Western Front
106 French, 56 British, 6 Belgian and 1 Russian division oppose 127 German divisions (44 new divisions formed in 1916).
French military announces (that is, claims) it took 78,500 German prisoners during the Battle of Verdun.
Eastern Front
Romania: Further Austro-German progress in Moldavian mountains and west and south of Focsani.
Southern Front
Italy: Avalanches in the Italian Alps have killed around 10,000 Austro-Hungarian and Italian soldiers this month.
Salonika: Bulgars fail in attack on Braila bridgehead, but carry positions east of Macin.
Asiatic and Egyptian Theaters
Sinai: Magharah Wells, Hassana and Nakhl (Sinai) cleared of Turkish forces.
Naval and Overseas Operations
In last quarter of 1916 only 958,000t neutral shipping (723,000t Norwegian) enters British ports compared with 3,442,000 in January to March. Grand Fleet now mostly equipped with Poulsen-arc jam-resistant radios.
North Sea: Dover Patrols has 5 cruisers and 35 destroyers and many smaller craft with 10 French destroyers (Admiral Ronarc’h).
East Africa: Campaign of the Sudan forces in Darfur comes to an end (see March 1st).
Convoy of Indian sappers traveling in trucks on the road to Rufiji, German East Africa:
http://imgur.com/Ow2tfRT* © IWM (Q 15609)
Political, etc.
Austria-Hungary: Nearly 5 million men mobilized (800,000 killed, 1 million wounded and sick) but 20 new divisions formed.
Russia: Raspútin murdered in Petrograd. (also reported for 17 December (Old Style) and 30 December (New Style).
By now 14,648,000 Russian men mobilized including 47.4% of the male peasants.
Russian Duma adopts a resolution stating “dark forces” inside the nation are hampering its war efforts.
Germany: German Army has now 16,000 MGs, each division has 48 mortars. In 1916 it has raised 1,050 batteries (4,200 guns).
Kaiser Wilhelm to troops: “All their [Allied] assaults, East and West, have collapsed owning to your bravery and devotion.”
Bankruptcies in Germany fell this year with 2,277 cases, compared to 4,580 in 1915 and 7,738 in 1914.
France: French Army has now 40,000 motor vehicles.
Paris Municipal Council adopts “decisive victory” as the New Year’s resolution for France.
United Kingdom: Douglas Haig promoted to Field Marshal.
United States: Alice Ball, African American chemist who discovered an effective treatment for leprosy, passed away at age 24:
http://imgur.com/B1aYptk
Greece: Entente Note to Greece calling for reparation for events of 1 and 2 December, with other demands.