“Louisiana”, a British passenger vessel operates commercial flights during the war. According to some maritime laws of our time, it should not be torpedoed. The cabins are barely half full, and yet almost 2,000 people are aboard the liner. At 48 kilometers from the coast of Ireland, in a fog “Luizitania” reduces the course to 25 km. h. At this speed, the attack of submarines is already possible. Hungry for new victories, the captain of the German U-20 submarine gives the order to attack the “big four-pipe vessel”. Torpedo gets into the right side. In a few minutes, a much more powerful internal explosion follows. Due to the strong roll and the course of inertia, it is possible to lower only 6 of the 48 boats. The vessel goes to the bottom 18 minutes after the attack. Photography – “Luizitania” in the port of New York, before departing on its last 201st flight, May 1, 1915

So, for some time by inertia, the liner continues to move to the coast. Desperate distress signals reach the recipients. More than a dozen fishing vessels rush to the site of the tragedy. It is possible to save 763 people, the remaining 1197 find death among the waves. Among them are 128 US citizens. Somehow the situation can be settled. America is not yet ready for a real, full-scale war. In addition, skeptics are sharpened by a worm of doubt – is everything so clear in a sea catastrophe? There were 5,000 boxes of rifle cartridges aboard the Luizitania – this is not denied. They could not detonate at the same time even under the action of a powerful torpedo charge. Small arms for transportation is not prohibited. Is it really a provocation of Great Britain, which so skillfully put the ship under a torpedo attack (the fact of torpedoing the German submarine is not disputed), which finished off with a special charge? It will take another two years of war with the homeland of the Anglo-Saxons, even an attempt on the territorial integrity of the United States, in order for North America to still enter World War I. Photography – the death of “Luizitanii”, May 7, 1915, the Celtic Sea. This is really a photograph.

The next, very gloomy battle of the First World War is the Second Battle of the French settlement of Artois (May 9-June 18, 1915). The sides of the conflict, civilized Christians, exchange stunning artillery strikes. The bodies spill over like jelly. The British, the French are irretrievably losing 70,000 people, the Germans 50,000. The battles of Artois, Ypres, Marne repeat each other six months or a year later, differing only in the increasing number of victims. The psychological foundations of the New Chronology, which reduces several important events of the Middle Ages to the reign of one monarch or a single major battle, are now completely understandable. We have to stop the madness, prescribing a potent medicine to humanity – the World Revolution… It seems that the attitude of the workers and peasants of the Russian Empire is exactly that. Photo – Entente fighter who died in one of the many faceless battles of Artois, 1915

The Supreme Command of Russia (General Headquarters), despite intelligence data, is inertia preparing for an offensive in the Carpathians. The southern flank of the so-called Warsaw salient remains without reinforcements, with a small number of artillery and shells. Literally every shot from the Russians on the bill. At the same time, the combined German and Austrian troops are densely saturated with all types of guns, and have no problems with the supply of ammunition. On May 2, Austro-German troops inflicted a powerful blow near the town of Gorlice, with a general direction to Lviv. Taken with such general enthusiasm Przemysl left June 16. Lviv Russian troops leave June 22. Some consolation – on May 23, after long hesitations, Italy enters the war against the Fourth Alliance. However, she prudently does not lead active actions. The photograph shows a large-caliber German gun in the vicinity of Gorlice, the Carpathians, May 1915.

From June 26, 1915, the Austro-German troops were expanding the front of the attack on all of Poland and East Prussia. The well-fortified fortress Novogeorgievsk surrenders practically without a fight, after shelling from heavy guns and bombardment with the then rather primitive airplanes that are not a decisive weapon. 83,000 people are taken prisoner, including 23 generals and 2,100 officers of lower rank. In addition to all that, the enemy is transferred 1,200 guns and a million shells that are so scarce in the Russian army. A conspiracy theory is born in Russian society. As a result, Nicholas the Second became the Supreme Commander three days after the surrender. And, this is also not the best solution. Warsaw Russian troops leave on August 4. The great retreat continues. The photo shows a Russian artillery crew near a field 3-inch gun. Somewhere in Poland, summer 1915

By the end of the year, the Eastern Front turns into a straight line connecting the Baltic and Black Seas, passing west of Riga, the Russian military-industrial center. According to the memoirs of General A. Denikin: “Spring 1915 will remain in my memory forever. The great tragedy of the Russian army – a retreat from Galicia. No ammo, no shells. Day by day, bloody battles, day by day, hard transitions, endless fatigue – physical and moral; then shy hopes, hopeless horror …». On the photo are Russian soldiers captured during the Great Retreat. Summer-Autumn 1915

The support of Riga continues to be provided by the still efficient Russian fleet. Since August 8, more than 80 pennants of German squadrons are invading the Gulf of Riga (the first Moosund or Irben operation in 1915). Russian pilots find German minesweepers from the air. Soon a fire contact is established between the visitors and the approached squadron battleship Slava. Two minesweepers sink. Later in the battle enters the British submarine. She drowns the German battle cruiser. There is a series of sea surface battles. German ships, going at random through minefields, suffer serious damage from mines and enemy gunfire. By the end of August the invasion fleet leaves the Gulf of Riga. Germany loses 7 pennants, incl. Battleship and two light cruisers, 50 sailors. The loss of the Russian Empire – gunboat, damaged battleship and three destroyers, 70 people. The photograph shows the battleship Slava, one of the best ships of the Russian fleet.

On October 14, 1915, Bulgaria joined the war on the side of the Central Powers. Allied Austro-Hungarian and Bulgarian forces are pushing the Serb army out of their own country. At the beginning of the next year, 150,000 troops are evacuated to Corfu Island, to mainland Greece, to Thessaloniki, where they form the Thessaloniki Front. The fighting in Serbia is described by some historians as “lethargic,” but during the First World War this country lost a tenth of the population. By Christmas, the rush of the Germans and the Austrians on the Eastern Front is choking. There is a lull. The loss of the Russian army – 700,000 killed, 400,000 prisoners. Germany is losing 67,000 people, with a minimum number of prisoners, the Austro-Hungarian Iimperia 230,000 killed and some thousand prisoners. Photography is a Russian expeditionary corps on the Thessaloniki Front, 1916. Some strategists at GHQ believe that the Bulgarians will not shoot at the Russians. These illusions are scattered

We are aboard the Russian dreadnought “Catherine II”. From December 1915 the ship participates in raids on the Turkish coast. During the patrol of the Black Sea, on January 8, 1916, Catherine the Great met with the nominal owner of the water area from Turkey, the heavy cruiser “Geben” (to delight the ears of the Ottoman allies, Yavuz Sultan Selim). After several hits of fragmentation shells 305 mm. the guns of the “Empress”, with 20 km., German-Turkish cruiser leaves the scene of the battle. Do you hear the hubbub, the hum of mechanisms and the splashing of waves? Music of the time – waltz “Amur waves” (listen) … вальс “Амурские волны”, слушать

Erzurum offensive operations of the Russian troops (the Caucasian army) were preceded by successful defensive actions – the Alashkater operation on July 9-August 3, 1915, and the Battle of Keprikeo on December 28, 1915 – January 7, 1916. The attacking Turkish corps were bled off territory), or else and significantly pushed aside. Part of Persia is occupied. In order to avoid the entry of this country into the war, the troops of the Russian Empire go on the line of direct attack deep into Turkey. In the photo – the commander of the Caucasian army, General N. Yudenich (center) with a group of officers, 1915.

The city-fortress of Erzurum is the center of the eponymous administrative region of Turkey (approximately in the center of the area highlighted in red). The plans of the Russian command include the re-creation of the well-known Great Armenia known since ancient times, as well as the inclusion of some especially tasty regions of the Ottoman Empire directly into Russia. First of all, the General Headquarters, led by Nicholas II, is interested in the Straits and Constantinople-Istanbul. As part of the Russian army, despite some restrictions on the admission of volunteers, thousands of ethnic Armenians are fighting. Some of them take up arms before the beginning of the Armenian Genocide by the Turks, others after, so that the cause and effect of the first state terror in the twentieth century are difficult to establish. It should be noted that the Armenians themselves are cruel to the Muslims under their rule. It is precisely for this reason that Russians, who at the present time bear the cross of the highest tolerance in the world, do not seek to accept Armenians into the ranks of their units.

Russian soldiers visiting the Armenian settlement destroyed by the Turks. The surroundings of Erzurum, 1915

The forces of the opponents are comparable. The Caucasian army has 180 thousand fighters, the 3rd Turkish army is 135 thousand. Turkey sends a certain number of troops to Mesopotamia (northeast of modern Syria), to defeat the British. After that, the Ottomans intend to do away with the army of Yudenich. Russian commander acts on the lead. On January 7, after the artillery preparation, units of the Caucasian army begin the offensive. In a series of brutal attacks and counterattacks, the Ottoman morale is cracking. Photography – Russian battalion takes place in battle formation, Northern Turkey, 1916

Russian units use the latest military news of their time. Aerial photography of enemy positions is conducted from airplanes. In the course of the whole range of artillery – from light cannons, suitable for moving on mountain slopes, to heavy 152 mm. siege mortars. Troops are constantly working out the interaction. Yudenich creates mobile assault detachments, saturated with tools and machine guns suitable for carrying out a particular operation, and possessing engineers. Photo – a mountain platoon with a field gun advancing on the approaches to Erzurum, winter 1916.

The storming of the fortress is carried out on the night of February 11, under the cover of a blizzard. Russian soldiers dressed in white camouflage coats. The enemy’s fire causes minimal damage to the units of the Caucasian Army. Total irretrievable losses since February 10: Russia – 2,400 people, Turkey – 25,000 killed and 15,000 prisonersPhoto – city-fortress Erzurum, 1916

A half-faded, faded photograph of a century ago – Russian troops are entering Erzerum. Turkish banners bow in humility. And, this is the last victory of Russian weapons in the First World War in the South-East

Russian soldiers at the guns of the Erzerum fortress. First half of 1916. Randomly selected photo.

At the beginning of 1916, the main idea of the German command was to cut off the ledge of the French defense near the city of Verdun, surround 8 enemy divisions, and develop an offensive against Paris. Another version of military historians – the Germans are going to draw, one by one, the Allied Anglo-French armies into the slaughterhouse, in order to bleed the Entente with the help of their superbly developed heavy artillery. The operation starts on February 21, 1916. After an 8-hour ruthless artillery preparation, the German infantry units begin to storm the enemy’s trenches.

German battalions advance in three lines 80—100 m apart. Scouts, assault groups and sappers are ahead, then dense groups of the actual, infantry, reinforced by flamethrowers, and machine-gun subunits. In one day, one can advance one to two kilometers in this way. Photography – German columns moving to the front line, Verdun, early 1916

Further, from February 27 to March 6, according to a kind of “Road of Life”, or even literally “Sacred Road” (La Voie Sacrée) to a single highway, for 6,000 vehicles, the French deliver 190,000 people and 25,000 tons of military cargo. In the course comes heavy artillery Entente. At the beginning of the campaign several large forts surrender almost without a fight. However, the entire Verdun is a single, fairly extensive fortified area. For some time now the battle has resulted in a chain of fiercest battles for every French bastion. Germany depletes not only the units of the Entente, but also itself. By June 23, 1916, the offensive stops. The photograph is a large-caliber French gun. Verdun, 1916