![]() In 1918 the Western Allies were joined by the United States. ![]() The armies on the Western Front in the Great War from 1914 were the Germans against the French, the British and the Belgians. However heavy casualties were inflicted on the German infantry during their attacks on the British positions, although the numbers were insignificant compared with casualties in the battles later in the war.īritish infantry receive the German attack: Battle of Mons on 23rd August 1914 in the First World WarĪrmies, uniforms and equipment in the Battle of Mons: The British were compelled to fall back to comply with the withdrawal of their French allies on their right and to avoid encirclement, leaving the Mons canal line in German hands. General von Kluck’s First Army comprised 4 corps and 3 cavalry divisions (160,000 men) and 550 guns. The BEFcomprised 2 corps of infantry, I and II Corps, and a cavalry division 85,000 men and 290 guns.īoth corps of the BEF and the Cavalry Division were in action, although the bulk of the fighting was carried out by Smith-Dorrien’s II Corps along the line of the Mons Canal (Le Canal du Centre or Le Canal de Condé). War: The First World War known as the ‘Great War’.Ĭontestants at the Battle of Mons: The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) against the German First Army.Ĭommanders at the Battle of Mons: Field-Marshal Sir John French commanding the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) with Lieutenant-General Sir Douglas Haig commanding I Corps and General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien commanding II Corps against General von Kluck commanding the German First Army. Place of the Battle of Mons: In Belgium on the French border The next battle in the First World War is the Battle of Mons (2 nd Day): Elougesĭate of the Battle of Mons: 23 rd August 1914 The previous battle in the First World War is the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) Following the failure of the German 1918 offensive Ludendorff suffered a nervous breakdown and was forced to resign, just before the end of the war.‘Our little contemptibles’: Battle of Mons on 23rd August 1914 in the First World War: picture by William Barnes Wollen Between they gained control not just of the armed forces but also of Germany’s war effort and of the political scene, for example insisting on unrestricted submarine warfare despite the objections of the chancellor, Bethman Hollweg, who resigned. As the narrative unfolds it is clear how Ludendorff became the driving force though always acknowledging Hindenburg’s senior position, and, of course, always paying lip service to the All-Highest. When Hindenburg was appointed Chief of theGeneral Staff in August 1916 and moved to the Western Front, Ludendorff went with him as his deputy in the newly created post of First Quartermaster-General. Within a week they had won a crushing victory over the Russians at Tannenberg and became instant heroes. Thus began the partnership that was to last till Ludendorff’s resignation over four years later on 26th October 1918. Ludendorff first came to notice when he took charge of operations that led to the capture of the fortress of Liege on 7th August 1914, for which he was awarded the Pour le Merite, and which he describes in detail.Two weeks later he was sent to the Eastern Front as Chief of Staff of 8th Army under the newly appointed commander, von Hindenburg. In 1913 he was posted to Dusseldorf as CO 39th Fusiliers and in 1914 he moved again, on promotion, to Strasburg as commander 85th Brigade on the outbreak of war he became Deputy Chief of Staff of General von Bulow’s Second Army. From March 1904 to January 1913 he was, with only one short interval, in the Operations Department of which he became Chief. After several regimental postings and the Kriegesakademie Ludendorff joined the General Staff being promoted Major in 1900. Born on 9 April 1865 in Kruschevnia, Posen district, Ludendorff passed through the Military Academy at Lichterfelde and in 1885 was commissioned into the 57th Infantry Regiment, a Westphalien regiment. He is going to give an account of the “magnificent deeds” of the German Army, deeds from which Germany can take heart and “with which my name will for all time be associated”. In his introduction, Ludendorff remarks that he had no time to keep any record of events and the narrative that follows is based chiefly on his memory. Given his enormous prestige and high position in the imperial German Army it is hard to believe he was not ‘von’. The first thing to be made clear is that Ludendorff was NOT a ‘von’ as he is so often shown, even by reputable historians.
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