August 26, 1914
On the 21st of August, on the western front, the advancing German Army has encountered the French near Charleroi. The British, taking up their places on the battle front, move up to Mons eight miles west, to cover the French flank. Immediately, they are brought into action defending the Mons canal, four skilled and experienced divisions facing six German.
General Alexander von Kluck commands the First Army at the German right. He knows it is up to him to wheel south and make quick work of France, so German attention can be refocused to the east. It is his preference to move further west around the flank of the BEF, but he has been commanded to remain in close contact with the Second Army to his left. Therefore, he opens with artillery against the seasoned British troops standing in his way. A major opportunity for an early German victory, based on maneuver rather than toe-to-toe slugging it out, is lost.
Given that the French line to the right of the BEF has made a "strategic retreat", the British Army has no choice but to do likewise. Pulling back while engaged in an intense battle is a recipe for military disaster, but the British pull it off. Sir John French saw the withdrawal as a betrayal of the British by the French Army. Relations between the allies, never very cordial, begin to fray badly. On August 26th, the British Army makes a desperate stand in the way of the Germans at La Cateau, where 55 thousand Brits slow the advance of almost three times as many Germans.
Along the rest of the front, French practitioners of "always forward" thinking have been throwing themselves at German artillery and machine guns, with predictable results. Terrible losses are already forcing the French high command, in the person of General Joseph Joffre, to consider digging in and holding on.
On the 23rd of August, Japan comes in and declares war on Germany.
Strangely, Serbia, the proximate cause of the conflagration, has been almost forgotten in all the hubbub. The Austrian Army, after some initial success, has been pushed back out of Serbia. Poland to the north (Germany's sacred Prussia) is understood to be the site of the real battle with Russia.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Thursday, August 21, 2014
The Trap Has Sprung
August 21, 1914
Since the first foray of the German Army into Luxembourg, the dominoes have been falling, almost as if it was preordained. Belgium's King Albert, most courageously, has defied the German sugar coated offer of "no harm - no foul" regarding a violation of Belgium's national borders and has begun ordering the blowing up of bridges and railroad lines to hinder the German advance. He also mobilizes his small army. The German violation, which the allies have been waiting for, unavoidably brings Great Britain in on the side of France and Russia and against Germany and Austria-Hungary. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF), is also small, but is composed of some of the best trained and best equipped infantry soldiers in the world. It's field commander, Sir John French, is told that, at all costs, the BEF must not be put at risk, since it is composed of the lion's share of Britian's effective military force. The BEF takes its place at the far western end of the allies line of defense, facing Germany's most rapidly moving advance guard.
The western front extends along 400 miles, from the English Channel eastward along the northern border of France to the Alsatian frontier with Germany and bending southward from there. The French Army, based on their Plan XVII, are attacking the Germans near the disputed Alsace/Lorraine region and the German army is proving equal to the task of keeping them out. The more important action is shaping up at the farthest west end of the front, where Germany from Belgium, is attempting to quickly outflank the French Army. None of the supreme military commands has seen fit to modify their guiding spirit of "forward to victory"... yet.
Since the first foray of the German Army into Luxembourg, the dominoes have been falling, almost as if it was preordained. Belgium's King Albert, most courageously, has defied the German sugar coated offer of "no harm - no foul" regarding a violation of Belgium's national borders and has begun ordering the blowing up of bridges and railroad lines to hinder the German advance. He also mobilizes his small army. The German violation, which the allies have been waiting for, unavoidably brings Great Britain in on the side of France and Russia and against Germany and Austria-Hungary. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF), is also small, but is composed of some of the best trained and best equipped infantry soldiers in the world. It's field commander, Sir John French, is told that, at all costs, the BEF must not be put at risk, since it is composed of the lion's share of Britian's effective military force. The BEF takes its place at the far western end of the allies line of defense, facing Germany's most rapidly moving advance guard.
The western front extends along 400 miles, from the English Channel eastward along the northern border of France to the Alsatian frontier with Germany and bending southward from there. The French Army, based on their Plan XVII, are attacking the Germans near the disputed Alsace/Lorraine region and the German army is proving equal to the task of keeping them out. The more important action is shaping up at the farthest west end of the front, where Germany from Belgium, is attempting to quickly outflank the French Army. None of the supreme military commands has seen fit to modify their guiding spirit of "forward to victory"... yet.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Brave Belgium
The German commander, Moltke has written "Our advance in Belgium is certainly brutal, but we are fighting for our lives and all who get in the way must take the consequences". Burning towns and the murder of local priests in Belgium commences. It is called the "rape of Belgium" in the western press. Worldwide public opinion, particularly in the USA, is watching.
At the same time, the German army is bringing up the huge siege artillery that will be used to reduce Belgium's fortresses.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Tiptoeing into Luxembourg
August 2, 1914
The powers have been playing a game of international chicken - all the players assuming that, if they are given all due respect by the other players, war could certainly be avoided. Problem is, as is so often is the case in human affairs, respect due to me from you is very different depending on the whose perspective it is considered from.
The entire German national defense plan, called the Schlieffen plan, is predicated on the idea that "the best defense is a good offense". She is concerned that if war comes, she will be fighting both the French army to the west and the massive but unwieldy Russian army to the east. Therefore, the conventional wisdom goes, she must make quick work of France before turning her efforts to defense in the east. That makes it very difficult for her to play the waiting game. If war is to come, Germany must not be caught flat footed. The German foreign office has already issued an ultimatum to Belgium informing her that, if she allowed the passage of the German military force, she would not be harmed and would otherwise retain her sovereignty after the war was won. Has there ever been a more arrogant demand made in the history of warfare?!
Today, Germany makes her first tentative move to the west by sending an advance force of mounted cavalry into Luxembourg to seize the railways Germany would need to transport men and material to Belgium on her hurried way to the northern border of France.
The powers have been playing a game of international chicken - all the players assuming that, if they are given all due respect by the other players, war could certainly be avoided. Problem is, as is so often is the case in human affairs, respect due to me from you is very different depending on the whose perspective it is considered from.
The entire German national defense plan, called the Schlieffen plan, is predicated on the idea that "the best defense is a good offense". She is concerned that if war comes, she will be fighting both the French army to the west and the massive but unwieldy Russian army to the east. Therefore, the conventional wisdom goes, she must make quick work of France before turning her efforts to defense in the east. That makes it very difficult for her to play the waiting game. If war is to come, Germany must not be caught flat footed. The German foreign office has already issued an ultimatum to Belgium informing her that, if she allowed the passage of the German military force, she would not be harmed and would otherwise retain her sovereignty after the war was won. Has there ever been a more arrogant demand made in the history of warfare?!
Today, Germany makes her first tentative move to the west by sending an advance force of mounted cavalry into Luxembourg to seize the railways Germany would need to transport men and material to Belgium on her hurried way to the northern border of France.
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