The cause of the Allies seemed at this hour to be at the very lowest. They had received severe if glorious defeats on the Somme, in Flanders, and on the Aisne. Their only success lay in putting limits to German victories. And yet with that deep prophetic instinct which is latent in the human mind, there was never a moment when they felt more assured of the ultimate victory, nor when the language of {340} their leaders was prouder and more firm. This general confidence was all the stranger, since we can see as we look back that the situation was on the face of it most desperate, and that those factors which were to alter it--the genius of Foch, the strength of his reserves, and the numbers and power of the American Army--were largely concealed from the public. In the midst of the gloom the one bright light shone from Italy, where, on June 17, a strong attack of the Austrians across the Piave was first held and then thrown back to the other bank. In this most timely victory Lord Cavan's force, which now consisted of three British Divisions, the Seventh, Twenty-third, and Forty-eighth, played a glorious part. So, at the close of the half year Fate's curtain rang down, to rise again upon the most dramatic change in history. {341} INDEX Ablainzeville, 32, 34, 35 Acklom, Colonel, 112 Aisne, British on the, 312-338 Albert, 64, 65, 66, 69, 70, 73, 76, 199, 204, 205, 206, 207, 210 Allenby, General Sir Edmund, 1 Allgood, Brigadier-General, 43 America, preparations by, 5 Amiens, 65, 114, 135, 152, 213, 312 Anderson, Colonel, V.C., 126 Anderson-Morshead, Colonel, 323 Anstey, Colonel, 135 Armentières, 226, 227, 235, 238, 240, 248, 260 Armin, General von, 249, 261, 303, 309 Armitage, Colonel, 299 Armstrong, Captain, 231 Arras, 6, 42, 44, 199, 204 Aveluy Wood, 204, 206, 207, 208, 209, 212 Ayette, 34, 35, 36 Bac St. Maur, 236, 238, 239, 241, 248, 249 Bailey, Brigadier-General, 78, 203 Bailleul, 44, 45, 257, 258, 259, 260, 262, 273, 278, 281, 282, 283, 293 Bainbridge, General Sir E., 50, 249, 273, 302, 312 Baird, Brigadier-General, 273, 277 Bambridge, Captain, 266 Banham, Major, 132 Bapaume, 56, 59, 60, 62 Barisis, 80, 81, 105 Barrett, Colonel Moulton, 40 Beal, Lieutenant, 25 Beaumetz, 50, 51, 55 Beaumont Hamel, 64, 65, 67, 74, 141, 144, 153 Beauvais, 156, 157, 158 Bellingham, Brigadier-General, 139, 203 Bell-Smyth, General, 195 Below, General Otto von, 9 Belton, Colonel, 143 Bennett, Brigadier-General, 210, 272 Bennett, Major (Cornwalls), 163 Bennett, Major (Oxfords), 141 Bernafoy Wood, 62, 122, 123, 124 Berney, Dr., 45 Berthelot, General, 323 Bertie, Major, 163 Bertincourt, 56, 58 Bethell, Brigadier-General, 302 Bethencourt, 122, 129, 159, 162, 163, 166, 187 Biddle, Sergeant-Major, 297 Bilton, Colonel, 162 Blackall, Colonel, 52 Blacklock, General, 148 Bligny, 336, 337, 338 Boehm, General von, 325 Bois d'Aquenne, 214, 216, 218 Boyd-Moss, Brigadier-General, 231 Boyelles, 24, 37