LEWARIIBRAR^ Mm CHRONICLE wTrt"^,^ THE GREAT BATTLES OF THE GREAT WAR THE GREAT BATTLES OF THE GREAT WAR " News of battle I News of battle ! Hark I 'tis ringing down the street ; And the archways and the pavement Bear the clang of hurrying feet ! '' News of battle ! " Aytoun's Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers." PUBLISHED FOR Zbc H)atl^ Cbtontclc By HODDER and STOUGHTON london, mcmxiv CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE HEROIC DEFENCE OF LifGE " - " - - " . 7 II. THE OCCUPATION OF BRUSSELS I7 III. THE GIANT CONFLICT AT MONS - 22 IV. THE MASTERLY BRITISH RETREAT 30 V. HOW RETREAT LED TO VICTORY ------- 37 VI. LOUVAIN : THE BRAND OF SHAME 47 VII. THE DRAMATIC TURNING POINT 57 VIII. PARIS PREPARES FOR SIEGE - -62 IX. THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE 70 X. THE GERMANS HURLED BACK 79 XI. THE BATTLE OF THE RIVERS -------89 XII. AN HISTORIC TUG-OF-WAR ---102 XIIL THE FALL OF ANTWERP - - - - - - - -112 XIV. THE FIGHT FOR THE CHANNEL -----*- 123 XV. BRITANNIA RULES THE WAVES ! 132 t XVI. AT HELIGOLAND AND ELSEWHERE ------ 138 vi CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XVII. LOSSES AND GAINS AT SEA I44 XVIII. THE EASTERN CAMPAIGN 150 XIX. THE CONQUERING RUSSIANS 159 XX. THE CLASH OF SLAV AND TEUTON 1 69 XXI. GREAT EVENTS ON THE VISTULA - 179 THE GREAT BATTLES OF THE GREAT ' WAR I. THE HEROIC DEFENCE OF LI^GE It is impossible to over-estimate the was confronted with a peremptory de- service rendered to Europe by little mand for free passage through her Belgium in holding up for several territory for the Kaiser's legions. days the head-waters of the vast and If in her weakness she had given menacing tide of the German in- permission, who could have blamed " vasion. Rapidity of action is the her ? But with sublime heroism of " great German asset said the German soul Belgium declined, though well ImperialJ Chancellor to ourj^^Am- knowing the risk, and then flung her- bassador in Berlin. We owe it to self with splendid intrepidity athwart Belgian courage and tenacity that the path of the Teutonic host. She that asset was seriously impaired. has suffered terribly by her heroic This small State, which had no resistance. Her whole national life quarrel with any one and only desired has come to a standstill. Her fields, to live at peace with its neighbours, tilled by a frugal, hard-working was suddenly exposed to a cruel peasantry, have been laid waste • her ordeal. Two days before the receipt prosperous industries are stricken of the German ultimatum, the Belgian with paralysis. Louvain, with its Government was informed by the architectural glories, its peerless German Minister in ^Brussels that library, its exquisite colleges has the Tirle- Germany would respect neutrality almost been blotted out ; Vis6, of Belgium. Two hours-before hand- raont, Aerschott have been reduced ing in the ultimatum on that memor- to ruins; the Government of the able Sunday evening, Germany's ac- country was compelled to flee from credited representative repeated his the capital to Antwerp, and from assurance. Then suddenly Belgium Antwerp to the foreign but friendly 8 TH'E .GREAT BATTLES OF THE GREAT WAR ' 'i>i' all its It is a small city -'IfairrB ;• jiundr^ds ;of thou- with might. sands of the Belgian people in town country with only seven milHons of and country are homeless and have people and a total armed strength of been reduced to beggary, and they about 300,000 men, most of whom have suffered, especially the women had received very little training. and the children, unimaginable hor- But love of freedom and devotion to of can wonders and rors ; thousands Belgium's finest one's fatrie work ; manhood of the country have perished these militia-men fought like lions. on the battle-field. Half-a-million of The upshot was that the carefully- her people have fled for refuge to Hol- prepared time-table of the Germans land, to England, and to France. And was deranged. Belgium's resistance yet through all the gloom of these robbed them of twelve days. This horrors, these sufferings, this wicked delay was an inestimable service to destruction and these unavenged France, and it gave time to allow the wrongs, the countenance of Belgium British Expeditionary Force to take shines forth with a radiant glow. its place in the French fighting line on the north-eastern frontier. Bel- Suffering and Achievement. gium has placed France and England She has suffered debt. She has much ; yes, but under an unforgettable she has achieved much. She mourns covered herself with glory. Her sons the loss of precious lives, the des- have fought with a grand heroism for truction of treasures, houses, crops, their country against overwhelming live-stock, merchandise. In a few odds. In the story of their achieve- short weeks she was reduced from ments there is nothing more thrilling wealth and prosperity to poverty and than the defence of Liege. idleness. She has lost nearly every- A Romantic Town. thing, but she has found her own soul. And to-day in her ruin, Belgium con- Liege is a town with 250,000 in- fronts the world with a proud and an habitants. It has an old and romantic elate look. Through her capacity for history. It is the seat of a University sacrifice, through the valour of her and a famous m.usical centre. Situated sons, she has vindicated by a new and in the heart of a great coal-mining noble title her right to nationhood district it is the home of many pros- and independence. perous metal industries, among them The German General Staff prides the manufacture of explosives and itself on its skill in all that concerns small arms, particularly revolvers and the mechanism of war it town is within a ; but cannot sporting guns. The measure the soul of a people. It day's march of the German frontier. counted confidently on an easy, un- It nestles in a corner of the valley of opposed march through Belgium. It the river Meuse, which flows from was rudely deceived. Belgium resisted south-west to north-east. In spite of THE HEROIC DEFENCE OF LlfiGE the smoke and grime inseparable from at France before France was ready, industry, the country round about the possession of Li^ge, commanding Li6ge is full of charm and beauty. all these important routes of com- The town owes much to the Meuse, munication, became of supreme im- which is as wide here as the Seine is portance to them. The German plan in Paris. was, while containing the French By express train Li6ge is three along t^^e rest of the Frontier, to enter the French hours only from capital ; France on the north-east and then to and it is less than 20 miles from the attempt a great turning movement German frontier. pivoting on the powerful fortress of The town itself has no military Metz. German strategy coolly took strength. But it is surrounded by a for granted the invasion of Belgian dozen forts, which were planned by territory, although Germany was and the late General Brialmont, one of the is under solemn pledge to protect the most famous military engineers of the neutrality of Belgium. To a success- nineteenth century. As Liege lies in ful invasion of Belgium the fortress of a hollow of the valley of the Meuse, Liege blocked the way. surrounded by hills, the forts have a Of the twelve forts six are large commanding position over the sur- and six relatively small. The largest rounding country. Mr. Hilaire Belloc, fort is five-sided. Around it runs a writing in Land and Water, says : deep ditch, of which the counter- " The fortress of Liege is a modem scarp is a masonry wall, while the fortress that it consists of earthen is the ring ; is, escarp simply pro- an area roughly circular, almost, or longation of the exterior slope of the rather less than ten miles in diameter, parapet. Behind the counter-scarp protected by a ring of forts (twelve wall and running along almost the in number) surroimding the great whole of its length is a vaulted industrial town of Li6ge. The river gallery, which at the angles of the Meuse runs right through Liege and ditch is pierced for machine-guns through the middle of the ring. One and rifles so as to sweep the floor of of the main railways of Europe rims the ditch at the moment of the assault. : through the same circle and leads From this gallery small galleries run from the chief German bases of outwards and downwards at I right in the North to the to enable the defenders to I supply Belgian angles other also come in counter-attack i plain ; railways besiegers' mining oper- I and effect their junction with this ations, and other galleries communi- i main line within the circle of the cate with the part below the floor ot forts." the ditch. Since the Germans were deter- Galleried and Pierced. mined to invade Belgium, in order to fort the be able to deliver a staggering blow In the rear of the escarp 10 THE GREAT BATTLES OF THE GREAT WAR is of masonry, galleried and pierced Unfortunately when the crucial ordeal so as to command the flow of the came so suddenly early last August, ditch. The parapet of the fort is a little more than 25,000 were available plain infantry breast-work with steel and most of these were composed of gun-cupolas bedded in concrete at militia. But the men had plenty of intervals.