Countdown on the Great War: October 3, 1918

1.  Prince Max of Baden, head of the German government, sends his first note to Woodrow Wilson seeking peace.  It stated:

Berlin, October 3, 1918.
The German government requests that the President of the United States of America take the initiative in bringing about peace, that he inform all the belligerent states of this request, and that he invite them to send plenipotentiaries for purposes of beginning negotiations. The German government accepts as the basis for peace negotiations the program stated by the President of the United States in his speech to Congress of January 8, 1918, and in his subsequent pronouncements, particularly in his speech of September 27.
In order to avoid further bloodshed, the German government requests the immediate conclusion of an armistice on land, at sea, and in the air.
Signed: Max, Prince of Baden, Chancellor 

Price Faisal, the field head of the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire and later unfortunate King of Iraq.

2.  The Arab Revolt enters Damascus.

3.  The "Pursuit to Haritan" rapid advance in the Middle East commences.

4.  The U.S. Army's 2nd and 36th Divisions commence the Battle of Blanc Mount Ridge in the Champagne region of France which would lead to its clearing.

5.  King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria abdicates his thrown.

Bulgaria quits, Wilson Speaks (the Senate says no), Oil work continues in spite of winter, and Basin region residents draw unfair connections. Casper Daily Tribune, September 30, 1918.

Lots going on in this Monday afternoon edition of the Casper Daily Tribune, with the most shocking being that residents of the Big Horn Basin were drawing connections between events on the Mexican border and local Mexican immigrants.

The Basin had a fair number of Mexican immigrants due to it being a farming region, even back then a century ago. How they had any connection with border violence is truly a mystery, but some of the residents there were drawing that connection.

The Bolsheviks, who seized power in the name of the workers and the peasants. . .

decided on this day in 1918 that it had a right to conscript all of them. . . or at least the male ones.

It also announced that it had the right to be the only party around as it was the self declared voice for all the people.

On this same day, the new Greek Army, in its first major action of the war, defeated the Bulgarians in at Skra de Legen on the Macedonian Front, giving the Allies a victory, albeit not a major one, in a very troubled period.

Bulgaria declares war on Romania

The war expands a bit more.  Bulgaria declared war on Romania.  Bulgaria was a German ally in the war.

Unlike Romania, however Bulgaria had been at war since October 1915.  War with Romania had not been contemplated by the Central Powers until the summer of 1915 at which time contingency plans for the same were created. By the time of the Bulgarian declaration of war the Central Powers were in fact well prepared for war in the region, a fairly amazing feat given how stretched their resources then were.

Movies In History: The Grand Budapest Hotel

It may seem odd to some to see this film listed here, but it shouldn't.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is an Academy Award nominated film that was a bit of a surprise hit last year.  At least its a surprise to me, as it's the sort of unusual "small" story that we don't see get much attention anymore. The film itself almost recalls movies of the 1930s, during which it is set, more than contemporary movies.  And perhaps its a bit of a tribute to those films really.

It's masterfully done as well. Set in a fictional Eastern European country that we're lead to believe must have been part of the defunct Austro Hungarian Empire prior to its World War One collapse, the movies does a surprisingly good job of capturing the feel of those countries which had only lately entered into independence.  The Austro Hungarian Empire being multinational in nature, the mixed culture of those countries and those in its influence and orbit, such as Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and so on, is very well captured.  The film features a fair amount of the use of the German language. French shows up as well.  Last names are Slavic, German and perhaps Turkish.  The depiction of the cities is appropriately ornate.  The uniformed services shown in the film are also appropriately late Austrian in appearance. 

This film is in many ways truly odd, and very well done.  It is funny, but some of the humor is really off color and not appropriate for younger audiences. That comment would also apply to some of the things depicted in the film. But an American film pitched at a modern audience which features an Eastern European theme, set in the very early 1930s, is a real surprise, and that it did well is an even bigger surprise.