Britan refuses to be overrun by the Kaiser
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War between the Central European Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and allies) on one side and the Triple Entente (Britain and the British Empire, France, and Russia) and their allies, including the USA (which entered in 1917), on the other side. An estimated 10 million lives were lost and twice that number were wounded. It was fought on the eastern and western fronts, in the Middle East, in Africa, and at sea.The lines now began to stabilize between Reims and the Alps as both sides settled into entrenchments. In northern France and Flanders, successive outflanking manoeuvres by both sides, known as the ‘race to the sea’, extended these trench lines towards the North Sea. |
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By the early 20th century, the countries of Western Europe had reached a high level of material prosperity. However, competition for trade markets and imperial possessions worldwide had led to a growth of nationalistic sentiment. This nationalism created great political tension between the single-nation states such as France and Germany, and threatened the stability of multi-nation states such as Austria-Hungary. These tensions were reflected in jingoistic propaganda, an arms race between the major powers, and trade barriers and tariffs which exacerbated tensions further. |
 
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Initial German operations were conducted according to the carefully prepared Schlieffen Plan, which specified the advance of the most powerful German armies through Belgium, pivoting on the Ardennes, while lighter forces in Alsace and Lorraine fell back if necessary before the French. This would bring the French armies out of their prepared positions, making the heavy blow through Belgium and northern France more dangerous and more difficult to stop. |
 
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The German aim was to capture Paris and to trap the advancing French armies in the east between the German defences to their front and the successful German armies in their rear. France would quickly be forced to surrender and Germany could deal in turn with Russia, the real object of its war plans.Belgian resistance held up the Germans for two days at Liège, but the city was occupied on 7 August and the surrounding forts a week later. |
 
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German troops then overran half of Belgium, occupying Brussels on 20 August. Belgian forces withdrew northwards to Antwerp.The fortress of Namur, the last barrier between the German advance and the French frontier, was quickly reduced by German siege artillery. Marshal Joseph Joffre, the French commander-in-chief, ordered offensives into Alsace and Lorraine on 10 August but these made little headway. The small British Expeditionary Force (BEF) under Sir John French reached France to find that there was no effective French plan against a German advance through Belgium. More on the war |
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