The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1916-12-29
THE EUROPEAN WAR

viewing - close range the titanic con-
disa - vhleA all Europe Is involved
can with Ainiculty appreciate the
msGuDssAe Of the events which have
trsneplreA during the past II months.
0esessstsss to come. however. looking
baea 800 this period with q clearer
vhasA. via recognize the year 1915
as sDe Il the most tremendous. from
q disappointing standpoint, since the
work. beeaa.
Borspe continued Its blood-letting
threagAssi the year with even greater
fereAty tAan marked the first Is
mossAs 1silowing the breaking OF the
stern The great war rounded out
Its se<Ssd and entered upon Its third
year. with little promise Of an early
couesssiss Of peace. During the year
new naus.s entered into the war. one
Of sAen. Roumania. to become the
scene q some Of the most ferocious
neASes Of the year. one new nation
was sreated, another tottcred to Its
fan, while On q dozen fronts millions
Of 0sa we're fed as human sacrifices
10 ~ bAsauate war monster.
YAese were seven outstanding
phas<s of the great war during the
year tSlA These comprised the great
offe.uve sf the Russians In Galicia.
Which VS. anally checked by the Teu-
tos,t< antes the superhuman efforts Of
the Germans to capture Verdun.
which were thwarted by the equally
superhsoaa defense offered by the
F1eDeA: the ongawaited grand Often
sive - tAe British and the French on
the veaern front, resulting In the re-
SoD.e region. but not definitely break
ing tAe deadlock In northern France;
the checking Of an Austrian offensive
by The Italians and the launching Of
. ssUater-ef7ensive by which the Ital
iass 0ade big strides In their cam
paigD aGaiAst Trieste; the conquest Of
RoSRa nia BY the Teutonic allies; the
drive Of the Serbs, aided by French.
Italian and British troops, In an effort
to regain their lost kingdom. and the
naaI aba ndonment by the entente al
lies Sf their disastrous Gallipoll cam
paig.-
The Russians launched their Of
fensive u Galicia on the first day Of
the year. On January 8, the effort Of
neliee was definitely abandoned. and
the fsrees Of the allies entirely evacu-
ated the 6allipoli peninsula.
verdun Attack Launched.
Early In February, the Russians. aft
er q tsn 10 the fighting. resumed their
offensive In Galicia and on February 10
they crossed the Dniester and threat
ene5 CEeSnowitz. The Russians. un-
der Grand Duke Nicholas. also con-
tlnBe1 their drive in the Caucasus and
On February IA they captured the
Important town Of Erzerum. Febru-
pTiDse, launched their attack on Yer
dun, aad during the next few days
they soashed their way through the
outer Sefenses until they came within
bix-sDa raage Of the French strong
hold. he French, taken by surprise,
wese forced TO give ground. but by
tie Aa Of the month they had
had checked the German drive. In the
Vsr1WD sector. for the next few
months. occurred some Of the most
sangdnary fighting Of the entire war.
The A1strians had considerable sue
cess - The Italian front during the
month. catering Durazzo on February
% and driving the Italians before
IL
ists Ne great conflict February % by
seiAaK 6 German steamers interned
In PSet0gaese ports. Germany demand
ed t6e release Of the ships and on
hnpeA . declared war on Portugal. the
tbivteeDtA nation to enter the con-
@sa.
TR 0snth Of March was marked
chiefly - the continued determined at
tashe Of the Germans upon verdun.
TIE sxa ait entered Its third stage In
Tits meath with repeated attacks on
Wu1, Douaumont and other outlying
towns, niost Of which were repulsed
With terrific losses. During the month
the Nalians finally checked the Aus
trian drive and launched big often
sive along the entire Austrian front.
The Russians continued their victori-
GUS drive against the Turks in Ar
MONT. capturing Btlis on March 3,
and other important towns later in the
month.
The early days OF April saw Il slow
Ing up Of the Russian offensive in Ga
lieia. The Germans launched coun-
ter offensive all along the Russian
front but gained little headway. The
following months saw terrific fighting
along this front April 90, the British
admitted a defeat at the hands of the
Turks in Mesopotamia and on April
%, General Townshend and 10000 Brit
ish soldiers. who had been besieged by
the Turks at kut-e1-Amara, were
forced to surrender after repeated eff
forts to relieve them had failed.
Er>a% c>. n .$%ta Eauoh<