The First World War

The First World War was the natural conclusion to Germany's prolonged effort to expand by force of arms. Under the able direction of Prince Bismarck, Germany had conquered Denmark in 1864, retaining Schleswig-Holstein; in 1866 at Sadowa she had brought the Austro-Hungarian Empire to its knees, and afterwards played the leading role over the relics of the old Holy Roman Empire; in 1870 she had conquered France and retained the important provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. On 1st January, 1871, the King of Prussia was proclaimed Emperor of Germany at Versailles. Bismarck's policy had always been to keep friends with Russia and to confine aggression to Middle Europe. In 1888 Kaiser Wilhelm II, a man of great ambitions and full of grandiose schemes of conquest, ascended the throne. Quickly getting rid of the old Chancellor Bismarck, he embarked on a policy of world domination which could have only one end. In 1906 Germany's ally Austria annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina, and by 1914 Germany had diplomatic control of Bulgaria and Turkey. The Berlin to Baghdad railway was nearing completion. But Servia was tied to Russian influences by race and tradition. Germany determined to wrest the supremacy of the sea from Great Britain and finally to humble France.

The murder of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian Empire, on 28th June, 1914, provided the immediate cause of war. Servia was accused of complicity; an impossible ultimatum dictated by Kaiser Wilhelm was sent by the aged Emperor Francis Joseph, and Servia appealed for help to Russia. War on Servia was declared by Austro-Hungary on 25th July. The French alliance with Russia in 1895 was still in force and the Franco-British entente of 1904 had enabled a detailed plan of co-operation to be prepared. On 2nd August Germany demanded free passage through Belgium and declared war on France the next day. She hoped that Great Britain was too disturbed by the Irish troubles and their repercussions on the Army to enter the war. But Great Britain was bound by treaty to protect the neutrality of Belgium and honoured that treaty by an ultimatum expiring at 11 p.m. on 4th August.

At the start, therefore, a state of war existed on two fronts : the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires against Russia and Servia in the east, and against France and Great Britain in the west. Germany mobilized 107 divisions.

The British Government decided to rely on voluntary enlistment and Lord Kitchener was recalled from Egypt to become Secretary of State for War. He called for 500,000 volunteers to form the New Army.

In the course of the war the United States, Italy, Greece, Rumania, Portugal and Japan joined the Allies; Turkey and Bulgaria, the Central Powers. Battle fronts also developed in the Gallipoli Peninsula, in Italy, Macedonia and Palestine.

The Regiment took no part in the Gallipoli or Palestine operations.