Dear · world, · I'm · pleased · to · meet · you.

Battle of Liege, Opened 5 August 1914
Battle of the Frontiers, Opened 5 August 1914
Battle of Mulhouse, Opened 7 August 1914
Battle of Haelen, Opened 12 August 1914
Invasion of Lorraine, Opened 14 August 1914
Battle of Stalluponen, Opened 17 August 1914
Battle of Gumbinnen, Opened 20 August 1914
Battle of the Ardennes, Opened 21 August 1914
Battle of Charleroi, Opened 21 August 1914
Siege of Namur, Opened 21 August 1914
Battle of Mons, Opened 23 August 1914
Capture of Dinant, Opened 23 August 1914
Siege of Maubeuge, Opened 25 August 1914
Destruction of Louvain, Opened 25 August 1914
Battle of Le Cateau, Opened 26 August 1914
Battle of Tannenberg, Opened 26 August 1914
Battle of Heligoland Bight, Opened 28 August 1914
Battle of Guise, Opened 29 August 1914
Siege of Tsingtao, Opened 2 September 1914
First Battle of the Marne, Opened 6 September 1914
First Battle of the Masurian Lakes, Opened 9 Sept. 1914
Battle of Bita Paka, Opened 12 September 1914
First Battle of the Aisne, Opened 12 September 1914
First Battle of Albert, Opened 25 September 1914
Battle of Sandfontein, Opened 25 September 1914
Siege of Antwerp, Opened 28 September 1914
First Battle of Arras, Opened 1 October 1914
First Battle of Ypres, Opened 14 October 1914
First Battle of Ypres (Second Account), Opened 14 October 1914
Battle of the Yser, Opened 18 October 1914
Battle of Coronel, Opened 1 November 1914
Battle of Tanga, Opened 3 November 1914
Capture of Basra, Opened 5 November 1914
Battle of Qurna, Opened 3 December 1914
Battle of the Falkland Islands, Opened 8 December 1914
Raid on Scarborough and Hartlepool, Opened 16 Dec 1914
Battle of Givenchy, Opened 18 December 1914
First Battle of Champagne, Opened 20 December 1914
Battle of Dogger Bank, Opened 24 January 1915
Battle of Bolimov, Opened 31 January 1915
Defence of the Suez Canal, Opened 3 February 1915
Second Battle of the Masurian lakes, Opened 7 Feb. 1915
Initial Dardanelles Bombardment, Opened 19 Feb. 1915
Battle of Neuve-Chapelle, Opened 10 March 1915
Attempt to Force the Narrows, Opened 18 March 1915
Battle of Shaiba, Opened 11 April 1915
Second Battle of Ypres, Opened 22 April 1915
Landings at Helles & Anzac Cove, Opened 25 April 1915
First Battle of Krithia, Opened 28 April 1915
Counter-attack at Eski Hissarlik, Opened 1 May 1915
Second Battle of Krithia, Opened 6 May 1915
Battle of Festubert, Opened 15 May 1915
Turkish attack at Anzac Cove, Opened 19 May 1915
Capture of Amara, Opened 31 May 1915
Third Battle of Krithia, Opened 4 June 1915
Battles of the Isonzo, Opened June 1915-October 1915
First Battle of the Isonzo, Opened 23 June 1915
Battle of Nasiriyeh, Opened 27 June 1915
Battle of Gully Ravine, Opened 28 June 1915
Attack on Achi Baba, Opened 12 July 1915
Second Battle of the Isonzo, Opened 18 July 1915
Landings at Suvla Bay, Opened 6 August 1915
Battle of Lone Pine, Opened 6 August 1915
Battle of Sari Bair, Opened 6 August 1915
Battle of the Nek, Opened 6 August 1915
Battle of Hill 60, Opened 21 August 1915
Battle of Scimitar Hill, Opened 21 August 1915
Battle of Loos, Opened 25 September 1915
Capture of Kut-al-Amara, Opened 28 September 1915
Battle of Es Sinn, Opened 28 September 1915
Third Battle of the Isonzo, Opened 18 October 1915
Fourth Battle of the Isonzo, Opened 10 November 1915
Battle of Ctesiphon, Opened 2 November 1915
Siege of Kut-al-Amara, Opened 7 December 1915
Evacuation of Gallipoli, Opened 18 December 1915
Battle of Sheikh Sa'ad, Opened 6 January 1916
Battle of the Wadi, Opened 13 January 1916
Battle of Hanna, Opened 21 January 1916
Battle of Verdun, Opened 21 February 1916
Battle of Dujaila, Opened 8 March 1916
Fifth Battle of the Isonzo, Opened 9 March 1916
Battle of Lake Naroch, Opened 18 March 1916
First Battle of Kut, Opened 5 April 1916
Battle of Asiago, Opened 15 May 1916
Trentino Offensive, Opened 15 May 1916
Battle of Jutland, Opened 31 May 1916
Battle of Lutsk, Opened 4 June 1916
Battle of Khanaqin, Opened June 1916
Battle of the Somme, Opened 1 July 1916
Battle of Bazentin Ridge, Opened 14 July 1916
Battle of Delville Wood, Opened 15 July 1916
Battle of Pozieres Ridge, Opened 23 July 1916
Battle of Romani, Opened 3 August 1916
Sixth Battle of the Isonzo, Opened 6 August 1916
Battle of Gorizia, Opened 6 August 1916
Battle of Guillemont, Opened 3 September 1916
Seventh Battle of the Isonzo, Opened 14 September 1916
Battle of Flers-Courcelette, Opened 15 September 1916
Eighth Battle of the Isonzo, Opened 10 October 1916
Ninth Battle of the Isonzo, Opened 1 November 1916
Second Battle of Kut, Opened 13 December 1916
Battle of Khadairi Bend, Opened 9 January 1917
Battle of Nahr-al-Kalek, Opened 26 February 1917
Capture of Baghdad, Opened 11 March 1917
Samarrah Offensive, Opened 13 March 1917
Seizure of Falluja, Opened 19 March 1917
First Battle of Gaza, Opened 26 March 1917
Battle of Jebel Hamlin, Opened 25 March 1917
Battle of Vimy Ridge, Opened 9 April 1917
Battle of Shiala, Opened 11 April 1917
Second Battle of the Aisne, Opened 16 April 1917
Second Battle of Gaza, Opened 17 April 1917
Battle of Istabulat, Opened 21 April 1917
Battle of the Boot, Opened 30 April 1917
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo, Opened 12 May 1917
Battle of Otranto Straits, Opened 14 May 1917
Battle of Messines, Opened 7 June 1917
Third Battle of Ypres, Opened 31 July 1917
Third Battle of Ypres (2), Opened 31 July 1917
Battle of Passchendaele, Opened 31 July 1917
Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo, Opened 19 August 1917
Battle of Ramadi, Opened 28 September 1917
Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, Opened 24 October 1917
Battle of Caporetto, Opened 24 October 1917
Third Battle of Gaza, Opened 31 October 1917
Battle of Beersheba, Opened 31 October 1917
Capture of Tikrit, Opened 5 November 1917
Battle of Mughar Ridge, Opened 13 November 1917
Battle of Cambrai, Opened 20 November 1917
Fall of Jerusalem, Opened 8 December 1917
Raid on Zeebrugge, Opened 23 April 1918
Third Battle of the Aisne, Opened 27 May 1918
Battle of Cantigny, Opened 28 May 1918
Battle of Chateau-Thierry, Opened 3 June 1918
Battle of Belleau Wood, Opened 6 June 1918
Battle of the Piave River, Opened 15 June 1918
Battle of Le Hamel, Opened 4 July 1918
Second Battle of the Marne, Opened 15 July 1918
Battle of Havrincourt, Opened 12 September 1918
Battle of Epehy, Opened 18 September 1918
Battle of Vittorio Veneto, Opened 23 October 1918
Battle of Sharqat, Opened 29 October




Above is a brief time line of the important battles, on many different fronts during the first world war. World War I lasted from 1914 to 1919, and was the most revolutionary war of it's time.
World War I began with an assassin's bullet. Francis Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria-Hungary, was killed in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip. Princip maintained ties with a Serbian terrorist organization, leading Austrian-Hungarian leaders to believe that the assassination was sponsored by the Serbian government. This prompted Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia on July 28, 1914.
The war quickly escalated as European nations realized the far-reaching implications of this war. Germany joined with Austria-Hungary in a matter of days to form the Central Powers. Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire joined about two months later. Serbia was the first to make up the Allies. It was quickly joined by the British Empire, Belgium, France, and Japan. Other nations joined in the following years.
I've given you a list of some of the allies during the first world war.
Serbia (July 28, 1914)
Russia (August 1, 1914)
France (August 3, 1914)
Belgium (August 4, 1914)
British Empire (August 4, 1914)
Montenegro (August 5, 1914)
Japan (August 23, 1914)
Italy (May 23, 1915)
San Marino (June 3, 1915)
Romania (August 27, 1916)
United States (April 6, 1917)
Panama (April 7, 1917)
Portugal (April 7, 1917)
Cuba (April 7, 1917)
Greece (July 2, 1917)
Siam (July 22, 1917)
Liberia (August 4, 1917)
China (August 14, 1917)
Brazil (October 26, 1917)
Guatemala (April 23, 1918)
Nicaragua (May 8, 1918)
Costa Rica (May 23, 1918)
Haiti (July 12, 1918)
Honduras (July 19, 1918)



The Posters in the First World War


Each of the nations which participated in World War One from 1914-18 used propaganda posters not only as a means of justifying involvement to their own population, but also as a means of producing men, money and resources to sustain the military campaign.

In countries such as Britain the use of propaganda posters was very understandable: in 1914 Britain only had a professional army and did not have in place a policy of national service, as was standard in other major nations such as France and Germany.

Yet while the use of posters proved initially successful in Britain the numbers required for active service at the Front were such as to ultimately require the introduction of acceptance. Nevertheless recruitment posters remained in use for the continuation of the war, as was indeed the case in most other countries including France, Germany and Italy.

However, wartime posters were not solely used to recruit men to the military. Posters commonly urged wartime thrift, and were vocal in seeking funds from the general public via subscription to various war bond schemes (usually with great success).

Interestingly, for all that the U.S.A. joined the war relatively late - April 1917 - they produced many more propaganda posters than any other single nation.


The United States

The U.S.A. entered World War One in April 1917, but lost no time in producing many more propaganda posters than any other single nation. These surrounded by recruitment to the various armed services, plus frequently the raising of war finance via the hugely successful liberty bond issues.





The United Kingdom

Britain entered the war on 4 August 1914. The possessor of a small professional army and without a policy of conscription Britain had urgent need of more men - many, many more men - for training within the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).
Thus the government in London acted quickly in bringing out a stream of recruitment posters, including possibly the most famous of its type, featuring Lord Kitchener ("Your Country Wants You!").
Other posters followed in due course, many urging wartime economy. Others simply encouraged continued support for government policy, usually by whipping up indignation against the latest alleged outrages committed (invariably) by the German Army.


Russia

Russia entered World War One on 1 August 1914 but did not remain until the conflict's ultimate conclusion in November 1918. The February - and then October - Revolutions of 1917 directly led to Russia's departure at the war, albeit at the cost of a punitive peace treaty(atBrest-Litovsk).

Given the vast manpower resources at Russia's disposal - the Russian steamroller as it was commonly referred to - the government did not need to resort to recruitment posters. However propaganda was produced to encourage public investment in government bonds; and in the early Soviet era in decrying prominent anti-Bolshevik figures.



Italy

Italy began the Great War in August 1914 as a declared neutral. Her inclinations lay with the Allies however and in due course she declared her hand against the Central Powers on 23 May 1915.
As with the other major nations she was prompt in using wartime poster propaganda to generate fervent support for Italy's stance: and of course as a means of encouraging military volunteers.


Germany

Of the nations which went to war from 1914-18 Germany was arguably the best prepared. Along with France the German government had long planned for war.
Where as France was expecting a conflict with Germany and Austria-Hungary, Germany reckoned upon facing at least France in the west and Russia in the east: a formidable proposition.
Thus Germany took great care in formulating its own war strategy - the Schlieffen Plan - which in the event failed to achieve its aim of knocking France out of the war in the west and then rushing back to the east to deal with Russia while the latter's painfully slow mobilisation proceeded apace. For all that, the Schlieffen Plan very nearly came to fruition.
Conscription was a matter of standard policy in pre-war Germany. However the German government (presided over by Kaiser Wilhelm II) was not averse to appealing for more men, and for stating the patent justice of their decision to enter into a state of war.



France

France had initiated its plan for the First World War some years before the event - via the ill-fated Plan XVII - and so had in place a government policy of conscription. Nevertheless when war broke out the French government was prompt in advertising for more men - while simultaneously pleading the justice of the French cause.


Canada

As with Australia, Canada entered the First World War along with Britain in August 1914. Again, Canada did not have in place a policy of conscription - although this was (controversially) changed in time by Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden - and recruitment posters were prominent in stimulating military enlistment.


Belgium

Belgium, whose official position as a neutral remained for much of the war, was invaded by Germany on 4 August 1914.
Reproduced below is a sample poster produced in 1919 appealing to the Belgium population to contribute to a war reconstruction loan.

Australia
Australia entered the First World War along with Britain in August 1914. The government was not slow however in attempting to stimulate recruitment in a country where conscription was forbidden.
In addition to posters the government dispatched specially inscribed postcards (IE. 'Hasten!', 'Hurry!') to the homes of men who had not enlisted to date.