Saturday, December 4, 1915. The war concludes against Serbia.

 

The Central Powers took Debar, Serbia, ending the Kosovo Offensive and effectively eliminating the Serbian army

The original war aim, now hopelessly lost, was achieved.

The Pan American International Exposition closed.

Last edition:

Friday, December 3, 1915. Mexican border situation serious.

Labels: 1920s, 1925, Ireland, Moldova, Northern Ireland, Romania, Spain, Spanish Civil War

Friday, December 3, 1915. Mexican border situation serious.

The Casper paper termed the situation on the border "serious".

The retreating British Indian Army arrived at Kut, Iraq.

The British reinforced Matruh, Egypt, to guard against the Senussis.

Last edition:

Thursday, December 2, 1915. A Villa massacre.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, Constitutionalist Army, Conventionists, Mexican Revolution, Mexico, Pancho Villa, Venustiano Carranza, War Crimes, Yaqui people

Tuesday, November 30, 1915. Carranza on the International Bridge.

 

Venustiano Carranza met Col. Augustus P. Blocksom on the International Bridge between Matamoros and Brownsville. People were smiling, but all was not well.

Blocksom had been in the Army since 1877. He was a cavalryman and would rise to the rank of Maj. General during World War One, although he would serve in the Great War as a training officer, completing his service as the commander of the Army in the Pacific.  His career had been very distinguished.  He retired in 1918, and died in 1931 at age 76.

 Blocksom i n1918, with the stress of the war, even stateside, very clearly showing on him.

Woodrow Wilson created the Walnut Canyon National Monument near Flagstaff, Arizona.

And for the last day of November:

Interesting that Ross went with a sporting theme. The Canadian Army had adopted a variant of the Ross as a service rifle, where it really hadn't worked out due to being too finely machined to really function well in the dirty conditions of Northern France.  In some ways, that fact would lead to the Ross' demise.

Last edition:

Sunday, November 28, 1915. Going after Zapata.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, Álvaro Obregón, Constitutionalist Army, Emiliano Zapata, Mexican Revolution, Mexico

Saturday, November 27, 1915. Casper's Fr. McGee passes.

It was a Saturday.

An illustration by James Montgomery Flagg graced the cover of the comedic Judge, making sport of November weather, and sports.

The Saturday Evening Post just went with an illustration of contemporary beauty.

Country Gentleman had an illustration of a white turkey, but I can't find a good image of it to post.

The British government introduced legislation to restrict housing rents to their pre Great War levels  following Glasgow rent strikes.

A second KKK chapter was established in Stone Mountain, Georgia, showing the rapid growth of the racist organization.  Of note, a newspaper in Colorado that was black owned and operated campaigned on this day for keeping Birth of a Nation out of Colorado.

In Casper, a tragedy struck the local Catholic community with the death of Fr. McGee, who was just 27 years old.

I'd heard or read of Fr. McGee, but I didn't know anything about him, including that he died so young.

The local paper also reported that troops were headed to the border in light of the Second Battle of Nogales having just occured.

A rather grim photograph was taken of French soldiers gathering up battlefield dead, French and German.

Weather at Gallipoli continued to be bad.

The Great Blizzard at Gallipoli

Last edition:

Friday, November 26, 1915. Battle of Nogales.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, Arizona (Nogales), Gallipoli, Mexican Revolution, Mexico, Mining, Nogales Arizona-Sonora, panoramic, Second Battle of Nogales, Sonora (Nogales), Whatever It Is I'm against it, Wisconsin, World War One

Friday, November 26, 1915. Battle of Nogales.

Villista's commenced firing on U.S. troops across the border in Nogales, Arizona, from Nogales, Sonora.  The 12th Infantry responded with counter fire in an engagement that lasted over two hours until Constitutionalistas troops arrived and attacked the Villistas.

The attack followed a series of cross border raids by unknown, but probably Villistas, forces.  The day prior Mascarena's Ranch had bee raided in such an event.

Villa's troops had been attempting to withdraw from Nogales but had their efforts frustrated with Obregon's troops captured a troop train they were using.  The Villista firing into Nogales started after that.  Some U.S. forces crossed into Mexico during the fight, prior ro the arrival of Obregon's troops.  Later in the day, the 10th Cavalry engaged in a 30 minute firefight with the Constitutionalistas.

Bad weather set in at Gallipoli, adding to the misery and to Allied casualties.

Other news of the day:

Today -100: November 26, 1915: I know that moral pressure will not be without its effect

Martin Mine, Benton, Wis., November 25, 1915.

Cleveland Mine, Hazel Green, Wis, November 26, 1915.

Last edition:

Thursday, November 25, 1915. Retreat of the Serbs and General Relativity.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, Albania, Albert Einstein, Constitutionalist Army, Lodging, Mexican Revolution, Mexico, Nogales Arizona-Sonora, Science, Serbian Army, Thanksgiving, United Kingdom, World War One

Thursday, November 25, 1915. Retreat of the Serbs and General Relativity.

It was Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.

It apparently was a tense one on the the border.

Serbian Field Marshal Radomir Putnik ordered a retreat of Serbian forces military through Albania and Montenegro. 155,000 Serbian soldiers and civilians to escape to the Adriatic Sea, but an estimated 200,000 more died of exposure, starvation and attacks by enemy soldiers and local Albanian militia.

Parliament passed an act to restrict rent and mortgage rate increases during the ongoing war.

Albert Einstein submitted his paper 'The Field Equations of Gravitation' for publication in 1915, which gave the correct field equations for the theory of general relativity. German mathematician David Hilbert had submitted an article containing the correct field equations for general relativity five days before.

Last edition:

Wednesday, November 24, 1915. Withdrawals at Ctesiphon.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, 1920s, 1922, 1925, Battle of Ctesiphon, British Army, Bulgarian Army, Kosovo Offensive, Ku Klux Klan, Movies, Ottoman Army, Personalities, Racism

Tuesday, November 23, 1915. Turned back at Ctesiphon.

British forces failed to break through Ottoman lines at Ctesiphon.

Sikh troops were deployed by the British to Matruah in response to Senussi attacks.

German and Bulgarian troops in the battle for Pristina on November 23, 1915.

Last edition:

Monday, November 22, 1915. British turned back in Mesopotamia.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, Battle of Ctesiphon, Battle of Krivolak, British Army, Disaster, French Army, Indian Army, Iraq, Macedonia, Mesopotamia, Mexican Revolution, Mexico, Nogales Arizona-Sonora, Ottoman Army, Pancho Villa, Washington

Friday, November 19, 1915. Joe Hill executed.

Trade Union leader and member of the IWW was executed for the murder of John and Arling Morrison in Salt Lake City  in 1914.  His guilt continues to be contested, and Hill became sort of a martyr for trade union activism.

Hill was a Swede born as Joel Emmanuel Hägglund in an era when a lot of Scandinavian and Eastern European immigrants were fairly radicalized.  

Hill may in fact have not been guilty of the murder he was accused of.  Morrison, a former policeman and grocer, along with his son, was shot and killed by two men.  Later that evening Hill arrived at a doctor's office with a gunshot wound and claimed it was sustained in a fight over a women.  He refused to say more, even later.  Evidence developed as late as 2011 suggest that Hill was telling the truth initially, and that he was shot by Otto Appelquist, a friend of his.  Both Appelquist and Hill were lodgers of the Erickson family, and rivals for her attentions.  Hill apparently told Erickson that Appelquist had shot him before going to seek medical attention, but he never revealed the details for his defense at trial, which is peculiar.

Hill, who was a songwriter himself, was famously memorialized in the balled "Joe Hill".

It's a bit much, frankly, particularly if he was shot by a fellow Swede over the affection of a Swedish American girl. That's drama, but not that sort of drama.

It's interesting that he never revealed the details of what would have been a pretty good alibi. Given the immigrant connection, he may have felt that he simply didn't want to get them in trouble.

Richard Bell Davies of the Royal Naval Air Service landed his Nieuport to rescue downed airman Gilbert Smylie in the first example of an air combat rescue mission.

He won the Victoria Cross.

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the grant of the Victoria Cross to Squadron-Commander Richard Bell Davies, D.S.O., R.N., and of the Distinguished Service Cross to Flight Sub-Lieutenant Gilbert Formby Smylie, R.N., in recognition of their behaviour in the following circumstances:—

On the 19th November these two officers carried out an air attack on Ferrijik Junction. Flight Sub-Lieutenant Smylie's machine was received by very heavy fire and brought down. The pilot planed down over the station, releasing all his bombs except one, which failed to drop, simultaneously at the station from a very low altitude. Thence he continued his descent into the marsh. On alighting he saw the one unexploded bomb, and set fire to his machine, knowing that the bomb would ensure its destruction. He then proceeded towards Turkish territory.

At this moment he perceived Squadron-Commander Davies descending, and fearing that he would come down near the burning machine and thus risk destruction from the bomb, Flight Sub-Lieutenant Smylie ran back and from a short distance exploded the bomb by means of a pistol bullet. Squadron-Commander Davies descended at a safe distance from the burning machine, took up Sub-Lieutenant Smylie, in spite of the near approach of a party of the enemy, and returned to the aerodrome, a feat of airmanship that can seldom have been equalled for skill and gallantry.

He'd earlier won the DSO. 

For services rendered in the aerial attack on Dunkirk, 23rd January, 1915:—

Squadron Commander Richard Bell Davies

Flight Lieutenant Richard Edmund Charles Peirse

These Officers have repeatedly attacked the German submarine station at Ostend and Zeebrugge, being subjected on each occasion to heavy and accurate fire, their machines being frequently hit. In particular, on 23rd January, they each discharged eight bombs in an attack upon submarines alongside the mole at Zeebrugge, flying down to close range. At the outset of this flight Lieutenant Davies was severely wounded by a bullet in the thigh, but nevertheless he accomplished his task, handling his machine for an hour with great skill in spite of pain and loss of blood.

He remained in the Royal Navy until retiring in 1941, at which time he joined the Royal Navy Reserve, taking a reduction in rank to Commander from Vice Admiral in order to do so.  He retied a second time in 1944.  He died in 1966 at age 79.

Last edition:

Wednesday, November 17, 1915. Fighting in Haiti and Egypt.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, American Occupation of Haiti, Ancient Egypt, boats and ships, Haiti, Red Cross, Smedley Butler, United States Marine Corps, World War One

Wednesday, November 17, 1915. Fighting in Haiti and Egypt.

Marines under the command of Smedley Butler, who would become profoundly anti war later on, captured Fort Rivière, the last rebel stronghold in Haiti, resulting in 50 rebel casualties.

Senussi tribesman attacked the village of Sollum, Egypt where forces loyal to the Allies were stationed.  Two Bedouin soldiers were killed and  the telegraph lines sabotaged.

The British Red Cross hospital ship HMHS Anglia struck a mine in the English Channel and sank with the loss of 134 lives.

Last edition:

Tuesday, November 16, 1915. Coca Cola receives a patent.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, Food, Patents

Saturday, November 13, 1915. French fall back in Macedonia.

The French fell back to Bitola, Macedonia, and  halted offensive operations in the Vardar region.

Last edition:

Thursday, November 11, 1915. Churchill resigns, war in Morocco resumes.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, Blog Mirror, Bulgarian Army, French Army, Macedonia, Morocco, United Kingdom, Whatever It Is I'm against it, Winston Churchill, World War One, Zaian War

Thursday, November 11, 1915. Churchill resigns, war in Morocco resumes.

The French captured a pair of key Bulgarian defense positions in Vardar Macedonia, but by the evening Bulgarian forces caused a French withdrawal.

An informal truce ended in Morocco when a French convoy was attacked by a large party of Zayanes.

Churchill Resigns After Exclusion from New War Committee

And a bunch of interesting stuff:

Whatever It Is, I’m Against It: Today -100: November 11, 1915: The war upon the ki...: After that Austrian-flagged, German-manned u-boat sank the Ancona, the US is just now realizing that while Germany gave assurances about g...

Last edition:

Wednesday, November 10, 1915. Staging on Hermosillo.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, Austro Hungarian Army, cavalry, Central Powers, Constitutionalist Army, Fourth Battle of the Isonzo, Italian Army, Kosovo Offensive, Mexican Revolution, Mexico, Pancho Villa, Serbian Army

Thursday, November 5, 1925. The Big Parade.

 

Released on this day in 1925, the film is regarded as one of the greatest films about World War One.

The picture also would be associated with a level of tragedy for its stars.  John Gilbert died in 1936 at age 38 due to alcoholism.  He managed to marry four times in his short life, and was not married at the time of his death.  His costar in the film, Renee Adoree made the transition to sound movies, but died in 1933 at age 35 of tuberculosis.  She'd married twice, but was not married at the time of her death.

Born in the Russian Empire, with his true name never definitively learned, Sidney Reilly, a British spy, was executed by the Soviets.

He had a prolific career as a spy, leading to his nickname as The Ace of Spies.  He was reported a model for James Bond.  Early in his life as an emigre he went by the last name of Rosenblum, which would suggest Jewish heritage.  In the late 19th Century he seems to have worked for Scotland Yard as a paid informant on immigrant matters.  He married widow Margaret Thomas at Holborn Registry Office in London in 1898 after her husband had died under conditions that suggested poisoning, something of note as Rosenblum was working as sort of a herbalist at the time.  She was wealthy and that, by extension, made him wealthy.  Soon after that, he began his career as a spy, spying for the British and the Japanese in the lead up to the Russo Japanese War.

While it is difficult to determine the range of his activities, it is claimed that:

• He pretended to be a Russian arms merchant to spy on Dutch weapons shipments to the Boers during the Boer War.
• He obtained intelligence on Russian military defences in Manchuria for the Kempeitai.
• He obtained Persian oil concessions for the British Admiralty in events surrounding the D'Arcy Concession.
• He infiltrated a Krupp armaments plant in prewar Germany and stole weapon plans.
• He seduced the wife of a Russian minister to glean information about German weapons shipments to Russia.
• He attempted to overthrow the Russian Bolshevik government and to rescue the imprisoned Romanov family, actions which lead to his being sentenced to death in absentia.
• He served as a courier to transport the forged Zinoviev letter into the United Kingdom.

He had been lured by into the Soviet Union by the Cheka, posing as anti Soviet agents.

It's difficult to tell the overall truth of his activities.  British intelligence is notoriously able to keep its secrets for one thing.  Reilly was good at keeping them as well, and as he worked for various entities he had a strong reason to.  Like the James Bond character that's supposedly based upon him, he had a strong affinity for women and married up to three or four times, with other alleged affairs in addition.  His last marriage was to actress Pepita Bobadilla.

Last edition:

Wednesday, November 4, 1925. Now or then?

Labels: 1920s, 1925, 1925 Election, Democratic Party, History repeating itself or at least rhyming, New Jersey, New York

Wednesday, October 20, 1915. Arms okay for Carranza.

The impact of Woodrow Wilsons' administration recognizing Carranza, whose followers had blown off the Convention of Aguascalientes, and who personally hated the United States, was becoming immediately clear.

Arms to Carranza. . . that would tip the scales for sure.

While Wilson had his hand on the scale of the Mexican Revolution, he was issuing a proclaimation about American Thanksgiving.

President Wilson issued a proclamation regarding Thanksgiving.

Proclamation 1316—Thanksgiving Day, 1915

October 20, 1915

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

It has long been the honoured custom of our people to turn in the fruitful autumn of the year in praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God for His many blessings and mercies to us as a nation. The year that is now drawing to a close since we last observed our day of national thanksgiving has been, while a year of discipline because of the mighty forces of war and of change which have disturbed the world, also a year of special blessing for us.

Another year of peace has been vouchsafed us; another year in which not only to take thought of our duty to ourselves and to mankind but also to adjust ourselves to the many responsibilities thrust upon us by a war which has involved almost the whole of Europe. We have been able to assert our rights and the rights of mankind without breach of friendship with the great nations with whom we have had to deal; and while we have asserted rights we have been able also to perform duties and exercise privileges of succour and helpfulness which should serve to demonstrate our desire to make the offices of friendship the means of truly disinterested and unselfish service. Our ability to serve all who could avail themselves of our services in the midst of crisis has been increased, by a gracious Providence, by more and more abundant crops. our ample financial resources have enabled us to steady the markets of the world and facilitate necessary movements of commerce which the war might otherwise have rendered impossible; and our people have come more and more to a sober realization of the part they have been called upon to play in a time when all the world is shaken by unparalleled distresses and disasters. The extraordinary circumstances of such a time have done much to quicken our national consciousness and deepen and confirm our confidence in the principles of peace and freedom by which we have always sought to be guided. Out of darkness and perplexity have come firmer counsels of policy and clearer perceptions of the essential welfare of the nation. We have prospered while other peoples were at war, but our prosperity has been vouchsafed us, we believe, only that we might the better perform the functions which war rendered it impossible for them to perform.

Now, Therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate Thursday the twenty-fifth of November next as a day of thanksgiving and prayer, and invite the people throughout the land to cease from their wonted occupations and in their several homes and places of worship render thanks to Almighty God.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington this twentieth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and fifteen and of the independence of the United States the one hundred and fortieth.

Signature of Woodrow Wilson

Louis Botha, once a Boer General, of the South African Party won the 1915 South African general election and retained power.

French forces reached the town of Krivolak on the Vardar river in Vardar Macedonia. The British dug in at a mountain pass near Kosturino and Doiran Like.

The Ottoman Empire brought an end to Armenian resistance at Urfa.

The British Commonwealth recognized women as bus and tram operators for the duration, something that had been going on for some time.

Sweden established the Swedish Infantry Officers College.

Whatever It Is, I’m Against It: Today -100: October 20, 1915: With bleeding heart ...: Headline of the Day -100:  Male voters in New Jersey reject women’s suffrage in the referendum by roughly 133,000 to 184,000. It los...

Last edition:

Tuesday, October 19, 1915. The US extends recognition to Carranza.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, Bulgaria, Constitutionalist Army, Italy, Mexican Border War, Mexican Revolution, Mexico, Russia, Texas, Texas (Brownsville), Venustiano Carranza, World War One