The people in the British overseas dominions remained loyal, and sent hundreds of thousands of soldiers to the battle fronts in order to protect the mother country from threatened defeat.  To secure still greater cooeperation throughout the British Empire, the prime ministers of the self-governing colonies were invited to places in the British imperial war conferences.

SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY.—­1.  Locate Przemysl, Lemberg, the Mazurian Lakes, Scarborough, Helgoland, Essen. 2.  On an outline map of Europe indicate the countries engaged in the war at the end of 1915.  Which of these countries had entered during the year? 3.  By use of the scale on your map of Europe determine the following distances:  Ostend to Scarborough; Berlin to Warsaw; Brussels to Paris. 4.  When did the kingdom of Poland pass out of existence?  What became of it? 5.  What was the purpose of the Allies in the Gallipoli campaign?  What would have been the consequences of the success of this campaign? 6.  Collect pictures of Zeppelins, of gas attacks, and of methods of defense against gas.

    REFERENCES.—­War Cyclopedia (C.P.I.); Study of the Great
    War (C.P.I.); New York Times History of the European War;
    McKinley, Collected Materials for the Study of the War;
    German War Practices (C.P.I.), parts I and II.

CHAPTER X

THE WAR IN 1916

“THEY SHALL NOT PASS!”—­Early in 1916 the Germans began a furious attack on the strong French position at Verdun.  This point was a highly important one for the French, because if it were captured by the enemy, he could make flank attacks upon their adjoining lines and perhaps compel a general retreat.  The Germans had long been massing materials and men for the greatest military offensive which the world had ever seen.  Twenty thousand men were placed on each mile of the front for a distance of twenty-five miles, while hundreds of thousands more were held in reserve.  Thousands of guns of all sizes were brought up for the attack.  Under the command of the German crown prince, the German people and the whole world were to be shown that the German army was still invincible.

Beginning on February 21, the titanic struggle around Verdun continued until July, when the attacks and counter-attacks were gradually suspended.  In the early attacks the French were driven in from advanced positions, and then the Germans charged the heavily protected woodlands and hills.  In massed formation they advanced in the face of artillery, machine-gun, and rifle fire of the heaviest character.  The first waves were mown down like grain; but other troops, and still others climbed over the bodies of their dead comrades.  Never since the world began had such slaughter been seen.