September 29-October 18, 1914
The Germans, under Hindenburg and Ludendorf, fresh from their victory at Tannenberg begin to move their armies south toward Warsaw in what they imagine as a mopping up effort to destroy what they could of Russian forces. But the Russians have plans of their own and reinforcements from the other end of the Russian empire are arriving to strengthening them. By October 18th, Ludendorf understands that he has to retreat or face disaster. In all the activity, 300 miles to the south, the Austrian Army, which has been trying to cooperate with the Germans is devastated by the Russians.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Friday, September 19, 2014
More from Britain
September 19, 1914
A marine force of the British Royal Navy lands today at Dunkirk and with it comes the the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill. This action demonstrates the Churchill's concern of a possible occupation of the channel ports by Germany.
This shift of focus is to the north where Germany has been conducting a siege of the pivotal Belgian port city of Antwerp where the Belgians have been hanging on bravely. Both sides have been transferring troops in an attempt to exploit weaknesses of the other north of the River Aisne all the way to the English Channel.
A marine force of the British Royal Navy lands today at Dunkirk and with it comes the the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill. This action demonstrates the Churchill's concern of a possible occupation of the channel ports by Germany.
This shift of focus is to the north where Germany has been conducting a siege of the pivotal Belgian port city of Antwerp where the Belgians have been hanging on bravely. Both sides have been transferring troops in an attempt to exploit weaknesses of the other north of the River Aisne all the way to the English Channel.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Results
September 13, 1914
The end result of the pivotal Battle of the Marne is that there is no end result. The master battle plans, the French Plan 17 and the German Schlieffen plans have both failed and left both sides exhausted and in positions from which they could not retreat. There are still battles to fight this year, and the war will expand its horizons but the reality of a terrible static war of attrition is beginning to sink in.
The end result of the pivotal Battle of the Marne is that there is no end result. The master battle plans, the French Plan 17 and the German Schlieffen plans have both failed and left both sides exhausted and in positions from which they could not retreat. There are still battles to fight this year, and the war will expand its horizons but the reality of a terrible static war of attrition is beginning to sink in.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
First Marne
September 5-12, 1914
Due to the pull back at the western end of the front, Paris is under threat from the German 1st and 2nd Armies, a threat that French high command has to take very seriously. In response to it General Joffre agrees to create a new army, the French 6th for the defense of the capitol. He put that defense under the command of a canny but ailing retired general, Joseph Gallieni. It is a fateful decision. It is his idea to use the defense forces in cooperation with the other French armies in an assault on the Axis.
The German Army "shortcut" to the east of Paris is threatening to collide with the westernmost flank of the combined forces of the French army and the British Expeditionary Force, both of which are in increasing disarray. British General French is making plans to withdraw back across the channel to rest and refit, when he is ordered to make a stand at the River Marne, which flows eastward into the Seine at Paris. A widening gap between the German armies is a golden opportunity for the Allies.
As the newly formed French 6th Army attacks the German 1st, the BEF exploits the gap between the German armies. Reconnaissance from the air, is effective in informing the French and British where opportunities lie. 6000 French troops are ferried to the front by Parisian taxi cabs, which are impressed into service. By September 9th, the situation is so critical for the Germans, that they order a retreat of their own back to the River Aisne. It is a very encouraging result for the Allies, who have been wondering where their long retreat would end.
Due to the pull back at the western end of the front, Paris is under threat from the German 1st and 2nd Armies, a threat that French high command has to take very seriously. In response to it General Joffre agrees to create a new army, the French 6th for the defense of the capitol. He put that defense under the command of a canny but ailing retired general, Joseph Gallieni. It is a fateful decision. It is his idea to use the defense forces in cooperation with the other French armies in an assault on the Axis.
The German Army "shortcut" to the east of Paris is threatening to collide with the westernmost flank of the combined forces of the French army and the British Expeditionary Force, both of which are in increasing disarray. British General French is making plans to withdraw back across the channel to rest and refit, when he is ordered to make a stand at the River Marne, which flows eastward into the Seine at Paris. A widening gap between the German armies is a golden opportunity for the Allies.
As the newly formed French 6th Army attacks the German 1st, the BEF exploits the gap between the German armies. Reconnaissance from the air, is effective in informing the French and British where opportunities lie. 6000 French troops are ferried to the front by Parisian taxi cabs, which are impressed into service. By September 9th, the situation is so critical for the Germans, that they order a retreat of their own back to the River Aisne. It is a very encouraging result for the Allies, who have been wondering where their long retreat would end.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Modification to the Master Plan
September 2, 1914
Allied armies have been falling back in the face of the strengthening Germany Army in the west. The Germans are pushing back both the French Army and the BEF. Now the dilemma for the German 1st army is whether to press it forward around Paris and into the flank of the French Army, as was originally envisioned in the Schlieffen plan, or to take the "short cut" inside Paris and attempt to separate the enemy force from his capitol. Recognizing the difficulty of lengthening lines of supply, Moltke opts for the latter. This, of course, opens his own flank to attack from forces stationed in Paris to protect the city. For commanders, war is always about minimizing certain facts on the ground in favor of others.
It becomes a time of endless marching for infantry of both sides. Soldiers are learning how to sleep standing up and cavalry soldiers simply doze off and fall off their horses.
Now, the field commander of the crucial French 5th Army is changed. The "worn out" General Lanrezac is replaced by an agressive corp commander General Franchet d'Esperey, who has recently demonstrated energy and initiative during the great strategic retreat. The British, who nickname him, Desperate Franky, seem to approve of the change, and their commander General French, has developed a poor regard for Lanrezac. The retired Lanrezac does receive, in retrospect, credit for keeping the 5th Army an effective mobile fighting force in being during one of the most difficult times of the war for the Allies.
Meantime further east, the Germans have won a major battle, the battle of Tannenberg in Prussia by concentrating against two massive Russian armies, stiking the blow before the two armies could (or would) unite. Prussian General Paul von Hindenberg is made a national hero by saving the source of German military pride from debasement by the slavs. The chief-of-staff of the German 8th Army is a young officer recently promoted, Erich Ludendorf. The German victory owes much to mistakes made by the Russian commander, Zilinski, and a long standing antipathy between the two Russian army field commanders, the First Army's Pavel Rennenkampf and the Second Army's Alexander Samsonov.
For the Axis, the situation is encouraging in the west, where the Allies seem to be in full retreat, and in the center, where Russian numbers seem no match for German tactical superiority and discipline. The situation looks less hopeful in South-Eastern Europe where the Austrians are being handled easily by the Serbs and their big brothers, the Russians. The situations of both sides are still fluid and evolve rapidly.
Allied armies have been falling back in the face of the strengthening Germany Army in the west. The Germans are pushing back both the French Army and the BEF. Now the dilemma for the German 1st army is whether to press it forward around Paris and into the flank of the French Army, as was originally envisioned in the Schlieffen plan, or to take the "short cut" inside Paris and attempt to separate the enemy force from his capitol. Recognizing the difficulty of lengthening lines of supply, Moltke opts for the latter. This, of course, opens his own flank to attack from forces stationed in Paris to protect the city. For commanders, war is always about minimizing certain facts on the ground in favor of others.
It becomes a time of endless marching for infantry of both sides. Soldiers are learning how to sleep standing up and cavalry soldiers simply doze off and fall off their horses.
Now, the field commander of the crucial French 5th Army is changed. The "worn out" General Lanrezac is replaced by an agressive corp commander General Franchet d'Esperey, who has recently demonstrated energy and initiative during the great strategic retreat. The British, who nickname him, Desperate Franky, seem to approve of the change, and their commander General French, has developed a poor regard for Lanrezac. The retired Lanrezac does receive, in retrospect, credit for keeping the 5th Army an effective mobile fighting force in being during one of the most difficult times of the war for the Allies.
Meantime further east, the Germans have won a major battle, the battle of Tannenberg in Prussia by concentrating against two massive Russian armies, stiking the blow before the two armies could (or would) unite. Prussian General Paul von Hindenberg is made a national hero by saving the source of German military pride from debasement by the slavs. The chief-of-staff of the German 8th Army is a young officer recently promoted, Erich Ludendorf. The German victory owes much to mistakes made by the Russian commander, Zilinski, and a long standing antipathy between the two Russian army field commanders, the First Army's Pavel Rennenkampf and the Second Army's Alexander Samsonov.
For the Axis, the situation is encouraging in the west, where the Allies seem to be in full retreat, and in the center, where Russian numbers seem no match for German tactical superiority and discipline. The situation looks less hopeful in South-Eastern Europe where the Austrians are being handled easily by the Serbs and their big brothers, the Russians. The situations of both sides are still fluid and evolve rapidly.
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