On 18 January 1919, the warring parties of the First World War met in Paris to discuss terms. Knowing the Germans were on the verge of collapse, both militarily and domestically, the Allied powers exacted a "just peace."
The terms of the Treaty of Versailles are still debated today and, famously, became the basis for the rise of German militarism again in the mid to late 1930's.
The German's sent a list of complaints, but the victors were in no mood to listen.

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King Alfred of Wessex knew that he was too weak to fight off the Vikings that were on his territory in the 870s, so he made a series of treaties with them that they promptly broke. Guthrum, the Dane, knew that the Christian Alfred would be celebrating Epiphany on the 12th night (5/6 January) in 878, so Guthrum struck at Chippenham with the hopes of capturing Alfred as well as taking the important town of Chippenham. Some say Alfred was in Chippenham, others say he was in Dorchester. Either way, Alfred escaped and began his guerilla days fighting out of the marshes and bogs of the Somerset Levels near Athelney. If you are in the area of the Somerset Levels, check out this ride around the Battle of Langport (English Civil War).

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Motorcycle Ride

Try the circular ride from Chippenham to Box on the A4, then on to Melksham and Devizes on the A365 and back to Chippenham on the A 342. Good biking roads all. The route to Boxand Ashley is a likely route that Alfred could have taken out of Chippenham. When near Devizes, you can zip up to Roundway Down to see the site of the English Civil War Battle of that name.

Maps

On 13 December 1939, the first significant naval engagement of World War II occured near the mouth of the River Plate (Rio Plata), near Argentina and Uruguay. The Brits caught the German ship Admiral Graf Spee and a major battle ensued with the Royal ships, Exeter, Ajax and Achilles. After being seriously damaged, the Admiral Graf Spee limped into Montevideo and called home. Their instructions were to sink her in the River Plate, where she remains today, although attempts in recent years to re-float her are underway.

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Motorcycle Ride

When you take that lifleong dream ride through South America, take the ferry between Buenos aires and Montevideo to travle across the Rio de la Plata, (River Plate)

The conflict between the Allied and Axis Powers from 1939-1945 was truly global and left very little of the civilised world untouched.

Motorcycle Rides

European Theatre (Western Hemisphere)

• Battle of the River Plate (Rio de la Plata) 13 December 1939
• Finns Attack Russians on the Raate Road in the Winter War 5 January 1940
• Australians Capture Bardia Lybia 5 January 1941
• Rommel Takes Over the Afrika Corps 12 February 1941
• British and Norwegians Conduct Operation Claymore Against German Targets in Norway 4 March 1941
• German and Italy Declare war on the USA 11 December 1941
• Battle of Kasserine Pass Tunisia 14-22 February 1943
• 1LT Jimmie W. Monteith, Jr. Medal of Honor Recipient Omaha Beach 6 June 1944
• The Road to Vire / Saint Charles de Percy and Operation Bluecoat 29 July 6 August 1944
• 8 December 1944 General Patton's Prayer
• NUTS! 22 December 1944 Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne
• Red Army "Liberates" Warsaw from Germans 17 January 1945
• General Patton Dies After Automobile Accident 21 December 1945

Pacific Theatre (Eastern Hemishpere)

• 9 December 1942 Australians Capture Gona from Japanese
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From 1914-1918, Europe engulfed itself in a war that was long called the Great War or the War to End All Wars.

• The First Battle of Champagne 20 December 1914
• The Second / Winter Battle of the Masurian Lakes 7-22 February 1915
• Battle of Neuve Chapelle 10-13 March 1915
• Pancho Villa Attacks Columbus, New Mexico 9 March 1916
• Battle of Verdun Ends 18 December 1916
• WWI Versailles Peace Conference Opens 18 January 1919




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