- The 3rd installment of the series covers the first 3 weeks of the war. The initial Belgian resistance caves under withering German artillery fire. Initial victories by the French are quickly reversed, and finally the BEF arrive.
- The armies are now on the move with fanfares of cheers and music. In August 1914, the armies of Europe march to war with enthusiasm and excitement. Germany strikes first on August 4th by invading Belgium. The Reichstag votes unanimously for funds for the war. The Schlieffen plan has the German forces invading Belgium, heading for the coast, turning south and then swinging anticlockwise and capturing Paris in 40 days. The Belgium army was not prepared to resist the German army and would not be able to resist for long. The German war machine was ready with 1 million soldiers and 4 million in the reserves. The German artillery was to have the greatest impact in the war, especially the very large artillery pieces that stood well back from the front lines. The German attack on Liege proved that the Belgium's forces would not be easily beaten. Lord Kitchener made an appeal in Great Britain for 100,000 men. Bertrand Russell declared his endorsement in a war against Germany. In Belgium, once the big German guns were brought forward, Liege was pounded into rubble and then overrun. Now nothing stood in the way of a full invasion of Belgium. The allies would now have to come to the rescue. France's Plan 17 would have French forces advancing and invading Germany towards the Rhine through Alsace and Lorraine. The French Foreign Legion, as well as troops from Algeria and Morocco, would be involved. The one advantage that the invading French troops had was the world's finest 75mm artillery gun. The French quickly took Mulhausen in an early victory, but was quickly lost back to the Germans. The early setbacks of both the Germans and French were concealed by both governments. Newspapers added to the general confusion about the status of the war on both sides. On August 18, the French crashed into the German forces. The German artillery guns from long range, and their machine gun at short range, decimated the French Second Army. But disasters like this did not yet lead the French to abandon Plan 17 at this point, but the Germans were already considering modifying the Schlieffen Plan as initially formulated. As the Germans continued their advance through Belgium, they started suffering from a form of guerrilla war by the Belgians. At one point, 600 civilians including a 3 week old) were executed by the Germany forces. Libraries were burned as the Germans attempted to 'teach the Belgians a lesson'. The British Expeditionary Force IBEF) used 1800 trains to transport troops to ports of disembarkation. Landings began in secrecy on August 7th in France. Field Marshal John French believed he would be leading the British forces into the Rhine alongside the French. However, one of the earliest air reconnaissance flights indicated a massive German force in front of his forces, yet he failed to modify his plans under the assumption that the French were advancing. They were not. The French troops on his right were retreating. On August 22nd, disaster would strike both the BEF and the French Army.—SFMChris
- In early August 1914, the Germans put their 'Schlieffen Plan' into action - a bold, seeping attack designed to cripple France and win the war in just forty days. It fails. The Germans are fought to a halt - setting the stage for a grim war of attrition and mass casualties that will stretch on for years to come.—W A Mckibben
- The armies are now on the move with fanfares of cheers and music. In August 1914, the armies of Europe march to war with enthusiasm and excitement. Germany strikes first on August 4th by invading Belgium. The Reichstag votes unanimously for funds for the war. The Schlieffen plan has the German forces invading Belgium, heading for the coast, turning south and then swinging anticlockwise and capturing Paris in 40 days.
The Belgium army was not prepared to resist the German army and would not be able to resist for long. The German war machine was ready with 1 million soldiers and 4 million in the reserves. The German artillery was to have the greatest impact in the war, especially the very large artillery pieces that stood well back from the front lines.
The German attack on Liege proved that the Belgiums forces would not be easily beaten. Lord Kitchener made an appeal in Great Britain for 100,000 men. Bertrand Russell declared his endorsement in a war against Germany. In Belgium, once the big German guns were brought forward, Liege was pounded into rubble and then overrun. Now nothing stood in the way of a full invasion of Belgium. The allies would now have to come to the rescue.
France's Plan 17 would have French forces advancing and invading Germany towards the Rhine through Alsace and Lorraine. The French Foreign Legion, as well as troops from Algeria and Morocco, would be involved. The one advantage that the invading French troops had was the world's finest 75mm artillery gun. The French quickly took Mulhausen in an early victory, but was quickly lost back to the Germans. The early setbacks of both the Germans and French were concealed by both governments. Newspapers added to the general confusion about the status of the war on both sides.
On August 18, the French crashed into the German forces. The German artillery guns from long range, and their machine gun at short range, decimated the French Second Army. But disasters like this did not yet lead the French to abandon Plan 17 at this point, but the Germans were already considering modifying the Schlieffen Plan as initially formulated. As the Germans continued their advance through Belgium, they started suffering from a form of guerrilla war by the Belgians. At one point, 600 civilians (including a 3 week old) were executed by the Germany forces. Libraries were burned as the Germans attempted to 'teach the Belgians a lesson'.
The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) used 1800 trains to transport troops to ports of disembarkation. Landings began in secrecy on August 7th in France. Field Marshal John French believed he would be leading the British forces into the Rhine alongside the French. However, one of the earliest air reconnaissance flights indicated a massive German force in front of his forces, yet he failed to modify his plans under the assumption that the French were advancing. They were not. The French troops on his right were retreating. On August 22nd, disaster would strike both the BEF and the French Army.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content