A golden platter: an unusual depiction of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, King Albert I of Belgium, and King George V of Great Britain, France's allies in its battle against Germany, a new sun wearing a French kepi.
Ceux qui combattent sous le petit képi françaisLoyauté Courage Fidélité DisciplineRussie Belgique AngleterrePlateau d'orEMuller 1914FranceLa France présente a l'humanité notre soleilJ. Picot, éditeur, ParisThose who fight under the little French kepiLoyalty Courage Fidelity DisciplineRussia Belgium EnglandGolden Plate EMuller 1914FranceFrance presents to humanity our sunPicot J., publisher, Paris
"'The offensives,' continued Haig, 'must coincide on all fronts. This was the conclusion reached at the Chantilly conferences. The Russians will not be ready until July; the French will not act before that time. Being short of reserves, they can only undertake one or two important efforts.''The seriousness of the Allied situation,' I said, 'arises from the fact that the Russians have not come up to expectations. At the moment they appear to be in an irremediable muddle. . . .'"
Excerpt from the entry for February 7, 1916, from the war diary of Albert, King of the Belgians, the 'I' in the second paragraph, who met that day with Lord Curzon and Britain's Commander in Chief of its forces in France (and Belgium) General Douglas Haig. At the December, 1915 Second Chantilly Conference representatives from France, Great Britain, Russia, Serbia, and Italy had attempted to shape a common Entente Ally strategy. French Commander in Chief Joseph Joffre presided over the conference. As Lord Privy of the Seal, Curzon was a cabinet member without portfolio.
The War Diaries of Albert I King of the Belgians by Albert I, page 87, copyright © 1954, publisher: William Kimber
1916-02-07, 1916, February, Albert, Albert King of the Belgians, Chantilly, Chantilly conference
