What happened this Month 100 years ago - the run up to war" ?

[margaretdufay]

Do you remember the tv programme All our Yesterdays that used to be on TV and recollected what happened on that date twenty five years ago, I thought it could be interesting to have a thread that could be updated daily with different items that happened one hundred years ago on the same date?

Could be things concerning the war, things happening in Britain etc?

Don't know if you thinkthis idea could be interesting or not?

Mags

Here is a first item I found on Wikipedia

• Former Socialist Party presidential candidate Eugene V. Debs was arrested at Terre Haute, weeks after being indicted for obstructing justice.^[50] Debs was quickly released on bail, and the case would be dismissed in May.^[51]
  
• The Norwegian cabinet resigned.^[3]
  
• The U.S. Senate approved the Lincoln Memorial. On January 29, the House appropriated $2 million for the building.^[3]
  

Has this ever been tried, I tried to search but found nothing similar

[Moonraker]

Mags, such a thread would have little connection with the Great War for another 18 months or so, just as your three suggestions don't - then we might get a torrent of submissions to the point of being overwhelmed. I don't know how your idea would go down in Skindles (our off-topic section for established members), but the Forum overall is already quite large with WWI topics and is set to become even more so as interest in the war grows.

Moonraker

[centurion]

• First Reading of the Parliamentary Franchise.bill starts in the House of Commons
  
• Franz Kafka abandons work on ""Amerika"
  
• The Albany restaurant opens in New York
  

Born

• Norman Dello Joio - American classical composer Albany NYS
  
• Armin Erdmann - Very highly decorated German soldier Witten Germany
  
• Maurice Henry Lecorney Pryce - British Physicist pioneer of Civil nuclear reactor design Croydon UK
  

[Moonraker]

Armin Erdmann may or may not have a direct connection with the Great War, but I doubt that the others have. People will pick up on particular events and start discussing them over several days and the thread will become a mess. Wonder what the Mods think?

A casual Google suggests that "a hundred years ago today" is a theme of a number of existing websites.

Moonraker

[margaretdufay]

in that case, if everyone agrees, close this down, it was just an idea that I had

[Moonraker]

Mags, I'm the only one to have expressed doubts, and I could be the only one. What do others think?

Moonraker

[kenf48]

Mags, I'm the only one to have expressed doubts, and I could be the only one. What do others think?

Moonraker

Since you asked, although I think you said it all at post 2, from the advice to new members:-

'Please don't forget that this is a FIRST WORLD WAR forum. Messages on other subjects are treated as off-topic and are deleted.'

Accepting the Great War did not happen in isolation, there should be some sort of entry and cut off dates. We could, for example just as easily talk about the cultural, social and political consequences of the War in the 1930s, but we don't.

Ken

[margaretdufay]

I have the feeling that this will not go very far, so I will just close it down

[margaretdufay]

Hi Centurion, so I have unlocked it for you , I just didn't want to start a thread that would start causing problems, but am ready to leave it open to see what people say,

[AlanCurragh]

I'd say leave it open - but try and stick to WW1 related events and personalities - then this could develop into a very interesting thread

[keithmroberts]

There are at least, two volumes that seek to list day by day events through the war - "The Times Diary of the War", my copy is undated, but I presume very early 20's, and "The Chronology of the Great War" collated under the auspices of Major General Lord Edward Gleichen, which was originally published in three volumes by Constable, but which has been reprinted at least once.

Keith

[Guest]

Dundee Courier - Friday 24 January 1913

" The Manning of the Navy-The New Navy Estimates, which are due shortly, are expected to provide for an increase of 5,000 officers and men in the personnel of the fleet. The increase is necessary. When compared to the remarkable expansion of the German personnel, which has increased from 38,000 to 66,000 men since 1904, the one-sidedness of the British policy is apparent. The naval resources of this country have been stretched to keep pace with the Continental expansion in ships, but there has been no real attempt made to add an equivalent number of men to the fleet. This policy has its direct consequence in the spread of "nucleus" crews, and the maintaining of only about half of the British fleet in full commission. It will not be safe but highly dangerous for Britain to depend longer on an under-manned fleet. A higher standard of readiness for war is already demanded in Germany. Italy and Austria-Hungary are preparing to follow in the same line as their great ally. The difficulties of the British Admiralty are growing, but they are not insurmountable. An extension of the shipbuilding programme is also essential. Mr Churchill must give up his programme of five ships in 1913 and four in each of the four following years. That programme is insufficient. In 1915, according to the existing programme, we will have only 35 Dreadnoughts (including the New Zealand) to Germany's 23. That margin, which is admittedly too low, will decrease with every succeeding year. That is, of course, if Mr Churchill continues his fatuity of brave words and little deeds. "

Mike

[centurion]

I think doing a month by month (rather than day by day) record and looking at people and events that are relevant to the eventual outbreak would be more profitable. Here goes a contribution to January 1913

The Balkans Jan 1913

Danilo Ilitch (leader of the Serbian Black Hand group to which were eventually involved in the assassination of the Archduke in Sarajevo) and a Moslem friend visit Gachinovitch (a close assosiate of Trotsky) in Toulouse. Gachinovitch encourages them to assassinate Austrian officials in Bosnia and supplies revolvers and poison for an attempt on General Potiorek, the Military Governor. Ilitch gets cold feet and ditches the weapons out of a train on the way home. but an idea has been sown.

The Austrian Army chief-of-staff recommends war with Serbia for the first time (there will be 23 more such recommendations before war is declared in 1914)

22 January Peace talks on the end of the first Balkan War conclude in London. Turky agrees to give up most of its European territory

23 January Following assassination by nationalist army officers of War Minister Nazim Pasha and resignation of Grand Vizier Kamil Pasha. Sultan Mehmet V Reshat restores Mahmud Sevket Pasha to the post of Grand Vizier. He rejects the terms of the armistice that ended the 1st Balkan War

31 January The Balkan allies inform Turkey that fighting will resume

[centurion]

In the Air January 1913

• Australian Flying Corps established. Henry Aloysius Petre given the task of establishing a flying school.
  
• RNAS Grain, on the Isle of Grain, Medway was commissioned as the first RNAS station (set up in 1912 as an experimental establishment)
  
• USN establishes a flying camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the naval aviation detachment is transported by a Navy collier to Guantanamo for its first operation with the fleet
  
• The War Office begins an exercise to arrive at the best arrangements for "The Defence of Magazines, Cordite Factories, and other vulnerable points against airship attack". Guns are allocated for the defence of the Chattenden and Lodge Hill Magazines.
  
• Unsubstantiated reports over a number of nights of German airships over Newport County Mayo, Dover, Cardiff and Great Yarmouth (the original UFOs?). W S Churchill orders investigation - nothing found - however L2 was conducting trials in the North Sea at about this time.
  

Amongst those gaining their pilots certificate this month were:

• Lt. Lionel W. B. Rees, R.G.A. [later to win a VC flying a Dh2]
  
• Sub.-Lt. Arthur Wellesley Bigsworth, R.N.R. [later to win a DSO and bar for attacks on Zeppelins and U boats and said to have been the prototype for Biggles]
  
• Sub.-Lt. Reginald Leonard George Marix, R.N.V.R.[the first aviator to destroy a Zeppelin from an aircraft in 1914. later Air Vice Marshal]
  

[centurion]

Naval Affairs January 1913

• RN - Second Battle Cruiser Squadron formed
  
• Kaiser orders Tirpitz to start 3 ship cycle of battleship construction
  
• Aegean - Battle of Lemnos fought between pre dreadnought battle ships of Greek and Turkish navies, Turks forced back to Dardenelles
  
• Churchill accompanies the Prime Minister on a tour of naval facilities in the north of Scotland. Speaking at his home constituency of Dundee, he states that the Navy is strong and the Army efficient, and that that strength would be used “to preserve peace, to bring disputing parties together, to smooth away difficulties and to compact an abiding settlement" In the same month submits analysis of British and German battleship strengths to Parliament.
  
• USN battleship USS Wyoming becomes flagship of United States Atlantic Fleet under Rear Admiral Charles J. Badger and sails for the Panama canal and Cuba
  
• The explosion of a boiler on the French battleship Massena kills 8 members of the crew. This ship is later used as a block ship in the Dardenelles
  
• Terra Nova leave Antarctica for home
  
• The remains of John Paul Jones are laid to rest in the crypt of the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis
  
• Assistant Secretary Winthrop of the US Navy Department restores ships goats to the US fleet. These had been banned by Rear Admiral Doyle allegedly because one had butted him (but he claimed that they had been spreading disease in the Marines' barracks)
  

Ships

• HMS Valiant Queen Elizabeth-class battleship laid down
  
• HMS Agincourt dreadnought battleship launched (taken over from Turkish ex Brazilian order)
  
• SMS Friedrich der Grosse completes fitting out at Kiel
  
• HMAS Melbourne commissioned at Birkenhead Captain Mortimer L’Estrange Silver
  

[centurion]

On the ground January 1913 (yes I know there could be a lot more but January is nearly up)

• Ludendorff is dismissed from the General Staff and has been forced to return to regimental duties being given the command of the 39th Fusiliers at Dusseldorf.
  
• Adolphe Louis Guillaumat (later commanded 2nd Army at Verdun) promoted to General of Brigade
  
• Herr von Jagow, appointed German Foreign Minister (resigned 1916)
  
• Colonel Lewis retires from the US army and sets sail for Belgium, arriving in January 1913
  
• Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is formally established by the Ulster Unionist Council
  
• Trials of the P13 rifle begin
  
• The perfected [infantrie-]Gewehr 11 is formally approved for the Swiss Army
  
• The orders of the Government of India on the Dress of the Army in India, are issued under the authority of Major-General W.R. Birdwood (just over two years later he would be commanding the Anzacs at Gallipoli) These defined the uniforms that the Indian Army brought to France in 1914
  
• W.O. Subvention Tests of Three Special Models begins - effectively choosing the subsidy lorries that formed much of the BEF's motor transport 1914/15
  
• The US Army School of Musketry is transferred from Monterey, California, to Fort Sill, Ok. The only school of musketry in the US until mid 1918
  
• Brigadier General Frederick William Bainbridge Landon becomes Director of Transport, War Office - a post he still held when the BEF went to France in 1914
  

[centurion]

OK there's no need for a referendum but should I continue doing these?

[margaretdufay]

For me it's very interesting, but what do you others think?

[Moonraker]

I was sceptical about Mags' original suggestion, which in any case in its entirety would have broken Forum rules, but Centurion (only Centurion!) has come up with some interesting tit-bits.

Being a miserable old s*d, I have two reservations:

1. If it takes off and other people chip in it, could become unwieldy.

2. As it might if members seize on a particular entry and discuss it within this thread, whereas the expanded topic might more easily sit elsewhere.

I'm content to see what others think and if there's some (more?) enthusiasm for the thread to run for a short while and see how it develops.

Moonraker

[maxi]

Excellent information Centurian. Good work and very intersting.

I hope this takes off.

Maxi

[margaretdufay]

I think probably that Centurion's idea of making it a monthly posting is a good idea.

I just found this info, that Raymond Poincaré became President de la République in january 1913, and that he was responsible for accelerating French armament to defend themselves against the Germans.

This is the French document for those who wish to test their french

http://www.herodote.net/17_janvier_1913-evenement-19130117.php

mags

[ianw]

Yes, I like the idea of a monthly review - people could add their items for the month - I think we should stick to items that illuminate , presage etc the Great War.

Anything about the role of goats would particularly interest me.

[centurion]

I'll have a bash at February then. perhaps if I get it out for around Valentine's day and then if people have anything to add, object to, foam at the mouth over etc I could do an amended and updated version at the end of the month?

[ianw]

Go to it Centurion!

I enjoyed your efforts for January 1913.

One wonders quite how goats were believed to have been spreading disease among the marines?

Answers on a postcard.

[margaretdufay]

Thought I would start the ball rolling for February with these pieces of info.

The German railroad car manufacturer Gothaer Waggonfabrik began an aviation division, which would create one of the first heavy bombers used in war, the Gotha G.I, a twin-engine airplane that would drop bombs on the Great Britain during the First World War.^[9]