leon Trotsky's announcement of Russia's act |
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Wilson's Clarification of the
14 Points (click
here) February - U.S. President's explanation of certain clauses |
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Karl I on the Ukraine
Peace Treaty (click
here) February - Reaction of Austro-Hungarian Emperor |
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Douglas Haig's Cambrai
Despatch (click
here) February - British Commander-in-Chief's report |
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Lenin on Need to
Accept Brest-Litovsk (click
here) February - Lenin's appeal in support of Brest-Litovsk peace |
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Count Hertling on
Wilson's 11 Feb Speech (click
here) February - German Chancellor's follow-up re: 14 Points |
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Arthur Balfour on
Count Hertling's Speech (click
here) February - British Foreign Secretary's critique of Hertling |
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De Broqueville on
Count Hertling's Speech (click
here) February - Belgian Prime Minister's position re: peace |
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Treaty of
Brest-Litovsk (click
here) March - Germany's treaty with Russia |
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Count Hertling on
Brest-Litovsk Treaty (click
here) March - German Chancellor's speech to Reichstag |
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U.S. Railway Control
Act (click
here) March - U.S. law giving government control of railways |
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Hindenburg on the
Spring Offensive (click
here) March - German Chief of Staff's account of the offensive |
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Ludendorff on the
Spring Offensive (click
here) March - Ludendorff's official report |
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Pershing's Offer to
Subordinate U.S. Forces (click
here) March - U.S. C-in-C's address to Ferdinand Foch |
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Lloyd George on
Co-ordination of Forces (click
here) March - British Prime Minister on rationale for decision |
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Arz v. Straussenberg
on the German Army (click
here) April - Austro-Hungarian C-in-C's official statement |
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Count Czernin on
Brest-Litovsk Treaty (click
here) April - Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister's view |
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U.S. Ambassador to
Paris on the Paris Gun (click
here) April - William G Sharp's account of its early use |
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Foch's Appointment as
Allied Commander (click
here) April - Official Allied documentation appointing Foch |
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Lloyd George on Allied
Army Co-operation (click
here) April - British Prime Minister's repeated appeal |
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Hindenburg on the Lys
Offensive (click
here) April - German Chief of Staff's account of the offensive |
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Douglas Haig's Special
Order of the Day (click
here) April - Commander-in-Chief's 'Backs to the Walls' call |
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British Report on
Zeebrugge Raid (click
here) April - Admiralty statement trumpeting raid's success |
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German Report on
Zeebrugge Raid (click
here) April - Alfred von Tirpitz's official report |
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Sir Arthur Currie on
the Lys Offensive (click
here) April - Canadian Corps Commander's appeal for courage |
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Treaty of Bucharest (click
here) May - Germany's treaty with Romania |
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British Report on
Ostend Raid (click
here) May - Admiralty account of raid upon Ostend |
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U.S. Espionage Act (click
here) May - Modification of act initially passed in June 1917 |
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Pershing on the
Battle of Cantigny (click
here) May - U.S. C-in-C's surprise at German approach to battle |
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French Military Report
on Belleau Wood (click
here) June - Brief French military report praising U.S. forces |
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British Press Report
on the Paris Gun (click
here) June - Account of its use and significance |
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Pershing on the Allied
Call for Extra Troops (click
here) June - U.S. C-in-C's account of European calls for troops |
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Allied Prime
Ministers' Call for U.S. Troops (click
here) June - Urgent appeal issued by France, Italy and Britain |
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Pershing on the Battle
of Belleau Wood (click
here) June - U.S. C-in-C's brief summary of crucial U.S. battle |
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Josephus Daniels on Belleau Wood (click
here) June - U.S. Secretary of the Navy's account |
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British Press Report on Belleau Wood (click
here) June - British press report praising U.S. efforts |
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Conrad on
Battle of Piave River (click
here) June - Austro-Hungarian commander's pre-battle address |
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French Report on
Battle of Piave River (click
here) June - Official French observer's report |
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German Report on
Battle of Piave River (click
here) June - Official German observer's report |
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G. M. Trevelyan on
Battle of Piave River (click
here) June - Account by head of British Red Cross in Italy |
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Lord Cavan on
Battle of Piave River (click
here) June - Official report by British commander in Italy |
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Ferdinand Foch on
Allied Prospects (click
here) July - Allied Supreme Commander's optimism for victory |
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Gouraud on Second Battle of
the Marne (click
here) July - French General's appeal to his forces at onset |
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Masaryk on Czech
Fighting in Russia (click
here) July - Tomas Masaryk on rationale for fighting in Russia |
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Wegener on Second Battle of
the Marne (click
here) July - Semi-official German press statement |
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Ludendorff on Second Battle of
the Marne (click
here) August - German strategist's view of Allied counterattack |
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Mangin on Second Battle of
the Marne (click
here) August - French General's praise of U.S. efforts |
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Hindenburg on the
Battle of Amiens (click
here) August - German Chief of Staff's post-war reflections |
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Degoutte on Second Battle of
the Marne (click
here) August - French General's praise of U.S. role |
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Pershing on Second Battle of
the Marne (click
here) August - U.S. C-in-C's summary of U.S. participation |
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Ardenne on Second Battle of
the Marne (click
here) August - Semi-official German statement on outcome |
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Pershing's Marne
Special Order of the Day (click
here) August - U.S. Commander's praise of U.S. conduct |
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Philip Gibbs on the
Battle of Amiens (click
here) August - Official British journalist's newspaper account |
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Mangin on Allied
Attacks at
the Marne (click
here) August - French General's view of battle's turning point |
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Rosner on Allied
Attacks at
the Marne (click
here) August - News reporter's account of Kaiser's reaction |
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Robert Lansing on
Post-War Czech State (click
here) September - U.S. Secretary of State's statement |
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Crown Prince Wilhelm
on U.S. Troops (click
here) September - Wilhelm's views on U.S. troops |
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Paul von Hindenburg on
Allied Propaganda (click
here) September - German Chief of Staff's warning to soldiers |
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Crown Prince Wilhelm
on Battle of St Mihiel (click
here) September - Account from Wilhelm's post-war memoirs |
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Max von Gallwitz
on Battle of St Mihiel (click
here) September - Local German commander's account |
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Sir Edmund Allenby on
Battle of Megiddo (click
here) September - British Commander-in-Chief's report |
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George Milne's Vardar
Order of the Day (click
here) September - British commander's praise of Greek troops |
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Bulgaria's Request for
a Ceasefire (click
here) September - Government request pending an armistice |
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Maurice on the Battle
of the Canal du Nord (click
here) September - British General's summary of battle |
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Colonel Frantzis on
Vardar Offensive (click
here) September - Summary by Greek Military Attaché in London |
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d'Esperey to Venizelos on
Vardar Offensive (click
here) September - Telegram to Greek Prime Minister |
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Allied Armistice
Terms with Bulgaria (click
here) September - Terms dictating surrender of Bulgaria |
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d'Esperey on the
Vardar Offensive (click
here) September - Commander-in-Chief's official report |
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George Milne on the
Vardar Offensive (click
here) September - British regional commander's official report |
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Venizelos Celebrates
Bulgaria's Defeat (click
here) September - Statement issued to Greek Army commanders |
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Tsar Ferdinand's
Abdication Proclamation (click
here) September - Bulgarian Tsar's forced abdication |
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W. T. Massey on
Allenby's Progress (click
here) September - Account of Allenby's victory at Megiddo |
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Georg von der Marwitz
on Meuse-Argonne (click
here) September - Address by local German commander |
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High Command's Peace
Recommendation (click
here) October - German military's address to Reichstag |
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Hindenburg's Call for
Negotiated Peace (click
here) October - Army Chief of Staff's urgent call |
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Kaiser's Appeal to the
German Army (1) (click
here) October - Wilhelm II's appeal for renewed vigour |
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Kaiser's Appeal to the
German Army (2) (click
here) October - Wilhelm II's statement of urgency |
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Czecho-Slovak Declar.
of Independence (click
here) October - Provisional Government's declaration |
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Kaiser's Call for
Representative Govt. (click
here) October - Kaiser's proclamation to Chancellor |
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Gaston Bodart on the
Fall of Turkey (click
here) October - Official German observer's account |
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Liebknecht's Call for
German Revolution (click
here) November - German revolutionary's appeal |
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Armando Diaz on
Austria-Hungary's Defeat (click
here) November - Italian Army Chief of Staff's proclamation |
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Trevelyan on
Austria-Hungary's Defeat (click
here) November - Account by head of British Red Cross |
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Hindenburg's Request
for Armistice (click
here) November - Telegram series between Hindenburg and Foch |
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French Eyewitness to
Armistice (click
here) November - French Captain's account of armistice |
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British Eyewitness to
Armistice (click
here) November - British account of German delegate's arrival |
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Foch's Telegram Urging
Coordinated Action (click
here) November - Telegram from Allied Supreme Commander |
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von Baden Announces
Kaiser's Abdication (click
here) November - German Chancellor's announcement |
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Kaiser Wilhelm on
Reason for Seeking Exile (click
here) November - Kaiser's rationale in letter to Crown Prince |
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Owen on Surrender of
Gallipoli Peninsula (click
here) November - War journalist's account |
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Ward Price on Surrender of
Constantinople (click
here) November - Official British observer's account |
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Ebert on Post-Imperial
Government (click
here) November - Ebert's appeal for public calm |
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Allied Armistice Terms
with Germany (click
here) November - Allied demands from Germany |
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Emperor Karl I's
Abdication Proclamation (click
here) November - Austro-Hungarian Emperor's abdication |
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Wilson's Armistice
Address to Congress (click
here) November - U.S. President's summary to U.S. Congress |
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Count von Moltke on
Kaiser's Abdication (click
here) November - Account by member of Kaiser's personal staff |
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Crown Prince's Request
to Stay with Army (click
here) November - Crown Prince Wilhelm's request to Ebert |
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Regency Council's
Appt. of Pilsudski (click
here) November - Polish governing body's appointment |
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Regency Council's
Decree of Dissolution (click
here) November - Polish governing body's announcement |
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Josef Pilsudski on
Post-war Plans in Poland (click
here) November - Newly appointed Polish leader's statement |
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Crown Prince on the
German Revolution (click
here) November - Crown Prince's letter to von Hindenburg |
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Yugoslav Committee on
Greater Serbia (click
here) November - Ante Trumbic-led council's aspirations |
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Prince Alexander on
Greater Serbia (click
here) November - Serbian Regent's reply to Yugoslav Committee |
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Kaiser Wilhelm II's
Abdication Proclamation (click
here) November - German Kaiser's reluctant abdication |
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Official Report of the
U.S. Navy (click
here) November - U.S. Naval Secretary's account of war role |
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Report of the
U.S. Navy's Transport Division (click
here) November - Charles C. Gill's account of troop transports |
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Montenegrin
Skupshtina's Decree (click
here) December - Declaration of new Greater Serbian state |
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Gibbs on Allied
Occupation of the Rhineland (click
here) December - British war journalist's account |
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Sultan Mehmed VI's
Proclamation (click
here) December - Sultan's regret for illegal Turkish acts |
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French Citation on
Battle of Belleau Wood (click
here) December - Official recognition for U.S. efforts |
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Masaryk's Address on
Re-entering Prague (click
here) December - Czecho-Slovak President's emotional speech |
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"Brass Hat" was the name used to describe high army officers. |
Original Material © Michael Duffy 2000-09, SafeSurf Rated
