The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-01-11
THE EUROPEAN WAR

The year 1915 has been SO distinc-
tive from historymaking viewpoint
that in all the ages to come 1t Will
stand apart from those that have pre-
ceded it and from those which are
to follow. During its entire length,
the greater nations of the European
continent have abandoned themselves
to a policy of bloodshed which has
fallen little short Of delirium. To
the neutral onlooker it has been re-
vival on huge scale of the irration-
al and murderous activity which char
acterized the earlier ages of mankind.
It has been the complete overthrow of
all the pacific theories which had ap-
parently gained so strong focthold
at the time Of the firing of the first
gun in the present conflict.
At the beginning of the year, it was
evident that it was to be struggle
to the death. 1t was plain that the
Teutonic plan to force a speedy set
cement by dint of superior armed
preparedness had failed. Six months
had elapsed and the Teutonic allies
were still faced by three great ma
lions, their strength unbroken and
their determination infexible. Aus
tria had been driven repeatedly by her
Russian invaders and twice the Serbs
had routed Austrian armies sent
against them. On other fields, also,
Teutonic Efforts had been futile. Thus
far Turkey had been of little assist
ance and the holy war had failed to
come into being. German Southwest
Africa had been lost and German in
fluence in Asia had been smothered
by the Japanese.
AS an offset, the Germans still held
practically all the conquered territory
which had fallen into their hands.
Their lines still held firmly in Po-
land in Flanders and in France. 1t
was apparent that as yet the Teutonic
combination showed no sign of weak
ening. and a war of attrition seemed
inevitable. Both in the east and
in the west the military operations
of the early part of the year were
practically without decisive result.
The fighting in Poland had resolved
itself into complete deadlock. In
January, the French-English combine
made three attempts to break the
Teutonic hold on French territory, but
accomplished little. The German I'M
successful drive at Warsaw and the
rout of the Austrians in Galicia left
a slight balance in the January fighting
in favor of the allies.
From strictly military viewpoint,
February was a promising month for
the Teutonic allies. BY the middle of
the month, German troops were ad-
vancing all along the front from
the Vistula to the Niemen, and thus,
seven months after the breaking out
of the war; German soil was practi-
cally cleared of it's Russian invaders.
The deadlock on the western front
was still unbroken.
Scene Shifts to DardanelIes.
With the advent of March, there
IN the war situation. The scene of
military activity was shifted to the
Dardanelles. BY the third week of
the month, Rome, Athens, Sofia and
Bucharest were centers of great pO-
litical activity. The surrender of
Przemysl, March %, was the most
stirring victory for the allies since the
battle of the Marne. The German
assertion that the military power of
Russia had dwindled into insignifi-
canoe was disproved at once and the
allied cause gained instant strength in
all the neutral capitals. One Of the
greatest strongholds in Europe had
been taken by the Russians.
The disaster to the allied fleet at
the Dardanelles, which occurred dur
ing the third week of March, put an
end TO the expectation of forcing the
straits by naval means alone. Ger
man prestige advanced perceptibly
and the difficulty of the task under
taken by the allied fleet was now un-
derstood. In this month, also, the
British won the battle of Neuve
Chapelle after bloody fight.
In April the French made bold
offensive stroke against the German
position between the Meuse and the
Moselle-the famous st. Mihiei wedge
which resulted in a tremendous loss
of men on both sides, with small adj
vantage for either. Nowhere had the
allies made appreciate gain in ter
ritory. The invader held his own
.stubbornly and with success. About
the middle Of the month, Zeppelins
made their appearance over English
towns, inspiring great interest and not
a little apprehension, but doing COM
paratively small damage. About this
time, also, the attempted submarine
blockade of the British coast proved
to be ineffective. In the closing days
of the month another great Teutonic
offensive swept against the allied lines
in Belgium, thrusting the enemy back
upon Ypres, with great loss of life on
both sides.
In May the Germans sent their best
troops to the aid OF the hard
pressed Austrians. BY the middle of
the month they had worked star
Ting change in the situation. Pre-
mysl was retaken, the Russian CAM
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