History - The First World War: A Captivating Guide to World War 1, The Battle of Verdun and the Battle of Somme

The First World War

A Captivating Guide to World War 1, The Battle of Verdun and the Battle of Somme

Copyright 2019

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the author. Reviewers may quote brief passages in reviews.

Disclaimer: No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, or transmitted by email without permission in writing from the publisher.

While all attempts have been made to verify the information provided in this publication, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretations of the subject matter herein.

This book is for entertainment purposes only. The views expressed are those of the author alone, and should not be taken as expert instruction or commands. The reader is responsible for his or her own actions.

Adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, including international, federal, state and local laws governing professional licensing, business practices, advertising and all other aspects of doing business in the US, Canada, UK or any other jurisdiction is the sole responsibility of the purchaser or reader.

Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of the purchaser or reader of these materials. Any perceived slight of any individual or organization is purely unintentional.

Table of Contents

Hi History Lovers!

My name is Matt Clayton, and Im the creator of Captivating History. First off, I want to THANK YOU for reading our books in the Captivating History series. As an avid reader of History myself, I aim to produce books that will hold you captive.

Now you have a chance to join our exclusive history list so you can get the ebook below for free as well as discounts and a potential to get more history books for free! Simply click the link below to join.

P.S. If you join now, you will also receive a free Mythology book. Remember that its 100% free to join the list.

Click here to access your bonus

Also, make sure to follow us on:

Twitter: @Captivhistory

Facebook: Captivating History: @captivatinghistory

1914

June 28: Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

July 28: The Austro-Hungarian Empire declares war on Serbia

Germany immediately allies itself with the Austro-Hungarian Empire and declares war on Serbia

Russia, in accordance with its alliance with Serbia, begins mobilizing for war on July 29

August 1: Germany declares war on Russia

France is forced to mobilize in accordance with their agreement with Russia

August 3: Germany declares war on France, and German troops pour into neutral Belgium

British Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey, sends an ultimatum to Germany to withdraw its troops from Belgium

August 4: Germany refuses to withdraw from Belgium

Britain declares war on Germany

August 23: Japan, in accordance with an alliance signed with Britain in 1902, declares war on Germany

August September 6: Battle of the Frontiers

August 2630: Battle of Tannenberg

September 610: First Battle of Marne

October 19: Start of the First Battle of Ypres

November 2: Russia declares war on the Ottoman Empire

November 5: Britain and France declare war on the Ottoman Empire

November 22: End of the First Battle of Ypres

December 2425: Christmas Truce on the Western Front

1915

February 19: Start of the naval bombardment of the Dardanelles

March 18: End of the naval bombardment of the Dardanelles

April 22: Start of the Second Battle of Ypres

April 25: Start of Gallipoli Campaign

May 7: German U-Boat sinks the Lusitania

May 23: Italy joins the war on the side of the Allies

May 25: End of the Second Battle of Ypres

September 25: Start of the Battle of Loos

October 8: End of the Battle of Loos

1916

January 9: End of Gallipoli Campaign

February 21: Start of the Battle of Verdun

May 31June 1: Battle of Jutland

June 4: The Russian June Offensive, including the Brusilov Offensive, is launched on the Eastern Front to coincide with the Battle of the Somme

July 1: Start of the Battle of the Somme

September 20: End of the Russian Offensive

November 18: End of the Battle of the Somme

December 18: End of the Battle of Verdun

1917

March 15: Tsar Nicholas is forced to abdicate from the Russian throne, ending 304 years of Romanov rule

Tsar Nicholas is replaced by a provisional government

April 6: United States of America joins the war

July 119: Russian July Offensive (Kerensky Offensive) on the Eastern Front

November 67: Revolution breaks out in Russia, and the provisional government is overthrown by the Bolsheviks

1918

March 3: Russia signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the Central Powers, and war ends in Russia

July 17: Tsar Nicholas and his family are murdered at Yekaterinburg

August 8: Start of the Hundred Days Offensive

November 11: The First World War officially ends on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month

Dulce et Decorum est

By Wilfred Owen

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,

Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,

Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,

And towards our distant rest began to trudge.

Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,

But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;

Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots

Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.

Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!An ecstasy of fumbling

Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,

But someone still was yelling out and stumbling

And floundring like a man in fire or lime.

Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,

As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams before my helpless sight,

He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace

Behind the wagon that we flung him in,

And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,

His hanging face, like a devils sick of sin;

If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood

Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,

Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud

Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,

My friend, you would not tell with such high zest

To children ardent for some desperate glory,

The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est

Pro patria mori.

Since the Great War is no longer a part of living memory and none remain alive to talk of their experiences, the words of men like Wilfred Owen are becoming more and more significant. They are keeping the memory of the war alive and providing vital lessons for future generations. In those 28 lines, Owen brings to life the horror and suffering of the First World War. He encapsulates the significance of the war and how it not only ripped apart the lives of individuals but also the social fabric of the world, and destroyed long-held beliefs of honor and glory. For those returning from the front, and those who had remained on the home front, the world that they had once known and fought so hard to defend no longer existed after 1918.