1916

1916 was a pivotal year in World War I, characterized by major offensives, grueling attrition, and developments that shaped the postwar order. On the Western Front, Verdun continued the long fight between French and German forces, while the Battle of the Somme opened in July with British and French assaults against German lines. The Somme was among the war’s bloodiest battles and saw the first use of tanks, introduced by the British on September 15, 1916, signaling a shift in combat tactics. The Battle of Jutland (May 31–June 1) was the war’s largest naval engagement, leaving the British Grand Fleet in control of the seas but leaving German naval power largely undiminished.

On the Eastern Front, the Brusilov Offensive (June–September) pushed Austria-Hungary back and diverted German resources, achieving notable gains but at great cost and contributing to later destabilization of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In geopolitical diplomacy and colonial politics, the secret Sykes-Picot Agreement between Britain and France outlined postwar spheres of influence in the Middle East, while the Arab Revolt began in 1916 with aims of independence from the Ottoman Empire.

In Ireland, the Easter Rising of April 1916 briefly proclaimed an Irish republic and was quickly suppressed, yet it became a turning point in the Irish struggle for independence. In Russia, the year culminated in the assassination of Grigori Rasputin in December, underscoring deepening political crisis that would culminate in the revolutions of the following year.