The First Battle of Ypres

October 19, 1914

Chief of the General Staff Erich Von Falkenhayn, leader of the German army at Ypres, was assembling a massive force to assault and capture the French town. There, he believed, would be the gateway to the coastal cities of Dunkirk, Calais, and Boulogne. He chuckled to himself. If he could take those towns, the British would have no hope of sending any further troops to the front. France would be completely isolated! "Yes," he thought, "this will be a day long remembered in German history." Little did he know, Commander-in-Chief Joseph Joffre was thinking about that very same thing. He too knew of the gravity of the situation. If his troops were to fail, Germany would cut off the only help his country could receive. "I will not fail." He thought, "I cannot fail."

The first German assault was directed at Langemarck. It was one of

many small towns that surrounded Ypres. The German 4th army, on October 21, committed to a series of attacks. These were poorly planned and with little support, however. The British 7th Division, defending the town, was able to temporarily push the Germans back. The allied defenses consisted of soldiers using shallow trenches, stone walls, and village houses as makeshift cover. The British defended the front lines, while the French forces covered the rear. Fierce fighting continued for another week around Langemarck, but soon, the fighting bogged down, and Falkenhayn knew he needed to target another location if he had any hope of breaking through to Ypres.

With the 6th army holding its position in the south, and the 4th army halted in the north, Falkenhayn ordered an attack through the center, through Gheluvelt, hoping to break through the village defenses, and push on into Ypres. However, the British and French put up stiff resistance. After repeated attacks near Gheluvelt, the Germans managed to break through for a short time. However, they were pushed back soon after by a British counterattack.

For the allies all along the line, it was a brutal struggle. Having a far weaker force in numbers than the Germans, their defense seemed hopeless. Nonetheless, they continued on, desperately fending off the waves of German assaults.

From November 10 to November 11, the fighting was at its peak in ferocity. The Germans focused the majority of its attacks towards the area between Langemarck and Diksmuide. They were able to break through parts of the allied lines, but couldn't be supported, so they were soon pushed back. With neither side able to achieve any significant advantage over the other, both began digging in. Both the allies, and the Germans were utterly exhausted. Losses for all sides were considerable. German casualties numbered over 80,000, with the French at a similar figure, while the BEF casualties at over 50,000 (89,964 since the Battle of Mons).

With the end of this battle, came the end of the mobile phase of the war. From now on, trench warfare would rage along the western front for the next four long years.

The First Battle of Ypres (October 19 - November 22)

The Battle of the Yser

October 16, 1914

Since the German invasion of Belgium, the vastly inferior country was forced into a desperate defense. Pushed to the breaking point, the Belgian Army was in almost constant retreat, as the vast number of German soldiers overwhelmed them. By October 9th, the last major Belgian city, Antwerp, had fallen. The battered Belgian forces had no choice but to all but abandon their homeland, and retreat west, toward the Yser. Now holding just a small strip of land in Flanders, they couldn't afford to lose any more ground. This was their final stand.

On October 14th, the Belgian Army reached the Yser River. This river had numerous canals which branched off from it. At the nearby town of Nieuwpoort, there were sluices which controlled the amount of water flowing into the river from the North Sea. They immediately began entrenching themselves. Their defenses along the Yser stretched over a mile between Nieuwpoort and the town of Diksmuide. From Diksmuide southward, their lines connected with the French and British defenses, which now ran all the way to the Aisne roughly 120 miles away!

On October 16th, the German army assaulted the Belgian and French defenses at Diksmuide(the French provided 6,000 Marines and an infantry division to aide the Belgians). The allies were able to hold them off, although heavy casualties were dealt. However, just two days later, the main German offensive was launched. This massive attack stretched from Nieuwpoort, to Arras in France, over 50 miles to the south. Their objectives: seize Calais, Dunkirk, and Boulogne, and therefore deprive Britain of these key coastal harbors; defeat the Belgian army, thus taking the country out of the war; and lastly, execute a massive flanking maneuver, bypassing the allies' massive front line, becoming the victor in the earlier race to the sea.

The German army, in the initial assault, was able to break through the Belgian, French, and British front lines, however, it took three days of intense fighting for them to push the Belgians back to the banks of the Yser. The final bridge was blown up on the 23rd of October, but the Germans were able to establish a bridgehead on the 21st. The German pressure on the Belgians was so great, that on the 25th of October, a decision was made to open the sluices in Nieuwpoort, gradually flooding the entire area between the coastal town and Diksmuide.

The German army, after repeated attacks, was preparing to launch one final major assault to break through the Belgian lines. However, they soon realized the Yser was flooding, and made the decision to fall back. The front stabilized, and the Belgian army was able to hold their ground at the Yser for the remainder of the war.

The Belgian's heroic defense at the battle of the Yser, although not so well known, was nonetheless a crucial battle. Had the Germans broken through, the entire allied front line would be compromised. They would have gained the undeniable upper-hand, and could well have won the war. 

Although this battle was over for the Belgians, further south, the intense fighting still continued... at Ypres.

The Battle of the Yser (October 16 - October 30)

The Battle of the Aisne

September 12, 1914

After their decisive victory at the Marne, the triumphant allies
immediately began to advance towards the German army's newly-dug entrenchments. These defenses were formidable. Lying along the far side of the river, the entrenched German army carried hundreds of modern MG-08 machine guns. In front of them lay open farmland that served no natural cover for the pursuing allied forces. Not only that, but they also placed their numerous artillery pieces behind their lines, giving them additional support. To make matters worse for the allied attack, the bridges along the Aisne were all blown up by German engineers, so even getting to the German trenches would be extremely difficult.

Despite all of these dangers, the bolstered allied forces pressed on, undeterred, towards the river. To get across, the B.E.F. utilized makeshift pontoon bridges, all the while getting pelted with shells from German artillery. Finally making it across the river, the British forces charged the German fortifications. Predictably, they were unsuccessful, and were met with steep casualties. The French, assaulting the German defenses further east fared little better, making only negligible progress. The Germans launched a counterattack, but that too was inconclusive.

With neither side able to gain a foothold, they both dug in, with the impasse quickly degrading into a stalemate. The B.E.F., unprepared for trench warfare, had great difficulty in improvising their equipment to fit the situation. In fact, when Sir John French ordered the B.E.F. to entrench on September 14th, little to no trench digging tools were available. This forced the British soldiers to search inside of abandoned farmhouses to acquire any pickaxes or shovels that might be stored inside.

The Germans, on the other hand, improvised their equipment in brilliant new ways to meet the situation. For example, flares and periscopes, now made famous by their significant utilization in the war, were both part of the German Army's issued equipment designed for a mobile war, but now adapted to trench warfare.

From the Aisne, all the way up to the English Channel, both sides dug in, each one trying to outpace the other in order to flank them. Soon, the entire western front was locked in a hardened stalemate. The war of mud and blood had now truly begun.

The Battle of the Aisne (September 12th - September 15th)

The Battle of the Marne

September 5, 1914

As the German forces continued their grueling advance toward Paris, General Joseph Joffre knew any counteroffensive would have to be carefully planned if it would have any chance at succeeding. The German flank was exposed as its army pushed the allied forces further southwest. Seeing the opening, General Gallieni, commanding from Paris, ordered the French 6th army into the exposed flank of the German 1st Army. With the majority of its strength directed towards pushing the allied armies further south, the German 1st army was caught unprepared with only a reserve Corps to face this new threat. However, General Hans Von Gronau, in command of the Corps, boldly decided to go on the offensive, meeting the 6th army head on.

With Gronau engaged with the French toward the rear, over at the main front, the French 5th and 9th armies, as well as the B.E.F., stopped their retreat and held their ground. This was when the German advance finally came to a halt. 

The German 1st army, now aware of their unforeseen attackers, began pushing it's forces into the French at their rear. Meanwhile, the German 2nd and 3rd armies were locked in fierce combat with the formerly retreating allied ranks. 

At this point in the battle, the B.E.F. was playing a largely minimal role in the unfolding events. Sir John French, in command of the British forces, was determined to keep his army intact, so he opted to stay back from the fighting and conserve the remaining men of the B.E.F.. However, as the German 1st army, gaining the upper hand, began pushing back the French 6th army, a gap began to appear between the 1st army and the main German forces.

At this pivotal moment, French and the rest of the B.E.F. were ordered to marched straight into the gap, thus dividing the German forces. Hesitantly, the British began marching towards the opening. With the lack of speed and decisiveness of the B.E.F., the French Commanders feared their temporary advantage would be lost. Fortunately, French and his men were able to successfully march into the open gap.

Seeing this very real threat, the German forces were ordered to withdraw to the Aisne River where they would dig in and hold a defensive position there. The Battle of the Marne was over.

The Battle of the Marne (September 5th - September 12th)

The Great Retreat From Mons

August 23, 1914

The soldiers of the B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) awaited the German advance with eagerness. They were stationed in defensive positions along the Condé Mons Canal just outside the town. They believed their well-trained forces could easily repel the German army from the town of Mons. How wrong they were.

At 8:00 AM, on the morning of August 23, 1914, the German army attacked. Their ranks emerged from the tree line in close formation. This made it easy for the British to mow them down with the few machine guns they possessed. In the first two minutes of this fierce skirmish, an estimated 500 German soldiers were killed.

Despite the rapidly growing number of casualties, the Germans kept coming, this time more spread out, throwing more and more troops at the British. The men of the B.E.F. were well trained, but couldn't hold against that many enemies for long. It was only a matter of time before they would fall to the superior might of the German army.

The British defenses finally broke eight hours later, allowing the Germans to pour across the bridgeheads--of which there were many leading into the town of Mons--and pursue the retreating allied forces. This massive retreat on the allies part lasted two weeks, with the German army hot on their tail. 

With Paris almost within reach of the Germans, General Joseph Joffre, the Chief of Staff of the French army, knew they had to be stopped, and soon. Slowly, he began formulating a plan. He would order the retreating allied troops to hold their position, and transport the newly formed 6th Army by train to intercept the advancing Germans. The original holding point he chose was set to be Somme River.

However, he was forced to reposition it to the Marne.

War photographs at Mons:

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The Invasion of Belgium

 August 3, 1914

Germany's plan at the outbreak of war was to defeat France first, then, expecting the Russians to mobilize their troops much slower, send their troops from the western front by train to the east to fight the Czar's army (this was known as the Schlieffen Plan). Thus, the war on the western front began when German troops, hungry for war, entered Belgium, their gateway to France. However, Germany's plan had a major flaw that became apparent that very day. Britain, intent on maintaining Belgian neutrality, demanded Germany to leave Belgium, but the Kaiser's army would not deviate from their course. On August 4th, Britain declared war on Germany, sealing the fate of war upon Europe's great nations.

Germany's plan to get to France was going through Belgium, bypassing the French fortresses along the Franco-German border. Germany expected little resistance going through Belgium, however, the soldiers of the Belgian army weren't about to let the Germans take their country without a fight.

The first city in the German army's path was Liège. It was an industrial city surrounded by Belgian fortresses. The Germans were unable to crack the defenses until the heavy siege guns arrived to support them. They then pounded the city with heavy shells for days until it finally gave in on August 15th. Once Liège was taken, they could now spread all across Belgium. Despite the German army's numbers, the brave soldiers of the Belgian army fought fiercely. Their army was inevitably overpowered and was forced to fall back, managing to hold a strip of the Flanders coast after prevailing in the Battle of the Yser in October 1914. It took months for the country to fall under German control, compared to the expected time of only a few days.

How could a seemingly insignificant country like Belgium slow the German advance to that degree? Rumors spread all along the German ranks that Belgian civilians were resisting the German advance. This was far from the truth. In most cases in which they thought civilians were firing upon them, it would really be Belgian troops firing from buildings. In fact, the Belgian civilians didn't put up any resistance at all, but the Germans didn't see it that way. During the battle for Dinant, German firing squads executed 674 civilians, including women and children. During the first month of the war in Europe, over 5,500 Belgian civilians were massacred in cold blood. Despite the horror and brutality of the opening months of the First World War, the sacrifices of Belgian soldiers and civilians alike bought time for Britain and France to rally their forces, putting an end to Germany's plan of a swift victory in Europe.

This MOC depicts a German firing squad doing their terrible work in the town of Dinant (August 23, 1914).

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From Peace to Slaughter

Europe, 1914

It is June. All is quiet in the city of Sarajevo. The Black Hand, a Serbian Nationalist group, prepared to achieve their aims by way of terror, await the arrival of their sworn enemy, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Astro-Hungarian Throne. His assassination would be one of triumph for Serbia. However, this seemingly isolated event sparked a conflict that, within a week of Austro-Hungary's declaration of war, spread to the entire continent of Europe.

How could something like this escalate so quickly?

The answer to this is one that is rooted decades before the war even began. In 1871, Germany, a newly organized nation emerging from the Franco-Prussian war, began immediately establishing itself as a powerful nation with their rapid industrialization and growing economy. By the end of the 19th century, Germany was in no doubt a nation of considerable strength. However, there were two things that kept it from achieving the status of a Great Power it strived for. Germany had no large navy, and no territories overseas under its control. So Germany began preparations for the construction of a huge naval fleet.

This rapid militarization at sea caught Britain's eye. For so many years, Britain's navy ruled the oceans, but now Germany was constructing a fleet capable of challenging their naval forces. This was a threat that could not be ignored. Britain, in response to Germany's aggressive move, formed an alliance with France, signing the Anglo-French Entente in 1904. Theirs wasn't the only alliance formed. From 1878 to 1907, nine completely separate and secret alliances were formed between countries all over Europe. This, along with the severely unstable relations between the European nations, made it clear that Europe was on the brink of war.

Some countries welcomed the prospect. In fact, in Germany, the Schlieffen plan, a plan which drew out how the Germans would fight a two-front war if they were to attack France and Russia, was proposed in 1905. Nearly a decade before the war even began! As the major European powers lay in wait, they knew it was only a matter of time before the fuse would be lit. All it needed was a spark, and Serbia provided. On June 28th, 1914, the assassination at Sarajevo caused the continent of Europe, within a week of the first declaration of war, to spiral into a vicious and bloody conflict, the likes of which had never before been witnessed by mankind.