Primary
Documents - 1915
Updated - Saturday, 29 May, 2004
This page of the Primary Documents section of the website collects together archive source documents originating in 1915, the first full year of the war.
Included among the 1915 documents are America's repeated formal protests to the German government regarding the latter's sinking of the Lusitania. Also available is the text of an influential letter sent by journalist Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett to the British Prime Minister highlighting concerns relating to the prosecution of the war on the Gallipoli peninsular.
The list presented below - with each entry accompanied by a brief summary of its significance - is sorted by date, with earlier documents listed first.
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21 Demands of China by
Japan (click
here) January - Japanese attempt to gain hegemony over China |
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German Admiralty
Declaration (click
here) January - German threat to sink neutral shipping |
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Declaration of Naval
Blockade of Britain (1) (click
here) February - German Declaration, quickly withdrawn |
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Declaration of Naval
Blockade of Britain (2) (click
here) February - Alfred von Tirpitz's criticism of declaration |
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Declaration of Naval
Blockade of Britain (3) (click
here) February - Prince von Bulow's support for declaration |
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U.S. Strict
Accountability Warning (click
here) February - President Wilson's warning to Germany |
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British Report on Battle of
Neuve Chapelle (click
here) March - Writer's flawed commentary on failed attack |
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German Report on Battle of
Neuve Chapelle (click
here) March - Magazine commentary highlighting British losses |
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Anglo-French on Attack
on Dardanelles (1) (click
here) March - U.S. Ambassador to Turkey's Thoughts |
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Anglo-French on Attack
on Dardanelles (2) (click
here) March - Journalist Henry Nevinson's Account |
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Talaat Pasha's
Armenian Massacre Orders (click
here) March - Talaat Pasha's written orders from March 1915 |
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The Austrian Surrender
of Przemysl (click
here) March - Austro-Hungarian Minister of War's account |
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Grand Duke Nikolai on
the Carpathian Battle (click
here) April - Russian Commander-in-Chief's account |
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Treaty of London (click
here) April - Allied attempt to bring Italy into the war |
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August von Mackensen
on Gorlice-Tarnow (click
here) May - The German Field Marshal's account of the battle |
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German Press Report
on Gorlice-Tarnow (click
here) May - German press release gloating in victory |
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Bryce Report on German
Atrocities (click
here) May - British report into German atrocities in Belgium |
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First U.S. Protest
Over Lusitania Sinking (click
here) May - First official U.S. reaction to loss of Lusitania |
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Alexander von Krobatin
on Gorlice-Tarnow (click
here) May - Austro-Hungarian Minister of War's reaction |
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Italy's Entry into the
War (click
here) May - Italian Prime Minister's declaration |
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British Account of
Gorlice-Tarnow (click
here) May - Written by British observer with Russian Army |
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British Review of
Lusitania Sinking (click
here) May - Official Law Court's Review |
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Austrian Declaration
of War with Italy (click
here) May - Franz Josef's formal declaration of war |
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German Reaction to
Italian War Declaration (click
here) May - German Chancellor's formal reaction |
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German Response to
Lusitania Sinking (click
here) May - Foreign Minister von Jagow's note to U.S. |
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Second U.S. Protest
Over Lusitania Sinking (click
here) May - President Wilson's second note to Germany |
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Grand Duke Nikolai on
Gorlice-Tarnow (click
here) June - Russian Commander-in-Chief's account |
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Sir John French on
German Use of Gas (click
here) June - British Commander-in-Chief's official report |
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German Justification
for Use of Poison Gas (click
here) June - Official German press statement |
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Austrian Protest Re:
U.S. Munitions (click
here) June - Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister's note |
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Third U.S. Protest
Over Lusitania Sinking (click
here) July - President Wilson's third note to Germany |
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German Account of the
Fall of Warsaw (click
here) August - German General's account |
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Lord Kitchener on the
Battle of Sari Bair (click
here) August - Minister of War's official report |
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Sir Ian Hamilton on the
Battle of Sari Bair (click
here) August - Commander-in-Chief's official report |
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Ashmead-Bartlett on the
Battle of Sari Bair (click
here) August - British journalist's account |
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German Officer on the
Battle of Sari Bair (click
here) August - Aide to Liman von Sanders' account |
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U.S. Reply to Austrian
Munitions Protest (click
here) August - Secretary of State Robert Lansing's note |
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Tsar Nicholas II
Becomes Army C-in-C (click
here) September - Tsar assumes command of his armies |
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Ellis
Ashmead-Bartlett's Letter to Asquith (click
here) September - Australian war correspondent's despair |
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Robert Lansing on the
'Dumba Affair' (click
here) September - U.S. demand for Austria's recall of Dr. Dumba |
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Dr. Dumba on the
'Dumba Affair' (click
here) September - Constantin Dumba's official statement |
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French Govt. on
Champagne Offensive (click
here) September - Upbeat government statement on progress |
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von Falkenhayn on
Champagne Offensive (click
here) September - German Army Chief of Staff's account |
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Count Bernstorff on
Alleged German Spying (click
here) September - Account of Germany's Ambassador to U.S. |
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German Govt. on
Champagne Offensive (click
here) October - German government's dismissive statement |
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Russia's Declaration
of War with Bulgaria (click
here) October - Russian declaration of hostilities |
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Bulgaria's Entry into
the War (click
here) October - Bulgarian Prime Minister's rationale for war |
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Daily Telegraph Report
on Bulgaria's Plans (click
here) October - Account of an opposition meeting with the Tsar |
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Brand Whitlock on
Edith Cavell (click
here) October - U.S. Ambassador's appeal to Germany |
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Maitre G. de Leval on
Edith Cavell (click
here) October - Belgian councillor's report |
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Hugh Gibson on
Edith Cavell (click
here) October - Secretary of U.S. Legation to Belgium's report |
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Stirling Gahan on
Edith Cavell (click
here) October - British chaplain's account of visit to see Cavell |
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Arthur Zimmermann on
Edith Cavell (click
here) October - Official German view of Cavell's execution |
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Paris Mail Article on
1st Battle of Ypres (click
here) October - Anniversary celebration of British action |
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Bryce Report into the
Armenian Massacre (click
here) October - British government report indicting Turkey |
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Erich von Falkenhayn
on the Fall of Serbia (click
here) November - German Army Chief of Staff's account |
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General von Cramon on
the Fall of Serbia (click
here) November - German General's summary |
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French Memorandum for
Joint Action (click
here) December - Request for combined action at Chantilly |
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In Gallipoli a "cricket ball" was the name given to a particular type of Turkish hand grenade. Sometimes such grenades could be picked up and hurled back over to Turkish lines, such was often the length of the fuse attached. |
Original Material © Michael Duffy 2000-07, SafeSurf Rated
