It is also a fact—and to me a still more astounding revelation—that a month after the war had begun there were people in France, and among them soldiers of high standing, who were honestly surprised at what we had already done in the war, as well as profoundly grateful, and who even then honestly doubted whether we really meant to put our backs into it to any purpose.
One can understand their astonishment at what we have done since. Even an Englishman may say, without excessive national conceit, that the work of our Navy, the huge volunteer armies raised in a year from the Mother-country and our Dominions and Colonies and India, and our subsequent if only partial acceptance of the principle of National Service, are not everyday affairs. But the initial Swiss doubt or scepticism as to our possible action, once the neutrality of Belgium had been violated, and the fears of our friends in France at the beginning, that having set our hand to the plough we might turn back before the furrow was finished, are not so easy for us Englishmen to comprehend. We had thought that they knew us better. No matter what Government had been in power, once the Germans had declared their intention of passing through the country of the Belgians, we must inevitably have drawn the sword to defend or avenge them; more than that, even if Belgium had not been invaded, we must no less have put our sword at the disposal of invaded France, for the one wrong was in reality as great as the other. And, no matter what Government may be in power to-morrow or the day after, the spirit of England will not change. We stand by the side of France and our other Allies to the end. And by now, I fancy, the French have found that out.
But do we, even now, realize fully what the war means, and what, as a nation, we have got to do before we can expect to win it? I have just come back to England after an absence of a year and a half. I find that though Parliament and the great mass of the people in all ranks have accepted the principle of National Service, there are still in some quarters powerful organizations which are vehemently opposed to it. I find that in spite of all the warnings that have been issued in the Press and by other means as to the imperative necessity of thrift, and in spite of all the efforts made by countless individuals and large sections of the community to model their lives in accordance with those warnings, other individuals and other sections of the community pay no attention to them at all. Money is being earned in unexampled and hitherto undreamt-of profusion, and is being spent with reckless prodigality. Thrift there is on all sides, but cheek by jowl and hand-in-hand with it there is appalling waste.
We have got to get rid of that word thrift altogether. At the best it is an affair of calculation, and can never inspire us to great deeds or counteract the personal and ignoble motives by which human nature, even in the greatest crises, is too often swayed. There is nothing lofty or idealistic or spiritual about it. We must get into an altogether higher region than that of economics. We must learn the lesson not of thrift but of self-sacrifice. Only that can save us. Without it, even though we have the dreaded ships and the splendid men and the all-necessary money too, we shall be in this war as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. With it, bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all things, enduring all things, we shall move mountains and overcome the world—the world of the powers of darkness. It is the lack of it, and nothing but the lack of it, which is at present preventing us from winning the war and putting an end to its intolerable misery and evil.
G. C.
London,
March, 1916.
CONTENTS
| CHAPTER I | |
| LONDON TO DIJON | |
| PAGE | |
| Departure from London, September 8th, 1914—A German officer’s analysis of the invaders’ plan of campaign—Paris—General condition of doubt and uncertainty—Travelling during the Battle of the Marne—Effect in France of the news of the victory | [1] |
| CHAPTER II | |
| DIJON TO BELFORT | |
| Arrival in Dijon—The laisser-passer difficulty—Besançon—An anxious moment—Arrival at Belfort—Doubtful reception—A Socialist private—Manifesto “Aux Camerades Socialistes”—National Service—A Capitalists’ War—The Strike of Strikes—The struggle for freedom—État de siège—A city of darkness—Welcome by the Governor | [11] |
| CHAPTER III | |
| IN ALSACE | |
| On German soil—Montreux Vieux—The first ruined village—Towards the Rhine—A night reconnaissance in Alsace—Ferette—Covert drawn blank—Cheerfulness of the French soldier—His longing for home—His home at the front—Taube “over”—A Colonel’s hobby—An army in earnest | [21] |
| CHAPTER IV | |
| ROBBERY UNDER ARMS | |
| Eve of the War—French neutral zone along the frontier—German raids in time of peace—Sunday, August 2nd—The affair at Joncherey—First blood—A German epic—The Suarce raid—Robbery under arms—Political importance of the incident—Prisoners of war where no war was | [33] |
| CHAPTER V | |
| BELFORT TO NANCY | |
| News of Nancy—German lies—Security of Belfort—After twelve months—Breakdown of German plans—Visit to the Préfet of Belfort—A Prefect’s duties and position—Check on militarism—Special duties during the war—The Préfets and Sous-Préfets of the frontier Departments—Posts of danger—Example and precept—Return to Dijon—Chalindrey—British Tommies—Wounded French officers—Toul—Arrival in Nancy | [39] |
| CHAPTER VI | |
| ÉTAT-DE-SIÈGE IN NANCY | |
| Discouraging start in Nancy—General de la Massellière—Visits to the Prefect and Mayor—Their appointment—Madame Mirman—Their example—The Lorraine stock—Nancy by night—The sound of the guns—A united people—The French renaissance—Nancy newspapers—Nancy hospitals—Nursing sisters | [48] |
| CHAPTER VII | |
| THE FRENCH OFFENSIVE | |
| The German territorial gains—Bearing on peace proposals—The French offensive—General moral effect—Uncertainty as to direction of German attack—Sources from which eastern armies were drawn—Their offensive—General account—In the Woevre—Verdun and Longwy—From the Moselle to Mulhouse—The frontier force—Justification of the offensive—Description of frontier—Of Alsace—Importance of the Vosges—The Sundgau—First French advance on August 7th—Altkirch retaken | [61] |
| CHAPTER VIII | |
| OCCUPATIONS OF MULHOUSE | |
| Advance on Mulhouse—Unopposed entry—Popular rejoicings—German counter-attack—Smallness of French force—Their repulse—Terrorism—Harsh treatment of foreigners—Reorganization of French under General Pau—Second advance on Mulhouse—Battle round the town—Victory of the French—Second occupation began | [77] |
| CHAPTER IX | |
| MORHANGE | |
| Description of the Vosges—French advance—Triumphs in Lorraine—The check at Morhange—Why the French fell into the trap—The disaster—New birth of the army—Bad news—The offensive abandoned | [88] |
| CHAPTER X | |
| GENERAL DUBAIL’S STAND | |
| Combination of reverses for France—Soldiers’ ignorance of contemporary events—Reliance on barrier of fortresses—Determination to fight in the open—Different conditions—Position after Morhange—German advance—Trouée de Charmes—Epinal—Vesouze, Mortagne, and Meurthe—Brave resistance of Dubail’s army—The reverse of the picture—The terrorists’ Credo—Condemnation of frightfulness—An example—The German excuse | [100] |
| CHAPTER XI | |
| THE MARTYRED TOWN | |
| Gerbéviller—Visit with M. Mirman—The ruins—Murder of old men—How the town was taken—Incendiarism—Sœur Julie—An act of “sacrilege”—Other martyred towns—Badonviller—The first occupation—The second—Fight in the streets—St. Benoit—Col de la Chipotte | [114] |
| CHAPTER XII | |
| BATTLE OF THE GRAND COURONNÉ. I | |
| The battle of the Grand Couronné—Two parts—The position south of the Meurthe—Transport of Dragoon regiment from Alsace—Arrival at Charmes—Towards Lunéville—Procession of fugitives—Description of field of battle—South and north of Meurthe up to Nancy-Lunéville road—General Bigot’s divisions—Retreat of the XVth and XVIth Army Corps—General retreat—Lunéville abandoned—Position of XXth Army Corps—The troops from the south reformed—A miracle—The battle begins—Germans cross Mortagne and Meurthe—A battle symphony—Across the field of battle—Scenes of desolation—The battle continued—German attack checked—Retreat turned into advance—The XVth Army Corps leaves for the Argonne—Their regeneration | [125] |
| CHAPTER XIII | |
| BATTLE OF THE GRAND COURONNÉ. II | |
| Nancy, the woman-town—Absence of fortifications—Attitude of her defenders—The pivot of the line—Kaiser’s dreams of conquest—Description of four German lines of attack—Of the country—General de Castelnau’s line—Champenoux villages—Réméréville—Farms and cottages—Loopholed blockhouses—The wounded—The refugees—Account of Nomeny—German brutality—Rottenness of German civilization—Germany’s future—Inspiration of soldiers of Lorraine—The part of the women—A woman’s letter | [141] |
| CHAPTER XIV | |
| BATTLE OF THE GRAND COURONNÉ. III | |
| The attack on Nancy from the north—St. Généviève—The assault—How it was repulsed—The attack from the east—Dombasle—Courbesseau—Réméréville—Soldiers’ disregard of fire—In Champagne—French disadvantages in Lorraine—Their gallantry—Individualism—Main attack from north-east—Attack on plateau of Amance—September 8th—Importance of the date—What it meant to the Kaiser—Final assault on Amance—Relations between Battle of the Marne and Battle of the Grand Couronné—Bombardment of Nancy—The German retreat—Last struggle in Champenoux—Losses of the victors—Their graves—The horror of the horizon—The reassurance of the front | [155] |
| CHAPTER XV | |
| LUNÉVILLE | |
| Effect of Battle of the Grand Couronné on Lunéville—Extent of damage in the town—Entry of Germans—Familiar faces—M. Minier, M. Mequillet, M. Keller—Faubourg d’Einville burnt—German Governor’s proclamation—Hostages—Plight of inhabitants—Outside the town—The turn of the tide—France and Germany—A duel to the death—Last fights before the town—German bestiality—General Joffre’s message—The last advance—French enter the town—Restored to France | [178] |
| CHAPTER XVI | |
| NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENTS | |
| After the storm—A Prefect’s duties—Newspaper correspondents—War a serious matter—Enemy’s means of information—On the battlefield—“Behind the front”—German dread of newspapers—Their own—French and British—The truth concealed—In Belgium—Effect in neutral Switzerland—Change of opinion due to knowledge of state of internés—Confidence of M. Mirman—The Times an agent for good—Expulsion from Nancy—Hopes of return | [193] |
| CHAPTER XVII | |
| A DAY WITH A PREFECT | |
| A Conseil de Révision—Comparison with English recruiting—French boys’ enthusiasm—Their experience of terrorism—A greybeard—The Mayors of Lorraine—A war to kill war—Lunch at the Préfecture—Through the French army—At the front—A deserted village—Towards Nomeny—A check—Retreat—M. Puech—A souvenir—French sang-froid | [205] |
| CHAPTER XVIII | |
| THE ATTACK ON THE RIVER FORTS | |
| Position after Battle of the Grand Couronné—German failures reviewed—Mystery of Manonviller—Position of Toul—Of the barrier of fortresses—Description of the Woevre—Troyon—The first bombardment—German demand for surrender—The attacking force—Relief from Toul—The attack abandoned—Renewed bombardment of the river forts—Formation of the St. Mihiel triangle | [218] |
| CHAPTER XIX | |
| THE “SOIXANTE-QUINZE” | |
| The Emperor William—His advisers—The modern Huns—The barrier of the trenches—The Soixante-Quinze—Its superiority to its German rival—The French gunner—Pride of the nation in its artillery—Determination in the workshops—The struggle of the trenches—A German description | [244] |
| CHAPTER XX | |
| SIEGE WARFARE | |
| Second period of the war—Germany besieged—The pressure on the west—Partial offensives—The lack of shells—Its effect on the war—“Craters of Death”—Monotony of the trenches—A National Army—Soldier-priests—Their contempt of death—Their self-sacrifice—Their spiritual work—Influence on the troops—The realities of life—Church and State—The example of the State—Spirit of unity—Points of attack—Hammer and tongs—The St. Mihiel salient—Chauvoncourt—Les Eparges—Bois d’Ailly—Bois Brulé—Bois le Prêtre—The Vosges and Alsace—The soldiers of France—France and England—The Boche standards of right and wrong—The German cancer and the end of the war | [263] |
| CHAPTER THE LAST | |
| GERMANY AND THE ALLIES | |
| Pride and prejudice—English pride before the war—Pride of France—Pride of race—Noblesse Oblige—Pride of Germany—Pride of the parvenu—Peaceful pre-war invasion of German commerce and kultur—Neutral views of Germany’s guilt—French views of England—Redemption by hate—What is “the right”?—Greater Germany?—Tannenberg’s views—The Kaiser’s conversion—Germany’s designs on neutral countries—The new year—The dead | [282] |
| EPILOGUE | [301] |
| By M. Léon Mirman | |