Agatha Christie's The Mysterious Affair at Styles, introducing Hercule Poirot, is published.

Le Cote de Guermantes I (The Guermantes Way, part 1), a section of Marcel Proust's A la recherche du temps perdu (Remembrance of Things Past), is published in France.

10 Jan.

The Treaty of Versailles takes effect. Signed by the leaders of the victorious Allies — the United States, Great Britain, France, and Italy — the agreement redraws the map of Europe, imposes punitive reparations on Germany, and reassigns German colonies; Britain, for example, takes over German East Africa and renames it Tanganyika.

13 Jan.

In a workers' attack on the Reichstag during rioting in Berlin, 44 people killed and 105 are wounded.

17 Jan.

Premier Georges Clemenceau of France is defeated in general elections for the presidency by Paul Deschanel, who is succeeded on 23 September by Alexandre Millerand.

7 Mar.

Russia invades Poland, which on 20 April invades Russia. The conflict between the two countries is...