Ward's Book of Days.

Pages of interesting anniversaries.

What happened on this day in history.

JUNE 5th 

On this day in the future in 7890 at 12:34 (A.M. and P.M.), the time and date will be 12:34  5/6/7890. 

ALSO 

On this day in history in 1916, died Lord Kitchener.

Horatio Lord Kitchener was a General, an Imperial Governor, conqueror of The Sudan, Commander in Chief during the Boer War, and eventually Secretary of State for War at the outbreak of The First World War.

Kitchener’s first duty as War Secretary was to bring in a massive recruitment campaign using a distinctive poster bearing his own flattering features, and brandishing the popular slogan ‘Join your country’s army’. This poster has proved to be one of the most enduring images of The First World War. The poster allegedly raised 3 million recruits, a scale unprecedented in British history and became a symbol of national optimism for victory.  

Unfortunately, Kitchener himself was not at all optimistic of either a quick and decisive end to the war or an easy victory. At the outset of the war, he warned Cabinet colleagues to expect a long war despite the prevailing view that the war would be over by Christmas.  In 1916, Kitchener stated that he intended to press for a truce as he feared that the Cabinet would pursue the war too long and make a bad peace. 

At this stage Kitchener was ordered on a diplomatic visit to Russia, Britain’s ally in the war against Germany. Mysteriously, his vessel HMS Hampshire floundered off The Orkney Islands, with all on board lost. Kitchener’s body was never recovered.

The town of Berlin, Ontario, was renamed Kitchener in his honour as was Mount Kitchener in the Canadian Rockies.

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