Western Front
German forces withdraw from the Somme sector to the Siegfried Stellung (Hindenburg Line) (see February 25th and April 5th). German Second and First Armies involved. BEF Fifth Army follows cautiously including 4th (1st Indian) Cavalry Division.
Southern Front
Monastir front “lively” (ed note: there’s that word again; personally, I can’t see military action as ‘lively’ it is way more likely to be quite deadly): Austrians attack west and Italians advance east of town.
Naval and Overseas Operations
Crew of the German merchant raider SMS
Möwe returns from their 2nd raiding voyage, having sunk or captured 25 ships:
http://imgur.com/jtXqtDS
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Mesopotamia: Action of Mushaidiya Station. 20 miles north of Baghdad, west of Tigris: Cobbe’s 7th Division (518 casualties) with 46 guns smashes Turk rearguard (800-1,000 casualties) after night march from Baghdad (returns on March 17). British 40th Brigade occupies Kasirin (28 miles north of Baghdad, east of Tigris).
Turks hurrying north to position at Mushaidiya (20 miles north of Baghdad).
Political, etc
Russia: New Provisional Government proclaimed, meets Petrograd Soviet. Petrograd Soviet Order No 1 ordering soldiers to obey their officers as long as it did not contradict the Petrograd Soviet; also orders elected committees to control weaponry and one representative per company to Soviet; saluting off duty abolished. Another source claims this order is to “demoralize Army”.
Soldiers guarding the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoe Selo abandon their posts and leave the Russian royal family.
Tsar’s train stopped at Pskov.
Strikes and 30,000-strong march at Reval (until March 15).
Moscow, Kharkov and Odessa declare for Provisional Government.
France: War Minister Hubert Lyautey resigns because of Socialist hostility.
United Kingdom: Both Houses accept India's war contribution of £100,000,000 and authorize increase in cotton duties.
United States: New York City mayor urges its citizens to sign a declaration of “unconditional loyalty” to the United States.
China: German minister at Peking handed his passports. German merchant ships in Shanghai are seized by China.