THE WORLD FAMOUS HISTORY AND PAST EVENTS

German soldier posing for a photograph with his children before going off to the war, 1914. The following is excerpts of Danish-German soldier Peter Poulsen's diary entry from the Western Front in June 1918, detailing of the tragic case of his Polish comrade. Translated by myself:  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ "Around 8 days ago we had welcomed a comrade back, a huge Pole named Gulochinsky. He was a reserved and quiet man, big and strong, and everyone held him dearly; but we also sensed that he had something on his mind. We tried to enquire on it, but no one could convince him to open up. The French attack never materialized. They took up positions in a forest some 3 km away, and those of us who weren't on guard then received the orders to sleep in those small dug-outs, where there were space for 4 men in each. Three of us had went inside and laid down, the fourth was the Pole. He too came inside and laid down quietly; but after a few minutes he stood up, walked over to me and grabbed my ...

Painting depicting Austro-Hungarian soldiers attacking Russian positions, ca. 1914. Today 109 years ago, on August 23, 1914, the Battle of Galicia began, also known as the Battle of Lemberg, a key battle on the Eastern Front between Russian and Austro-Hungarian forces. Austro-Hungarian Chief-of-Staff Conrad von Hötzendorf sought to defeat the Russians quickly. He planned to attack at the Russians' weakest point, that being in the region of Galicia, allocating some 950,000 troops for the offensive. To meet the anticipated assault, the Russians deployed some 1,200,000 of their own troops in Galicia.  Despite being heavily outnumbered, on August 23, 1914, the A-H attacked the Russians at Kraśnik, at the northern part of the front, pushing them back. On August 26, the A-H attacked at Komarów, also in the north, and also achieving a breakthrough here. They took 26,000 Russian prisoners. At Gnila Lipa, at the southern part of the front, the A-H attacked on August 29, despite being outnum...

Belgian soldiers wearing straw-camouflaged caps posing for a photograph following the Battle of Halen, August 17, 1914.  Today 109 years ago, on August 12, 1914, the Battle of Halen was fought in Belgium on the Western Front between German and Belgian forces, also known as the "Battle of the Silver Helmets" due to the large amounts of German cuirassier helmets left behind on the battlefield. On August 5, 1914, the Germans had attacked in the Battle of Liège, considered the first major battle of the Western Front. The fortress city of Liège was conquered on August 7, though surrounding Belgian forts were still offering stiff resistance. The Germans therefore looked to advance further north across the Gete river. Several of the few bridges in the region across the Gete were found in the small village of Halen, which the Germans planned to cross with an infantry attack, which Cavalry could then exploit and advance deep into Belgium in order to outflank the Belgian forces at Lièg...

Belgian soldiers resting with a dog-pulled Maxim machine-gun, August 20, 1914. Colourised by @mementocolores. Today 109 years ago, on August 5, 1914, the Battle/Siege of Liège began between Belgian and German forces, which can be considered the first major battle of the Western Front. Liège is a city in eastern Belgium with a protective ring of 12 forts, built in 1892. Liège was a railway hub connecting Brussels, Paris and Germany, meaning if conquered, it could be a useful asset to Germany.  The Belgians realized this and sent 32,000 soldiers and 280 guns to defend the city and forts. On August 4, 1914, the Germans declared war on Belgium and invaded them, and had by August 5 reached Liège. On the night of August 5, 1914, 30,000 German troops attacked the villages and forts surrounding Liège. The Germans met fierce resistance from the Belgian soldiers and even civilians, who in house-to-house fights managed to inflict many casualties on the Germans, and following Belgian artillery...

German soldier posing for a photograph with his children before going off to the war, 1914. The following is excerpts of Danish-German soldier Peter Poulsen's diary entry from the Western Front in June 1918, detailing of the tragic case of his Polish comrade. Translated by myself:  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ "Around 8 days ago we had welcomed a comrade back, a huge Pole named Gulochinsky. He was a reserved and quiet man, big and strong, and everyone held him dearly; but we also sensed that he had something on his mind. We tried to enquire on it, but no one could convince him to open up. The French attack never materialized. They took up positions in a forest some 3 km away, and those of us who weren't on guard then received the orders to sleep in those small dug-outs, where there were space for 4 men in each. Three of us had went inside and laid down, the fourth was the Pole. He too came inside and laid down quietly; but after a few minutes he stood up, walked over to me and grabbed my ...

"A Powerful Collision" - German postcard depicting a giant German soldier crushing  British, French and Russian soldiers, 1914. Today 109 years ago, on July 5, 1914, Germany issued its infamous Blank Cheque to Austria-Hungary, pledging their full unconditional support in the case of a war with Serbia. Following the assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, on July 5 Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Josef sent a telegram to German Kaiser Wilhelm II explaining that he was contemplating taking military action against Serbia for the assassination. Kaiser Wilhelm II felt compelled to support his Austrian ally, especially since he felt a personal loss with the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. With Germany surrounded by France in the west, Russia in the east and Britain at sea, he also realized Austria-Hungary was Germany's only trustworthy ally, with Italy deemed unreliable in the case of war. In the afternoon of July 5, the Kaiser assembled a...