<– Part 186 – February 10, 1918  | Part 187 – February 17, 1918 |  Part 188 – February 24, 1918 –>

French sub Bernoulli

US President Woodrow Wilson delivered his “Four Principles” speech to the US Congress on February 11, further outlining his ideal terms for peace. They were, in summary: 1) All part of the final settlement should be solely focused on preserving peace within its context, 2) “people and provinces” will not be used as “mere chattel” in the peace context, moving from party to party, 3) all territorial settlements should ultimately benefit the citizens of the territory, and not national interests, and 4) all settlements should be used to benefit all nations involved, and avoid heavy punishment, as much as possible, to prevent another breakdown of peace.

On February 13, the French submarine Bernoulli was sunk in the Adriatic Sea after hitting a mine.

On Europe’s Eastern Front, Polish forces within the Austro-Hungarian army, dissatisfied by last week’s Treaty of Brest-Litovsk because of its failure to establish a Polish state, and especially upset by the transfer of Chelm province (heavily inhabited by Poles), mutinied en masse on February 15, attempting to cross the front lines to join Russia’s Polish First Army Corps. Although some of the Polish Legionnaires made it, many were captured by their Austro-Hungarian neighbors, who captured nearly 4,000 of them. Trials will begin soon, although Austro-Hungarian Emperor Charles is expected to delay them until the war’s conclusion.