
Ostensibly exploring the practice of law before the internet. Heck, before good highways for that matter.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
The Easter Riots Commence in Quebec City, March 28, 1918.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Conscription in the English Speaking World. Passing an Anniversary

Which leaves us with the US.
We've explored that a bit in recent posts. Conscription was not a popular concept going into World War One by any means, having only strictly existed during the Civil War. The Wilson Administration was so concerned it would be poorly received that it attempted to camouflage its nature by calling it "Selective Service", a name it still officially retains in the United States, under the theory that the country would be fooled that the country was simply selecting volunteers, more or less. Nobody was fooled.
Generally, Americans volunteered enthusiastically, and enthusiastically accepted the draft, during the Great War. Nonetheless that well known story isn't as simple as it is often related to be. There were two uprising amongst southern yeoman populations against conscription during the war, one of which we've already discussed. These were serious armed uprisings, not mere protests. And hard left organizations, which were in some ways at the peak of their popularity in the country, were dead set against conscription. Organizations like the IWW actively campaigned against it.
The US did have compulsory militia duty on the part of military aged males from the colonial period up until after the Civil War, and that's a type of conscription, so this story isn't quite as clear as it might at first seem. That had passed away by the late 1800s, however, and the memory of it seems to have been largely forgotten. So the World War One draft was an unusual event. After the war conscription was halted, only to be reintroduced just prior to World War Two, but with very narrow support. It went away again after World War Two but, just as in the UK, it came back in 1948 with the need to form a large Cold War Army. It was retained in the US up until 1975, although nobody was conscripted after 1973.
Monday, April 25, 2016
Blog Mirror: Matthew Wright; It’s a century since the first Anzac Day services
It’s a century since the first Anzac Day services
It’s Anzac day today – the day New Zealand and Australia remember the dead of all their wars.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Mid Week At Work: New Zealand Foresters in France, World War One.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Sunday, August 30, 1914. The Imperial Russian Army destroyed at Tannenberg.
The German Army wiped out Imperial Russian forces at Tannenberg, taking 92,000 prisoners and inflicting 78,000 casualties. 10,000 Russian soldiers escaped. The Germans took 12,000 casualties.
French forces withdrew at Saint Quentin, but in an orderly fashion.
New Zealand invaded and took German Samoa.
Emiliano Zapata agreed to support the government of Venustiano Carranza.
Last edition:Saturday, August 23, 2014
Sunday, August 23, 1914. Maurice James Dease
The Battle of Mons occurred in which the BEF held the German forces, but began a month long retreat to the Marne.
Irishman Maurice James Dease became the first British officer to be killed in action, for which he additionally won the Victoria Cross.
The machine gun crews were constantly being knocked out. So cramped was their position that when a man was hit he had to be removed before another could take his place. The approach from the trench was across the open, and whenever a gun stopped Lieutenant Maurice Dease... went up to see what was wrong. To do this once called for no ordinary courage. To repeat it several times could only be done with real heroism. Dease was badly wounded on these journeys, but insisted on remaining at duty as long as one of his crew could fire. The third wound proved fatal, and a well deserved VC was awarded him posthumously. By this time both guns had ceased firing, and all the crew had been knocked out. In response to an inquiry whether anyone else knew how to operate the guns Private Godley came forward. He cleared the emplacement under heavy fire and brought the gun into action. But he had not been firing long before the gun was hit and put completely out of action. The water jackets of both guns were riddled with bullets, so that they were no longer of any use. Godley himself was badly wounded and later fell into the hands of the Germans.
German troops killed 654 Belgian civilians in Dinant, Belgium in confusion or panic regarding francs-tireurs
The French were defeated in the Battle of the Ardennes and the Battle of Charleroi.
The Battle of Tannenberg began between the German Army and the Imperial Russian Army.
The Battle of Kraśnik began between the Austro Hungarian Army and the Imperial Russian Army.
Japan declared war on Germany. China canceled the German lease of the Kiaochow Bay.
New Zealand occupied the German colony of German Samoa, following an unopposed invasion.
Last edition:
Saturday, August 22, 1914. British at Mons.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Thursday, August 4, 1914. Augusterlebnis
Germans, unaware that their nation would be bled white, and unalterably changed, celebrated the arrival of war.
All Germany's political parties supported the entry into the bloodbath.
And they were fighting for . . .what?
Germany replaced gold marks with paper marks for the duration of the war.
German Communists Karl Liebknecht, Rosa Luxemburg and Clara Zetkin co-founded with others the Spartacus League.
Germany invaded Belgium, once again bringing up its war guilt. Belgium had done nothing to offend Germany. It was invaded for tactical reasons as the Von Schlieffen Plan required it as part of a wide swinging German right flank invasion of France.
The German army shelled Kaisz, Poland to suppress a civil uprising there.
Imperial German Navy cruisers Goeben and Breslau shelled Algerian ports of Bône and Philippeville, defying orders to proceed straight to Constantinople.
The United Kingdom declared war on Germany, taking Canada, Australia and New Zealand into war with it, as legally, the UK declared war for its dominions at the time. The Canadian government passed the War Measures Act, suspending some civil liberties.
The British government took control of British railways.
Retired British Admiral Charles Cooper Penrose-Fitzgerald formed the Order of the White Feather to persuade women to offer white feathers to men not in uniform to shame them into enlisting.
The United States declared neutrality.
Andrew Carnegie continued with an international peace conference he had organized of religious leaders in Belgium.
The organization it created became the Church Peace Union and is now the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs.
Zayanes in Morocco launched a siege on Khenifra, Morocco, taking advantage of with French troops being withdrawn for service on the continent.
Last edition: