The Story of the Great War, Volume III (of 12) - The War Begins, Invasion of Belgium, Battle of the Marne

Allen L. (Allen Leon) Churchill, Francis Trevelyan Miller, Francis J. (Francis Joseph) Reynolds

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• Publié par: isso
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 34
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 8 Mo

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The Project Gutenberg eBook,
The Story of the Great War,
Volume III (of 12), Edited by
Francis J. Reynolds, Allen L.
Churchill, and Francis
Trevelyan Miller
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
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Title: The Story of the Great War, Volume III (of 12)
The War Begins, Invasion of Belgium, Battle of the Marne
Editor: Francis J. Reynolds, Allen L. Churchill, and Francis Trevelyan
Miller
Release Date: April 19, 2006 [eBook #18213]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE STORY
OF THE GREAT WAR, VOLUME III (OF 12)***

E-text prepared by Robert J. Hall

King George V of Britain and King Albert of Belgium inspecting Belgian troops. The youth is the Prince of
Wales, and beside him is Major General Pertab Singh of the Indian army
T h e
STORY OF THE
GREAT WAR
THE WAR BEGINS
INVASION OF BELGIUM
BATTLE OF THE MARNE
VOLUME III
CONTENTS
PART I.—GREAT BATTLES OF THE WESTERN ARMIES
CHAPTER
I. ATTACK ON BELGIUMII. SIEGE AND CAPTURE OF LIEGE
III. BELGIUM'S DEFIANCE
CAPTURE OF LOUVAIN—SURRENDER OF
IV.
BRUSSELS
V. COMING OF THE BRITISH
VI. CAMPAIGNS IN ALSACE AND LORRAINE
VII. SIEGE AND FALL OF NAMUR
VIII. BATTLE OF CHARLEROI
IX. BATTLE OF MONS
X. THE GREAT RETREAT BEGINS
XI. FIGHTING AT BAY
XII. THE MARNE—GENERAL PLAN OF BATTLE FIELD
XIII. ALLIED AND GERMAN BATTLE PLANS
XIV. FIRST MOVES IN THE BATTLE
XV. GERMAN RETREAT
XVI. CONTINUATION OF THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE
XVII. CONTINUATION OF THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE
XVIII. OTHER ASPECTS OF THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE
XIX. "CROSSING THE AISNE"
XX. FIRST DAY'S BATTLES
XXI. THE BRITISH AT THE AISNE
XXII. BOMBARDMENT OF RHEIMS AND SOISSONS
XXIII. SECOND PHASE OF BATTLE OF THE AISNE
XXIV. END OF THE BATTLE
XXV. "THE RACE TO THE SEA"
XXVI. SIEGE AND FALL OF ANTWERP
XXVII. YSER BATTLES—ATTACK ON YPRES
XXVIII. ATTACKS ON LA BASSEE AND ARRAS
GENERAL MOVEMENTS ON THE FRENCH AND
XXIX.
FLANDERS FRONTS
OPERATIONS AROUND LA BASSEE AND
XXX.
GIVENCHY
XXXI. END OF SIX MONTHS' FIGHTING IN THE WEST
PART II.—NAVAL OPERATIONS
XXXII. STRENGTH OF THE RIVAL NAVIES
XXXIII. FIRST BLOOD—BATTLE OF THE BIGHT
XXXIV. BATTLES ON THREE SEAS
XXXV. THE GERMAN SEA RAIDERS
XXXVI. BATTLE OFF THE FALKLANDS
XXXVII. SEA FIGHTS OF THE OCEAN PATROL
XXXVIII. WAR ON GERMAN TRADE AND POSSESSIONS
XXXIX. RAIDS ON THE ENGLISH COAST
XL. RESULTS OF SIX MONTHS' NAVAL OPERATIONS
PART III.—THE WAR ON THE EASTERN FRONT
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE THEATRE
XLI.XLI.
OF WAR
XLII. THE STRATEGIC VALUE OF RUSSIAN POLAND
XLIII. AUSTRIAN POLAND, GALICIA, AND BUKOWINA
XLIV. THE BALKANS—COUNTRIES AND PEOPLES
XLV. THE CAUCASUS—THE BARRED DOOR
PART IV.—THE AUSTRO-SERBIAN CAMPAIGN
XLVI. SERBIA'S SITUATION AND RESOURCES
XLVII. AUSTRIA'S STRENGTH AND STRATEGY
XLVIII. AUSTRIAN SUCCESSES
XLIX. THE GREAT BATTLES BEGIN
L. FIRST VICTORY OF THE SERBIANS
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
KING GEORGE V REVIEWING THE ARMIES IN
FRANCE
GREAT SIEGE GUN IN ACTION BRIDGE
DESTROYED BY THE BELGIANS AT LIEGE
BELGIAN FIELD GUN IN ACTION
FORTRESS TOWN OF NAMUR
CITY OF MALINES, BELGIUM
MACHINE GUN CREW IN A WHEAT FIELD
HEAVY BELGIAN ARTILLERY IN ACTION
BELGIANS INTRENCHED ALONG A RAILWAY
OBSERVER IN A RUINED CHATEAU
BAYONET CHARGE OF FRENCH INFANTRY
BRITISH NAVAL BRIGADE AT LIERRE
CITY OF LILLE UNDER FIRE
WALL FALLING UNDER SHELL FIRE
HOUSE-TO-HOUSE FIGHT AT YPRES
FIGHT IN AN ARGONNE VILLAGE
RALLY OF THE LONDON SCOTTISH
GERMAN LOOKOUTS IN A TREETOP
GERMAN PRISONERS IN CHAMPAGNE
LOUVAIN LANCERS ON THE FRENCH COAST
COMRADES AIDING A WOUNDED CUIRASSIER
RED CROSS DOCTOR DRESSING AVIATOR'S
WOUNDS
NAVE AND CHOIR OF NOTRE DAME, RHEIMS
RUINS OF NOTRE DAME
FRENCH MARINES DINING ASHORE
SEARCHLIGHTS ON A BATTLESHIP
WALKÜRE, WRECKED AT PAPEETE
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIAN CRUISER
EMDEN AGROUND AFTER THE SYDNEY'S
VICTORYRESCUING SAILORS AFTER THE FIGHT NEAR
THE FALKLAND ISLANDS
CANADIANS SHIPPING FIELD ARTILLERY
INTERIOR OF A SUBMARINE
WRECK OF THE BLÜCHER IN THE NORTH
SEA BATTLE
LIST OF MAPS
BELGIUM-FRANCO-GERMAN FRONTIER
FRANCE, PICTORIAL MAP OF
BELGIUM, BEGINNING OF GERMAN INVASION
OF
ALSACE-LORRAINE, FRENCH INVASION OF
BATTLE OF MONS AND RETREAT OF ALLIED
ARMIES
BATTLE OF THE MARNE—BEGINNING ON
SEPTEMBER 5, 1914
BATTLE OF THE MARNE—SITUATION ON
SEPTEMBER 9, 1914
BATTLE OF THE MARNE—END OF GERMAN
RETREAT AND THE INTRENCHED LINE ON
THE AISNE RIVER
LIEGE FORT, GERMAN ATTACK OF
ANTWERP, SIEGE AND FALL OF
FLANDERS, BATTLE FRONT IN
GERMAN AND ENGLISH NAVAL POSITIONS
WAR IN THE EAST—RELATION OF THE
EASTERN COUNTRIES TO GERMANY
THE BALKANS, PICTORIAL MAP OF
SERBIAN AND AUSTRIAN INVASIONS
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. Supremeover all was the Emperor as War Lord, but Lieutenant General
Helmuth van Moltke, chief of the General Staff, was the practical
director of military operations. General van 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 van 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 Em