th under the very shadow of the old walls of
Saloniki, and the roads to Constantinople and to Albania were opened
to Germany and Austria, the Balkans were conquered at a blow and
Berlin began to forecast a German-led drive upon Egypt by Suez and
even upon India by Bagdad.

As for the Gallipoli troops, December saw them hurriedly withdrawn
after great losses and terrible suffering. (Vol. IV, 369-380.)
Germany and Austria had now broken the iron circle about them; for the
moment Germany had realized the German dream of expansion to the Near
East, the conception of a Central Empire, a Mittel-Europa, fronting
the Baltic and the Adriatic, overflowing the Sea of Marmora into Asia
Minor and bound by the German-built railroad uniting Berlin, Vienna,
and Constantinople with Bagdad and Hamburg and Antwerp with Suez and
the Persian Gulf. Here at last was a solid gain, a real victory after
two great disappointments.

IN THE WEST

Meantime there had been a long trench struggle in the west. The German
attack at the outset of the war had terminated in Flanders. It was not
for several months that the Allies felt able to undertake any
offensive. Then in rapid succession came French attacks in Alsace, in
Champagne, and south of St. Mihiel (Vol. III, 151-169), while the
British made a desperate drive about Neuve Chapelle. (Vol. III,
83-98.) All these were checked by the Germans who passed to the
offensive themselves in April, and made a new attack about Ypres,
marked by the first use of poison gas. (Vol. III, 99-115.)

German success was inconsiderable, but it did reveal the fact that the
Allies were not yet dangerous and Germany turned her whole attention
toward the great Russian campaign just beginning. In May and June the
French made terrific attacks under Foch in Artois (Vol. III, 121-125),
and won some ground north of Arras. (Vol. III, 155.) But the attacks
had to be abandoned because they were too costly in men, while a
British attempt to support the French failed dismally.

Not until late September, when Russia was just at the lowest ebb in
her fortunes, did the western Allies try again. Then, starting on
September 25, 1915, they launched terrific drives in Champagne and
Artois, came within an ace of piercing the German lines, captured some
30,000 prisoners and many guns, but in the end failed to get through.
(Vol. IV, 61-131.) German troops were recalled from Russia and
Russia's escape was made certain, but this was the on