First World War
(1914 to 1918)
What happened?
World War I, also referred to as Word War One, WWI or the Great War, was a war on global scale that started in Europe 1914 and lasted until 1918. November 11 remained known afterwards as Armistice Day. All the involved great powers of the world were assembled into two conflicting alliances: the Allies (Tripple Entente of the United Kingdom, France and Russia) and the Centers (Tripple Alliance of Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary). Ultimately 70 million solders, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilized in one of the greatest wars in human history.
The direct cause for the global conflict was the murder of Frans Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife Sophie Chotek in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princp, a Bosnian Serb nationalist. It would not be fair to put the blame for the outbreak of World War I on him. Al kinds of things were already smoldering and in fact, it had been some time before the war. Princip was the man who put the fuse in the powder kep.
The conflict begun with the invasion of Serbia by the Austria-Hungary. The German attack on France via Luxembourg followed. Russia attacked Germany. Most famous were the battle on the western front. The Germans tried to quickly treaching the French capital, Paris, via Belgium and Luxembourg. After the advance was halted, the warring factions entrenched themselves in trenches. The front settled in a static war of attrition of a trench warfare until 1917. The battles fought from those trenches resulted in very many casualties and posion gas was used on a large scale for the first time. The Netherlands pursued a neutrality policy and managed to stay out of the war. The country did have to deal with many refugees.
The Russian army fought successfully against the Austro-Hungarian forces, until the German army pushed them back. Additional fronts were opened in Turkey, Italy and Romania. In the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Russian Empire collapsed. Russia exited the war after the October Revolution.
More than 9 million soldiers were killed, mainly as a result of the great technological advancements in firepower, such as machine guns, poison gas, cannons, barbed wire, tanks and aircraft. Another important factor that contributed to the massive sacrifice of human lives, was the possibility, for several years in a row to call up, take to the fronts and deploy thousands of young men to the fronts. The so-called war of positions allowed only futile successes when in conquest small pieces of often destroyed no-man's land, had to be defended again and agian or recaptured with equally massive counter-attacks.
American troops entered the trenches along the Western front in 1918, after a German offensive. The Allies pushed the German armies back in a series of successfull offensives. Germany had its own problems with revolutionaries at the time and agreed to a cease fire on November 11, 1918. The four imperialist powers of Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Empire, had been defeated militarily and politically. The Soviet Union emerged from the Russian Empire, while new small states were formed in Central Europe. Hoping to prevent such conflict in the future, the League of Nations was founded. The consequenses of the defeat of Germany and the Peace of Versailles would eventually contribute to the outbreak of World Warr II, because European nationalism and the disintegration of the former empires sprang.
Cross of War
± 1915
The Cross of War, translated from 'Croix de geurre' is a military decoration of the Kingdom of Belgium, established by royal decree in 1915. Primarily awarded for bravery or other military virtue on the battlefield. In 1940, the award was reeastablihed by the Royal goverment in exile for recognition for bravery and military virtue during WWII. It could also be awarded to units that were cited.
The Cross of War was established by royal decree in 1915 as an award for bravery or military virtue on the battlefield. It was only awarded to individuals.
The award was not only given for bravery, but also for three years or more of service on the front line, or for good conduct on the battlefield. Volunteers older than 40 or younger than 16, after a minimum of 18 months of service, recieved this award. Escaped prisoners of war rejoining the armed forces and military personnel who were placed on inactive duty because of injury were awarded with this cross.
It was a 40 mm wide bronze Malteze cross with balls at its eight points. The central medaillon bears a relief image of a "lion rampant". The reverse side was the royal cypher of King Albert I. Two crossed swords point upwards between its arms. A ribbon's suspension ring passes through the top orb of a royal crown, above a "inverted V", between the two points of the top cross arm.
This nice specimen was given for acts of bravery during the First World War.
R.M.S. Lusitania
± 1915
The luxurious R.M.S. Lusitania was once the world's largest ship of its time. It was also one of the fastest ships. On May 1, 1915, the Lusitania took off from New York with 1.959 passengers on board. The cargo hold contained passengers, 4,2 million rifle bullets, 1.250 shrapnel grenade and 18 fuse cases. These were all destined for the battlefields of the Great War. Although the Royal Navy had promised to accompany the Lusitania part of the voyage, the escort never appeared. It became a provocation to implicate the U.S. in WWI.
Lusitania entered Irish waters on 7 May. It slowed down to navigate the foggy weather. A nearby German submarine U 20 took advantage of the situation by torpedoing the ship twice. The hull exploded and sank in 18 minutes. 1.198 passengers and crew drowned, including 128 American civilians. This fact infuriated the American public. President Woodrow Wilson did not want to go to war immediately. He demanded compensation for the victims and apologies. Germany pointed out that it carried weapons for the Allies and did not carry a flag in war zone, which was contrary to the law of war.
This copy once graced the deck of the R.M.S. Lusitania. The chair belonged to the untold tons of wreckage and hundreds of bodies that washed up in Cobh. It was on display for decades.
Bayonet-Shaped Knife. Found: Belgium (JN0304)
Trench Art
± 1916
Trench art is any decorative item made by soldiers or prisoners of war, the manufacture of which is directly related to armed conflict or its consequences. It offers insight not only into their feelings and emotions about the war, but also into their environment and the materials they had at their disposal.
It is not limited to the world wars, the history of the world. trench art includes conflicts of the Napoleonic Wars to the Present (2020). Although World War I flourished, the term "Trench Art" is also used to describe souvenirs made by service personnel during World War II.
Some objects crafted during previous conflicts or civilians have been retroactively described as trench art. There are four broad categories of trench art. Objects made by soldiers in the trenches during the war. There are also items made by POW (Prisoners of War) and internees in their spare time. A third category was created by civilians. The fourth group are the commercial objects. After the war, objects were sold en masse and turned into souvenirs.
The blade in our collection is signed by the maker on 1 side.
German Stahlhelm. Found: Somme, France (JN0324)
Battle of the Somme
± 1916
On June 24, 1916, an almost continuous bombardment of the German lines began. On July 1, 1916, the attack began in which Allied soldiers climbed out of the trenches over a width of 30 km and walked towards the German trenches. However, the purpose of the bombing was not achieved. The German trenches and the barbed wire had not been destroyed. The result was a massacre. On the first day, 60.000 allies were killed. The weaker Germans lost 8.000 men. The army command refused to recognize the failure, and the slaughter continued for another 3 months. The attempt to push back the Germans was unsuccessful. The Germans tried to break through in Verdun during the same period.
Stahlhelm simply means "steel helmet" and is a German army helmet. In WWI the need for a good helmet arose. A soldier's head is the most vulnerable in a modern war. When soldiers stick their heads above the trenches, they are easy targets. The German standard helmet was the Pickelhaube, made of several layers of leather, but highly visible through a peak on the top that helped snipers locate them. The spike was designed to repel sabers, but they were hit by bullets and shrapnel during WWI.
General Hans Gaede designed a steel helmet that covered the head, forehead and nose. But the helmet was too heavy. In 1916 the improvement came to the Stahlhelm M1916. The helmet was used in Verdun and was a great success. The helmet had an outer plate with inner lining. It was important that the helmet did not hit the head, as the impact could cause a dent, which injured the soldier anyway. The helmet also had protrusions with ventilation holes, where an additional plate could be attached. The biggest advantage of the helmet was that it covered the temples. Later designs left the ears free so that hearing was not obstructed too much.
Emergency Money. Found: Antwerp, Belgium (JN0139)
Food Supply
± 1917
When the war broke out, Belgium was one of the most industrialized and densely populated countries in the world. For food it was dependent on imports. 80% of grain came from abroad. The government had not accumulated any stocks. After the German invasion there was a great shortage of food. Especially since the Germans claimed all supplies. Britain had launched an economic blockade against Germany and the occupied territories. To avoid hunger pangs (= hunger pains), the National Committee for Aid and Food was set up as a private initiative. Without outside help, Committee could not prevent a disaster either. That saving hand came from America. On the initiative of the later president Herbert Hoover, the Commission for Relief in Belgium was established. Together with Committee for Aid and Food, she would be able to guide the Belgians through four years of war with material and financial support.
The collected goods were transported by ship and brought weekly to the municipal warehouses of the comity. They were soon called American stores. There simply had to be paid. The price was better than on the black market. Only those who really could not afford it were supported. Due to the war and the blockade the economy came to a standstill. Many Belgians were at home without income. Prices on the black market soared. The available food was strictly distributed.
The Committee made a distinction between families. Completely supported families received free food. Partially supported received partially free food. Unsupported simply had to pay the goods.
Food distribution in occupied Belgium went along with a lot of paperwork. For everything edible, a receipt, card, booklet or number was needed. Every Belgian had to show an ID with his photo: the Certificate of Identity. Just looking in a shop for bread was not possible. In addition of proof, you needed cards that printed, signed and measured what you were carrying. Providing food for a family was almost a day job.
Soup kitchens were set up everywhere: "Aller à la soupe" became an expression. Soup has saved many Belgians from the worst of hunger.
In Brussels, for the petty bourgeoisie, who were also in need, there were the "restaurants économique": no "soupe" but "pottage" was served. In wartime the difference in class was taken into account. There was school soup for the children.
The price of bread, the national food par excellence, was constantly increasing. The quality of the food got worse. Wheat flour for the bread was mixed with products such as potato flour (potatoes full of black spots) and animal feed. Milk was diluted with water. Meat was only affordable for the rich, although they increasingly had to limit themselves to bacon, the poor louse meat. A striking feature is the special bread for dogs that the Committee supplied. The dog was widely used as a pack animal at the time and contributed to the family income.
Virginie Loveling kept a diary during the war in 1917, in Ghent.
A public slaughterhouse for dogs was set up by the town council. Dog meat was consumed by many working class families and in the name of public health, an inspection service for dogs was set up. Inhabitants of Boom, a town in Belgium, are known as "Hondefretters" (= dog-eater).
The weapons are silent, in 1918, after four harsh years of war. The majority of the population should have survived on ration that was inadequate. The fight for food was one without weapons. Every day, the Belgian housewives had to fight hunger.
Found: Menen, Belgium (JN0585)
Standard German S71 Bayonet
± 1918
The S71 was the bayonet designed for use by the Prussian infantry with the Gew71 rifle. It was introduced during the Franco-Prussian War. As the German armies of the various German states became standardized, the S71 was issued to most of the state armies.
It has a long, wide blade with brass grips and an opposite curved cross-guard and muzzle ring. It was carried in a leather sheath with brass mounts. Usually it had no saw blade, that was rare. The sawback was intended for the regular soldiers of special units. In practice, seniors were given a rarer weapon to show off. Some had a metal scabbard, but never in the colonies.
The S71 was issued there to the askaris of the Wissmanntruppe (= military and police units commanded by Hermann von Wissmann) before it was replaced by the S71/84. The handle has a locking system with a leaf spring. Our copy no longer contains a leaf spring.
During the First World War, people tried to be as inconspicuous as possible in the trenches. Yet obsolete weapons like this were withdrawn from arsenals due to the massive need for weapons. Often the bayonets were etched. Our copy has only one notched number on the locking system. It stuck in the ground for years and was excavated in a garden on the French border. It was left behind by a German soldier or officer when the city had to be evacuated quickly in 1918.