WAR OF THE NATIONS 



6161 



WAR OF THE NATIONS 



poll peninsula was abandoned by the allies. 

 This disaster was the more distressing to con- 

 template after it was learned that had they 

 persisted in their efforts a few more days they 

 would have won their objective, for Turkey 

 was at the point of abandoning the defense. 



In Armenia Grand Duke Nicholas conducted 

 a successful Russian campaign. His most 

 notable deeds were the capture of Erzerum, 

 Trebizond, Erzingan and Baiburt. Turkey 

 made a number of attempts to cross the Syrian 

 Desert and strike at the Suez Canal. The diffi- 

 culties encountered were too great ; some troops 

 reached the canal, but the British drove them 

 back. It was of vital importance to the latter 

 to protect this waterway. 



The situation in Greece caused grave con- 

 cern on both sides, but no climax was reached. 

 Serbian forces, driven out of their home land, 

 took refuge on Grecian islands for reorganiza- 

 tion, and then were transferred to Saloniki, 

 which the allies occupied. The king of Greece, 

 brother-in-law of the German kaiser, main- 

 tained a questionable neutrality, but the Voni- 

 zelos faction, favorable to the allies, joined in 

 fighting against Bulgaria. Greece had been 

 bound by treaty to go to the relief of Serbia 

 whenever that country should be attacked, but 

 at the vital moment in 1915 had refused to do 

 so. The allies therefore put little faith in King 

 Constantine, and as a precautionary measure 

 blockaded the Greek coast. Royalist troops 

 attacked allied forces in November; this clash 

 was the result of attempts to secure arms and 

 ammunition which the government had agreed 



to turn over to the allies; the latter had de- 

 manded this as a precautionary measure. The 

 transfer was later made, though not until 

 Constantine was threatened with dethronement. 



MAI' OF THE EASTERN IK 

 For two years territory near the solid lines and 

 the crossed lines was taken by Germany from 

 Russia, then regained by the latter and In many 

 cases lost again. The heavy line crooning and 

 ing the line of Oermany'8 farthest eastern 

 drive represents the positions of German armies 

 during the first half of 1917. 



Events on Land in 1917 



In the beginning of the year the allied nations 

 saw much in the general situation to encourage 

 them. On the western front in t part 



of 1916 their preponderance of war material 

 had told heavily against the central powers. 

 Italy had whipped Austria-Hungary in every 

 encounter during the past year, and tin- ! 

 country was in a deplorable condition. There 

 were many who brl ! the war would come 

 to an end in 1917. This feeling waa increased 

 by the entrance of the United States into th. 

 conflict in April, tl D official circles tin- 



i was not so generally shared, 

 tude of popular p.r outside of 



v changed issia 



deserted the allies; and in October reverses in 

 Italian section further endangered the cause 

 and gave the central powers renewed courage. 



During the year the most notable effort 

 towards peace that had been made was set in 

 motion by Pope Benedict. He sent a note on 

 August 1 to each of the warring powers, sug- 

 gesting compromises which nncht end the strug- 

 gle. The spokesman for the allies, in reply, 

 was Pro.-; -on, who made it clear that 



they could not conclude peace with a 

 incut thry could not IPM. Th:it p:irt of the 

 which referred to the main issue is as 

 follows: 



Tlio object of this wsr Is to * ft < -o 



peoples of the world from the menace an*i 

 actual power of a vast military estahll*! - 



! !> an IrrrFponMhle government which, 

 having f( r tly planned to dominate the world, 

 proceeded to carry the it regard 



either to the sacred obligations of 

 long-established practices and long-cherished 



