December 20th, 1914

- The second of the major French offensives opens today with the attack in Champagne by 4th Army.  Advancing against a twelve-kilometre front approximately forty kilometres east of Rheims, the operation is undertaken by four corps - from west to east, XII, XVII, I Colonial, and II.  Two primary assaults are to be undertaken by XII and XVII Corps, while supporting assaults will be launched by I Colonial Corps.  The hope at 4th Army headquarters is that by having two main attacks, each controlled by a separate corps command, will double the chances of success.  In support the French have over seven hundred artillery pieces of varying calibers, a number that would have been all but unthinkable before the war.  The operation in Champagne also mirrors the operation in Artois in dividing the attacks into phases, to allow for sufficient concentration of artillery fire.  The objective is to secure a breach in the German line, and to do so the plan is to constantly feed fresh soldiers into the battle in order to maintain the momentum of the attack.  This tactic, which comes to be known as 'continuous battle', seeks to break through the enemy line by maintaining constant pressure to wear the opponent down, as opposed to overwhelming the enemy with a massive concentration of infantry and artillery at a single point.

Today, in the first phase of the attacks, both XVII and I Colonial Corps attack precisely at 930am.  Despite the heavy artillery barrage, the advancing infantry find the enemy's barbed wire and trench lines largely intact, and are unable to secure anything more than small, local gains.

- Unlike most of the other small attacks by British and French forces in Flanders this month, the failed assault of the Indian Corps results in a swift and powerful German attack that aims to do more than simply recover lost ground.  At dawn, the front held by the Indian Corps comes under intensive artillery and mortar fire, and at 9am the portion of the line near Givenchy, held by the Sirhind Brigade of the Lahore Division, is targeted by ten explosive mines, each of 50kg of gunpower, planted by the German VII Corps opposite.  The trench lines are shattered; some Indians are buried alive, while the already-waterlogged ground is turned into waist-deep mud.  German infantry from two battalions of 57th Regiment then surge forward, and though the defending Gurkhas and Afridis fight desperately, they are forced backwards.  Givenchy is lost to the Germans, and the position of the Indian Corps is such that Sir John French orders General Haig to dispatch a brigade to reinforce the line at Givenchy.

There are also reports of Indian soldiers, primarily Baluchis, fleeing the battlefield in panic and discarding their rifles.  In practice the number of cases were few, often limited to those situation where all of both the British and Indian officers had been killed, but the reports appear to give sustenance to the belief of some that Indian soldiers are not capable of fighting in the cold winter of Flanders and in the conditions of modern industrialized warfare.

The front near Givency. 

- To revive his faltering offensive, the commander of the Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army argues that his eastern wing should be reinforced, concentrating eight or nine infantry and five cavalry divisions here, with the objective being to outflank the entirety of the enemy's position in Galicia and reach Przemysl.  Conrad agrees, and orders the advance on Tarnow, which has not made any progress anyway, suspended.  Instead, 4th Army and the western wing of 3rd Army are to stand on the defensive until the forces destined for the eastern wing are assembled.

- While the Ottoman 3rd Army is about to launch Enver Pasha's invasion of the Russian Caucasus, the Ottoman 4th Army, based in Syria and Palestine, is planing an invasion of Egypt, and just as 3rd Army's operation is linked to the pan-Turkic vision of Enver, 4th Army's advance is to be associated with the call to jihad, hoping that it will inspire the Egyptian population to rise up in support of the Ottoman invasion.  Thus 4th Army is to be given the full trappings of a religious crusade - today a holy flag brought from Mecca is paraded through Jerusalem, after which it is to accompany 4th Army, along with a number of Islamic clerics.

December 19th, 1914

- The British undertake another attack in Flanders today, this time by the Indian Corps, which currently holds the line between Cuinchy just south of the La Bassée-Bethune Canal north to a position just west of the village of Neuve Chapelle.  Elements from both divisions of the Indian Corps participate in the attacks, which begin at 430am.  Initial successes are achieved, and the Sirhind Brigade of Lahore Division manages to occupy two German trench lines.  However, these successes cannot be maintained, as the units that have advanced find themselves attempting to hold small salients in the German lines, which allow the enemy to counterattack from three directions.  By nightfall, all of the day's gains have been given back.

- Falkenhayn and Conrad meet today at the railway station in Oppeln to discuss strategy on the Eastern Front.  The German Chief of Staff continues to believe that a decisive victory in the East is impossible because the Russian army will always be able to retreat into the interior of the country.  Thus Falkenhayn's plan is to advance to the Vistula River in order to secure a strong defensive position in Poland, which would then allow for the redeployment of significant forces to the Western Front for a decisive operation against the French in February.  Needless to say, Conrad could not disagree more, as he still argues that a massive envelopment maneouvre, with the pincers originating in East Prussia and Galicia, can surround and annihilate the Russian army.  This would knock Russia out of the war, and lead to victory in the Balkans and the West.  With such thoroughly divergent
opinions, it is not surprising that the two generals depart without having agreed to anything.

- Nine days ago Enver Pasha received a report from his acolyte Hafiz Hakki, whom he had sent out to the Ottoman 3rd Army in the Caucasus to report on its condition.  Hakki told Enver exactly what he wanted to hear - that the supply problems were overblown and that an advance to Kars is possible.  Today Enver decides to take matters into his own hands, dismissing the cautious commander of 3rd Army and appointing himself as his replacement.  He intends to launch the three corps of 3rd Army in an invasion across the Russian frontier towards Sarikamish and Kars, winning a decisive victory that will both demonstrate the continued vitality of the Ottoman Empire and rally all Turkic peoples to the Ottoman banner.  By taking command of the army himself, Enver has raised the profile of and the stakes for the coming invasion; while victory would be widely celebrated, defeat may call into question the entire strategy and war aims of the Young Turks who dominate the Ottoman government, and the viability of the call to jihad against the Entente.

- In Egypt the British are taking steps to formalize their control of the country, which they have informally occupied since 1882.  Yesterday they declared the former Ottoman province to be a British protectorate, and today they depose the pro-Ottoman Khedive Abbas Hilmi, now in Constantinople, and replace him as Khedive with his uncle Hussein Kamil.

- The British battlecruiser Inflexible, which had been hunting for the German light cruiser Dresden along the Chilean coast, is recalled to home waters today.  With Invincible having already departed for home, it leaves the search for Dresden in the hands of the armoured and light cruisers that had contributed to the destruction of the German East Asiatic Squadron on December 8th.  For its part Dresden has been living a fugitive existence, hiding among the fjords and channels along Tierra del Fuego.

November 27th, 1914

- West of Krakow the German 47th Reserve Division, dispatched by Ludendorff southwards to assist the beleaguered Austro-Hungarians, begins to detrain today at Oderberg and Oswiecim.

- At Abrolhos Rocks off the Brazilian coast Vice-Admiral Sturdee holds a conference of captains to plan the pursuit of the German East Asiatic Squadron.  He intends to sail to the Falklands Islands and use it as a base should the Germans sail up the middle of the Atlantic, while also sending his light cruisers to inspect the various harbours and bays along the southeastern coast of South America in case the Germans attempted to remain close to shore.  He also announces that the squadron will sail in two days' time.  The captain of Glasgow objects, fearing that the Germans might try to reach the Falklands before the British.  He manages to convince Sturdee to advance the date of departure to tomorrow, a decision, as shall be seen, of vital importance.

- Yesterday the convoy carrying the thousands of volunteers from Australia and New Zealand departed the port of Aden, a British colony on the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula near the mouth of the Red Sea.  Their destination at that time remained England, where they were to encamp and undergo training on Salisbury Plain alongside the Canadian contingent.  The experiences of the Canadians to date, however, show that Salisbury Plain leaves much to be desired.  There are not nearly enough huts to house all of the soldiers, so most sleep under canvass.  Further, the weather is terrible - near constant rain and cold temperatures not only make conditions miserable but impede the training regimen of the Canadians.  The Australian representative at the British War Office, realizing the misery of the Canadians on Salisbury Plain, does not want the same conditions inflicted on the Australians and New Zealanders.  He suggested to Lord Kitchener that the convoy be redirected to Egypt, where they will be able to train in more amenable circumstances.  Kitchener agrees, and word reaches the convoy today that they are to be redirected to Egypt, where the Australians and New Zealanders will encamp just outside Cairo.  At present there is still every intention that once sufficiently prepared they will be dispatched to the Western Front.

- Overnight the Dutch destroyer Lynx returns to continue following the schooner Ayesha as it approaches Padang.  The attention of Lynx is welcome in one sense, as given that the German crew of Ayesha have no charts of Padang they are able to know if their course will take them onto reefs by whether Lynx turns away.  On the other hand, the attention is regretted by First Officer Mücke - it gives the impression, in his words, of a burly policeman bringing in a disreputable scoundrel, while also indicating that perhaps the Dutch have been expecting them.  Twice Mücke signals Lynx as to why they are being followed, but the Dutch give no response.  The Germans take some satisfaction, however, in the sight of their powerful escort forced to limit itself to the speed of one mile per hour so as to not overshoot Ayesha.

November 7th, 1914

- The weather turns for the worse today on the Ypres battlefield, with falling temperatures and heavy mist.  A French counterattack by XVI Corps scheduled for 930am this morning to recapture Zwateleen does not occur until mid-afternoon, and makes no progress.  As a result, Foch fires the commander of XVI Corps, a move after Joffre's heart.  In the British lines Haig  is appalled to learn that a number of I Corps' battalions abandon their forward defences under shellfire, returning only at night, and during the day several dozen soldiers are found behind the lines moving as quickly as possible away from the battlefield.  Though morale in the BEF overall has held, given the constant combat over the past few weeks it is not surprising that for some the breaking point is almost at hand.

Meanwhile the Germans launch several infantry attacks along the line, but are everywhere repulsed.  From the Entente side the attacks appear senseless and uncoordinated, but they are a part of the larger offensive operation, in that attacks now serve to pin down Entente forces so they cannot be redeployed to meet the main attack in a few days.  Where the Germans do not attack they continue their artillery bombardment.  Also today two Guards brigades arrive today, having marched from Arras, and are to be formed into a division named for its commander, General Arnold von Winckler.

- The Austro-Hungarian 5th and 6th Armies secure bridgeheads across the Drina River.  Despite fierce resistance the Serbian 1st and 3rd Armies are forced to fall back.

- Sidney Sonnino, the new Italian Foreign Minister appointed to replace the deceased Antonio di San Giuliano, is favourable to the cause of the Entente, as he reveals today in a conversation with the British Ambassador.

- In Egypt war with the Ottoman Empire is announced today, but because of pre-emptive measures taken in recent weeks there are no widespread pro-Ottoman demonstrations nor any significant organized opposition among nationalists.  Further several hundred Egyptian officials with nationalist leanings have been arrested or exiled, and the parliament has been prorogued.  The British are determined to maintain their control over Egypt.

- At Tsingtao, the Japanese prepare for the final assault on the German defences.  Yesterday they had seized the trenches defending the forts on the three hills above the city, and today they are to capture the forts themselves.  A furious artillery bombardment opens this morning, but after counter-fire from their own batteries the Germans raise the white flag.  Given the Japanese success to date and ammunition shortages, there is no prospect of holding the final forts.  So methodical and effective has been the Japanese advance that a siege the Germans had expected would take six months has been completed in six weeks.  The other combatants would do well to study the Japanese method of conducting offensives in conditions of trench warfare - of course, that would require acknowledging the Japanese as their intellectual equals, which for racial reasons is obviously not in the cards.

November 2nd, 1914

- At Ypres there is further hard fighting today as Army Group Fabeck continues to push into the Entente lines.  Its most notable success today is retaking the village of Wytschaete, which had been gained and lost the day before, while they also manage to nearly annihilate a British battalion near Gheluvelt.  Still, however, there is no breakthrough, and the ground gained is merely of tactical, not strategic, advantage.

The French, meanwhile, continue to take over more responsibility for the Entente line at Ypres.  By today, in addition to the northeastern portion of the Ypres salient, they hold five miles of the front to the southeast between I Corps to the north and the Cavalry Corps to the south.  Once again a series of French attacks are ordered by Foch for today, including to regain Messines, and once again they are unsuccessful, and indeed it was the French who were pushed out of Wytschaete today - generally, the German attacks were launched before the French, so the latter never got the opportunity to advance.

- At dawn the ships of the German East Asiatic Squadron find themselves alone, the surviving British warships having fled the scene and only the distant shore of Chile on the horizon.  Meanwhile, the British consul at Valparaíso learns today of the presence of the German squadron, though not of the naval battle, and sends a telegram to the Admiralty informing them of the enemy ships nearby.

- Indian Expeditionary Force B arrives off the port of Tanga in German East Africa this morning, and at 705am the captain of the light cruiser Fox lands in the town to inform the German district officer that the British no longer consider the prior agreement on neutralization regarding Tanga and Dar es Salaam to be in effect.  The hope is that the German official will surrender Tanga rather than face a British invasion.  Instead, the district officer gives no response, and after waiting for three and a half hours Fox signals the convoy carrying IEF B to begin landing.  The operation, however, is already a debacle - the pre-dreadnought Goliath, which was supposed to provide fire support, broke down in Mombasa and was left behind, while the captain of Fox refuses to sail into the harbour at Tanga for fear of mines.  Thus instead of landing at Tanga itself, IEF B is landed on an unfamiliar beach sufficiently far away from the town to be undefended.  The soldiers of IEF B, moreover, have been aboard their ships for almost a month, and as a result are in no shape to conduct a landing with any speed or discipline.  Thus the first battalions only begin landing at nightfall, and as the operation continues the landing area is a scene of confusion and delay.

When the British first arrived this morning, there was only a single company, composed mainly of ex-police officers, at Tanga for its defence.  The district officer, however, immediately informed Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, commander of the Schütztruppen, or colonial infantry, of German East Africa.  He is with the bulk of his Schütztruppen companies to the northwest at Moshi near Mount Kilimanjaro, expecting the main British attack to be overland.  The railway connecting Moshi and Tanga, however, makes the rapid redeployment of his forces possible, and three companies are immediately sent to reinforce Tanga.

The frontier between British Kenya in the north and German East Africa in the south, including the
port of Tanga and the town of Moshi.

- In light of the increasing likelihood of war with the Ottoman Empire, British officials in Egypt today declare martial law, so as to maintain public order once the conflict begins.

October 20th, 1914

- Today severe fighting occurs along the Western Front from the Channel to south of Arras.  In addition to the full weight of the German 4th Army now brought against the Entente lines, Rupprecht's 6th Army also goes over on to the offensive from Menin to Arras.  At the north end, 5th Reserve Division of III Reserve Corps attacks the Belgian line along the Yser, halfway between Nieuport and Dixmude, supported by the entirety of the corps artillery.  On its left XXII Reserve Corps assaults Dixmude, and though several outlying villages are captured the Belgians and French marines continue to hold on.  Further south XXIII Reserve Corps captures Staden after several hours of street fighting, and are able to advance to the eastern edge of Houthulst Forest, the French cavalry of General de Mitry unable to offer sustained resistance.

On the British side, General Haig's I Corps marches from Ypres to a line extending from Bixschoote, on the southern flank of de Mitry's cavalry, to two kilometres north-west of Zonnebeke.  I Corps experiences no fighting today, but General Byng's 3rd Cavalry Division covering its right is pushed back along with French territorial units, Poelcappelle being lost to the German XXVI Reserve Corps in the afternoon and 3rd Cavalry forced to retreat towards Langemarck.  General Rawlinson of IV Corps orders 7th Infantry Division to continue to push on towards Menin, but by early afternoon reconnaissance makes blindingly obvious that Germans are present in overwhelming numbers, and further advance is impossible.  Falling back to their trenches of the night before, 7th Division is assaulted at 2pm and 4pm by units of the German XXVII Reserve Corps, and though the Germans are able to advance within fifty yards, they are unable to break through.

South of IV Corps is General Allenby's Cavalry Corps, which by early morning was aware that the Germans were turning to attack.  Six German cavalry divisions advance northwest against the lines of the British, crossing the Lys River at several points, and the Cavalry Corps retires to a line stretching from near Zandvoorde through Ploegsteert Wood to Messines.  Though the retreat is conducted in good order, General Allenby is aware that his cavalry is significantly outnumbered, and as the horsemen spend the night furiously digging he signals for assistance.

Further south III Corps is assaulted continuously through the day, with infantry attacks interrupting heavy artillery bombardment.  They find themselves facing two German Corps - XIX and XIII, the latter having moved south from above Lille undetected by the British, where they were replaced by the German cavalry divisions attacking the British Cavalry Corps.  The most notable German success comes at Ennetières, where the 2nd Battalion, Sherwood Foresters are wiped out almost to a man when the village is captured and their position outflanked.

North of La Bassée a counterattack is launched on 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment at Le Pilly on Aubers Ridge.  The failure of the French to capture Fournes the previous day left the battalion isolated, and though they beat back waves of attacks throughout the morning, by mid-afternoon their ammunition is almost exhausted.  Major E. H. E. Daniell orders the remaining soldiers to fix bayonets, and counterattack in an attempt to break out and return to British lines.  The desperate gamble is a disaster, and the battalion is annihilated - of 578 soldiers who went into battle yesterday, only 30 survivors reach British lines this evening.

The assault of the German 4th and 6th armies, October 20th, 1914.

- In Egypt, the anomalous position of the country in relationship to Britain is of increasing concern to the British officials there.  Egypt technically is a province of the Ottoman Empire, and is 'ruled' by the Khedive, or viceroy, an hereditary position since the mid-19th century.  In practice, the Khedive's powers are largely nominal, and Egypt is ruled by the British through the office of Consul-General.  In peacetime this arrangement had largely suited the British, but the war, and in particular the potential Ottoman entry into the conflict, has significant ramifications.  The Ottoman government aspires to make Egypt more than just a nominal part of its empire, and there was widespread anti-British opinion among educated middle-class Egyptians, some looking to the Ottomans while others yearned for outright independence.  The Khedive himself has pro-Ottoman sympathies, and indeed is at present in Constantinople recovering from an assassination attempt.  British officials fear that if the Ottomans enter the war against Britain, as appears increasingly likely, there is a very real possibility of internal unrest.  Thus even before hostilities have commenced between Britain and the Ottomans, steps are being taken in Egypt to preempt any opposition to the war - today public meetings of more than five people are outlawed.

August 20th, 1914

- The German 1st Army occupies Brussels today, while the Belgian army completes its retirement into the fortified camp of Antwerp.

Belgian soldiers during the retreat to Antwerp, Aug. 20th, 1914.
And yes, those are dogs pulling machine guns.

- The concentration of the British Expeditionary Force at Maubeuge is completed today, and the two British corps begin to advance northeast.  Meanwhile, in London, the British Cabinet has authorized the deployment of the fifth British infantry division to the Continent.

- The French 5th Army completes its advance to the Sambre and Meuse Rivers.  Its defensive position resembles an inverted 'V', with the Belgian forts at Namur at the point.  Just to the north, cavalry units belonging to 5th Army engage in small skirmishes with German cavalry.

- At 830pm Joffre issues orders for 3rd and 4th Army to attack tomorrow.  The latter will advance northeast towards Neufchâteau while the former will move against Arlon.  To protect the advance against a German counterattack from Metz, Joffre has formed a portion of 3rd Army into a separate Army of Lorraine to cover the southern flank of the attack.  This is to be the main assault of Plan XVII - a strike north of Metz-Thionville which will crush the centre of the German line.  While Joffre is aware that the Germans are advancing through Belgium, he still does not see it as the focal point of the German campaign.  Indeed, he believes that the Germans have reduced their forces opposite 3rd and 4th Armies to strengthen the German right, which will increase the odds of French success tomorrow.  He has also instructed the commanders of 3rd and 4th Armies to make no preparatory movements, so as to not tip off the Germans to the advance and cause them to stop moving forces into Belgium.

- Even as Joffre is ordering the main French attack, the offensive in Lorraine is disintegrating.  There is a renewed attack today by the French 1st and 2nd Armies, the former in particular attempting to seize Morhange.  Advancing into prepared German defences, the French suffer horrendous losses.  Simultaneously, Prince Rupprecht's 6th Army launches the counterattack 'authorized' by OHL on the 18th.  This attack falls primarily against the two corps of 2nd Army to the south of XX Corps, whose successful advance had uncovered their flank.  Unlike the French attack, the German advance is successful - both French corps retire in disarray, and by nightfall 2nd Army is retreating back across the French border to the Meurhe River and the fortifications of Nancy.  2nd Army has also lost contact with 1st Army to the south, and in order to re-establish the line 1st Army, which has also suffered heavily, and the Army of Alsace are ordered to fall back.

- In the early morning hours, the German I Corps under General François attacks the northern flank of the Russian 1st Army, and is a shattering success - one Russian division suffers 60% casualties.  The rest of the attack by 8th Army, however, has a very different outcome.  XVII Corps, under General August von Mackensen, and I Reserve Corps, under General Otto von Below, arrive on the battlefield only in the late morning, and the Russians facing them have been forewarned by I Corps' attack.  Devastating artillery fire is poured onto XVII Corps, which suffers eight thousand casualties in two hours.  An entire division breaks and retreats in disarray.  I Reserve Corps, attacking to the south of XVII Corps, is similarly repulsed, and with XVII Corps in retreat, has no choice but to retreat as well.  At 6pm 8th Army commander General Prittwitz calls François and informs him that despite his local success, I Corps must retreat.  Though it is not an overwhelming one, the Russians have won the Battle of Gumbinnen.

The defeat provokes a crisis of confidence in Prittwitz.  He sees his strategy - attacking each Russian army separately - in tatters.  8th Army is already in retreat, and the Russian 2nd Army will be able to advance northwards unmolested.  Indeed, the Russian 2nd Army is already to the west of the German 8th Army, and Prittwitz concludes that a hasty withdrawal behind the Vistula River is required.  This would abandon the entirety of East Prussia to the Russians, and his subordinates, François included, are appalled.  When Prittwitz informs Moltke this evening of his decision, the latter is aghast - such a precipitate retreat might allow the Russians to threaten Berlin.  Moltke instructs his staff to contact 8th Army's corps commanders directly, to learn their impressions of the situation.

There is one saving grave to come out of the Battle of Gumbinnen for the Germans - General Rennenkampf does not order his 1st Army to pursue.  Though victorious, his army is exhausted and supplies are dangerously low.  Instead, 1st Army is to rest and recover from the battle.  In this are the seeds of the German revival.

- Conrad orders IV Corps to abandon the Sabac bridgehead as a preliminary to its transfer to Galicia.  The order is countermanded by Potiorek, who believes the bridgehead is necessary to the preservation of 5th Army.  Meanwhile, other elements of 2nd Army only today begin the transfer by rail to the Russian front, while 6th Army is finally in position to begin its offensive across the Drina River.

- Lord Kitchener persuades the British Cabinet to reject an alliance offer from Greek Prime Minister Eleutherios Venizelos, fearing that such a move would increase the probability of the Ottoman Empire joining the war on the side of Germany.  Kitchener views this issue primarily through the lens of the Empire - his concern is avoiding an Ottoman offensive against Egypt.