Gorizia | Sixth Isonzo | 7 Aug 1916
Sixth Isonzo Yesterday we had a rather odd concept to digest; there’s been a battle on the Isonzo and there is good news for the Continue reading Gorizia | Sixth Isonzo | 7 Aug 1916
Sixth Isonzo Yesterday we had a rather odd concept to digest; there’s been a battle on the Isonzo and there is good news for the Continue reading Gorizia | Sixth Isonzo | 7 Aug 1916
Battle of the Somme It’s just about job done at Pozieres. All they need to do now is dig in. This morning the ANZACs finally Continue reading Sixth Isonzo | Bir el Abd | 6 Aug 1916
Battle of the Somme This, of course, should have been Z Day, but due to the bad weather, Z Day’s been put back to the Continue reading Footballs on the Somme | 29 Jun 1916
Time to lead off with something other than Verdun for the first time in nearly three weeks! Isn’t that nice? Fifth Battle of the Isonzo Continue reading Fifth Battle of the Isonzo | Portugal | 9 Mar 1916
Battle of Verdun The first phase of the Battle of Verdun is over. The Germans have poked the hornet’s nest and stirred it up real Continue reading Ripples from Verdun | 1 Mar 1916
French tank development If there’s one thing I’ll never understand about this war, it’s the comparative arc of British and French tank designs. Back at Continue reading Schneider | Civilians in Italy | 11 Dec 1915
Retreat from Ctesiphon General Townshend is determined to preserve his regatta, and so sends out his cavalry to clear the local Arab snipers from around Continue reading Shaitan | Fourth Isonzo | 29 Nov 1915
Retreat from Ctesiphon It’s a Good News/Bad News day for General Townshend, on the retreat from Ctesiphon. The good news is that his blokes have Continue reading Shaitan | 28 Nov 1915
Fourth Isonzo First we go to Mount Mrzli, where they’re now suffering from a shortage of kitchen sinks to throw in. The line rocks and Continue reading Mrzli | Gorizia | 26 Nov 1915
Senussi Campaign Let’s begin today by looking at something I’ve been shoving onto the back burner for the last little while for lack of space. Continue reading Senussi Campaign | 25 Nov 1915
Fog of war at the Battle of Ctesiphon Today at the Battle of Ctesiphon provides an excellent example of how critical it is to remember Continue reading Fog of war | Ctesiphon | 24 Nov 1915
Fourth Isonzo The attacks on Mount San Michele are re-focused once more onto the defences to the south; and near the southern slope of the Continue reading Isonzo | Ctesiphon | 21 Nov 1915
Fourth Isonzo The Duke of Aosta continues his attempt to move his drinks cabinet six inches closer to Trieste. Again Mount San Michele is attacked Continue reading Working parties | 20 Nov 1915
Fourth Isonzo The Duke of Aosta, commanding Italian troops on the Carso, has been only too happy to accept General Cadorna’s recent invitation to carry Continue reading Duke of Aosta | 19 Nov 1915
Fourth Isonzo As I mentioned a few days ago, the good news is that General Cadorna is now going to alter some of his methods. Continue reading Gorizia | Kitchener | Falkenhayn | 18 Nov 1915
Mesopotamia The final advance on Ctesiphon and Baghdad has now begun. General Townshend’s force is proceeding up the River Tigris in cautious leapfrogs. He has Continue reading Churchill | Ctesiphon | Isonzo | 15 Nov 1915
Fourth Isonzo After a murderous night of fighting, the Italians are still firmly installed in the trench system south of Mount San Michele that they Continue reading Mount San Michele | Shelling | 14 Nov 1915
Fourth Isonzo Damn the rain, the mud, the rock, the enemy. Italian tactics on Mount San Michele are evolving, for a given value of “evolving”. Continue reading Boirault machine take 2 | San Michele | 13 Nov 1915
Fourth Isonzo It’s another explosive and deadly day on the Isonzo. That one trench in front of Gorizia changes hands a few more times, and Continue reading Prilip | Sarrail | Mackensen | 12 Nov 1915
Fourth Isonzo Once more unto the breach, dear friends. Once more, or close the wall up with Italian dead. General Cadorna has at least restricted Continue reading Fourth Isonzo | Mitrovica | 11 Nov 1915
The British government and Gallipoli The British government hocks up a giant hairball and attempts to do something to assert a little control over the Continue reading War Committee | 3 Nov 1915
Aristide Briand Time for some lovely crunchy French politics. Rene Viviani’s last, desperate play to save himself as Prime Minister was to select a new Continue reading Aristide Briand | 29 Oct 1915
The King Before we get into things today, let’s start with an extended metaphor. As we know, George V of Britain is in France at Continue reading Never work with children or animals | 28 Oct 1915
Mimi and Toutou The world’s most ridiculous military operation is at an end. The journey has been some 14,000-odd miles and four months long, from Continue reading Lukuga | Lake Tanganyika | 24 Oct 1915
Serbia Before we get onto the events of the day, someone has just made me aware that 1,001 years ago (give or take a couple Continue reading Strumica | Sava | Salonika | 23 Oct 1915
Third Battle of the Isonzo Let us first talk about the things that have gone well as Third Isonzo opens! Salandra needs things to go Continue reading Third Isonzo | 21 Oct 1915
Third Battle of the Isonzo Here we go, here we go again. Time for Third Isonzo. The plan, such as it is: heavy attacks on Continue reading Third Isonzo | 18 Oct 1915
Mimi & Toutou The expedition which will, in one crew member’s words, “make Fiction look like Truth’s shabby sister” to bring Mimi and Toutou from Continue reading Reed and Stopford | 26 July 1915
Battle of Malazgirt General Oganovski’s meagre reserves are thrown right into the heat of battle today. Most of them are raw and green and are, Continue reading Second Isonzo | 23 July 1915
Battle of Malazgirt Yet more Ottoman troops are arriving at the Belican Hills. There’s more hard fighting, and again the Russians manage to hold fast. Continue reading Belgian National Day | 21 July 1915