Bleak winter weather at the beginning of 1917 on the Western Front was a depressing omen for the New Year. During 1917, Tsar Nicholas abdicated. Late in the year, Russia withdrew from the conflict. In an attempt to starve Britain out of the conflict, Germany announced its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare in February, and America reversed its foreign policy and declared war against the Central powers in April. In 1917, French general Nivelle’s offensives along the Aisne River south of the Somme resulted in thousands of casualties for little gain. As a result, in late May and June after two and a half years war, mutiny swept through the French Army’s ranks. In Britain at the beginning of 1917, Welshman David Lloyd George was a new Prime Minister for a new year, and in Australia another Welshman, William Morris Hughes, had been recently re-elected as Prime Minister. Lloyd George came to openly criticise Haig during 1917; he was just as damning about the battles of attrition occurring in France. The year commenced with the experiences of the Somme and Verdun being codified into new training pamphlets and also brought the promise of further British offensives. For the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) these occurred initially at Arras and, later, further north in the Flanders near the Ypres Salient.