David Bilton - The Germans in Flanders 1914-1915

Acknowledgements

When she found out I was writing another book, my younger daughter gave me a look that said it all. This book then turned into three. Sorry to everyone at home, and thanks.

As with previous books, a great big thank you to Anne Coulson for her help in checking the text and to The Prince Consorts Library for all their help.

Errors of omission or commission are mine alone.

Bibliography

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1914 The Advance through Belgium

On 25 July the Austro-Hungarian populace were informed of the partial mobilisation of the army and Landsturm. By the end of the month Emperor Wilhelm had stated in an Imperial Ordnance that, apart from Bavaria, the German Empire was in a condition of war. This was not a state of war but a warning to the country that there could be a war. The next day the Emperor mobilised the army and Navy making 2 August the first day of mobilisation. Then, informing the German people that the country was being forced into war, he called upon all who were capable of bearing arms to defend the Fatherland.

At the beginning of the war the intentions of the French and Russians were unknown; the worst scenario was a more-or-less coordinated Franco-Russian attack. In the east, even facing only active service troops, the odds would be two to one in favour of the Russians, and the arrival of Far Eastern units and the reserves would lengthen the odds considerably. The Austro-Hungarians would also be in the same position.

Posted a year after the war started; a patriotic card sold on behalf of the Red Cross. For Emperor and Empire reads the banner.

Intelligence was aware of the Franco-Russian agreement to launch simultaneous attacks on the fifteenth day of mobilisation. As Russia had begun its mobilisation on 30 July this joint attack would be on 14 August. Troops would have to be transferred to the east by day thirteen of Russian mobilisation.

While Austria and Germany prepared and mobilised, so too did the armies of France, Russia, Belgium and Britain. On 2 August, the French accused the Germans of crossing the frontier at three different points, shooting at the border personnel, stealing horses and killing a soldier. The next day, the German Ambassador in France, in his farewell letter, accused the French of violating Belgian territory and dropping bombs on Germany, giving his reason for leaving as the state of war that now existed between France and Germany. The die was cast Europe would go to war.

Over 11,000 trains carried the army to the offensive. In just over two weeks 2,150 trains crossed the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne a train every ten minutes. Nearly four million men were mobilised, assembled and deployed, along with 850,000 horses.

The easy way to arrive. A troop train arriving in Belgium in October 1914.

Even before mobilisation had officially started, 16 Infantry Division had moved into Luxembourg. A belated call from the Kaiser failed to halt the attack which was already underway by one company. By then, Lt. Feldmann and his men had successfully taken their objective, Troisvierges station, without control of which it would be more difficult for troops to access France. As a result, the next day,