THE WORLD FAMOUS HISTORY AND PAST EVENTS

Russian soldiers in training posing for a photograph with a Maxim M1910 MG, ca. 1917. Today 109 years ago, on August 17, 1914, the Battle of Stallupönen began, the first major battle on the Eastern Front in the First World War. Following their Schlieffen Plan of first defeating France in the west and then Russia in the east, the Germans only deployed their 8th Army into East Prussia on the Eastern Front, upon declaring war on Russia on August 1, 1914. Opposing them were the Russian 1st and 2nd Armies to the north and further south, vastly outnumbering the Germans in troops.  The German 8th Army positioned themselves on a defensive line at Gumbinnen on the Angrapa river, 32 km from the Russian border. The plan was to retreat west to the Vistula river in case of a Russian attack. Feeling confident in his forces and being reluctant to give up German territory, Hermann von François, Commander of the German 1st Army Corps of the 8th Army, decided to disobey orders and engage the Russian...

German soldiers posing for a photograph with an abandoned British Mark IV tank, ca. 1917. During the First World War, tanks were often abandoned on the battlefield either due to mechanical malfunctions or getting stuck in the terrain.  For an example, in the Third Battle of Ypres in, tanks had initially been planned to play a supporting role for the infantry and artillery in maintaining the momentum of the offensive. Their specific task was to push forward after the infantry had conquered the German frontlines and needed time to consolidate. The terrain in Flanders was mostly flat, which was ideal for tanks. However, 3 years of incessant shelling had destroyed the draining system in Flanders, meaning whenever it rained the battlefield was turned into a muddy quagmire. When heavy rains began pouring down in early August 1917, the tanks struggled to advance through the muddy terrain, with several tanks having to be abandoned on the battlefield. Even on good grounds tanks were mechani...

German soldier with a Romanian civilian dwarf at his farm at Felsővisó (Vișeu de Sus) on the Romanian Front, 1917. Today 107 years ago, on August 27, 1916, Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary and invaded them in the Battle of Transylvania. Romania had drafted plans for a potential invasion of Austria-Hungary since 1913 which would now be executed. It called for the Romanian 2nd Army to invade Transylvania in the center of the front, with Budapest as the final objective, knocking out Austria-Hungary of the war as well. The 2nd Army would be supported on its left flank by the 1st Army and on its right flank by the 4th "North" Army. The three Romanian armies totalled 350,000 troops and would be up against just 4 depleted Austro-Hungarian Divisions of the A-H 1st Army guarding the Hungarian border in Transylvania. On August 27, 1916, Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary, as the Romanian Armies invaded Transylvania. The Romanian forces immediately advanced, only encounterin...

The remains of a fallen Italian soldier on Monte San Gabriele, killed during the 11th Battle of the Isonzo, November 4, 1917. Today 106 years ago, on August 18, 1917, the 11th Battle of the Isonzo began, the last Italian-launched Isonzo offensive, but also one of the most successful, yet bloody ones. By August 1917, the Russians were being pushed far back on the Eastern Front, and the British and French were struggling in the Third Battle of Ypres on the Western Front.  Ever since the 10th Battle of the Isonzo ended in June 1917, the Italians had prepared for another large offensive on the Isonzo, which would help their allies and hopefully break the Isonzo deadlock. The Italians would attack across the whole front but would concentrate their efforts north on the Bainsizza Plateau, an attack which would be carried out by the Italian 2nd Army. It was hoped a breakthrough here would out-flank the entire Austro-Hungarian lines, and the Italian 3rd Army would then attack further south ...

German soldiers helping wounded Romanian prisoners, 1917. Colourised by @cassowarycolorizations (Who thought these were Belgian soldiers, and colourised them as such). Today 106 years ago, on August 6, 1917, the Battle of Mărășești began between German and Romanian forces - a key battle on the Romanian Front. Following the Battle of Mărăști in July 1917, the Central Powers planned to go on the counter-offensive against Romania. The German 9th Army would strike the Romanian 1st Army and Russian 4th Army at Mărășești west of the Siret river, and the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army would attack the Romanian 2nd Army further northwest in the Oituz Valley, with the goal of forming a pincer movement encircling the Romanian 2nd Army and knocking them out of the war. On August 6, 1917, following a powerful 3-hour-long artillery bombardment, the German 9th Army attacked the Russian 4th Army at Mărășești, breaking through and forcing a 10 km breach, as the Russians retreated east across the Siret. The...

German soldiers helping wounded Romanian prisoners, 1917. Colourised by @cassowarycolorizations (Who thought these were Belgian soldiers, and colourised them as such). Today 106 years ago, on August 6, 1917, the Battle of Mărășești began between German and Romanian forces - a key battle on the Romanian Front. Following the Battle of Mărăști in July 1917, the Central Powers planned to go on the counter-offensive against Romania. The German 9th Army would strike the Romanian 1st Army and Russian 4th Army at Mărășești west of the Siret river, and the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army would attack the Romanian 2nd Army further northwest in the Oituz Valley, with the goal of forming a pincer movement encircling the Romanian 2nd Army and knocking them out of the war. On August 6, 1917, following a powerful 3-hour-long artillery bombardment, the German 9th Army attacked the Russian 4th Army at Mărășești, breaking through and forcing a 10 km breach, as the Russians retreated east across the Siret. The...

French cavalry observing a nearby aircraft flying towards the frontlines, July 11, 1917. This photograph, colourised by Benoit Vienne on Facebook, was taken today 106 years ago. In this intriguing photograph we see two different worlds - the past and the future. There's something very symbolic in how these French Cavalrymen holding outdated sabres are looking at these aircrafts - the old vs. the new world of warfare. Although traditional Cavalry wasn't completely discontinued, by the end of the First World War, the pilots had almost succeeded the cavalrymen in their position as the most noble, honorable and brave military branch in many people's eyes.