A Swiss postcard of 'The European War' in 1914. The Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary face enemies to the east, west, and south. Germany is fighting the war it tried to avoid, battling Russia to the east and France to the west. Germany had also hoped to avoid fighting England which came to the aid of neutral (and prostrate) Belgium, and straddles the Channel. Austria-Hungary also fights on two fronts, against Russia to the east and Serbia and Montenegro to the south. Italy, the third member of the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, declared neutrality, and looks on. Other neutral nations include Spain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania. Japan enters from the east to battle Germany. The German Fleet stays close to port in the North and Baltic Seas while a German Zeppelin targets England. The Austro-Hungarian Fleet keeps watch in the Adriatic. Turkey is not represented, and entered the war at the end of October, 1914; Italy in late May, 1915.
Image text: Der Europäische KriegThe European WarReverse:Kriegskarte No. 61. Verlag K. Essig, BaselKunstanstalt (Art Institute) Frobenius A.G. Basel
A Liebig advertising card of the Bulgarian Army from the series Armées des États Balcaniques, published in 1910.The card shows, from left to right, a general, a soldier in summer dress, an aide-de-camp, a staff officer, a horse guard, a detachment of cavalry, and a regular infantry company.
Image text: Armées des États Balcaniques. Bulgarie.Véritable Extrait de Viande Liebig.Voir L’Explication au verso.Armies of the Balkan states. Bulgaria.Real Liebig Meat Extract.See the explanation on the back.Reverse:Le service militaire general est introduit depuis 1889 dans la principanté de Bulgarie, récemment érigée en royaume. Les musulmans seuls peuvent s’en faire exempter moyennant une taxe determine. L’armée se compose, en temps de paix, de 23,000 fantassins commandés par 1400 officiers, de 3700 cavaliers avec 160 officiers, de 6250 artilleurs et soldats du train des equipages avec 315 officiers, et de 1900 soldats du genie avec 90 officiers. En cas de guerre, la Bulgarie peut mettre sur pied une armée active de 127,000 hommes, une reserve de 80,000 et une armée territorial de 48 bataillons à 600 hommes, soit en tout plus de 240,000 hommes.Armies of the Balkan StatesBulgaria. - General Military service was introduced since 1889 in the principality of Bulgaria, recently elevated to a kingdom. Only Muslims can only purchase exemption for a set fee. The army is composed, in peacetime, of 23,000 infantry commanded by 1,400 officers, with 160 officers for 3,700 cavalry, 6,250 soldiers gunners and artillery support, commanded by 315 officers, and 1,900 engineer with 90 officers. In case of war, Bulgaria can field a standing army of 127,000 men, a reserve of 80,000 and a Territorial Army of 48 battalions of 600 men, a total of more than 240,000 men.
Etinehem Military Cemetery, France holds the remains of 1,004 soldiers, primarily French — including colonial troops — and some British, victims of the Battles of the Somme. © 2013 John M. Shea
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French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau greeting General Fernando Tamagnini, commander of Portuguese forces on the Western Front.
Image text: Os Portugueses em França; M. Clemenceau e o General Tamagnini.Les Portugais en France; M. Clemenceau le Général Tamagnini.The Portuguese in France; Marshal Douglas Haig and General Tamagnini.Reverse:Serv. Phot. do C. E P. - Phot. GarcezLévy Fils & Cie. Paris
Detail showing the plaque for 1918 from the monument to the Tank Corps, Pozières, France. The base bears plaques commemorating the Tank Corps and the years 1916, when tanks were first used in battle, 1917, when they were proven to be a weapon that could change the war, and 1918, when tanks were decisive in the Allied victory. The plaques for each year list the engagements in which the Corps fought. © 2013 by John M. Shea
Image text: 19182nd SommeRiver LysHamel — Marne — MoreuilAmiens — BapaumeArras — EpehyCambrai — St. QuentinSelle — Mormal Forest
". . . the tide of battle has ebbed and flowed and ebbed again, and at the time of writing the Russian forces are slowly retiring temporarily, overweighted by superior numbers, so that once more the land is being overrun by the Austro-German hordes. The country through which the armies have passed and fought is absolutely desolate. Large towns have been practically destroyed; hundreds of villages and every hayrick in the country have gone up in flames. The Germans have carried off everything portable with them — the crops, food, fuel, oil, candles, soap, salt, warm clothes, boots, medicines. Churches have been robbed of money and jewelry. Livestock, of course, has disappeared; even the books and musical instruments have suffered the common fate . . . the first necessities of life are lacking, and it is no exaggeration to say that millions of people are starving and homeless." ((1), more)
"On November 20 [1915] a newly arrived Bulgarian brigade occupied high ground overlooking the advanced French position. The commander of the 122nd Division, General de Lardemelle, knowing that Sarrail was contemplating a withdrawal, ordered his men to fall back. The retreat was on, although another ten days were to pass before it became general. Gradually the French began pulling out, painfully slowly, one division covering only four miles in twenty-four hours. In heavy snowfalls, broken now and again by spells of fog, it became difficult to shift all the material along the hard-pressed railway and the adjoining tracks, deep in slush. . . ." ((2), more)
"Considering the small gains, losses on the Somme were surprisingly high. The French claimed 202,257 casualties on the Somme between July 1 and November 20, or about 54 percent of those suffered at Verdun. The heaviest casualties occurred in July (49,859) and September (76,147), when the French launched their largest attacks. The British, according to their official history, suffered 419,654 casualties in the fighting along the Somme." ((3), more)
"On November 16 Clemenceau formed his new government with himself as the minister of war. In his ministerial declaration before the Chamber of Deputies on November 20, Clemenceau promised a 'redoubling' of France's efforts and an end to political intrigues and crises: 'Neither personal considerations, nor political passions will turn us from our duty. . . . No more pacifist campaigns, no more German intrigues. Neither treason, nor half treason. War. Nothing but war.'" ((4), more)
"At ten minutes past six, 'Hilda' and all the front tanks along the line began to move forwards. Engines which had been purring at idling speed broke into a loud roar. Slowly, the tanks approached the British front line trenches. And then, just as they began to head into No Man's Land at zero hour, 6.20 a.m., there was a devastating blast as the 1,000-gun artillery barrage opened up from behind. At the same time, from out of the sky swept squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps, flying low and spraying the German trenches with machine-gun fire. The battle of Cambrai had begun." ((5), more)
(1) Excerpt by Princess Bariatinsky, Russian writer and philantropist, on the devastating effects of the war on Russian Poland, where many of the 1914 battles of the German, Austro-Hungarian, and Russian armies were fought. A Central Power advance in September and October was repulsed by a Russian advance with far superior numbers. A Russian plan to invade Silesia in southeast Germany was derailed by a German counterblow that drove the Russians back. On November 20, the Battle of Lodz in Russian Poland had begun, extending over hundreds of square miles southwest of Warsaw. The Princess further reports on the 'Petrograd to Poland' Committee, which was delivering warm clothing and other necessities to Warsaw, and food to other distribution points in Poland.
The Great Events of the Great War in Seven Volumes by Charles F. Horne, Vol. II, 1914, p. 414, copyright © 1920 by The National Alumnia, publisher: The National Alumni, publication date: 1920
(2) French General Maurice Sarrail commanded the French forces that had landed at Salonika, Greece, at the beginning of October, 1915, in an attempt to reinforce Serbia. Bulgaria, its army attacking Serbia, also moved into the mountains along the Greek border and barred French and British forces from reaching their ally.
The Gardeners of Salonika by Alan Palmer, page 43, copyright © 1965 by A. W. Palmer, publisher: Simon and Schuster, publication date: 1965
(3) The Anglo-French offensive on the Somme River began July 1, 1916. The last assault was on November 18. The Germans suffered 465,000 casualties during the Allied campaign.
Pyrrhic Victory; French Strategy and Operations in the Great War by Robert A. Doughty, page 309, copyright © 2005 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College, publisher: Harvard University Press, publication date: 2005
(4) The government of French Prime Minister Paul Painlevé fell on November 13, 1917, two months after its formation. Painlevé's government fell after mutinies in much of the French army in May and June and the Bolshevik Revolution at the beginning of November, in a storm of charges of collaboration with Germany and outright treason directed against pacifists, socialists, the leftist press, and some close to Painlevé. President Raymond Poincaré asked Georges Clemenceau to form a new government.
Pyrrhic Victory; French Strategy and Operations in the Great War by Robert A. Doughty, page 402, copyright © 2005 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College, publisher: Harvard University Press, publication date: 2005
(5) After suspending the Third Battle of Ypres on November, 6, 1917, the British launched the largest tank offensive yet seen on November 20 with three tank brigades, 380 tanks in all, most of them Mark IVs, near Cambrai, France. The plan called for the tanks to advance to the enemy trenches before running parallel to them, gunning down the defenders, then releasing fascines, great wire-bound bundles of logs, into the trench allowing the tanks to cross. Where they executed this plan, and were well coordinated with the infantry, they succeeded. The tanks were named. Brigadier General Hugh Elles, commander of the Tank Corps, rode 'Hilda' into the battle.
The Battle of Cambrai by Brian Cooper, page 97, copyright © Bryan Cooper 1967, publisher: Stein and Day, publication date: 1968
