- The prolonged British naval blockade and a harsh winter cause widespread hardship and starvation in Germany and Austria-Hungary. German authorities estimate that 121,114 German people starved to death in 1916, up from 88,232 in 1915. Continually poor weather conditions lead to a diminished harvest, particularly in potato and cereal crops. The winter of 1916-17 becomes known as Kohlrübenwinter – the Turnip Winter, as people are forced to eat turnips, a foodstuff usually reserved for livestock.
- British troops on the Western front defeat four severe counter-attacks near Beaucourt
- Germans troops on the Eastern Front make several abortive attacks between Tirul Swamp and the River Aa at Riga
- British soldiers at Siwa Oasis in Western Egypt defeat the forces of the Senussi leader, Said Ahmed
- Said Halim, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, resigns; he is succeeded by Talaat Pasha
Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, Taalat Pasha. Image courtesy Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, Sr.
