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A German sentry approves a Christmas angel's pass, allowing her to proceed with her sled of gifts, among which are Bahlsen's Leibniz Cookies. One of numerous advertising field postcards of soldiers at the front produced for Bahlsen's Leibniz Keks.
Austro-Hungarian soldiers marching through a city, their officers bawling orders. Women and a child watch and talk, possibly shouting to be heard over the marching feet. An original watercolor on blue paper, signed W. Rittermann or Pittermann, December 26, 1915.
A gleeful Russian Cossack skewers Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph in Galicia, the Empire's northeastern region isolated from the rest of the country by the Carpathian Mountains. The caption is a play on words echoing the name of the mountain range in telling Franz Joseph, 'it seems your soldiers took to their heels.' After twin defeats in the Battles of Gnila Lipa and Rava Russka, the Austro-Hungarian Army lost the great fortress at Lemberg, and was being driven out of Galicia and back through the Carpathians. Russia's attempts to break through the Carpathians continued through April 1915, with heavy losses on both sides. The Austro-Hungarians, with German support, held.
A Liebig bullion card from the series "Colonies of the European Powers" — The German colonies of Togo, Cameroon, and German East Africa, c1910.
Retouched and marked-up photograph of Austrian Warships, June 9, 1915. A penciled note on the back says, 'Photo by amateur'. The Austro-Hungarian Empire's primary port was Pola on the Adriatic Sea.
"Private Wilkerson was killed on Christmas Day. A shell fragment severed the femoral artery. Stretcher-bearers attempted to deal with this mortal wound by using a tourniquet but this caused the poor chap pain, and the MO told us on the field telephone to remove it and let him die in peace. Only immediate surgical intervention could have saved him and that was impossible. All the same, the MO was about to risk his own life by coming to us across the open — there were no communication trenches left — but the C.O. ordered him to stay where he was at battalion HQ. It was just as well. We couldn't afford to lose a Medical Officer in a fruitless effort to save life. He couldn't possibly have arrived in time." ((1), more)
"The butcher's bill for 1914-15 was staggering: more than 2 million Russian, 2.1 million Austro-Hungarian, 1.3 million French, 612 000 German, 279 000 British, and 180 000 Italian men. . . . Few soldiers looked forward to the new year with great expectations." ((2), more)
"In the present case, generals assumed that with crushing numerical superiority and one heavy shell for every square yard of the front—both of them now attained—all would be well. The artillery would pulverise Austrian defences, and the infantry would easily pick up the wreckage. Nine infantry and two cavalry corps were mustered for attack, beginning on 27th December [1915] in eastern Galicia. The attempts when on for a fortnight, in which 50,000 men were lost." ((3), more)
"At 5 p.m. we located four tents, fires burning and, by the mercy of God, no precautions, no sentries, and men lounging about. The country was good for stalking and we were well in position for a rush at dusk. In fact, the men having left their rifles in their tents and there being no sentry, we rushed them silently from not more than a few paces. We used bayonets only and I think we each got our man. Drought got three, a great effort. I rushed into the officers' tent, where I found a stout German on a camp bed. On a table was a most excellent Xmas dinner. I covered him with my rifle and shouted to him to hold his hands up. He at once groped under his pillow and I had to shoot, killing him at once. My shot was the only one fired.. . . After that excellent meal, I searched the German's kit: I have shot a Duke, the first Duke I have killed. . . ." ((4), more)
"The afternoon of 29 December saw a high-speed chase with most of the gunnery exchanges taking place at extreme range and with the Helgoland frequently outranged. The Austrians had the advantage of speed, even through the Allies were between them and safety. Seitz steamed westward and southwestward almost up to the Italian coast all the while trying to work around his pursuers. Darkness permitted him to make his escape." ((5), more)
(1) 2nd Lieutenant W. Cushing, 9th (Service) Battalion, Norfolk Regiment writing about the death of Private Wilkerson, killed on Christmas Day, 1915.
1915, The Death of Innocence by Lyn Macdonald, page 593, copyright © 1993 by Lyn Macdonald, publisher: Henry Holt and Company, publication date: 1993 (Great Britain); 199
(2) Holger Herwig's summary of casualties for the war 1914-1915. Serbia suffered as
The First World War: Germany and Austria Hungary 1914-1918 by Holger H. Herwig, page 172, copyright © 1997 Holger H. Herwig, publisher: Arnold, publication date: 1997
(3) The Russians launched a new offensive in eastern Galicia on December 27, 1915. During the year Russia's production of weapons and shells had finally begun to meet the demands of the war. Despite the improved weaponry, the Russian preparations for the battle were poor.
The Eastern Front, 1914-1917 by Norman Stone, page 223, copyright © 1975 Norman Stone, publisher: Charles Scribner's Sons, publication date: 1975
(4) Excerpt from the December 28, 1915 diary of Richard Meinertzhagen, a British officer of German and Danish extraction pursuing the forces of German Lieutenant Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck in East Africa recounting the events of Christmas Day, the 25th. Karungu was in British East Africa on Lake Victoria, and very close to the border of German East Africa.
Intimate Voices from the First World War by Svetlana Palmer and Sarah Wallis, pp. 171, 172, copyright © 2003 by Svetlana Palmer and Sarah Wallis, publisher: Harper Collins Publishers, publication date: 2003
(5) The Allies attempted to transport the remnants of Serbia's defeated army from Albania's ports of Durazzo and Valona to safety, and on December 28, 1915, the Austro-Hungarian light cruiser Helgoland and five destroyers (Balaton, Lika, Triglav, Csepel, and Tátra) set out to stop them. Balaton sank the French submarine Monge and, in the harbor of Durazzo, the Austro-Hungarian destroyers sank a Greek steamer and two schooners. Turning in the harbor, Lika and Triglav hit mines, with Lika sinking and Triglav heavily damaged. Trying to tow Triglav, Csepel damaged its screw. The Allies soon had two Italian light cruisers Quarto and Nino Bixio with four destroyers, and the British light cruisers Dartmouth and Weymouth steaming to catch the Austro-Hungarians. Captain Heinrich Seitz commanded Helgoland and the Austro-Hungarian squadron.
A Naval History of World War I by Paul G. Halpern, page 157, copyright © 1994 by the United States Naval Institute, publisher: UCL Press, publication date: 1994
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