The First World War

[Ennath]

May 15, 1915
Western Front A half hour before midnight, Haig sends two divisions into the attack at Festubert. They aim to achieve a modest salient of only a thousand yards. 2nd Division scores initial success, but the Germans chew up 7th Division. The French occupy Het Sas.
British Command Although he has resigned or threatened to resign several times before, this time Admiral Fisher means it. Unable to continue any show of support for the Gallipoli campaign, the First Sea Lord sends a letter of resignation to Churchill. “You are bent on forcing the Dardanelles and nothing will turn you from it – nothing…You will remain and I shall go – it is better so.” Prime Minster Asquith rejects Fisher’s petulant demand that he be given total control over the Royal Navy and Churchill be sacked by instead accepting the resignation. During the night, Fisher leaves for Scotland.
Eastern Front The Russians attack on the Dniestr. Austrian attacks in Bukovina are firmly rebuffed. German 11th Army has advanced 55 miles in two weeks and inflicted over 100,000 casualties.
Serbian Front The Austrian Danube Flotilla engages Serbian batteries at Belgrade; a patrol boat is sunk.

May 15, 1916
Western Front, Elsewhere There is fighting at Vimy Ridge.
German and British Planning Admiral Scheer, commander of the High Seas Fleet, wanting to provoke some action, plans to lure Admiral Beatty into chasing Hipper’s battlecruisers after they shell Sunderland, with U-Boats waiting to torpedo the pursuing British. Scheer will then engage the British battlecruisers with his own waiting fleet. Scheer’s counterpart, Admiral Jellicoe, has a similar plan to lure the Germans into a trap in the Skagerrak, with submarines lying in wait off the Dogger Bank. Setting his plan in motion, Scheer sends out the U-Boats assembled for the anticipated battle. They have been withdrawn from preying on merchant shipping after protests following the Sussexattack.
Italian Front Austrian commander Franz Conrad von Hotzendorf’s Trentino offensive, delayed by heavy snows, begins with a four hour artillery barrage, starting at 6:00 AM, along the front at Folgaria and Lavarone. The Italian troops are deployed well forward for offensive operations, despite hints of a coming Austrian attack. The shelling destroys much of the Italian artillery and frontline positions, which the Austrians capture at Costa d’Agra and Monte Coston. The Italians are forced to retreat south of Rovereto.
Persia Russian troops take Rawanduz.
Arabia Entente naval forces blockade the Hejaz coast.
Britain Sir Roger Casement is charged with high treason.

May 15, 1917
Western Front There is heavy fighting around Bullecourt and on the Chemin des Dames.
French Command Petain is made commander in chief of the north and northwest armies, replacing the discredited Nivelle. Foch succeeds him at the General Staff. By this time, mutinies are common along the French front, but by amazingly efficient censorship control, French counterintelligence completely blots out all news of the mutinies and the Germans remain oblivious.
Italian Front The Italians hold Vodice and reach the slopes of Monte Santo.
Macedonia British troops attacking along the lower Struma capture several Bulgarian outposts.
War at Sea The first American destroyer flotilla arrives in British waters.
Mediterranean The transport Cameronia is torpedoed with the loss of 140 men.
Germany The government refuses to allow German Socialists to attend the Stockholm conference.

May 15, 1918
Western Front The French extend their positions around Mount Kemmel.

May 15, 1920
Eastern Europe Tukhachevsky launches a counteroffensive, driving the Poles from Ukraine and almost trapping the entire Polish army. By mid-June, the Soviets are approaching Lvov as Tukhachevsky’s main force drives for Warsaw.

[Ennath]

May 16, 1915
Western Front The British inch forward at Festubert. German counterattacks stymie any more progress. At Ypres, the Germans pause their latest round of attacks, having gained 2000 yards.
Eastern Front In southern Poland, the Austrians are defeated between Kyeltsi and Ostrovyets.
Italy King Victor Emmanuel III refuses to accept Salandra’s resignation.
Austria-Hungary Foreign Minister Burian announces the concession offered to Italy.

May 16, 1916
North Sea British monitors and destroyers engage a German destroyer force off the Belgian coast.
Italian Front Pushing forward, the Austrians capture the strongly-defended Italian trenches on Soglio d’Aspio. Austrian attacks are checked at Zugna Torta.
Egypt Anzacs storm the Turkish camp at Bayud, Sinai.
Persia Russian forces are threatening Mosul.
World Affairs Ernest Shackleton and two companions reach the Grytviken whaling station on South Georgia Island after a perilous open boat journey. Shackleton had departed England in December 1914 for an Antarctic expedition but his ship was crushed in the ice. It is not until late August that he is able to rescue his men left behind on Elephant Island in the South Shetlands.

May 16, 1917
Western Front There is heavy fighting in the Arras sector as the battle ends.
German East Africa Van Deventer succeeds Hoskins in command.
Britain Lloyd George proposes Irish Home Rule and suggests a Convention.

May 16, 1918
United States The Sedition Act becomes law, giving the government effective veto over freedom of expression. The law is repealed in 1921.
Diplomatic Relations China and Japan sign a defensive alliance aimed at the threat of Soviet expansion.

[savage560]

Just found this out on the Millitary channel that aired the WWI show "WWI in Color".During the Battle of Caproretto alone,the Italian forces lost nearly 660K troops,better than 75% of the force they fielded!After loosing almost 300K men ,due to a large part desertion to the Central Powers ,Italy got much needed help from English & French troops that were diverted from the western front during the big push by Austro-Hungarian -German & other Central Powers troops deep into Italy in late 1917.This of course gravely weakened the Allied positions on the western front, with little help in sight.At this point on Italy was looked upon by the Allies as more a liability,than an Ally.

Adding to the Allies' miseries ,Imperial Russia was taken out of the war by the Lenninist Bolshevics Revolution.From this point on American troops were the trump card that the exhausted French & British Empire troops sorely needed.America at first, could'nt fulfill its goal of 1Mil. troops & the troops that were there,in France, were'nt ready for battle untill June of 1918.A very desprate situation ensued & almost called for a capitulation by the 2 allied countries.Of course AEF troops were at first more a pshychological threat to the battle beleaguered Central Power forces.Under Pershing,who made the same, tired ,manpower wastefull mistakes the Brits & French did for the first 2 1/2 years of the war,Pershing had a lot to learn, but was'nt listening.Thinghs looked bleak,even with American presence.

Finally after Amercan troop strength managed to top over 1 million, the US troops took it to the Germans at St.Mihiel in 1918,the Central Powers soon capitulated after the attack, coordinated with attacks by Brit & French forces,in other locals.

I ,for one never thought the Italian front was so weakly manned by the virtually defeated Italians,& caused the grave lack of man power of Allied forces in the Western front.

[palo5]

Originally Posted by savage560

...I ,for one never thought the Italian front was so weakly manned by the virtually defeated Italians,& caused the grave lack of man power of Allied forces in the Western front.

It didn't - it was the English PM who held back reinforcements to the Western Front, because he didn't trust the generals to do anything with them except get them killed

No one should be surprised about this. If your generals say they are making "great progress", but actually they've won about 20 cm of ground and lost 10.000 men, who would trust them?

[savage560]

Originally Posted by palo5

It didn't - it was the English PM who held back reinforcements to the Western Front, because he didn't trust the generals to do anything with them except get them killed

No one should be surprised about this. If your generals say they are making "great progress", but actually they've won about 20 cm of ground and lost 10.000 men, who would trust them?

Sounds a lot like Abrams,& Westmoreland in Viet Nam?Those troops that went to aid the Italians probably could have shored up the western front however,could'nt they?Had the Italians held their own,instead of the desertions en mass.

[Ennath]

The British and French divisions sent to Italy totaled 11 divisions, significant, but probably not enough to make that tremendous a difference on the Western Front, where the forces numbered over 100 divisions per side. It was enough to stiffen the Italians until they could get their act together, which they gradually did in 1918, sacking Cadorna in favor of the competent Diaz. The attitude of the Italian public also changed as a war for questionable expansionist goals became a war of national defense against the traditional Hapsburg enemy. By late spring 1918, the Allied divisions could probably have been safely withdrawn, but were kept on for some reason.

[Trintron]

The thing that made the front line between the Austro-Hungarians and Italians different than the Western Front in France is that most of the conflict was fought in mountainous terrain. This made it much easier for both sides to hide their numbers, blocking the path of a advancing enemy often means blowing up a snow pack or causing a rock avalanche to stop the enemy.

The Austro-Hungarian Army was not in great shape either, the Austrians had to depend on Germany for support and was still rooted in the traditions of the Baroque and Napoleonic era. The thing is that neither the Austro-Hungarian army or Italian Army was in really great shape to fight a war.

Youtube has a really good series about the first world war, if you are interested it should still be available.

[Ennath]

May 17, 1915
Western Front In the morning, Haig’s artillery launches a barrage of such surprising accuracy that it sends German troops racing toward British lines for safety. 450 surrender even before the infantry attack begins. Haig’s objective is La Bassee. He hopes 1st Army can cross to the south side of the canal there and thus relieve the pressure on the French forces in Artois. But rain, water-filled dikes and stiffening German resistance slow the British advance.
Eastern Front Austrian 3rd Army crosses the San.
Caucasus The Russians occupy Ardjiche on Lake Van.

May 17, 1916
Western Front, Verdun There is fighting at Avocourt Wood.
Western Front, Elsewhere The Germans capture the British mine crater at Vimy Ridge.
Italian Front The Austrians claim 6300 prisoners so far in their offensive. They capture Monte Maggio and Cima di Campulozzo.
Baltic Sea The submarine Volk sinks three colliers, of 6000 tons. It is the greatest success for a Russian submarine during the war. The Russian submarine force, though large, is obsolescent and achieves little.

May 17, 1917
Western Front After two weeks of relentless fighting, British troops finally complete the capture of Bullecourt, as the Germans withdraw. Nothing remains of the village but rubble. The Battle of Arras ends, except for continuing British efforts to consolidate their gains. Given the objective of engaging German reserves, the 6-week battle has been a success, but it has cost the British 84,000 casualties. The Germans have lost 75,000.
Italian Front There is heavy fighting at Vodice and Monte Santo. Kuk falls.
Macedonia A combined Italian-French attack north of Monastir fails, as the Germans and Bulgarians have reinforced their front here.
Serbian Command Putnik dies of emphysema. Zivojan Misic, commander of 1st Army, replaces him as Serbian commander in chief.
Persia Russian troops are attacked by Kurdish irregulars at Khanikan.
Diplomatic Relations Honduras severs relations with Germany.

May 17, 1918
Albania Franco-Italian troops drive the Austrians back 12 miles west of Koritsa.
Mesopotamia British cavalry occupies Fatha on the Tigris.
Ireland Some 150 Sinn Fein leaders are arrested on suspicion of plotting with the Germans.

May 17, 1920
Germany German troops in the neutral zone on the right bank of the Rhine are reduced and French troops evacuate the cities they have occupied.

[Ennath]

May 18 – July 29, 1899
Diplomatic Relations The first Hague Peace Conference takes place. The increasing cost, pervasiveness and frightfulness of war has caused many to seriously consider man’s age-old dreams of a peaceful world. It soon becomes obvious, however, that the urge for peace is less compelling on nations than the prior claims of national security. This conference is called by the Tsar, whose interest in disarmament, it soon becomes clear, is mainly to save economically weak Russia from having to match the military expenditures of Germany and Austria-Hungary. International jealousies and suspicions prevent the conference from doing little more than defining and codifying some of the laws of war (bombing from the air, chemical weapons, and hollow point bullets) and establishing an international court of arbitration.

May 18, 1915
Western Front At Festubert, the British advance to La Quinque Rue Bethune road. Deeply concerned by reports of disorderliness among the troops facing the British, the German command has rushed reinforcements to the Festubert front and has now doubled the size of its force there as Haig renews his assault in the afternoon. As a result the British effort fails. Haig pulls fought-out units out of the line, bringing in fresh troops.
France Socialist politician Albert Thomas is brought into the government to deal with problems of munitions production. He will prove to be a great success in the role.
Eastern Front On the San, the Austrians drive the Russians from Sieniawa.
Russia The Tsar is at STAVKA, Russian headquarters. Grand Duke Nicholas and Duma president Rodzianko attempt to persuade him to dismiss the reactionary members of the Council of Ministers. Tsar Nicholas departs on the 24th, characteristically without having made up his mind.
Dardanelles The Turks attack Gaba Tepe.

May 18, 1916
Western Front, Verdun German attacks at Avocourt fail.
Italian Front Italian troops abandon Zugna Torta.

May 18, 1917
Western Front Pressure on the German lines slackens, much to the relief of Ludendorff. Heavy German losses will be some time replacing.
Italian Front The Italians extend their hold on Vodice and Hill 652.
Allied Planning Haig and Petain meet at Amiens. The French commander promises that French troops in Belgium will support the British offensive at Ypres.
United States Wilson signs the Selective Service Act, allowing for the creation of a vastly enlarged American army. The act designates the draft system as “selective service” rather than using the unpopular term “conscription”. Wilson and War Secretary Newton Baker choose Major General John Pershing to be commander of the American Expeditionary Force. To placate the French, Baker announces that a division of the AEF will leave for France as soon as possible.

May 18, 1918
Western Front The Australians make a large raid at Morlancourt.
Caucasus Turkish troops occupy Alexandropol.
Central Powers Diplomacy The German Embassy in Constantinople reports that “The Turks have aggressive intentions toward Bulgaria.”

May 18 – August 24, 1920
Persia Soviet troops invade and occupy Resht and Enzeli and establish a Soviet Republic of Gilan. Soviet troops remain until October 1921.

[savage560]

The Russian exit of WWI must have been a big blow to the Allies?They were fighting the Central powers on at least 3 fronts.Lack of co-operation,& cordination of attacks in those areas between the west & east fronts of the Allies,prolonged the war.The Italian debacle was also a big hinderance.

I know the Imperial Russian Armies were fighting:1)The German front,2)the Austro-Hungarian front & 3)the Ottoman front, does anyone know if they were in the Balkans fighting there against Bulgaria,Ottomans,Albanians, or others allied to the central powers?