Las Vegas age. [volume] (Las Vegas, Nev.) 1905-1947, 1919-01-11
REVIEW OF THE WAR
FOR THE YEAR 1918
How the Hosts of Democracy
Were Thrown Into Battle
fields and Won the War.

TleiuS anu tVOn lno WAL
When the year 1918 was ushered
in the outcome of the titanic strug-
gle engaging the attention of the
whole world trembled in the balance,
with the odds in favor of the Central
Powers.
During the last few months of 1917
conditions had suddenly gone back
to those of the opening days of the
war
Russia had ceased to be military
factor, German troops were thus re-
leased in the east to reinforce those
on the western front and carry peril
to Paris and threaten the capture of
the channel ports. The German army
was armed and trained to the last
degree of perfection and animated
by a hope of success, which, based
upon it's almost immeasurable
strength, amounted to conviction.
In Picardy in November, 1917, the
British army, under General Byng,
gained a brilliant success in a sur
prise tank attack in front of Cam
brai and almost drove into the town
ITSELF but the Germans by counter
attack regained all lost ground and
the golden moment which had raised
high the hopes of the Allies passed.
Still the British were doggedly and
grimly holding on.
The defeat of the French army in
May, 1917, had shaken it to it's foun-
dation and in the fall of that year it
passed through a period of reorgani-
zation and renaissance. General Pc
tain had been assigned the task of
restoring confidence and discipline,
while behind the army, the nation un-
der Clemenceau, cleaned its high
places of those who had conspired
against victory and held secret con-
ferences with the foe.
In November, 1917. Italy had suf,
fered her first great reverse of the
war. Her population and army, like
that of France, had been corrupted
by enemy propaganda and by pacifist
efforts. One day advancing and seem
ingly on the eve of decisive victory
General Cadronas armies on the next
found their rear flank imperiled and
were forced to retreat behind the
Piave. Italy had suffered one of the
greatest defeats in history; her es-
cape from utter ruin had been by
such a narrow margin that the ques-
ton of her future capacity to fight
was one of grave concern to the AL
lies.
The brave Belgian troops were
doggedly holding on. but after over
three years of fighting with scarcely
a show of success, their spirits were
low.
America had been nine months in
the war, but was handicapped from
the start by this country's unprepar-
edness. Up to the beginning of the
year 1918, 10000 men had been sent
overseas and these were not yet rea-
dy for active participation. At first
the Entente had asked for materials
and money rather than men and was
just beginning to awaken to the fact
that the outcome of the war was to
be decided by race between Ameri-
ca and Germany. The latter had al
ready forty odd divisions more than
the British and Freneh-could the
Entente Powers hold out until the
Yanks arrived, catch their breath and
take their place in the front line
trenches?
Add to the advantage of numbers
the Hun held an interior position, a
unified command and a homogeneous
army. He had devised new system
of attack, which included the ele-
ment of surprise and the use of gas
to paralize the. rearward communica-
tions of the Allies; he had a new
small and mobile gun, which made
rapid moving of infantry waves pos
sible, and he had generals who were
trained in eastern warfare and not
tied to long periods of trench war
fare as had been those of the west.
Germany, through Count Czernin of
Austria, renewed her efforts on De-
cember 26, 1917. to obtain a peace
which would leave to her all the
fruits of victory gained through Rus
sia's collapse and her acquisition of
Belgian and French territory.
The calander year of 1917 ended
and that of 1918 began for the Allies
amid the most gloomy of all circum-
stances. British successes early in
1917 had been diminished by failures
costing thousands upon thousands of
lives; the French army had not only
seen it's hopes come to naught on the