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The Story of the Great War, Volume III (of 12)

The Story of the Great War, Volume III (of 12)

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Chapter 1 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 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 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.

BELGIUM AND THE FRANCO-GERMAN BORDER

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Latest Release: Chapter 50 FIRST VICTORY OF THE SERBIANS   08-13 19:00
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1 Chapter 1 ATTACK ON BELGIUM
06/12/2017
2 Chapter 2 SIEGE AND CAPTURE OF LIEGE
06/12/2017
3 Chapter 3 BELGIUM'S DEFIANCE
06/12/2017
4 Chapter 4 CAPTURE OF LOUVAIN—SURRENDER OF BRUSSELS
06/12/2017
5 Chapter 5 COMING OF THE BRITISH
06/12/2017
6 Chapter 6 CAMPAIGNS IN ALSACE AND LORRAINE
06/12/2017
7 Chapter 7 SIEGE AND FALL OF NAMUR
06/12/2017
8 Chapter 8 BATTLE OF CHARLEROI
06/12/2017
9 Chapter 9 BATTLE OF MONS
06/12/2017
10 Chapter 10 THE GREAT RETREAT BEGINS
06/12/2017
11 Chapter 11 FIGHTING AT BAY
06/12/2017
12 Chapter 12 THE MARNE—GENERAL PLAN OF BATTLE FIELD
06/12/2017
13 Chapter 13 ALLIED AND GERMAN BATTLE PLANS
06/12/2017
14 Chapter 14 FIRST MOVES IN THE BATTLE
06/12/2017
15 Chapter 15 GERMAN RETREAT
06/12/2017
16 Chapter 16 CONTINUATION OF THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE
06/12/2017
17 Chapter 17 CONTINUATION OF THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE No.17
06/12/2017
18 Chapter 18 OTHER ASPECTS OF THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE
06/12/2017
19 Chapter 19 CROSSING THE AISNE
06/12/2017
20 Chapter 20 FIRST DAY'S BATTLES
06/12/2017
21 Chapter 21 THE BRITISH AT THE AISNE
06/12/2017
22 Chapter 22 BOMBARDMENT OF RHEIMS AND SOISSONS
06/12/2017
23 Chapter 23 SECOND PHASE OF BATTLE OF THE AISNE
06/12/2017
24 Chapter 24 END OF THE BATTLE
06/12/2017
25 Chapter 25 THE RACE TO THE SEA
06/12/2017
26 Chapter 26 SIEGE AND FALL OF ANTWERP
06/12/2017
27 Chapter 27 YSER BATTLES—ATTACK ON YPRES
06/12/2017
28 Chapter 28 ATTACKS ON LA BASSEE AND ARRAS
06/12/2017
29 Chapter 29 GENERAL MOVEMENTS ON THE FRENCH AND FLANDERS FRONTS
06/12/2017
30 Chapter 30 OPERATIONS AROUND LA BASSEE AND GIVENCHY
06/12/2017
31 Chapter 31 END OF SIX MONTHS' FIGHTING IN THE WEST
06/12/2017
32 Chapter 32 STRENGTH OF THE RIVAL NAVIES
06/12/2017
33 Chapter 33 FIRST BLOOD—BATTLE OF THE BIGHT
06/12/2017
34 Chapter 34 BATTLES ON THREE SEAS
06/12/2017
35 Chapter 35 THE GERMAN SEA RAIDERS
06/12/2017
36 Chapter 36 BATTLE OFF THE FALKLANDS
06/12/2017
37 Chapter 37 SEA FIGHTS OF THE OCEAN PATROL
06/12/2017
38 Chapter 38 WAR ON GERMAN TRADE AND POSSESSIONS
06/12/2017
39 Chapter 39 RAIDS ON THE ENGLISH COAST
06/12/2017
40 Chapter 40 RESULTS OF SIX MONTHS' NAVAL OPERATIONS
06/12/2017
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