Conrad von Hötzendorf, Chief of the Austro-Hungarian General Staff, Vienna, 1914. By the end of that year he had lost as many as one million men, much of his country's rolling stock, and the northeastern region of Galicia. His forces had also been defeated by Serbia three times.
Image text: Generalstabschef Conrad von HötzendorfChief of the General Staff Conrad von HötzendorfCh. Skolik jun.Wien, 1914I. Wallfischg. 11Reverse:Postkartenverlad Brüder Kohn Wien I
Happy New Year 1915! Bonne année! The New Year shoots down the Old over Paris. 1914 is represented by a German Taube, the New Year is loosely based on a French Blériot.
Image text: Bonne annéeHappy New Year1915 1914Logo: JM (?)406Reverse:Fabrication françaisMade in France
The Western Front, 1914 and 15. The Imperial German eagle is a crow feeding on carrion, perched on a cross bearing scenes of the destruction of its advance and retreat through France and Belgium: the shelled and burned cathedral of Reims, the ruination of the city of Arras, a destroyed town, deaths both military and civilian in Belgium. France held its territory along the border with Germany, and turned back the German advance in the Battle of the Marne, but Belgium and northern France remained occupied through the war.Accused of war crimes, Germany, labeled on the map by "Kulturland?", defended itself by speaking of its superior culture.Spain, Holland, and Switzerland remained neutral during the war, and are show in green. Italy joined the Allies in May, 1915, possibly shortly before the card was printed, which may explain the use of red for its name and border.
Image text: [On the cross:] Reims, Après le Passage des Allemands, Arras!, Belgique[On the map, the countries of] Angleterre, Hollande, Espagne, Suisse, Italie, Belgique, France, Kulturland? [Germany, and the cities of] Douvres, Calais, Paris, Arras, Reims, Maubeuge, Verdun, Nancy, Epinal, and BelfortReverse:M. Mantel édit., Lyon, 3, Rue Mulet
Imperial Russian field artillery in combat training in the snow at Camp B.K.
Image text: Reverse:Russian artillery on combat training at camp B.K. (Translation courtesy Thomas Faust, eBay's Urfaust.
Panorama of the Western theater of war 1914/15 from Compiègne to Arras, with the North Sea coast in the distance.
Image text: Reverse:Panorama des westlichen Kriegschauplatzes 1914/15 von Compiegne bis Arras.Die Panorama-Postkartenreihe umfaßt mit ihren 9 Abschnitten Nr. 400 bis 408 den gesamten westlichen Kriegschauplatz von der Schewizer Grenze bis zur Nordseeküste.Panorama of the Western theater of war 1914/15 from Compiègne to Arras.The panoramic postcard series includes with their 9 sections No. 400 to 408 the entire western front from the Schewizer border to the North Sea coast.Nr. 407Wenau-Postkarte Patentamtl. gesch.Logo: W&N AGL
"The crime of Serejevo arouses the most acute resentment in Austrian military circles, and among all those who are not content to allow Servia to maintain in the Balkans the position which she has acquired." ((1), more)
"June 29th. [1915] — In the Bois Grenier trenches, in relief of The Cameronians, the Battalion side-stepped slightly to the right in front of Touquet. The tour began with two days of rain, and a lot of explosive flying about, which did remarkably little damage. July 2nd — When we fired on an aeroplane the German retaliation with shells and rifle-grenades wounded only one man. The next July 3rd — two days were quiet. At night, on the right, the Germans introduced us to coloured signal rockets." ((2), more)
"2nd July [1916]Yesterday, at last, the great offensive was launched, the offensive which was announced months ago, later postponed and heralded by the statesmen as the signal for liberation by total victory.French and English together announce 11,000 prisoners. The first German line was captured, but we were halted by the second. We are assured that the attackers' losses are negligible, naturally! Now we are marking time and bringing up artillery; then the attack will continue, and in this way the Germans will have time to bring up their reserves. In any case no surprise effect has been sought. This is a 'sledge-hammer' attack, not a penetration. Penetration is antiquated!In any case, this offensive, by wearing down the armies taking part, is leading us towards the end of the war. When this battle has lasted two or three months weariness may set in and ideas of peace will at last find favourable soil." ((3), more)
"A strong, acrid tang was in the air; the Sisters on duty came to fetch their gas-masks. The soldiers had told them there had been more than one scare. The wounded were still being brought in in batches of a dozen or so at a time. Many very heavily wounded came about midday. We have heard that Alexander Alexandrovich has been killed, and Mischa and Mak, two of our transport-van officers, badly wounded. We postponed dinner until after 4 p.m., in order to finish the bandaging. Afterwards Mamasha and I walked a little way up the hill. All the western world was in tumult. Red, grey and yellow rockets glowed for a few seconds and then died away. The cracking and rapping of rifle-fire was still audible, with the crash and bang of shells. Volley after volley resounded through the hills. The most dreaded sound of all was the hollow thud of a heavy shell tearing into the earth. A shrill whistling above our heads — and a couple of shrapnel exploded between our camp and the road. We thought it wiser to return to shelter. The wounded continued to come . . ." ((4), more)
"The Battalion returned to the Camp at Forceville. Acheux housed the Divisional baths and the Canteen. In and round it there was a concentration of heavy stuff, large-calibred naval guns, that made conditions in the area most unpleasant at all times. During the day an extra heavy shelling cost the Battalion two of its best N.C.Os., Sergeants Mills and Jones. In a fine endeavour to rescue some wounded officers of another unit from a shelled billet Mills was killed and Jones died of wounds. Mills had been the very capable manager of the Canteen from its start, and Jones was the Medical Officer's right-hand man." ((5), more)
(1) M. Dumaine, French Ambassador at Vienna to M. René Viviani, President of the Council, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Collected Diplomatic Documents Relating to the Outbreak of the European War, page 144, publisher: His Majesty's Stationery Office by Harrison and Sons, publication date: 1915
(2) Entry covering June 29 to July 3, 1915 from the writings — diaries, letters, and memoirs — of Captain J.C. Dunn, Medical Officer of the Second Battalion His Majesty's Twenty-Third Foot, The Royal Welch Fusiliers. Troops rotated in and out of the front-line trenches, and the British moved to their right to take over more of the line previously held by the French. Touquet, Belgium is about five kilometers northeast of Armentières, France.
The War the Infantry Knew 1914-1919 by Captain J.C. Dunn, page 136, copyright © The Royal Welch Fusiliers 1987, publisher: Abacus (Little, Brown and Company, UK), publication date: 1994
(3) Entry from the war diary of Albert, King of the Belgians, July 2, 1916, after the first day of the Anglo-French Battle of the Somme. The first German line was captured at some points. The King's cynicism is understandable, having heard or been told of 'negligible losses' before. Penetration, the breakthrough, had been the aim of previous Allied attacks, but now it's the 'sledge-hammer' attack, like that of the German's at Verdun. The Battle would go on. Peace was over two years away.
The War Diaries of Albert I King of the Belgians by Albert I, page 113, copyright © 1954, publisher: William Kimber
(4) Excerpt from the entry for Monday, July 2, 1917 (June 19 Old Style) from the diary of Florence Farmborough, an English nurse serving with the Russian Red Cross and writing of the second day of the Kerensky Offensive, Russia's last offensive of World War I. Alexander Kerensky was Minister of War of the Russian Provisional Government formed after the February (March, New Style) Revolution. Farmborough and her unit were with the Russian 7th Army in Galicia, Austria-Hungary. The nurses were called Sestritsa, Sister. Mamasha, Mother, led Farmborough's Red Cross unit; Alexander Alexandrovich was one of its Transport Heads.
Nurse at the Russian Front, a Diary 1914-18 by Florence Farmborough, page 276, copyright © 1974 by Florence Farmborough, publisher: Constable and Company Limited, publication date: 1974
(5) Excerpt from the entry for July 2, 1918 from the writings — diaries, letters, and memoirs — of Captain J. C. Dunn, Medical Officer of the Second Battalion His Majesty's Twenty-Third Foot, the Royal Welch Fusiliers, and fellow soldiers who served with him. Forceville, France is between Arras and Amiens, north of the Somme River.
The War the Infantry Knew 1914-1919 by Captain J.C. Dunn, page 496, copyright © The Royal Welch Fusiliers 1987, publisher: Abacus (Little, Brown and Company, UK), publication date: 1994
