The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1917-01-03
REVIEW Of EUROPEAN WAR AND OTHER
IMPORTANT EVENTS Of THE YEAR 1916
Great Conflict RACES With Increased ntensity-Roumana Fiji
teenth Nation Enter Struggle 0verrun by Central Pow
ers-Teutonic Allies Make First Peace Proposals.
United States Faces Several Crises.

| iaunCileu tHelr great drive on the west
| front. A concerted attack was made
on 25-mile front north and south of
the Somme river. July IL, after ten
days and nights of continuous fight
ing, the British claimed the capture
OF the whole of the enemy'S first lines
of defense on front of 1900 yards.
During the remainder of the month the
| British and French continued their adj
vance, the British occupying the entire
village of PoZieres July &c and the
1 French advancing close to Peronne, an
important railroad center.
During the month of August the
Russians, after terrific fighting, pierced
| the Teuton lines on the Lemberg and
| kovel fronts and advanced in the Car
pathians. The Italians continued their
drive on Trieste. August 9, after days
of terrific fighting, they captured Co
ritz and pushed forward, pursuing the
retreating Austrians.
Roumania Enters War.
| Roumania, after months of wavering,
| entered the war on the side of the en-
1
on Austria-Hungary. Roumania was
| the fifteenth nation to enter the war.
On the same day Italy declared war on
| Germany and the following day Ger
many declared war on Roumana. With
| the declaration of war fighting began
| between the Roumanians and Aus
| TRANS on the Transylvanian frontier.
/ A h. a
| Kronstadt and Hermannstadt, the two
| chief cities of Pennsylvania. Field
I Marshal Won Hindenburg, whose sue
cesses had made him the idol of the
| German people. succeeded General Won
| Falkenhayn rs chief of the general
staff of the German army August %.
During the month Of September, the
Roumanians, cooperating with the
! Russians, advanced in northern Tran
| sylvania and BukOwina, but suffered
severe reverseS at the hands of the
| Bulgarians and AustrianS in Dobrudja.
The allied troops made decided gains
| in the Somme sector, occupying
Combles and other important towns
on September 20.
| Early in October the tide turned
| against the ROumanians and Russians
| in Pennsylvania and the latter were
| forced to retire before strong Austr0-
| German force under command of Cen
eral Won Falkenhayn. On October IL,
the Teutons began an invasion of ROu-
| mania. On the Verdun front, the
| French smashed the German lines Oc-
| tober "a, retaking Douaumont fort and
/ village.
| The struggle between the ROumanian
and Russian forces on the one side, and
| the Teuton and Bulgarian armies on
| the other held the center of attention
in November. Taking advantage of
| the plight in which the Roumanians
on the Transylvanian front found
! themselves Won MackenSen held his
lines in DObrudia and attacking the
| Danube line, forced the river barrier
at several points. Effecting a juncture
| of their forces, the Teuton command
ers drove the Roumanians back upon
| Bucharest. The Roumanians retreat
| ID rapidly toward the capital, burning
| villages and all stores of grain and
| munitions in the district through which
| hey passed. November %. the seat
| If the Roumanian government was
moved from Bucharest TO JaSsy, near
| he Russian frontier The ROumanians
evacuated Bucharest December 6 in or
| der TO save their army.
The Serbians, aided by French and
Italian troops, made a start toward
winning back their country during No
vember. Their big drive resulted in
| the capture of MonaStir on November
10. On the Somme front the battle of
The Ancre opened November 13 with
the capture by the British of five miles
of the German positions, together with
three strong towns.
An announcement of far-reachinc
| significance was made in the Russian
duma December 2 by Premier Trepoff
who read proclamation announcing
| officially that an agreement concluded
by Russia, France and Great Britain
in 1915, and later approved by Italy
establishes in definite manner the
rights of Russia to the straits and
! Constantinople."
The fall of the British cabinet early
| in December furnished one of the most
sensational features of the years war
developments. Demands of David
Lloyd-GeOrge for the formation of a
| smaller war council to obtain greater
efficiency forced the resignation of Pre-
mier Asquith. Lloyd-George was made
premier and selected a new cabinet
the prosecution of the war being
placed in the hands of FIVE men, in
Guiding the premier.
The first direct overtureS for peace
came on December IS, when Germany.
| Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turk y
sent identical notes TO the entente al
lies through the United States Spain
and Switzerland. proposing that ne
belligerents arrange conference for
the discussion of peace terms. The
notes were transmitted to the allied
governments by President Wilson with
out comment. The peace proposals
were received coldly. Premier Briand,
i'm the French house of deputies, is
sued a warning against q premature
peace, and the Russian duma, accord
ing TO announcement made December
l6 passed resolution favoring re-
fuSal on the part of the allied govern
70 Tor Sn%A