To the left, caricatures of a fallen King Albert of Belgium, Tsar Nicholas of Russia, President Poincare of France, generic (?) caricatures of an English man and a Japanese soldier, Kings Peter of Serbia, and Nikola of Montenegro engaging in a tug of war, the rope being held on the right by a German (in gray) and an Austro-Hungarian soldier. Between the teams and behind the rope stands the diminutive caped figure of King Victor Emmanuel of Italy, all hat, mustache, and chin.
Das Europaische Gleichgewicht 1914The European Equilibrium, 1914
". . . In the Argonne the Germans attacked on the 20th June [1915], and a series of fights went on until the 14th July, both sides losing very heavily; and as a consequence General Sarrail was removed on the 22nd July from the command of the French Third Army, and replaced by General Humbert. In Woevre there was almost continuous trench warfare in the woods of Ailly, Mort Mare and Le Pretre, whilst in Alsace the enemy was driven out of Metzeral, and Barrenkopf was captured. These local attacks, necessary as they were until a general offensive could be mounted, resulted in very heavy casualties and absorbed a vast quantity of the limited munitions available. The lack of any signal success somewhat shook the reputation of General Joffre with his Government, but in no way depressed the morale of his troops, as was to be shown, seven months later, at Verdun."
From a summary of 'the French Front: June-September 1915' by Brigadier-General Sir James E. Edmonds in his history of British military operations. French Commander in Chief Joseph Joffre continued a strategy of attacks — which he referred to as nibbling at the enemy — even though it had become clear that success would require adequate artillery. With a shell shortage less serious than the British (and especially the Russians), the French still had inadequate heavy artillery and shells for major offensives. Relieved of command in the Argonne, General Sarrail would later be given command on the Salonica Front. The Battle of Verdun began on February 21, 1916.
Military Operations France and Belgium, 1915, Vol. II, Battles of Aubers Ridge, Festubert, and Loos by J. E. Edmonds, page 109, copyright © asserted, publisher: Macmillan and Co., Limited, publication date: 1928
1915-06-20, 1915, June, Joffre, France
