vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
Western Front (World War I)
At the outbreak of the First World War , the German Army , with seven field armies in the west and one in the east , executed a modified version of the Schlieffen Plan , moving quickly through neutral Belgium to attack France , and then turning southwards to encircle the French Army and trap it on the German border . The Western Front was the place where the most powerful military forces in Europe , the German and French armies , met and where the war was decided . Belgian neutrality had been guaranteed by Britain under the Treaty of London , 1839 ; this caused Britain to join the war at the expiration of its ultimatum at 11 pm GMT on 4 August . Armies under German generals Alexander von Kluck and Karl von Bülow attacked Belgium on 4 August 1914 . Luxembourg had been occupied without opposition on 2 August . The first battle in Belgium was the Siege of Liège , which lasted from 5 -- 16 August . Liège was well fortified and surprised the German Army under Bülow with its level of resistance . German heavy artillery was able to demolish the main forts within a few days . Following the fall of Liège , most of the Belgian field army retreated to Antwerp , leaving the garrison of Namur isolated , with the Belgian capital , Brussels , falling to the Germans on 20 August . Although the German army bypassed Antwerp , it remained a threat to their flank . Another siege followed at Namur , lasting from about 20 -- 23 August .
World War I
The Central Powers launched a crushing offensive on 26 October 1917 , spearheaded by the Germans . They achieved a victory at Caporetto ( Kobarid ) . The Italian Army was routed and retreated more than 100 kilometres ( 62 mi ) to reorganise , stabilising the front at the Piave River . Since the Italian Army had suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Caporetto , the Italian Government called to arms the so - called ' 99 Boys ( Ragazzi del ' 99 ) : that is , all males born 1899 and prior , and so were 18 years old or older . In 1918 , the Austro - Hungarians failed to break through in a series of battles on the Piave and were finally decisively defeated in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto in October of that year . On 1 November , the Italian Navy destroyed much of the Austro - Hungarian fleet stationed in Pula , preventing it from being handed over to the new State of Slovenes , Croats and Serbs . On 3 November , the Italians invaded Trieste from the sea . On the same day , the Armistice of Villa Giusti was signed . By mid-November 1918 , the Italian military occupied the entire former Austrian Littoral and had seized control of the portion of Dalmatia that had been guaranteed to Italy by the London Pact . By the end of hostilities in November 1918 , Admiral Enrico Millo declared himself Italy 's Governor of Dalmatia . Austria - Hungary surrendered on 11 November 1918 . Romanian
American Revolutionary War
In July , Clinton unsuccessfully attempted to coax Washington into a decisive engagement by making a major raid into Connecticut . That month , a large American naval operation attempted to retake Maine , but it resulted in the worst American naval defeat until Pearl Harbor in 1941 . The high frequency of Iroquois raids on the locals compelled Washington to mount a punitive expedition which destroyed a large number of Iroquois settlements , but the effort ultimately failed to stop the raids . During the winter of 1779 -- 80 , the Continental Army suffered greater hardships than at Valley Forge . Morale was poor ; public support was being eroded by the long war ; the national currency was virtually worthless ; the army was plagued with supply problems ; desertion was common ; and whole regiments mutinied over the conditions in early 1780 . Hamilton
Korean War
On 25 September , Seoul was recaptured by South Korean forces . U.S. air raids caused heavy damage to the KPA , destroying most of its tanks and much of its artillery . North Korean troops in the south , instead of effectively withdrawing north , rapidly disintegrated , leaving Pyongyang vulnerable . During the general retreat only 25,000 to 30,000 North Korean soldiers managed to reach the KPA lines . On 27 September , Stalin convened an emergency session of the Politburo , in which he condemned the incompetence of the KPA command and held Soviet military advisers responsible for the defeat .
Axis powers
Slovakia declared war on the Soviet Union in 1941 and signed the revived Anti-Comintern Pact in 1941 . Slovak troops fought on Germany 's Eastern Front , furnishing Germany with two divisions totaling 80,000 men . Slovakia declared war on the United Kingdom and the United States in 1942 .
Peloponnesian War
Greek warfare , meanwhile , originally a limited and formalized form of conflict , was transformed into an all - out struggle between city - states , complete with atrocities on a large scale . Shattering religious and cultural taboos , devastating vast swathes of countryside , and destroying whole cities , the Peloponnesian War marked the dramatic end to the fifth century BC and the golden age of Greece .
Great Britain in the Seven Years' War
With evidence of growing Franco - Spanish co-operation , Pitt suggested it was only a matter of time before Spain entered the war . The prospect of war with Spain shattered the cabinet unity which had existed up to that point . Pitt strongly advocated a pre-emptive strike which would allow them to capture the annual plate fleet , denying Spain of its vital resources of wealth which were shipped in . The rest of the cabinet refused , and Pitt resigned . In spite of this war with Spain swiftly became unavoidable , and on 4 January 1762 Britain duly declared war on Spain . Almost immediately , British ships under Admiral Charles Saunders moved to blockade Cadiz one of the most important Spanish naval bases .
American Revolutionary War
This article may be too long to read and navigate comfortably . The readable prose size is 102 kilobytes . Please consider splitting content into sub-articles , condensing it , or adding or removing subheadings . ( January 2018 )
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
The phrase `` terrible , horrible , no good , very bad ... '' has become an Internet meme , often used by bloggers , and sometimes by mainstream media , to criticize , or characterize setbacks for , an individual or political movement . The phrase is also used in the Stephen King miniseries Kingdom Hospital by the orderlies Abel and Christa .
World War I
News of Germany 's impending military defeat spread throughout the German armed forces . The threat of mutiny was rife . Admiral Reinhard Scheer and Ludendorff decided to launch a last attempt to restore the `` valour '' of the German Navy . Knowing the government of Prince Maximilian of Baden would veto any such action , Ludendorff decided not to inform him . Nonetheless , word of the impending assault reached sailors at Kiel . Many , refusing to be part of a naval offensive , which they believed to be suicidal , rebelled and were arrested . Ludendorff took the blame ; the Kaiser dismissed him on 26 October . The collapse of the Balkans meant that Germany was about to lose its main supplies of oil and food . Its reserves had been used up , even as U.S. troops kept arriving at the rate of 10,000 per day . The Americans supplied more than 80 % of Allied oil during the war , and there was no shortage .
War of 1812
By the 21st century it was a forgotten war in Britain , although still remembered in Canada , especially Ontario . In a 2009 poll , 37 % of Canadians said the war was a Canadian victory , 9 % said the U.S. won , 15 % called it a draw , and 39 % said they knew too little to comment . A 2012 poll found that in a list of items that could be used to define Canadians ' identity , the belief that Canada successfully repelled an American invasion in the War of 1812 places second ( 25 % ) .
List of films considered the worst
The Western epic Heaven 's Gate , loosely based on the Johnson County War in 1890s Wyoming , was plagued by massive cost and time overruns , largely due to director Michael Cimino 's extreme attention to detail . He demanded 50 takes of at least one scene , and refused to start shooting for another until a cloud he liked rolled across the sky . It cost over $44 million , but brought in only $3.5 million at the box office . The original version ran at nearly four hours , but was yanked from release after only one week due to scathing reviews . It later resurfaced in a 149 - minute version , but by then the damage was done . Vincent Canby famously called it `` an unqualified disaster '' , among other things . Roger Ebert called it `` the most scandalous cinematic waste I 've ever seen '' .
United Kingdom and the American Civil War
In 1863 , the Confederacy expelled all foreign consuls ( all of them British or French diplomats ) for advising their subjects to refuse to serve in combat against the US .
Military history of the United States
The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States . The lead up to the war began with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 which was met with immediate economic sanctions by the United Nations against Iraq . The coalition commenced hostilities in January 1991 , resulting in a decisive victory for the U.S. led coalition forces , which drove Iraqi forces out of Kuwait with minimal coalition deaths . Despite the low death toll , over 180,000 US veterans would later be classified as `` permanently disabled '' according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs ( see Gulf War Syndrome ) . The main battles were aerial and ground combat within Iraq , Kuwait and bordering areas of Saudi Arabia . Land combat did not expand outside of the immediate Iraq / Kuwait / Saudi border region , although the coalition bombed cities and strategic targets across Iraq , and Iraq fired missiles on Israeli and Saudi cities .
United States declaration of war on Japan
The attack on Pearl Harbor took place before a declaration of war by Japan had been delivered to the United States . It was originally stipulated that the attack should not commence until thirty minutes after Japan had informed the US that it was withdrawing from further peace negotiations , but the attack began before the notice could be delivered . Tokyo transmitted the 5,000 - word notification -- known as the `` 14 - Part Message '' -- in two blocks to the Japanese Embassy in Washington . However , because of the very secret nature of the message , it had to be decoded , translated and typed up by high embassy officials , who were unable to do these tasks in the available time . Hence , the ambassador did not deliver it until after the attack had begun . But even if it had been , the notification was worded so that it actually neither declared war nor severed diplomatic relations , so it was not a proper declaration of war as required by diplomatic traditions .
Economic history of World War I
Total spending by the national government reached 170 billion marks during the war , of which taxes covered only 8 % , and the rest was borrowed from German banks and private citizens . Eight national war loans reached out to the entire population and raised 100 million marks . It proved almost impossible to borrow money from outside . The national debt rose from only 5 billion marks in 1914 to 156 billion in 1918 . These bonds became worthless in 1923 because of hyperinflation .
World War I
In December , the Central Powers signed an armistice with Russia , thus freeing large numbers of German troops for use in the west . With German reinforcements and new American troops pouring in , the outcome was to be decided on the Western Front . The Central Powers knew that they could not win a protracted war , but they held high hopes for success based on a final quick offensive . Furthermore , both sides became increasingly fearful of social unrest and revolution in Europe . Thus , both sides urgently sought a decisive victory .
British Empire in World War II
On 1 September 1939 , Germany invaded Poland . Two days later , on 3 September , after a British ultimatum to Germany to cease military operations was ignored , Britain and France declared war on Germany . Britain 's declaration of war automatically committed India , the Crown colonies , and the protectorates , but the 1931 Statute of Westminster had granted autonomy to the Dominions so each decided their course separately .
Appeasement
`` How horrible , fantastic , incredible it is that we should be digging trenches and trying on gas masks here because of a quarrel in a far - away country between people of whom we know nothing . '' Neville Chamberlain , 27 September 1938 , 8 p.m. radio broadcast , on Czechoslovak refusal to accept Nazi demands to cede border areas to Germany .
Axis powers
Italy was ill - prepared for war , in spite of the fact that it had continuously been involved in conflict since 1935 , first with Ethiopia in 1935 -- 1936 and then in the Spanish Civil War on the side of Francisco Franco 's Nationalists . Mussolini refused to heed warnings from his minister of exchange and currency , Felice Guarneri , who said that Italy 's actions in Ethiopia and Spain meant that Italy was on the verge of bankruptcy . By 1939 military expenditures by Britain and France far exceeded what Italy could afford . As a result of Italy 's economic difficulties its soldiers were poorly paid , often being poorly equipped and poorly supplied , and animosity arose between soldiers and class - conscious officers ; these contributed to low morale amongst Italian soldiers . Military planning was deficient , as the Italian government had not decided on which theatre would be the most important . Power over the military was overcentralized to Mussolini 's direct control ; he personally undertook to direct the ministry of war , the navy , and the air force . The navy did not have any aircraft carriers to provide air cover for amphibious assaults in the Mediterranean , as the Fascist regime believed that the air bases on the Italian Peninsula would be able to do this task . Italy 's army had outmoded artillery and the armoured units used outdated formations not suited to modern warfare . Diversion of funds to the air force and navy to prepare for overseas operations meant less money was available for the army ; the standard rifle was a design that dated back to 1891 . The Fascist government failed to learn from mistakes made in Ethiopia and Spain ; it ignored the implications of the Italian Fascist volunteer soldiers being routed at the Battle of Guadalajara in the Spanish Civil War . Military exercises by the army in the Po Valley in August 1939 disappointed onlookers , including King Victor Emmanuel III . Mussolini who was angered by Italy 's military unpreparedness , dismissed Alberto Pariani as Chief of Staff of the Italian military in 1939 .
Spanish–American War
This new `` yellow journalism '' was , however , uncommon outside New York City , and historians no longer consider it the major force shaping the national mood . Public opinion nationwide did demand immediate action , overwhelming the efforts of President McKinley , Speaker of the House Thomas Brackett Reed , and the business community to find a negotiated solution . Wall Street , big business , high finance and Main Street businesses across the country were vocally opposed to war and demanded peace . After years of severe depression , the economic outlook for the domestic economy was suddenly bright again in 1897 . However , the uncertainties of warfare posed a serious threat to full economic recovery . `` War would impede the march of prosperity and put the country back many years , '' warned the New Jersey Trade Review . The leading railroad magazine editorialized , `` From a commercial and mercenary standpoint it seems peculiarly bitter that this war should come when the country had already suffered so much and so needed rest and peace . '' McKinley paid close attention to the strong anti-war consensus of the business community , and strengthened his resolve to use diplomacy and negotiation rather than brute force to end the Spanish tyranny in Cuba . The
Thirteen Colonies
The French and Indian War ( 1754 -- 63 ) was the American extension of the general European conflict known as the Seven Years ' War . Previous colonial wars in North America had started in Europe and then spread to the colonies , but the French and Indian War is notable for having started in North America and spread to Europe . One of the primary causes of the war was increasing competition between Britain and France , especially in the Great Lakes and Ohio valley .
Balkan Wars
Events leading to World War I Triple Alliance 1882 Franco - Russian Alliance 1894 Anglo - German naval arms race 1898 -- 1912 Venezuela Naval Blockade 1902 -- 1903 Entente Cordiale 1904 Russo - Japanese War 1904 -- 1905 First Moroccan Crisis 1905 -- 1906 Anglo - Russian Entente 1907 Bosnian crisis 1908 -- 1909 Agadir Crisis 1911 Italo - Turkish War 1911 -- 1912 Balkan Wars 1912 -- 1913 Assassination of Franz Ferdinand 1914 July Crisis 1914
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
In 1945 , the Pacific War between the Empire of Japan and the Allies entered its fourth year . The Japanese fought fiercely , ensuring that the Allied victory would come at an enormous cost . The 1.25 million battle casualties that were incurred by the United States in World War II included both military personnel killed in action and wounded in action . Nearly one million of the casualties occurred during the last year of the war , from June 1944 to June 1945 . In December 1944 , American battle casualties hit an all - time monthly high of 88,000 as a result of the German Ardennes Offensive . In the Pacific , the Allies returned to the Philippines , recaptured Burma , and invaded Borneo . Offensives were undertaken to reduce the Japanese forces remaining in Bougainville , New Guinea and the Philippines . In April 1945 , American forces landed on Okinawa , where heavy fighting continued until June . Along the way , the ratio of Japanese to American casualties dropped from 5 : 1 in the Philippines to 2 : 1 on Okinawa .
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Later , referring to Franz Ferdinand 's assassination , Vaso Čubrilović said : `` We destroyed a beautiful world that was lost forever due to the war that followed . ''
Great Britain in the Seven Years' War
The last major conflict in Europe , the War of the Austrian Succession , had ended in 1748 with the Treaty of Aix - la - Chapelle , following a bloody war which had left large parts of Central Europe devastated . The peace terms were unpopular with many , however , as they largely retained the status quo -- which led the people of states such as France , Britain and Austria to believe they had not made sufficient gains for their efforts in the war . By the early 1750s many saw another major war as imminent , and Austria was preparing its forces for an attempt to retake Silesia from Prussia .
War of 1812
Historians generally agree that the real losers of the War of 1812 were the Indians ( called First Nations in Canada ) . Hickey says :
World War II
Frustrated at the lack of progress and feeling the pinch of the American - British - Dutch sanctions , Japan prepared for war . On 20 November a new government under Hideki Tojo presented an interim proposal as its final offer . It called for the end of American aid to China and for the supply of oil and other resources to Japan . In exchange Japan promised not to launch any attacks in Southeast Asia and to withdraw its forces from southern Indochina . The American counter-proposal of 26 November required that Japan evacuate all of China without conditions and conclude non-aggression pacts with all Pacific powers . That meant Japan was essentially forced to choose between abandoning its ambitions in China , or seizing the natural resources it needed in the Dutch East Indies by force ; the Japanese military did not consider the former an option , and many officers considered the oil embargo an unspoken declaration of war .
Central Powers
Austria - Hungary 's invasion of Serbia resulted in Russia declaring war on the country and Germany in turn declared war on Russia , setting off the beginning of the clash of alliances that resulted in the World War .
Soviet Union in World War II
Even though it won the conflict , the war had a profound and devastating long - term effect in the Soviet Union . The financial burden was catastrophic : by one estimate , the Soviet Union spent $192 billion . The US lend - lease around $11 billion in supplies to the Soviet Union during the war . Anastasia V. Zotova gives a slightly different estimate of 666.4 billion rubles in Soviet military expenditure during the war , equivalent to $125.7 billion .
World War I
Other opposition came from conscientious objectors -- some socialist , some religious -- who refused to fight . In Britain , 16,000 people asked for conscientious objector status . Some of them , most notably prominent peace activist Stephen Henry Hobhouse , refused both military and alternative service . Many suffered years of prison , including solitary confinement and bread and water diets . Even after the war , in Britain many job advertisements were marked `` No conscientious objectors need apply '' .
Allies of World War II
Canada was a sovereign Dominion under the Canadian monarchy , as per the Statute of Westminster 1931 . In a symbolic statement of autonomous foreign policy Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King delayed parliament 's vote on a declaration of war for seven days after Britain had declared war . Canada was the last member of the Commonwealth to declare war on Germany on 10 September 1939 .
World War I
Germany attempted to use Indian nationalism and pan-Islamism to its advantage , instigating uprisings in India , and sending a mission that urged Afghanistan to join the war on the side of Central powers . However , contrary to British fears of a revolt in India , the outbreak of the war saw an unprecedented outpouring of loyalty and goodwill towards Britain . Indian political leaders from the Indian National Congress and other groups were eager to support the British war effort , since they believed that strong support for the war effort would further the cause of Indian Home Rule . The Indian Army in fact outnumbered the British Army at the beginning of the war ; about 1.3 million Indian soldiers and labourers served in Europe , Africa , and the Middle East , while the central government and the princely states sent large supplies of food , money , and ammunition . In all , 140,000 men served on the Western Front and nearly 700,000 in the Middle East . Casualties of Indian soldiers totalled 47,746 killed and 65,126 wounded during World War I . The suffering engendered by the war , as well as the failure of the British government to grant self - government to India after the end of hostilities , bred disillusionment and fuelled the campaign for full independence that would be led by Mohandas K. Gandhi and others .
World War I
A number of nationalists opposed intervention , particularly within states that the nationalists were hostile to . Although the vast majority of Irish people consented to participate in the war in 1914 and 1915 , a minority of advanced Irish nationalists staunchly opposed taking part . The war began amid the Home Rule crisis in Ireland that had resurfaced in 1912 and , by July 1914 , there was a serious possibility of an outbreak of civil war in Ireland . Irish nationalists and Marxists attempted to pursue Irish independence , culminating in the Easter Rising of 1916 , with Germany sending 20,000 rifles to Ireland to stir unrest in Britain . The UK government placed Ireland under martial law in response to the Easter Rising ; although , once the immediate threat of revolution had dissipated , the authorities did try to make concessions to nationalist feeling . However , opposition to involvement in the war increased in Ireland , resulting in the Conscription Crisis of 1918 .