Transcriber's note: Obvious printer's errors have been corrected. Hyphenation and accentuation have been standardised, all other inconsistencies are as in the original. The author's spelling has been maintained.
Page 365, 299 mm. is probably an error for .299-in.
Page 399, "could reach effectively the trenches of the Russians" should probably be "could reach effectively the trenches of the Austrians".
A great French siege gun in action near the much-contested battle field of Arras. During the terrific explosion the gunners cover their ears.
The
STORY OF THE
GREAT WAR
THE WAR BEGINS
INVASION OF BELGIUM
BATTLE OF THE MARNE
CRACOW · WARSAW
POLISH CAMPAIGN
WAR IN EAST PRUSSIA
VOLUME II
P · F · COLLIER & SON · NEW YORK
Copyright 1916
By P. F. Collier & Son
CONTENTS
PART I.—GREAT BATTLES OF THE WESTERN ARMIES
CHAPTER
- Attack on Belgium [9]
- Siege and Capture of Liege [12]
- Belgium's Defiance [23]
- Capture of Louvain—Surrender of Brussels [27]
- Coming of the British [33]
- Campaigns in Alsace and Lorraine [38]
- Siege and Fall of Namur [45]
- Battle of Charleroi [54]
- Battle of Mons [60]
- The Great Retreat Begins [68]
- Fighting at Bay [79]
- The Marne—General Plan of Battle Field [87]
- Allied and German Battle Plans [95]
- First Moves in the Battle [101]
- German Retreat [111]
- Continuation of the Battle of the Marne [116]
- Continuation of the Battle of the Marne [119]
- Other Aspects of the Battle of the Marne [126]
- "Crossing the Aisne" [130]
- First Day's Battles [135]
- The British at the Aisne [140]
- Bombardment of Rheims and Soissons [146]
- Second Phase of Battle of the Aisne [149]
- End of the Battle [153]
- "The Race to the Sea" [158]
- Siege and Fall of Antwerp [160]
- Yser Battles—Attack on Ypres [168]
- Attacks of La Bassée and Arras [177]
- General Movements on the French and Flanders Fronts [181]
- Operations Around La Bassée and Givenchy [187]
- End of Six Months' Fighting in the West [193]
- Strength of the Rival Navies [196]
- First Blood—Battle of the Bight [208]
- Battles on Three Seas [219]
- The German Sea Raiders [225]
- Battle Off the Falklands [230]
- Sea Fights of the Ocean Patrol [237]
- War on German Trade and Possessions [242]
- Raids on the English Coast [245]
- Results of Six Months' Naval Operations [258]
PART III.—THE WAR ON THE EASTERN FRONT
- General Characteristics of the Theatre of Warfare [261]
- The Strategic Value of Russian Poland [268]
- Austrian Poland, Galicia, and Bukowina [272]
- The Balkans—Countries and Peoples [275]
- The Caucasus—The Barred Door [286]
PART IV.—THE AUSTRO-SERBIAN CAMPAIGN
- Serbia's Situation and Resources [291]
- Austria's Strength and Strategy [298]
- Austrian Successes [301]
- The Great Battles Begin [305]
- First Victory of the Serbians [310]
PART V.—THE AUSTRO-SERBIAN CAMPAIGN
- Results of First Battles [321]
- Serbian Attempt to Invade Austrian Territory [323]
- Austria's Second Invasion [329]
- End of Second Invasion—Beginning of Third [331]
- Preliminary Austrian Successes [335]
- Crisis of the Campaign—Austrian Defeat [339]
- The Fate of Belgrade [345]
- Attempts to Retake Belgrade [348]
- Serbians Retake the City—End of Third Invasion [353]
- Montenegro in the War [358]
PART VI.—AUSTRO-RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN
- Strength and Equipment of the Antagonists [362]
- General Strategy of the Campaign [371]
- Austria Takes the Offensive [376]
- A Cautious Russian Advance—Russian Successes—Capture of Lemberg [379]
- Dankl's Offensive and Retreat [390]
- Battle of Rawa-Russka [395]
- Russian Victories—Battles of the San [398]
- Summary of Operations of September, 1914 [403]
- Investiture of Przemysl [405]
- Austrian Retreat Begins [410]
- Fighting at Cracow [416]
- Austrians Again Assume the Offensive [423]
PART VII.—RUSSO-GERMAN CAMPAIGN
- First Clash on Prussian Frontier [430]
- Advance of Russians Against the Germans [435]
- Battle of Tannenberg and Russian Retreat [438]
- Second Russian Invasion of East Prussia [446]
- First German Drive Against Warsaw [450]
- German Retreat from Russian Poland [458]
- Winter Battles of the Polish Campaign [462]
- Winter Battles in East Prussia [478]
- Results of First Six Months of Russo-German Campaign [482]
PART VIII.—TURKEY AND THE DARDANELLES
- First Moves of Turkey [493]
- The First Blow Against the Allies [501]
- British Campaign in Mesopotamia [506]
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- French Siege Gun at Arras [Frontispiece]
- Opposite Page
- Bridge Destroyed by the Belgians at Liege [14]
- General Joffre [78]
- Germans Refortifying Antwerp [158]
- Emden Aground After the Sydney's Victory [222]
- Wreck of the Blücher in the North Sea Battle [254]
- Serbian Infantrymen on Their Way to the Front [302]
- General von Hindenburg [382]
- Gerdauen, East Prussia, Destroyed in Russian Invasion [478]
LIST OF MAPS
- Page
- Peace Distribution of Army Corps and Naval Stations of Belligerent Powers (Colored Map) [Front Insert]
- France, Pictorial Map of [11]
- Belgium, Beginning of German Invasion of [17]
- Alsace-Lorraine, French Invasion of [51]
- Battle of Mons and Retreat of Allied Armies [71]
- Battle of the Marne—Beginning on September 5, 1914 [89]
- Battle of the Marne—Situation on September 9, 1914 [98]
- Battle of the Marne—End of German Retreat and the Intrenched Line on the Aisne River [107]
- Liege Fort, German Attack of [162]
- Antwerp, Siege and Fall of [162]
- Flanders, Battle Front in [173]
- German and English Naval Positions [199]
- War in the East—Relation of the Eastern Countries to Germany [263]
- The Balkans, Pictorial Map of [293]
- Serbian and Austrian Invasions [296]
- Russia, Pictorial Map of [364]
- Galicia, Russian Invasion of [367]
- Battle of Tannenberg [440]
Peace Distribution of Army Corps and Naval Stations of Belligerent Powers.
PART I—GREAT BATTLES OF THE WESTERN ARMIES
CHAPTER I
ATTACK ON BELGIUM
The first great campaign on the western battle grounds in the European War began on August 4, 1914. On this epoch-making day the German army began its invasion of Belgium—with the conquest of France as its ultimate goal. Six mighty armies stood ready for the great invasion. Their estimated total was 1,200,000 men. Supreme over all was the Emperor as War Lord, but Lieutenant General Helmuth von Moltke, chief of the General Staff, was the practical director of military operations. General von Moltke was a nephew of the great strategist of 1870, and his name possibly appealed as of happy augury for repeating the former capture of Paris.
The First Army was assembled at Aix-la-Chapelle in the north of Belgium, within a few miles of the Dutch frontier. It was under the command of General von Kluck. He was a veteran of both the Austrian and Franco-Prussian Wars, and was regarded as an able infantry leader. His part was to enter Belgium at its northern triangle, which projects between Holland and Germany, occupy Liege, deploy on the great central plains of Belgium, then sweep toward the French northwestern frontier in the German dash for Paris and the English Channel. His army thus formed the right wing of the whole German offensive. It was composed of picked corps, including cavalry of the Prussian Guard.
The Second Army had gathered in the neighborhood of Limbourg under the command of General von Bülow. Its advance was planned down the valleys of the Ourthe and Vesdre to a junction with Von Kluck at Liege, then a march by the Meuse Valley upon Namur and Charleroi. In crossing the Sambre it was to fall into place on the left of Von Kluck's army.
The German center was composed of the Third Army under Duke Albrecht of Württemberg, the Fourth Army led by the crown prince, and the Fifth Army commanded by the Crown Prince of Bavaria. It was assembled on the line Neufchateau-Treves-Metz. Its first offensive was the occupation of Luxemburg. This was performed, after a somewhat dramatic protest by the youthful Grand Duchess, who placed her motor car across the bridge by which the Germans entered her internationally guaranteed independent state. The German pretext was that since Luxemburg railways were German controlled, they were required for the transport of troops. Preparations were then made for a rapid advance through the Ardennes upon the Central Meuse, to form in order upon the left of Von Bülow's army. A part of the Fifth Army was to be detached for operations against the French fortress of Verdun.
The Sixth Army was concentrated at Strassburg in Alsace, under General von Heeringen. As inspector of the Prussian Guards he bore a very high military reputation. For the time being General von Heeringen's part was to remain in Alsace, to deal with a possibly looked for strong French offensive by way of the Vosges or Belfort.
The main plan of the German General Staff, therefore was a wide enveloping movement by the First and Second Armies to sweep the shore of the English Channel in their march on Paris, a vigorous advance of the center through the Ardennes for the same destination, and readiness for battle by the Sixth Army for any French force which might be tempted into Alsace. That this plan was not developed in its entirety, was due to circumstances which fall into another place.
Pictorial Map of France.
The long anticipated Day dawned. Their vast military machine moved with precision and unity. But there was a surprise awaiting them. The Belgians were to offer a serious resistance to passage through their territory—a firm refusal had been delivered at the eleventh hour. The vanguard was thrown forward from Von Kluck's army at Aix, to break through the defenses of Liege and seize the western railways. This force of three divisions was commanded by General von Emmich, one of them joining him at Verviers.
On the evening of August 3, 1914, Von Emmich's force had crossed into Belgium. Early on the morning of August 4, 1914, Von Kluck's second advance line reached Visé, situated on the Meuse north of Liege and close to the Dutch frontier. Here an engagement took place with a Belgian guard, which terminated with the Germans bombarding Visé. The Belgians had destroyed the river bridge, but the Germans succeeded in seizing the crossing.
This was the first actual hostility of the war on the western battle grounds. With the capture of Visé, the way was clear for Von Kluck's main army to concentrate on Belgian territory. By nightfall, Liege was invested on three sides. Only the railway lines and roads running westward remained open.[Back to Contents]