<– Part 39 – April 18, 1915 | Part 40 – April 25, 1915 | Part 41 – May 2, 1915 –>
April 19, the Ottoman Empire surrounded the Armenian city of Vans, and a siege has been ongoing for the last week. The Ottomans appear to be systematically targeting the Armenian population for destruction or deportation, and it would appear the the residents of Van have taken up arms to resist. Their defense seems justified – yesterday, on the 24th, hundreds of Armenian intellectuals were arrested, many of them killed, all seemingly tied to an official Ottoman document issues that same day calling for the arrest of any Armenian deemed mischievous, vast searches of all towns, and other actions as deemed necessary.
On April 22, the German Empire launched a massive battle Gravenstafel, near the strategic city of Ypres, which has already seen much warfare
last autumn. It is also reported that the Germans released several hundred tons of poisonous chlorine gas, causing thousands of deaths and a large gap to open in the front lines. The Germans seem to have been wary of advancing, and Canadian troops were able to secure the area. If this report of poison gas is true, it would be a violation of the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907. Two days later, on the 25th, the Canadian reserves at St. Julien found themselves on the front lines as thick yellow clouds of chlorine gas floated in. Fortunately for them, word had spread that by urinating into handkerchiefs and putting them over one’s mouth, painful death by the gas could be avoided. Fighting across this sector is ongoing.
The following day, on the other side of Europe, masses of troops and ships were gathered in the Aegean sea by the Entente and her allies. Earlier today, 25 April 1915, Entente troops began a naval landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula, and have secured several beacheads at “Anzac Cove” and Cape Helles. The Anzacs – “Australian and New Zealand Army Corps” – are holding and awaiting reinforcements.
Finally, there are rumors that representatives of the Triple Entente (Britain, France, and Russia) have met with representatives of the Kingdom of Italy to discuss gains made for Italy and other nations at the expense of Austria, should the war be one. This cannot be confirmed, however.
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