World Events in 1915
Gallipoli Campaign
Allied forces landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in April, attempting to knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war and open a supply route to Russia. The campaign ended in costly failure and withdrawal by January 1916, becoming a defining moment in Australian, New Zealand, and Turkish national identity.
Sinking of RMS Lusitania
A German U-boat torpedoed the Cunard liner off the coast of Ireland on 7 May, killing 1,198 people including 128 Americans. The sinking caused international outrage and shifted American public opinion towards the Allies.
Second Battle of Ypres
German forces released chlorine gas against Allied trenches in April, marking the first major use of chemical weapons in warfare. Canadian troops bore the brunt of the attack but held their positions despite horrific casualties.
Armenian Genocide begins
The Ottoman government began the systematic deportation and massacre of its Armenian population in April. An estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed in what is widely recognised as the first genocide of the 20th century.
Execution of Edith Cavell
British nurse Edith Cavell was executed by German firing squad on 12 October for helping Allied soldiers escape from occupied Belgium. Her death became a powerful Allied propaganda tool and recruiting stimulus.
Music in 1915
"Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag"
James Powell & Felix Powell
One of the most enduring songs of the First World War, its cheerful marching rhythm belied the grim reality of trench warfare. Soldiers sang it on the march and in the trenches.
"I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier"
Morton Harvey
A popular anti-war song reflecting American isolationist sentiment before US entry into the conflict. It sold over 650,000 copies.
#1 Film of 1915
The Birth of a Nation
Box Office: $10,000,000 (estimated)
D.W. Griffith's technically revolutionary but deeply racist Civil War epic was the highest-grossing film of the silent era. Its innovative editing and camera techniques transformed cinema while its glorification of the Ku Klux Klan remains deeply controversial.
Born in 1915
Frank Sinatra
American singer and actor, one of the best-selling music artists of all time
Orson Welles
American director of Citizen Kane, widely considered the greatest film ever made
Billie Holiday
American jazz singer and one of the most influential vocalists in music history
Arthur Miller
American playwright of Death of a Salesman and The Crucible
Edith Piaf
French singer known as 'The Little Sparrow,' famous for La Vie en Rose
Lost in 1915
Rupert Brooke
English war poet known for 'The Soldier'
Age 27
Edith Cavell
British nurse executed by Germany for helping Allied soldiers escape Belgium
Age 49
Alexander Scriabin
Russian composer and pianist known for synesthetic and mystical compositions
Age 43
Booker T. Washington
American educator and leading voice for African American advancement
Age 59
Technology in 1915
The war drove rapid technological development. Poison gas was used for the first time at Ypres. Tanks were being developed in secret. Aircraft were evolving from observers to fighters with synchronised machine guns. Telephone networks expanded to coordinate military operations.
- ● Germany deployed chlorine gas at the Second Battle of Ypres — the first large-scale chemical weapon attack
- ● The first fighter aircraft with a synchronised machine gun entered service
- ● Einstein published his General Theory of Relativity
- ● The first transcontinental telephone call made from New York to San Francisco
Cost of Living in 1915
| Item | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| Average house price | £270 | $3,300 |
| Average salary | £78 | $610 |
| Pint of milk | 2½d | 7¢ |
| Loaf of bread | 3d | 7¢ |
| Dozen eggs | 1s 4d | 36¢ |
| Pint of beer | 3d | 5¢ |
Shop 1915 memorabilia on eBay/Amazon
The Zeitgeist of 1915
The reality of industrial warfare was sinking in. Casualty lists filled newspapers daily. Women entered factories in unprecedented numbers, changing social dynamics forever. Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp character provided comic relief in cinemas. Patriotic songs and music hall turns rallied morale. Sport was curtailed in Britain, though baseball continued in the still-neutral United States.
In the News in 1915
The sinking of the Lusitania inflamed American opinion against Germany. Zeppelin raids on London brought the war to British civilians. Nurse Edith Cavell's execution by the Germans became a propaganda rallying cry across the Allied nations.