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Description: | The Western Front from the Battle of Mons to the end of the Allied Retreat, and the Eastern Front to the Battle of Tannenberg, August-September 1914.
In Belgium the leading elements of von Kluck's First Army encountered the four divisions of the British Expeditionary Force at Mons on 23rd August. Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien's II Corps held off the superior German numbers by rifle fire. Lanrazac's Fifth Army, still falling back on the British right, forced the BEF also to retreat, bringing refugees in its wake. Meanwhile on 17th August the Russians invaded East Prussia and on 20th August were successful at Gumbinnen. Generals Hindenburg and Ludendorff were despatched to the Eastern Front and together replied with the great German victory over the Russians at Tannenberg. The key actor was now the French commander, General Joseph Joffre. On 24th August he realised that time must be created for a new French Sixth Army to be formed on the British left, opposing the German outflanking move. He was worried about lack of cooperation from the BEF, which was not under his direct command. Meanwhile at Le Cateau on 26th August Smith-Dorrien's tired troops fought another battle to check the German pursuit. French observers believed the BEF incapable of further resistance. A gap opened up between the German First Army, in pursuit of the British, and Second Army to the east. Joffre ordered Lanrazac to attack into the gap in the Battle of Guise, "the last of the old-time pageants of war". This checked von Kluck's forces, which in closing the gap began to turn east, not west, of Paris, from which the government had fled and which the military governor was pledged to defend " à outrance". Meanwhile in Britain the Times published the "Mons Despatch" emphasising British losses and calling for more reinforcements. As von Kluck's men advanced deeper into France they became increasingly exhausted. The British fought a final defensive action at Villers Cotterets as Sixth Army came into being on their left. It was clear to Joffre that as First Army turned east of Paris it would expose its flank to a counterstroke. The retreat slowed and ended, the British and French gathered themselves for the Battle of the Marne.
16mm | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | 01/3(4-11).12 01/3(4-15).15 [1914 Mons] 01/3(4-11).14 01/3(4-15).17 [1914 Guise] 01/3(4-15).15 [1914 Le Cateau] | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Shaw, Sebastian | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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