The Decisive Battles of World History

o Finally, the French had invested in building a chain of

fortresses along the border with Germany and were convinced

that any attacks would be aimed at these and that such attacks

would be doomed against their well-protected batteries of

heavy cannons.

x In the years just before the war, the French had begun to shift from

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for the outbreak of war—Plan 17. They had become convinced that

wars were decided by morale and that the side with the greater will

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outbreak of war, Plan 17 called for four French armies to launch a

powerful attack on Alsace and Lorraine.

The Campaign
x On August 3, 1914, Germany declared war on France, and all these
long-formulated plans were put into motion. Every day, 550 well-
organized trains transported German soldiers and equipment across
the Rhine, launching nearly a million and a half men against France.
By August 4, German troops were pouring into Belgium, and Great
Britain declared war on Germany.

x The crucial right wing of the German attack was the First Army,

commanded by General Alexander von Kluck. The plan ran into

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fought back. Several Belgian fortresses put up spirited defenses

and managed to hold out until August 15. Despite this setback, the

Germans were close to maintaining their original schedule

x Meanwhile, the French had put Plan 17 into motion. With the

German defenders proving to be both more numerous and more

deadly than French plans had allowed for—in less than a week,

more than 300,000 French soldiers were mowed down—the

offensive bogged down in the forests. By August 24, the French

armies were forced to pull back to their original lines.