As it was believed the First World War would not last very long, it is not surprising to see articles claiming the war would soon be over and the Germans were showing signs of defeat. Such an article appeared on May 8, 1915. On May 7, 1915, General Sam Hughes claimed that the radical actions of the Germans – the use of poisonous gas, rushing their newly trained troops to the front, and their submarine warfare on merchant ships, the Lusitania only being the latest casualty – combined with the British and all her armies holding their ground, indicated that the German army was close to collapse. These radical claims were mainly about influencing Italy, which was on the brink of joining the war, but Hughes believed these actions 
also meant that Germany was on the brink of collapse. Similar claims re-appeared on May 31, when a short article claimed the Germans had used all their strength during the second battle of Ypres, but failed to win the battle. Therefore, the Germans knew the Entente was stronger. The strength of the Entente would be a recurring theme that could sometimes be summed up by a single image in the newspaper.
“Heroic Stand at Ypres has Shortened the War,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, May 31, 1915.
“Indicates that the Germans are in the First Stages of Collapse,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, May 8, 1915.
Image – “Plowing the Sands; or, Hate’s Labour Lost,” Ayr News, May 31, 1915.
