890 Ch. 22 • The Great War
Old and new combat in World War I.
encircle the French capital. Both the French and German high commands
still considered success in Alsace critical to their strategies and to morale
at home.
The British Expeditionary Force of 100,000 troops arrived to take its
place on the French flank on August 20. One British soldier who went off to
war in the summer of 1914 reassured his family, “At least the thing will be
over in three weeks.” But by August 24, the Allied (Entente) armies were
rapidly retreating. At Mons and then Le Cateau, the British army fought its
biggest battles since Waterloo in 1815. Yet retreat did not yet spell defeat.
The Germans, fatigued by the pace of their march, also suffered from
Moltke’s indecision and inadequate communications. Kluck’s army was
already spread too thinly across a wide front. Now Moltke, surprised by the
relatively rapid Russian mobilization and told of an early Russian victory on
the eastern front, ordered four divisions to confront the surprisingly rapid
Russian advance.
Nonetheless, the German armies managed to fight to within thirty-five
miles of Paris (see Map 22.3). The French government provisionally with
drew to the safety of Bordeaux, just as they had been forced to do during
the Franco-Prussian War. But despite heavy losses, Joffre was able to rein
force his defensive positions around Paris. This was in part possible because
the French had concluded a secret treaty by which Italy, whose commitment
to Germany and Austria-Hungary was defensive in nature, agreed to remain
neutral if Germany attacked France. The German government, unaware of
the treaty, still hoped Italy would join Germany and Austria-Hungary. Joffre