Other important events during the closing months of 1914 were Turkey's declaration of war against the Allies in October and the proclamation of a Holy War against England, France, and Russia. In December the short-lived South African rebellion led by De Wet was crushed by the capture of the leader and the most of his army. On the sea the defeat of Admiral Craddock and the loss of three British ships off the coast of Chili, November 1. Craddock was avenged December 8 when Vice-Admiral Sturdee sank four German battleships in the South Atlantic near the Falkland Is lands, only one ship, the "Dresden," escap ing. On December 18 the British de posed the Khedive of Egypt, Abbas Milmi Pasha and appointed his uncle, Hussein Kemal Pasha with the title of Sultan to the throne of Egypt.
1915 Western Front, Etc. — In northern France the Germans took the offensive in January, 1915, northeast of Soissons, forcing back the French line to the southern bank of the Aisne. In Febru ary the French started a great offensive in the Champagne, between Rheims and the Argonne, which raged for weeks and yet brought the French victors only meager gains. But the Germans, forced to strip their front to repel this attack, afforded the British early in March a chance to strike and win Neuve Chapelle. In April the French again assumed the offensive, driving at the Germans be tween the Meuse and the Moselle. The German position known as the St. Mihiel "wedge" had been gained by them the previous September, when a German army reduced the Fort des Romains, ocupied St. Mihiel and fortified the terri tory around.
The struggle won some ground for the French, but the Germans still held their main positions from the Meuse to the Moselle. In the last days of April the Germans made a powerful drive at the Allied front between the Lys and the North Sea. This broke for a time the French lines between the Belgians and British and forced them back on Ypres. The Germans made gains, but the Allies reorganized and eventually the offensive quieted down. In the second week in May, General Joffre attacked between Arras and La Basse on a twenty-five mile front, the objective being the coal city of Lens. The French won line after line of trenches, captured Loos, and north of Arras pushed east, making gains of between three and four miles. This was the most important French victory since the Marne, but it was only a brilliant operation. The Germans could still claim that they were fighting a suc cessful war in France. Attacks con tinued to be made in France and Bel gium without important results. The ground lost by the Allies around Ypres was not regained. Not until September did the French attempt another impor tant offensive in the Champagne. After three weeks of terrific bombardment the whole German front line was taken and 20,000 prisoners. On October 7 another French attack was launched, gaining three miles but failing to pierce the Ger man third line.
The British and French operation in the Artois region known as the "Battle of Lens" gave the French Souchez and some miles of territory, the British took 5,000 prisoners and advanced three miles at some points when they were halted by the Germans, who still held possession of Lens.
German merchant ships had disap peared from the seven seas by the be ginning of 1915, but her submarines con tinued to sink British and French ships. An action was fought January 24. Off the Dogger Bank, a number of German ships on their way to bombard the British coast were intercepted by Vice Admiral Beatty who sank the armored cruiser "Bliicher" and damaged two other German battle-cruisers. The remaining German ships escaped to home waters. On February 10 the United States Gov ernment addressed a warning note to Germany against the destruction of mer chantships without determining their belligerent nationality, or the contra band character of their cargoes. A note was also addressed to Great Britain pro testing against the use of the American flag on British vessels. Germany replied by disclaiming all responsibility for such accidents and their consequences as a re sult to neutral vessels. Britain upheld the use of neutral flags in war, but de clared the government had no intention of advising their general use. On May 1 France and Great Britain declared that in retaliation against Germany's sub marine "blockade," it was the Allies' in tention to prevent commodities of any kind from reaching Germany. This dec laration brought a note of protest from the United States against cutting off neutral trade with Germany. These notes effected no change in sea-warfare as pursued by the belligerent nations. On May 7, the great transatlantic liner "Lusitania" was torpedoed and sunk with out warning by a German submarine off the southern coast of Ireland. 1150 persons lost their lives (including more than 100 Americans) and 767 were res cued. On May 13 the United States Government addressed a note of protest to Germany regarding the sinking of the "Lusitania." Germany, the note read, was expected to disavow such acts, and to take steps to prevent their recurrence; the United States Government expressed the determination to maintain the rights of American citizens. Germany, reply ing in July to American notes of protest regarding the submarine attacks on mer chant shipping, pledged safety for United States shipping by allowing four enemy passenger steamers to sail under the pro tection of the American flag. The United States Government in reply declared the German note unsatisfac tory, and stated that the repetition of incidents complained of would be regard ed as "deliberately unfriendly." Other notes followed, between the United States and Germany without causing any changes in the situation. Great Britain replying to the charge that she was inter fering with American trade in the war zone maintained that she was adhering to the principles of international law as modified by modern conditions. Germany continued to sink American ships, but on September 23 declared that in the future American vessels carrying conditional contraband would not be destroyed. A note apologetic in tone for the sinking of the "Arabic" followed in October.