The sun., 1916-12-31

90, lIIS w VI III LII
:, gagged in Greatest
= of Wars Closes
* With But Little
+ Hope Of an Early
e, 3 Peace
IT HOSE who are engaged in or are
viewing Mt close range the
titanic conflict in which Eu-
rope is involved can with difficulty
C. appreciate the magnitude of the
e. events which have taken place during
the past twelve months. Generations
- come looking bach upon this period
.swith a clearer vision will recognize the
e"ycar 1916 as one OF the most tre-
mendous, from u history making stand
point. since the world began.
- Europe continued it's bloodictting
= throughout the year with ever greater
D. ferocity than marked the first eighteen
: months following the breaking Of the
storm The great war rounded out its
~ second and entered upon It's third year
with little promise Of an early conclu-
Sion Of peace.
n, During the past twelve months new
C. nations entered into the war. one Of
,"fhem. Rumania. to become the scene
Of some OF the most fcrocious fighting
Of the year; one new nation was Gre
h,-Ated. another tottered to its fall. while
on a dozen fronts millions Of men were
fed as human sacrifices to the insati-
I. ,abic wal monster.
%" There were seven outstanding phases
"a Of the war during the year 1915. These
-. comprised the great offensive of the
. Russians in Galicia. which was finally
- checked by the Teutonic allies; the
superhuman efforts Of the Germans
to capture Verdun. which were
~ thwarted by the equally s%uperhuman
NJ. defence offered by the French: the
long awaited grand offensive Of the
British and French on the western
front. resulting in the recovery OF a
~ considerable area in the Somme River
the deadlock in northern France: the
checking of an Austrian offensive by
s. the Italians and the launching OF a
n>'counter-orensive by which the ltal-
ians made big strides in their cam
paign against Trieste: the conquest OF
:, Rumania BY the Teutonic allies: the
- drive Of the Serbs. aided by French,
italian and British troops. In an effort
70 regain their lost kingdom. n the
I. final abandonment by the Entente Al
81 lies of their disastrous Gailipoli cam
paign.
New Drives Of 1910.
The Russians launched their often
~ -slve in Calicia on the first day Of the
ip, year. On January Q the efforts of the
81 Entente Allies to force the Dardanelles
vas definitely abandoned and the
= forces Of the Allies entirely evacuated
. the Gallipoli peninsula.
-. The west front was quiet until jan
> nary IS. when the Germans launched
~ a new offensive. but OIL January 81 IL
was announced that this offensive had
been checked.
German Zeppelin fleets were active
In the closing days of the month. On
January 20 Paris was raided and twen-
- ty-fonr persons killed. Two days later
eixty-seven were killed in n raid over
midland and northeast counties o.
o. England.
En- Early in February the Russians. AZ.
l'"iter a lull in the fighting, resumed their
50 offensive in Galicia, and OH February
10 they crossed the Dneister and
threatened Czernowi,z. The Russians
G under Grand Duke Nicholas, also con-
tinued their drive In the Caucasus and
on February IA they captured the i'm
-. portant town OF Erzerum.
cT On February 81 the Germans, led b,
the Crown Prince, launched their at
r. tack on Verdun. and during the mex,
. few days smashed their way through
the outer defences until they cam,
within gun range OF the French
stronghold. The French, taken by sur,
prise, were forced TO give ground, bu
80, BY the last OF the month they ha,
strengthened their shattered lines anc
> had checked the German drive.
In the Nerdun sector for the mex
few months occurred some of the mos
sanguinary fighting of the entire war
The German stratogls,e evidently Ia,
determined to stake their All an IN
r., western front in an yl'ors to Drea'
~