Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. The following pages constitute a connected story of the late war from its origins to the conclusion of the Peace of'versailles, not for the edification of experts, military or other, but rather for the enlightenment of the general reader and student. A definitive history of the war will never be written; it is much too early, of course, even to attempt it. All that the author has here essayed to do is to Sketch tentatively what seem to him its broad outlines domestic politics of the several belligerents no less than army campaigns and naval battles, and in present ing his synthesis to be guided so far as in him lay by an honest desire to put heat and passion aside and to write candidly and objectively for the instruction of the succeeding generation.

The following pages constitute a connected story of the late war from its origins to the conclusion of the Peace of'versailles, not for the edification of experts, military or other, but rather for the enlightenment of the general reader and student. A definitive history of the war will never be written; it is much too early, of course, even to attempt it. All that the author has here essayed to do is to Sketch tentatively what seem to him its broad outlines domestic politics of the several belligerents no less than army campaigns and naval battles, and in present ing his synthesis to be guided so far as in him lay by an honest desire to put heat and passion aside and to write candidly and objectively for the instruction of the succeeding generation.