In 1914, the world entered what was at the time the deadliest war in its history. In the months following the outbreak of hostilities, thousands from every great power died on the field of battle, killed in a war they were told would be over by Christmas. It is surprising then, that for a fewContinue reading “December 25th in German History: The Christmas Truce”
Tag Archives: WWI
August 30th in German History: The Battle of Tannenberg
In the first months of WWI, both the Eastern and Western Fronts were very mobile. In the west, Germany advanced into Belgium and France outflanking their enemy and occupying valuable territory. In the east, Russian, German, and Austrian armies clashed, the use of railways enabling the easy movement and concentration of forces. The initial RussianContinue reading “August 30th in German History: The Battle of Tannenberg”
August 20th in German History: Germany Captures Brussels
Soon after Germany entered WWI, it invaded the neutral nation of Belgium. It wanted to bypass French defenses on the French-German border and so sought to move troops through Belgian territory. When the Belgian government refused to allow German armies to pass, Germany declared war and quickly invaded the kingdom. Although the Belgians fought bravely,Continue reading “August 20th in German History: Germany Captures Brussels”
August 15th in German History: The Great Phenol Plot is Uncovered
The First World War was a dark and horrible conflict which saw the deaths of millions of soldiers and civilians. However, it was not fought by men in the trenches alone. Numerous instances of subterfuge were attempted by both sides in order to help swing the war in their favor. One such ploy was theContinue reading “August 15th in German History: The Great Phenol Plot is Uncovered”
April 21st in German History: The Last Flight of the Red Baron
On April 21st, 1917, Manfred von Richthofen died. More popularly known as the Red Baron, his exploits during the First World War are famous not just in Germany, but in Europe and the world at large. Gaining the name because of his noble heritage and his plane’s distinctive color, Manfred was the most successful fighterContinue reading “April 21st in German History: The Last Flight of the Red Baron”
April 17th in German History: The Second Battle of Gaza
April 17th is another date in German military history. On this day in 1917, the Second Battle of Gaza began as the British expeditionary force began the next phase of its Palestine campaign. The battle saw British, and British Imperial, troops attack fortified positions defended by soldiers of the Ottoman Empire. The battle is notContinue reading “April 17th in German History: The Second Battle of Gaza”
April 16th in German History: The Signing of The Treaty of Rapallo
The study of history focuses to a great extent on the wars that have so often defined it. This focus may be justified, wars are certainly important, but it can give the impression that human history is nothing but a series of wars and ignores the many attempts at creating peace between nations. One ofContinue reading “April 16th in German History: The Signing of The Treaty of Rapallo”
March 31st in German History: The First Moroccan Crisis
One topic that often receives little attention in American history courses are the crises that preceded the First World War but were resolved. The most important of these crises was the Agadir Crisis of 1911 which saw France and Germany clash over France’s Moroccan expansion. That crisis, though, was only the last of multiple MoroccanContinue reading “March 31st in German History: The First Moroccan Crisis”
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