Great War vs Piero

[Polynike]

BERLINER ZEITZUNG 1-8-1914

The Kaiser has been generous enough but his patience has been exhausted. Bolstered by the support of the Tsar, Serbian rebels have assassinated the Archduke Ferdinand. Acting as, “guardian of all Slavsâ€, Russia has declared her support for the Serbian uprising and has aggressively moved against our Germanic brothers in Austria. His Majesty has ordered the mobilisation and activation of our armed forces and as we type our glorious armies move to the respective frontiers in order to confront the threat posed by the Slav hordes of the East. In a show of Teutonic brotherhood Germany stands with Austria.

Bonn Train Station

The tones of Deutschland, Deutschland uber alles echo around the station as the 6 Infantry Division entrains for the Western Front. The landsers smile under their piclkehelms, “we’ll be back by Christmas†they shout to loved ones left at the platform. The steam from the train gushes as the iron wheels turn and turn. France and Paris is their ultimate destination, but will they get there? The Entente powers have declared war on Germany and British troops are already disembarking onto the continent, surely no match for the greatest land army in the world! The French are lazy and the British small in numbers, surely soldiers drilled in Sennelager will swat all opposition away easily.

KIEL

The German Imperial High Seas Fleet glistens in the warm August sunshine. The imperial colours fly proudly from many masts as the news of the outbreak of wars spreads through the ranks. A mighty cheer rises, we can now challenge the Brits at their own game, battleships turn their turrets and symbolically point to the West, towards Britain and her island fortress. Somewhere out there in the North Sea lies the Royal Navy with all its dreadnoughts and traditions. The army will wield the Kaisers sword on the land while the Navy will be his hammer at sea.

IMPERIAL GENERAL STAFF

In the solemn halls and meeting places of the Prussian military machine heads are bowed and typists keep up a steady flow of mobilisation orders. All military cadres are called up to serve and many local reserve companies are ordered to raise and mobilise. Prussians are weaned on war and this war will be no different to other wars in the past. This time we will stay in Paris unlike 1870, thought many junior staff officers. Total war, with industry keeping apace with the needs of the conflict. Specific orders were also drawn up for the likes of Krupp in order to keep the war machine rolling. Von Moltke left the briefing room followed by the high brass of the imperial army. They shook hands solemnly and went to their respective commands. Von Moltke looked out of the large bay window, the bright August sunshine streamed in. “Good campaigning weather,†he said to himself. He hoped Schliffen was right and that his plan would work. He had total faith in the soldiers he was ordering to the front but it required a lot of luck and martial skill to achieve the Grand Plan. The colonies would also have to be alerted and their troops bolstered, he made a mental note to inform the Colonial Office. He prayed silently as he walked down the hall to his office. Gott Mit Uns he thought. He’d better be. This was to be a Great War, the first war of industry the first war of mass production; would it be the first war of mass killing as well? Only time and victory or defeat would tell!


SCREENIES TO COME SOON

 

[piero1971]

Paris: Le Soir
Ordre de mobilisation générale. The Germans have once again showed that they represent the true barbaric and evil spirit of their race. They have viciously declared war to Serbia and Russia and as per our alliance we will strike them and retake our dear and loved Alsace and Lorraine. Under General Joffre, our boy's Elan and our powerfull modern army, in red pants, blue jackets and képi, will destroy Germany's forces swiftly!
Vive la République! Vive la France!


London : Daily Telegraph

Today, the British Parlament has ovrewhelmingly cheered the King's declaration of War against Germany. Germany will be punished for her agression of Neutral Belgium and the teutonic hordes will have to be tough a severe lesson in the field and on the seas. The forces of the British Empire will no doubtly crush, with the help of France and Russia, the German Kaiser once and for all. the British Expeditionary Force is leaving for France and will surely be back before the leaves fall. Long Live the King!


Petrograd: Vedomosti

Today Tsar Nicola II has officially declared War to Germany and Austria-Hungary. Our alliance with Serbia and national honor demands that our glorious armies, navies and armed forces crush once and for all the prepotent and vainglorious teutonic forces. Our Armies will mobilize fast and strike deep into the heart of Germany and Austrian. Hurra, Hurra, Hurra.


Belgrade : Srpske Novine

Austria-hungary has viciously declared war on Serbia! the proud and great Serbia, now allied with the most powerfull nations on earth, Russia, the ever protector of our nation, Britain and France, two empires spawning the world and with unlimited resources will support our fight that will lead to our just victory and redeem our honor so villainly attacked by Ausrtia's allegations of support of Bosnia's terrorism, which we deny in good faith. our nation's honor will be washed in Austrian blood! Long live Serbia, long live our king!

 

[Ben Turner]

Today, the British Parlament has ovrewhelmingly passed the declaration of War against Germany.

Declarations of war are a matter for the King. No commons vote is necessary; though naturally a consensus would have to exist. In both wars, the government issued an ultimatum which led to an automatic declaration of war.

Bonus points for picking the Telegraph, though.

 

[Polynike]

BERLINER ZEITUNG

Reporters attached to the 6th Infantry Division report from the Front

Northen Belgium is ours! Brussels, Namour, Gent, Liege, Antwerp surrounded. The Kaisers master battle plan seems to be working as we swat aside the Entente forces in our way. The glorious 6th has just delivered a very bloody nose to the British 1st Cavalry Division entrenched in Tourcoing and its sister Division , the 5th Infantry successfully dislodged the British 2nd Infantry Division from Roubaix. The Imperial General Staff has released the attached map, censored ofcourse, to show the Heimat Front the progress of our forces. In Northern France too our forces push back the French Divisions in our path. Cambrai has fallen and our forces encroach around Lille and Arras. As always, British propaganda has already began to slur our honour by writing about "murdered nurses" in the occupied zone. Our colleagues in Fleet Street should know that the honour of the German soldier is his life and that WE fight according to the rules of war!


All Quiet on the Eastern Front as our reporter Max Pemsel tours the Pomeranian Defences with members of the ******** Division (military censor)



On other Fronts our Austrian allies advance on Belgrade ready to regin in those rebellious slavs and bring them to heel. So far Russia has not initiated its move but our forces stand watchful and keep a steady eye on the East. Slowly but surely the vast armies of our Germanic neighbour rumble into life.



In our African Colonies the cry to arms had been well met with local levys raised as well as Africaan settlers who have joined the struggle to lift the opression the British have foisted on them since the Boer Wars of earlier in the Century.

 

[piero1971]

Compiègne: Joffre General HQ


"Maréchal! The news from the front are not good! German advance into Belgium has been stronger than we thought and some of their divisions have entered Lorraine, despite our 75 killing scores of them, it seem their plans are of a double pincer, the north going through Belgium and the southern part through Northern Alsace towards Nancy. Some of our divisions have been destroyed, the casualties are high".
Maréchal joffre, sipped some wine from his glass and looked at the maps on the wall, where orderlies were updating force's positions. he turned around and snapped:"I don't care about casualties, a soldier's duty is to obey orders and die! Our soldier's élan will crush the german attacks with even bolder counter-attacks and our field artillery. Besides, I heard from the Minister of Colonies, that the German Colony of Togoland has been conquered! now, let's have dinner, shall we?"



Petrograd

In the Tsar private boudoir, the Grand Duke was clearly rejoicing. "Ahh, the russian people are celebrating the war and volunteers are joining the Army like never before. Women are handling flowers to the departing soldiers and we did not even need to tighten the leash on the press. Patriotism will give heart to our people and victory will be at hand. Soon our armies will strike at East Prussia, Pomerania and Silesia and quickly, we will destroy those arrogant Austrians and Germans"
"don't talk like this of the Kaiser, he is my cousin, after all" Tsar Nicolas II said."I am told that all forces are mobilised, faster than expected and that soon the offensives of General Rennenkampf will begin"
"yes"
"Well then, let's board a train and move to our field Headquarter - I just love this war that starts, so much more fun to fight european armies, unlike that treacherous yellow men of last time in Siberia"
Both men moved into the Mirrors Room of the palace where the party celevration was continuing and where theRussian, Serb, British and French anthems were beeing played in turns.


London

Lord Kitchener was talking quietly to his audience of Generals.
"I am not happy! While success in Togo and in the Indian Ocean is rejoicing, I receive messages from our Australian Far East squadron that has been destroyed off China! I also follow with anxiety the fighting retreat of our divisions in France. It seems the right pincer of the German attack in Belgium is much stronger than we expected and that Belgian Armies are but completely defeated. Liaison with French units is patchy at best and our cavarly detachment are badly mauled. We need to send reinforcements to France as fast as possible. but today's news were the worst of the lot: it seems someone did a big cock-up at the London docks and that the materiel of the IV and V corps destined to france was not loaded on the right ships and had to be unloaded and reloaded again, wasting days in the deployment of those corps. I had of course a few quartermasters sacked, but I want all troops from Britain and the Empire sent to france as soon as possible. I also want all the press to be relaying our official version of the news and to exagerate any news of German atrocities. I already had the Church authorities to agree to claim that this is a crusade of good against evil and that Germans have to be all killed, men, woman and children. Chaplains will relay this soon in the field. We slaughtered boers then, we will slaughter those puny germans now!
I want however more troops and I fear volunteers will not be enough. Let's plan immediatly for some form of conscription, while the war is highly popular. as for me, I am planning my trip to Russia to meet with our Russian friends... don't laugh, I know these were our enemies only a few years back, but we must take advantage of that. With russian hordes soon roaming freely into Germany, we will only have to walk into Germany ourselves to finish that race once and for all. And now, gentlemen, on to dinner!"

 

[Polynike]

BERLINER ZEITZUNG SPECIAL EDITION

Der Kanal, what a sweet smell, the sea breeze, the blue waters of the North Sea. Truimphantly our forces stand on the shores of the English Channel. At Ostende, Dunkirk and Calais our landsers have flown the Imperial Standard. Antwerp has fallen but the dogged Belgian defenders still hold the port and the surrounding forts. In 3 weeks of campaigning Belgium has all but fallen and we have a substantial hold on Northern France. The Recih celebrates joyfully as church bells ring in celebration of our gains and advances, nevertheless Ich Hatt Eine Kameraden is hummed softly in the many Kasernes throughout Germany as the victory is paid for in blood. The noble sons of Germany have given their lives for the victory our nation deserves, may the rest in peace never to be forgotten their memories shrouded in victory.

BEF GENERALS PARADED BEFORE THE KAISER

The highest ranking officers sent by the British Empire to France where paraded before His Majesty yesterday. Having being cut off and surrounded to the North West of Lille the 6th Infantry Division was able to capture the whole of the command staff of the BEF, along with multiple battle plans, order of battle and troop dispositions. Intelligience that was put to good use by our far Eastern Squadron. The captured generals were treated with the expected decorum and offered "tea and scones" in true Brtish fashion. Their conduct was exemplary and even in defeat the traditions of the British Army were evident, haute pride seen in their faces but their eyes did not have the look of defeat in them. The Kaiser was quick to remind them that they could not expect to defeat the victors of Waterloo!

RUSSIAN RAID!

Local Landwher forces repelled a russian cavalry raid into the area East of Posen. Several enemy cavalry squadrons were routed after causing disruption during the collection of the harvest. Several locally raised alarm companies handled themselves with great acclaim.

!!!STOP PRESS!!!
Late last night Fleet High Command received a telex message from the bridge of the Cruiser Emden it read

***SUNK ENEMY TROOP CONVOY HEADING SOUTH BY SOUTH WEST STOP***RESCUED SURVIVORS FROM GHURKHA AND INDIAN INFANTRY DIVISIONS STOP***NO NAVAL ESCORT DETECTED***POWS DISEMBARKED AT --------------- STOP*** (military censor)

 

[piero1971]

Paris.
Lord kitchener was furious: "So French troops were given order to retreat and did not inform their british neighbouring forces who stood and fought! This led to the loss of two of our divisions and the capture of our BEF General staf. I am particularly annoyed at the loss of my favourite white tea stock as I am now unable to have good tea here in Paris."
General Joffre replied, a bit annoyed "Well soon our boys counterattaks from the new defense line, from Abbeville to Verdun will get back to Berlin and get your tea back. Are you sure you wouldn't want some of our excellent West African coffee? we have plenty you know."
Kitchener snapped, "...not only that, but we lost a great deal of our indian ocean shipping lately. if only the Australian Navy was not sunk! That Emden ship roams the seas, while our fleet in in the Channel to shell the German right flank! Thank God the Serbs are holding fast the Austrians and the Russians are - at last - in full mobilisation and are sending over 100 divisions to attack west - or so I am told by the Russian Military Attaché - well whenever I can find it, he seems to spend more time in Cabarets than with my staff. I will now leave for Russia in a few weeks. 10 of our divisions have landed in France and will help strenghten the defense line near the channel. Let's hope we give the hun a good kicking. good bye"
"Au revoir"
Joffre turned to his aide de camp "The rosbif will see what the French army is capable. I have called Paris's reserves and the class of 1890 to 1895 to arms. these will almost double the troops! In Africa things go well - for us - our convoys are protected by "La Royale" and our colonial troops are starting to enter Cameroons - surley another colony for us and for our young officers to go and probe the local women soon - as for the loss of the british, well, too bad for them. Of course I am sad for the loss of Lille - I had a few good souvenirs from the local bordels there when I was younger and in garrison there, but after all, if we trade space for time and if british soldiers are sacrificed instead of french ones, so such the better when the victory spoils of defeated germany. Now, where is my dinner?"

NovoGiorgievsk Imperial HQ, russian poland
The Grand Duke was briefing the general commanders of the Imperial Russian 1st, 2nd, 5th, 4th, 8th and 9th armies. In total the commanders had under their command over 50 divisions and almost a million men.
"My dear friends, the news from france are that the bulk of german forces have attacked fromace from the north. a brillant plan indeed. belgium has been totally conquerred and north france occupied! it our turn to show the world our strenght and clean once and for all the humiliation of the 1905 war! We will show the world the courange and power of the russian soldier! I order all of you to commence at once offensive operations and crush the german and austrian forces wherever they are! For Motherland! Hurra!!"
The Hurras echoed long into the night, which was suitably accompagned by vodka and imported french chanpagne.

 

[Polynike]

BERLINER ZEITZUNG 14-9-14

The first rains of the season finds our troops well entrenched in Northern France on a line running through north of Abbeville, through St Quentin, and along our western borders but fringing on Verdun, Epinal and our troops have valiantly fought their way into the suburbs of Nancy. Belgium is ours as the besiged troops in the Antwerp forts begin to surrender. The Kaiser is due to visit the frontlines soon and due to decroate several generals with the Grand Cross.

Another large force of BEF units have been encircled. Three infantry divisions and one cavalry unit have been surrounded in a pocket that awaits destruction. For the second time in the campaign British units find themselves at the mercy of our guns. Von Moltke has started using a new word to describe these battles, kesselschlacht!

Our Eastern correspondents report that the Russians have launched heavier cavalry raids reaching the forts guarding Breslau but that is as far as these mounted pirates have got as our units have closed access to their lines and ar being hunted down mercilessly.

VICTORY IN THE EAST

War correspondents attached to General von Huegels corps report a great victory over Russian troops encroaching near the Lemberg - Przemsyl region. Most of the Russian IX and X Corps have been destroyed. Several general ranking officers were captured along with three baggage trains, as we write many of our troops and our Austrian allies, who handled the battle brilliantly, are celebrating on captured vodka. Our troops now look eastwards and to the Dnipr and beyond

 

[Polynike]

Memorandum From the Emperor Franz Josef

Troops of the Empire, after almost two months of conflict you fly our banners proudly and march onwards against all our enemies. The Russian hordes seeking to vioalte our holy soil have been repulsed with great losses and i have the utmost confidence in the recapturing of the frontier region around Czernowitz. The Serb rebels who so coldly murdered my nephew and started this most awful of conflicts have been surrounded and are being pushed back inexorably into Belgrade, where soon our colours will fly. The faith i have in you, my brave soldiers is second to my faith in almighty God. Onwards to victory and the presevation of the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of St. Stephen.

I salute you, sons of the Twin Crowns.


BERLINER ZEITUNG 24-9-1914

"How good does that feel?" asks the landser ay my side. "How good does the soil of the Ukraine feel under your boots?. Write it in your paper, write how we stand in the Tsars wheat fields that will be soon feeding the families of Germany." His confident smile is mirrored by the, unseasonaly bright September sun shinning down on the outskirts of Proskurov. Behind us i can hear the Austrian field artillery, duelling with the Russian border forts. After encircling and destroying two corps worth of Russians we advance unoppsed. "Will we be back home by Christmas?" ask the landsers. At this rate i think that we will!

HIGH SEAS FLEET COMMAND

"So it is decided then, we will take the fight to the British on the seas". Nods greeted this announcement. "The necessary orders must de typed and telexed post haste to out units in Heligoland and those enroute to Ostnede. The Kaiser has instructed me that the Royal Navy must be brought to heel and economic pressure must be put on England. See that the orders clearly reflect this and get them sent. Gentlemen!"

The young officers smiled and cheered, made toasts, shook hands and briefed crews on their mission. For the first time in warfare their modern weapons were going into action on a strategic scale. His Majesty himself had set out exctly what their duties were. Let the silver fish fly!!!!!

 

[Polynike]

IMPERIAL GENERAL STAFF HQ

Von Moltke read the latest reports from the various fronts and could not suppress a smile. Things were going well. Despite the fact that Schliffens' offensive fell short of its ultimate goal of winning Paris, German forces had established a good, deep line in Northern France. It was the reports from Pomerania and Silesia that made him frown. For the fourth week running Russian cavalry ran amok behind the lines burning farms, causing havoc and ripping up rail tracks like there was no tomorrow. "well im putting a stop to that," he said to no one in particular. Reinforcements were making their way eastwards to eradicate the Russian horsemen and fortify the Eastern Approaches.

A recently delivered memo from the Colonial Office made him smile genuinely. Kenya and Nairobi had fallen to German Colonial forces in East Africa. "This must be out in the press as soon as possible, good for the Heimat Front," he thought. A second attached paper had less gratifying news. The Governor of the Kamerun was requesting aid after reporting heavy French pressure on his borders. "He will have to cope with what he has until we can mobilise more forces in the area." He called for his orderly to brew up more of the Earl Grey captured from Kitchener's own personal baggage train in Lille

ON A TRAIN HEADING EAST TO ************ (VERMILLION LEVEL CLEARANCE NEEDED)

"Whats wrong Manfred? You seem distracted," asked a Major in the uniform of the Ulans.

"Nothing Max," replied Manfred von Richtofen, as his eyes traced the path the biplane purring overhead was following. "Was it a British recon plane or one of ours?" he thought. It was the freedom that the pilot and that machine seemed to have that really captivated the Cavalry officer. He loved horses but seeing that plane up there had caused a stirring in the heart of Manfred.

"Nothing Max, lets see if we can lick these Russian thieves as easily as we licked the French," he laughed as he retook his seat in the officers cabin, one of many in a large troop train carrying his unit to a new theatre of battle.

 

[piero1971]

Secret Note from Maréchal de France, Joffre to the Assemblée Nationale.

The German invasion has been stopped. Our french boys, with help of the British Expeditionary Force and our Belgian Allies have stopped the German armies in a line running from Abbeville to Verdun and from there down into Alsace. The German attacks from the North were very powerfull and we now face a static warfare that seems to be a series of dug trench fortifications, protected ba barbed wire, machine guns and artillery. this will allow our forces to regroup, regain strenght, while our industry will produce the weapons that we will need to win. While this is good news, we should also remember that our British Allies rule the seas and despite the recent losses in Kenya, their empire's resources will make sure their strategy of recapturing their lost colony as well as crushing the German one will be done. Soon their Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Indian forces will join our efforts to crush the Germans and be able to help Serbia hold out aginst Austria. Our news from the Serbian front are good, as Serbia has repulsed Austria's offensive on the East of Belgrade. Sadly the russian offensive of their 9th army to cross the carpathians and invade Hungary to relieve Serbia seems to have failed as Austria's main war effort was to push North-East into Ukraine with heavy loss of Russian armies there. However, The Grand Duke Telegrams assure me that Russia's large manpower will make up for these losses and that soon, offensives will be launched against East Prussia and to reinforce the cavalry probe into Pomerania and Galicia. Our new ally Japan, will take care of Germany's Pacific possession, and while our press talks about Japan sending troops over to Europe through Russia, I would not expect too much from that.
As for me, I moved the General HQ to Reims and I expect some brillant offensives soon!

 

[Polynike]

OCTOBER 1914

Enver Pasha, signed the telegram that he was sending to Kaiser Wilhelm. As of that moment the Ottoman Turks would be fighting against the Entente as a fully fledged member of the Central Powers. He looked up at his most proficient general, Mustafa Kemal, and nodded gravely. The future Ataturk saluted and left the room. He doned his cap and climbed into the carriage waiting for him at the gates to the palace. "The will of Allah be done," he whispered to himslef. His first desination would the Darnadelles to make sure the defences there were strong and then from there to the Eastern Frontier to assess Russian strength there. If the reports received from the German attache, General Otto Liman von Sanders were to be believed most of Russias armies were being engaged in the Western Ukraine and in Northern Hungary. Perhaps an aooprtunity lay here for Turkey to resume her position in the Middle East as she once had. The state of the armed forces was his primary concern as the carriage wound around the streets of Constantinople towards the harbour.

 

[piero1971]

Alexandria - Royal Army Headquarters

"To all commanders of the Royal Armed forces in Egypt, Middle East and India. Our British and Empire forces have been gathered in Egypt, Aden and in the villages of Kuwait for the defense and future offensives against the Ottoman Empire who has chosen, despite our warnings, to join the Central Powers in this war.
As Russia's armies are committed to defeat Austria and Germany, their ability to destroy the Sublime Door will be rather limited and that mission will bear on our shoulders. Surely, as the West front is stabilized and under French control, our mission will be to redeem the King's honour by beeing the first to defeat one of the Central Power empires. With our training and ability to smash tribal uprisings and rebellions all over our empire, we will do a quick job out of those turks! now all to the Officer's club for some drinks"

 

[Polynike]

NOVEMBER 7 1914

Tears of laughter fell down the officers of the Colonial Office. Tirpolitania had ceased to be an Italian colony having been taken by insurgents riding camels and firing muskets!!! Perhaps the Kaiser should write to the Italian king requesting he join the Entente. November was suddenly making itself being felt in the Wilhelmstrasse in Berlin. Many spared thoughts for the soldiers at the front. In August it seemed as if troops would be back by Christmas, in November it didnt seem like it despite the many successes reported.

Across the road in the Ministry of War, staff officers were reading the latest recon reports. Poland seemed clear of Russians, excpet for straggling units until the Vistula. More worryingly were the presence of French troops in Albania. Naval recon had spotted several flotillas guarding the approaches to Durazzo and a French Corps and several alpine infantry regiments had been identified in the theatre.

 

[piero1971]

Daily Telegrapgh

from your correspondant in Mesopotamia, George O.
the Btitish Flag has been raised on the Ottoman Fort guarding the approaches of the Fao peninsula in the Persian Gulf. Indian troops, under command of british officers and with fire support of the Royal Navy have stormed the Ottoman Fort and have seized with little loss of men.


Torino - Royal hunting Lodge.

"So... General Cadorna, what should we do about Tripolitania?"
"well, as I said in my reports, our colonies are not of our concern at the moment while the world great powers are at each other's throats. we have to spare all the forces we have to gather for the inevitable outcome which will be that we will join the winnning side to tip the balance and get the recognition that we deserve. When we will have won the war, there will be plenty of time to get back there and kill every single living soul there and send a few hundred thousand of those sicilian and napolitan people that keep leaving for the americas anyway - at least they are catholic and hard working, not like the camel riding people of the desert.
"but these people defeated our garrison forces there and treated prisoners well..."
"they are but barbarians and our garrisons were defeated because they were manned by native troops, I fear not too loyal to your majesty, but to their tribal leaders instead - when the war is finished, we will send some of oru christan askaris from Eritrea and they will finish the job once and for all... oh here is one of the promising officers that I plan to one day send to africa - Graziani, bring us some more wine!"



French 10th Army HQ, Marseille

"What do you know about Albania, Lieutnant Preskovic?"
"Well, my parents emigrated from there to Italy and then to France, I was born near Lille as they worked in a coal mine there - I was lucky to be picked up by the local teacher and sent to a military school, paid by the republic, when both died from cholera in 1901. So I have never been there but I know the language, sir"
"oh, well I am told it's mountains and goats, and with muslim people, sounds like the Algeria of my youth" the old general said "we will soon know for sure as our ship departs tomorrow morning... make sure the crates of Cognac are loaded properly, I wouldn't want to be stranded in a land with no strong drinks!"

 

[Polynike]

POSTCARDS FROM THE FRONT

******** Infantry Division ******* Northern France

Mater, all is well. The fields are covered in white, the leaves have fallen off by now. We are cold but all is well after our rapid advance. We dug trenches opposite the British and we exchange insults and the occassional partol but i am well. Recently Englishmen with a strange overseas accent occupied the trenches across no mans land. Merry Christmas to all at home and tell Peter to keep the fire warm for you and Pater while im gone.

Ludwig

PS some woollen socks would be nice in your next parcel.

**** Hungarian Divison ******* Poland

Father, you can be proud that your son has upheld the family honour as i look across the frozen Vistula and to the vast expanse of Russia on the other bank. Merry Christmas to you and mother. Tell her not to despair as i am well and will be back home soon. 1915 wil bring us victory as we drive the Russians back to the gates of Moscow itself. May Saint Stephen bless us all

Konrad


****** Austrian Mountain Infantry****** Serbia

Oh how beautiful the mountain peaks look so covered in snow. I remember last Christmas in the Tyrol my love, you and me, the fire. This christmas sees us apart, torn asunder by the war that engulfs us. Soon i shall be in your loving arms again. In the distant slopes below i can hear the thunder of the guns as we take the fight to these Montenegran rebels. But oh how beautiful the mountains are covered in snow.

Egon

All Austrian-Hungarian troops were given the following postcard of the Carpathians covered in snow to send home as Christmas cards. German units were given postcards of the Kaiser.

 

[piero1971]

Christmas 1914, Warsaw.

Duke Alexandreiev was furious. Not only was he distrubed early in the morning in the bed of his polish mistress, not only did he have a hard time with the headhache from the heavy and usual drinking of last night with his generals, but his first week at command of the newly created Western Front was bad. German troops were at the gates of the Warsaw and NovoGiorgievsk defenses, but the reinforcements he was to receive were sent instead to the Caucasus and those he did receive were drunk. 5 million bottles of Vodka had been distributed to the troops prior to christmas, and the reinforcements, sent by train had put their hands on a few trainloads and the eastern polish countryside was now scattered with troops drunk, sleeping on the snow and unable to form a cohesive force. Even the train conductors and station chiefs were drunk! Some heads would have to roll!


Christmas 1914, Amiens.

General Joffre was not happy on hearing the news that french and british troops had fraternised with German troops on the trenched. he had to sack a few divisions commanders, now sent to Algeria. What were they thinking? fraternising with the enemy was treason! if only he could have them shot! but that would be bad for morale, he had to admit.. troops were needed for the grandiose offensives he was preparing for the spring... now that fresh british troops were beeing raised in England and that both France's and Britain's empire troops were arriving, there would soon be no stopping to the bloodbath he was preparing. Germany would we washed clean with french and british blood and, as his British colleagues were fond of saying, the german race would be wiped out from the face of the earth... he did not like those racial theories from the british, the germans were white after all and not some arabs or negroes, that were so easy to slaughter in colonial campaigns, but the british enthusism was of his liking. He went back to his drink and dressed up for the midnight mass with his staff and the local town major.

Cape Town

at last, the boers have come to their senses, now that they have surrendered and joined the forces of the British Empire, the South African, Australian, Canadian, New Zealander, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and English forces will crush the German colonies and free the local natives from under the german boot to be administered with justice and discipline under the Union Jack flag.

 

[Polynike]

General Goltz to Field Marshal Moltke

I have completed the review of the Turkish forces and you will find a detailed report attached to this message. Our estimations were wrong and we shall have to see how this theatre of war develops. Of greatest and utmost emergency is the Russian encroachment of forts in the Caucasus region. i have been able to draw up the attached map from local intelligence and from information extracted from prisoners, these Turks are barbarous beasts. Formations from two different corps and armies have been identified. We must use the terrain to our advantage if we are to hold the front

 

[piero1971]

somewhere in Petrograd on a wall:

"workers of Russia!
our Tsar and the other european colonial empires have decided to wage war to make sure the sons of the workers and peasants of europe would kill each other while the patrons of industries reap enormous profits!
our leaders, well fed and owning most of the lands and industries where you work have sent our russian sons to war ill equipped and ill supplied. what the press and cencorship do not tell you is that when our soldiers need food, only vodka is sent, when our soldiers need rifles, only one old rifle for every two solders are available! when our soldiers need warm clothes to stand the cold winter, the state asks russian mothers to send them coats and boots! always the worker and the peasant that must sacrifice!
Workers of Russia, the German and austrian soldiers, also workers and peasnant are not the enemy. the enemy is the grand capital, the greedy owners of iindustry and land that reap profits out of your son's blood. Join the socialist movement, the only one that will give you what you deserve: peace and justice"


later that night, two young men, suspected of spreading dissident manifestos were shot by the gendarmerie.

 

[piero1971]

Somewhere in bosnia-herzegovinia


Captain Dubois was freezing in its long fur coat. His cavalry sqadron had to cover it's shiny cuirasses and helmets with covers and sheep skins to protect it from the bitter cold of the mountains there. When he landed in Albania a month ago, as part of French 10th and 7th Armies deployment in Albania and Serbia he did not expect such a tough terrain. Mountains, valleys, with almost no roads and sparsely populated. and the population! backward peasant and sheep-keeper villageres with people speaking strange dialects and to be weary of. The other day, one of his men was shot by a local while on reconnaissance. Albanian tribes and clans were masters of the night and could be either friend of foe, depending on their alliances and loyalties, which could change as often as the cold wind.
Captian Dubois was now leading his sqadron day after day, one mountain valley after another deeper and deeper into Bosnia. Was the objective to reach Sarajevo, where the war started? or was it faraway Budapest or Vienna itself? surely his cavalry spearhead could advance on it's own means, but already artillery was far behind and he was doubtfull on the infantry's ability to follow in such terrain, and what about supply with no roads nor railroady? He felt his cavalry would be more usefull in the Middle East or Africa, but he was told by a colonel of a Spahi regiment that in Africa, horses die quickly for lack of proper food and illnesses and that camels were of better use. So snow and cold for the 1st regiment of cuirassiers, of napoleonic fame. On his left flank, elements of a chasseurs regiment were still not reporting any enemy presence. Captian Dubois was worried.