On this day, soldiers from the Ottoman Empire suffered one of the worst friendly fire incidents in military history. On December 23, 1914, the Ottoman 32nd Infantry Division accidentally opened fire on the Ottoman 31st Infantry Division during the Caucasus campaign of World War I. The event took place during the opening days of the Battle of Sarikamish, which took place along the mountainous Caucasian border between Russia and the Ottoman Empire. As the 32nd assaulted the town of Oltu from the west, the 31st simultaneously attacked the town from the south. Unfortunately, the 32nd mistook the 31st for Russian troops and opened fire with small arms and artillery, inflicting as many as 2,000 casualties before they realized their mistake. This incident was emblematic of the outdated tactics and poor communication that would go on to cost millions of lives during the First World War.
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