Show U t tEVIE DF j EUROPEAN WAR AR AND OTHER 0 IMPORTANT EVENTS OF THE YEAR 1916 1 N t 91 Al or i Conflict filet Rages With Increased E h Grea Great t Con IntensitY Intensity Roumania R Fi if 1 tB Nation t to Ent Enter r Struggle Overrun by b y Central Powers Pow Pow- to t l' l ers ers ers- Teutonic Allies Make First Peace Proposals- Proposals D United States Faces Several Crises 1 rel ur o. o I 1 THE EUROPEAN WARn WAR n i who are engaged In or are Q q at close range the titanic cont con con- 5 t J ewing 3 ct in to which a aa all 11 Europe Is Involved r lit a with difficulty appreciate the theof 0 j I Etude of or the events which have a during the past 12 months e to come however looking period with a n clearer this ck st upon t lon Jon will w recognize the year 1016 l l on one of or the most tremendous fromal from al making history standpoint since the then n 1 r. r orld began eg n. n continued Its letting blood-letting J Europe the year with even greater grenter d than marked the tile first 18 IS c 1 following the breaking of thera the 3 ra storm rm The great grent war rounded out second second and entered upon Its third r jar r with little promise of an nn early i i Delusion of peace pence During the year 1 ew w nations entered into the war one them Roumania to become the thee theae e De ae ne of some of f the most ferocious j hUng bung of the year one new nation I fins gas s created another tottered to Its 1 t i while wie on a dozen fronts millions DIeD men were ere fed as human sacrifices the the insatiate war monster r There here were seven outstanding ses of the great war during the ther theT ther r T r 1916 These comprised the great pensive of the Russians In Galicia was finally checked by the Teu- Teu Ie ilc Je allies j the superhuman efforts of ite de Germans to capture Verdun r were thwarted by the equally defense offered by the I reach French i the long-awaited long grand offen- offen Ire tre re of or the British and the French on one Eje e western front resulting in the re- re very of considerable area in the mme mine imme region but not definitely break break- the deadlock In northern France Ih the e checking of an Austrian offensive y the Italians and the launching of r ji i counter offensive by which the Ital Ital- ins 3 made big strides In their cam- cam Ign aign against Trieste i the conquest of by the Teutonic allies i the there there TC re of the Serbs aided by French linn llan and British troops In tn an effort regain their lost kingdom and the inal nal abandonment by the entente alof alof al- al r of their disastrous cam cam- Iga Ig The he Russians launched their of of- offensive re lve In Galicia on the first day of ie e year fear On January 9 the effort of e entente allies to force the Darda Darda- lies lies was definitely abandoned androe and roe forces of the allies alUes entirely evacuated ed the e peninsula II I Verdun Attack Launched Early in February the Russians after afta aft- aft er a lull In the fighting resumed their offensive in Galicia and on February 10 they hey crossed the and threatened threat- threat aed ened ed The Russians under under un un- der to Grand Duke Nicholas also ton con their drive in the Caucasus and oa jJ February February 14 they captured the Important town of Erz erum i u- u try 2 21 the Germans led by the crown i launched their attack on Verdun Ver- Ver jon dun ro and during the next few days daysey dayse e ey y smashed their way through the o outer wier ter defenses until they came within ilg an range of the Fr French each strong strong- t. t ald id The French taken by surprise were lero rc forced to give ground but by f the e last of the month they had strengthened their shattered lines floes and had cb checked the German drive In the then n sector for the next few months occurred some of ot the most y fighting of the entire war I he e Austrians had considerable sucte suc suc- I ess te on n the Italian front during the month entering Durazzo on February fie and driving the Italians aHans before em m. m m Portugal ton signalized its entry into to K the tta great con conflict February o 29 9 by king 34 I German In p steamers interned Portuguese ports Z Germany demand demand- td the the release ot of the jj ships and on arch en 9 g declared war on Portugal the nation to enter the con COQ IThe m oath month of March tG le was waa marked I ticks tacks y by 7 th the continued determined attacks ats at at- I s or of oft the he lie he Germans upon Verdun this Is assault month entered Its Us third stage In Tan with repeated attacks attacks' on e n Douai moat and other outlying towns most St m. m o of P which were wore repulsed ht th b t W he e I Italian terr u uc c losses Curing g the month I Van s finally Decked checked the Aus Aus- Ufa Ian a drive i Eire and launched a u big offen often along the Ule entire Austrian front L n Russians ens nos continued their victor victor- moult drive against the Turks In ln Ar Ar- I and aad Capturing 3 on March 3 other South towns later In the tle The I In In g early days a s 's of April saw a slow slow- up of the RussIan offensive In Ga Ga- lda Ti The ter r Germans launched a coun- coun Gent front nt offensive all along alone the Russian but t folio gained little headway The 10 Wing this g months 6 saw w terrific fighting front front- April 23 3 the British a defeat detent at the hands of the rb ria I In 23 GO M Mesopotamia and on April bh General sot Townshend e nd and Brit Brit- Biers it tb e who had llad been besieged by hy I forced at nt Kut-el Kut Kut-cl-Amara Kut Amara were forced t to fort tins o Surrender after atter repeated ef ef- t to co l relieve them had failed I ti J fth Great Sea Ba Battle e Fought The I gar ar first great Broat naval aval battle of the tile r tEl n nar I ash was h h. h f fought ought by the German and high r t 5 Seas fleets oft olt the c cu coast of I u b and Denmark ark May DIa Y 31 The Brit l u admit el the loss of six large cruisers cruiser 8 alt l destroyers the Germans 05 one e lp one battle batUe cruiser and andr a n j jf j r f L number of light cruisers and destroyers More than lives were lost Both sides claim the victory Five days later Great Britain received a staggering blow when the British cruiser Hamp shire was blown in up the North sea by a mine and Earl Kitchener British secretary of war and his entire staff were lost During the early part of June the Russians broadened their offensive of of- in Galicia and along the lines further north and on June 7 they tiley announced an nn the recapture of the time fortress of Lutsk in and the crossing of the and rivers at several points On July 1 the British and French launched their gr great nt drive on the west front A concerted attack was made on a mile 25 front north and south of the Somme river July 11 after ten en days clays s 's and nights of continuous fightIng fight fight- fighting Ing the tile British claimed the capture of the whole of th enemy's first lines of defense on a front of yards During the remainder of the month the British and French continued their advance advance ad ad- vance the British occupying the entire village of Pozieres July 20 26 and the French advancing close to Peronne an important railroad center During the month of August the Russians after terrific fighting pierced the lines on the Lemberg and Kovel fronts and advanced In the Car Car- The Italians continued their drive on Trieste August 0 9 after da days s 's of terrific fighting they captured Go Goritz Goy ritz and pushed forward pursuing the tile retreating Austrians Roumania Enters War after months of wavering entered the time war on the side of the entente entente en en- tente allies with n a declaration of war on Austria Roumania was the fifteenth nation to enter the war On the same day Italy declared war on Germany and the following day Germany Germany Ger Ger- Germany many declared war on With the declaration of war fighting began t Between the the and Austrians Austrians Aus- Aus on the Transylvanian frontier August 30 the occupied Kronstadt and the two chief cities of Transylvania Field Marshal von HIndenburg whose successes successes successes suc suc- had made him the I Idol ol of the German people succeeded General von Falkenhayn as chief of the general staff of the German army August 29 20 During the month of September the operating co-operating with the Russians advanced In northern Transylvania Transylvania Tran Tran- sylvania and but suffered severe reverses at the hands of the Bulgarians and Austrians in The allied troops made decided gains i in n the Somme sector occupying Combles and other Important towns townson on September 26 Early in October the tide turned against the and Russians In Transylvania and the latter were forced to retire before a strong Austro Austro- German force under command of General General Gen Gen- eral von Falkenhayn On October 11 the began an Invasion of Rou Rou- mania manla On the Verdun front the French smashed the German lines October October October Oc Oc- tober 24 retaking fort and village Time The struggle between the and Russian forces on the one side and the and Bulgarian armies on the other held the center of attention In November r. r Taking advantage of the plight In which the on the Transylvanian Trans front found themselves Von Mackensen l held hold his lines In and attacking the Danube line forced the river barrier at several points Effecting a Juncture of their forces the time commanders command command- ers drove the back upon Bucharest The retreated retreat retreat- ed rapidly toward the capital burning burning villages and all aU stores of grain and munitions In the district through which they passed November 28 the seat sent of the government was moved from Bucharest to Jassy near the Russian frontier The evacuated Bucharest December 0 a In order order order or or- der to save their army The Serbians aided by French and Italian troops made madea made a start toward winning back bach their country countr during No No- vember Their big drive resulted In Inthe inthe the capture of Monastir on November 10 19 On the Somme front the battle of the opened November 13 with the capture by the British of five miles of the German positions together with three strong towns An announcement of far rese far reselling g significance was made In the Russian duma dumn December 2 by Premier who read a proclamation announcing officially that nn an agreement concluded by Russia France FIance and Great Grent Britain In 1015 1915 and later approved by Italy establishes In definite manner the rights of Russia to the straits and Constantinople The fall raU of the British cabinet early In December furnished one of the time most sensational features features' of ot the years year's war developments Demands of David Lloyd George for the formation of a smaller war ar council to obtain greater efficiency forced the thc resignation of ot Premier Pre Pre- mater mier Asquith Lloyd Lloyd George George was made premier and see selected ted a new cabinet the prosecution of the tile war being placed in the hands of five men in- in including Including In the premier The first direct overtures for tor peace pence December 13 when Germany ca came me on I Hungary Austria HungarY Bulgaria and Turkey sent identical al notes to the entente m al allies al al- lies through the United States Spain and Switzerland proposing that thc the belligerents arrange a conference for the discussion of peace terms The notes were transmitted to the allied governments by President Wilson without without with with- out comment The peace proposals s were received coldly Premier Briand In the French house of deputies issued Is is- sued a warning against a premature Peace and the Russian duma according accord accord- ing to announcement made December 10 16 a resolution favoring a refusal re re- on the part Of the allied CO- CO ments monts to enter Into any peace whatever under present condl con con- dl As if in answer to the pence peace proposals proposals pro pro- the French in the Verdun sector sec sec- tor delivered a n crushing attack on the German forces December 15 IG winning 12 square miles of ot territory north of Verdun and driving tile the Germans back close to the line from which they started start start- ed their great offensive against Verdun Verdun Ver Ver- dun In February General Nivelle who directed this attack had been a few days before placed paced In supreme command of the French armies in fhe the west succeeding General Joffre who was made commander In chief of the French armies but with little more than advisory powers |