Page 19 - History of War - Issue 01-14

“The best-equipped British army that ever went forth to war…”

Following the Boer War, Richard Burdon Haldane – Edmonds later describing it as “incomparably, the best- Another British Expeditionary Force was deployed at
British Secretary of State for War – created the British trained, best-organised and best-equipped British army the start of the Second World War, under the command
Expeditionary Force (BEF) in the event of a war on foreign that ever went forth to war” (a stark contrast to Kaiser of General Lord Gort. However, it was forced to evacuate
soil. That event occurred in August 1914, with the start Bill’s description of it as a “contemptible little army”). from France in June 1940 as part of Operation Ariel.
of the First World War. By that time, the BEF comprised
a general HQ, three Army corps – each of two infantry
divisions – a large cavalry division of four brigades and
a fifth independent cavalry brigade. This totalled around Soldiers from the BEF repair

100,000 men, mainly made up of volunteers. However, bicycles while under artillery fi re near
as a precaution, Prime Minister Herbert Asquith decided the Aisne section of the front, 1914
that, initially, only two of the Army corps and the cavalry
should be sent to France and Belgium (although the third
Army corps followed shortly afterwards).
In terms of numbers, the BEF paled in comparison to
the French and German armies, but its unwavering spirit
is legendary, with official British Army historian James

he aimed to use such a predictable plan of
action to his advantage. The “Schlieffen Plan”
called for a relatively small force to hold
the territory. The weakness of the defenders
was designed to draw the attacking French
further into a trap. While the French advanced
into Alsace-Lorraine, fi ve German armies
would advance through Belgium into lightly
defended northern France, before wheeling on
the pivot of Alsace-Lorraine – rather like a great
revolving door. The armies would capture Paris To that end, he meticulously worked out the TIMELINE 26 AUGUST
and then advance upon the attacking French supply of the advancing German forces. Even Elements of Alexander
from behind. While the French pushed on one so, his plan was so delicately balanced that any 1914 von Kluck’s forces
part of the door in Alsace-Lorraine, the other alteration of the allocation of men or supplies strike II Corps at Le
part of the door would hit them in the back. would threaten to ruin the entire scheme. Cateau, creating a
It was to be a classic battle of envelopment, 28 JUNE 1914 desperate situation
rather like Hannibal at Cannae. It would result Disastrous blunders Archduke Franz for the British, who
in the destruction of the entire French Army in General Helmuth von Moltke, in command of Ferdinand, heir retreat immediately.
a kesselschlacht (cauldron battle). the German armed forces, numbering over to the throne of 31 AUGUST
Von Schlieffen realised that his plan had some three million men, put the Schlieffen Plan into Austria-Hungary,
weaknesses. The army on the German right fl ank operation in 1914. Even before the outbreak of is assassinated in Von Kluck and Karl
Sarajevo. This sets
von Bülow decide
would have to travel a tremendous distance to war, he had altered its very nature. His revised off a diplomatic that German forces
effect the capture of Paris and the envelopment version placed more emphasis on the defence crisis, with Austria- should wheel inside
of the French armies in the south. Success of of Alsace-Lorraine, which weakened the vital Hungary delivering Paris rather than
his scheme was so important to Schlieffen that, right fl ank. Once the battle had begun, it became an ultimatum to envelop and capture
on his deathbed, his fi nal words were “do not apparent that von Moltke was timid and made Serbia, with whom it, thus straying from
weaken the right fl ank”. He had also realised blunders that would doom the plan to failure. the assassins the conditions of
that to make such a massive military operation The German First Army under General are connected. the Schlieffen Plan.
possible would require miracles of logistics. Alexander von Kluck occupied von Schlieffen’s 28 JULY 6 SEPTEMBER
Austro-Hungarians British forces
fire the first shots counter-attack, leading

The war in western Europe was in preparation for an to the First Battle
characterised by rapid movement, invasion of Serbia. of the Marne.
as evidenced by this hurried 4 AUGUST 7-8 SEPTEMBER
German advance across a river
Britain declares war Joseph Gallieni
on Germany, and sends 6,000 soldiers
Germany on Belgium. to help the Allies
13 AUGUST hold the line.
German forces 9 SEPTEMBER
break through all of Richard Hentsch
Belgium’s defensive orders the German
obstacles and into armies to retreat,
the open land beyond. ending the Battle
14 AUGUST of the Marne.
The French First and 4 NOVEMBER
Second Armies launch French forces attack
Plan 17, implemented German positions
as an offensive into on the Chemin des
Alsace-Lorraine. Dames Ridge.
23 AUGUST 11 NOVEMBER
The 170,000-strong The First Battle
German First Army of Ypres. The BEF
slams headlong into repulses German
the 70,000-man attacks, and fighting

BEF. The BEF retreats continues for
the following day. the next two years.

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