CAMPAIGNS IN ALSACE AND LORRAINE
The French staff apparently had designed a campaign in Upper Alsace
and the Vosges, but the throwing of a brigade from Belfort across
the frontier on the extreme right of their line on August 6 would
seem to have been undertaken chiefly with a view of rousing patriotic
enthusiasm. French aeroplane scouts had brought in the intelligence
that only small bodies of German troops occupied the left bank
of the Rhine. Therefore the opportunity was presented to invade
the upper part of the lost province of Alsace--a dramatic blow
calculated to arouse the French patriotic spirit. Since the Germans
had expended hardly any effort in its defense, leaving, as it were
an open door, it may have been part of the strategic idea of their
General Staff to draw a French army into that region, with the
design of inflicting a crushing defeat. Thus French resistance
in the southern Vosges would have been weakened, the capture of
Belfort, unsupported by its field army, a probability, and a drive
beyond into France by the German forces concentrated at Neubreisach
made triumphant. Doubtless the French General Staff fully grasped
the German intention, but considered a nibble at the alluring German
bait of some value for its sentimental effect upon the French and
Alsatians. Otherwise the invasion of Upper Alsace with a brigade
was doomed at the outset to win no military advantage.
On August 7, 1914, the French dispersed a German outpost intrenched
before Altkirch. Some cavalry skirmishing followed, which resulted
in the French gaining possession of the city. As was to be expected,
the citizens of Altkirch welcomed the French with enthusiasm. The
following morning the French were permitted an uncontested advance to
Mülhausen. That such an important manufacturing center as Mülhausen
should have remained unfortified within striking distance of the
French frontier, that the French entered it without being compelled
to fire a shot, was a surprise to everyone with the probable exception
of the German and French General Staffs.
The citizens of Mülhausen repeated the joyous ovation bestowed on
the French troops in Altkirch. The French uniform was hailed as the
visible sign of deliverance from German dominion, and the restoration
of the lost province to their kindred of the neighboring republic.
The climax of this ebullition was reached in a proclamation issued
by direction of General Joffre. "People of Alsace," it ran, "after
forty years of weary waiting, French soldiers again tread the soil
of your native country. They are the pioneers in the great work of
redemption. What emotion and what pride for them! To complete the
work they are ready to sacrifice their lives. The French nation
with one heart spurs them forward, and on the folds of their flag
are inscribed the magical names Liberty and Right. Long live France!
Long live Alsace!"
During August 8, 1914, some intermittent fighting went on in the
vicinity of Mülhausen, which seems to have given the French general
in command the impression that the Germans were not eager for a
counterattack. In turn the Germans may well have been puzzled that
a French brigade instead of an army was thrown into Upper Alsace
for the bait of Mülhausen. Possibly they waited a little for the
main body, which did not come.
Sunday, August 8, 1914, revealed the Germans in such overpowering
strength, that the French were left no other choice than to beat a
hasty retreat. They accordingly fell back upon Altkirch, to intrench
a few miles beyond their own border. Thus ended the French initial
offensive. In military reckoning it achieved little of value.
Meanwhile in the Ardennes on August 13, 1914, the German Crown
Prince, commanding the Fourth Army, advanced from Luxemburg into the
southern Ardennes and captured Neuf-château. His further objective
was to break through the French line somewhere near the historic
ground of Sedan. But at this point some change in the German plan
seems to have taken place. From the maze still enveloping the opening
events of the war, one can only conjecture a reason which would
move such an irrevocable body as the German General Staff to alter
a long-fixed plan. Probably, then, the unanticipated strength of
Belgian resistance foreshadowed the summoning of reenforcements
to Von Kluck's right wing of the whole German army. We have seen,
in fact, how he came to be near a desperate need at Bruges, and
only the heavy reenforcement of Von Boehn enabled that general
to deliver a final defeat to the Belgian field army at Weerde.
Whatever the cause of change of plan may have been, important forces
attached to or intended for the armies of the Duke of Württemberg
and the crown prince were withdrawn to support the armies of Von
Kluck and Von Bülow. These forces went to form a unit under General
von Hausen, a veteran of Sadowa. This change left the Saxon army
of the crown prince with hardly sufficient strength for a main
attack on the French line at Sedan, but still formidable enough
to feel its way cautiously through the Ardennes to test the French
concentration on the central Meuse's west bank. When the German
right had finally settled Liege, the Saxon army could then join
in the united great movement on Paris.
Early on the morning of August 15, 1914, a French detachment of
half an infantry regiment, thrown into Dinant, was surprised by
a mobile Saxon advance force of cavalry, infantry and artillery.
Dinant lies across the Meuse eighteen miles south of Namur. It is
a picturesque ancient town, the haunt of artists and tourists. In
the vicinity are the estates of several wealthy Belgian families,
particularly the thirteenth-century château of Walzin, once the
stronghold of the Comtes d'Ardennes. A bridge crosses the Meuse
at Dinant, which sits mainly on the east bank within shadow of
precipitous limestone cliffs. A stone fort more imposing in appearance
than modern effectiveness crowns the highest cliff summit overlooking
Dinant. The Germans came by way of the east bank to occupy the
suburbs. They presently captured the fort and hoisted the German
flag. Meanwhile the French took possession of the bridge, being
at a considerable disadvantage from German rifle fire from the
cliffs. The solid stone abutments of the bridge, however, enabled
the French to hold that position until strong reenforcements arrived
early in the afternoon. While French infantry cleared the environs
of Germans, their artillery bombarded the fort from the west bank.
Their shells played havoc with the old fort defenses, soon compelling
its evacuation by the Germans. One of the first French artillery
shells blew into shreds the German flag flying triumphantly over
the fort, thus depriving the French of the satisfaction of hauling
it down. Toward evening the Germans retreated toward the Lesse,
followed by the French. In previous wars the forces engaged were
of sufficient strength to designate Dinant a battle, but with the
vast armies of the present conflict it sinks to the military grade
of a mere affair. However, it is called by the French the Battle
of Dinant.
The troops which entered Alsace on August 7, 1914, to the number
of 18,000 to 20,000, belonged to the army of the frontier.
This first army, which was under the orders of General Dubail,
was intrusted with the mission of making a vigorous attack and
of holding in front of it the greatest possible number of German
forces. The general in command of this army had under his orders,
if the detachment from Alsace be included, five army corps and a
division of cavalry. His orders were to seek battle along the line
Saarburg-Donon, in the Bruche Valley, at the same time possessing
himself of the crests of the Vosges as well as the mountain passes.
These operations were to have as their theaters: (1) the Vosges
Mountains, (2) the plateau of Lorraine to the northwest of Donon,
and (3) the left bank of the Meurthe. This left bank of the Meurthe
is separated from the valley of the Moselle by a bristling slope
of firs, which is traversed by a series of passages, the defiles
of Chipotte, of the Croix Idoux, of the Haut Jacques d'Anozel, of
Vanemont, of Plafond. In these passes, when the French returned
to the offensive in September, 1914, furious combats took place.
The German forces opposed to this first army consisted of five
active army corps and a reserve corps.
The first French army, after a violent struggle, conquered the
passes of the Vosges, but the conquest was vigorously opposed and
took more time than the French had reckoned on. As soon as it had
become master of the Donon and the passes, the first French army
pushed forward into the defile of Saarburg. At St. Blaise it won
the first German colors, took Blamont and Cirey (August 15, 1914),
seized the defiles north of the canal of the Marne and the Rhine,
and reached Saarburg. Here a connection was established with the
army of Lorraine, which had commenced its operations on the 14th.
A violent battle ensued, known under the name of the Battle of
Saarburg. The left wing of the French army attacked August 19, 1914;
it hurled itself at the fortified positions, which were copiously
fringed with heavy artillery. In spite of the opposition it made
progress to the northwest of Saarburg.
On the 20th the attack was renewed, but from the beginning it was
evident that it could not succeed and that the duty intrusted to
the Eighth Army Corps of opening up the way for the cavalry corps
could not be accomplished. This army corps had gone through a trying
ordeal as a result of the bombardment by the heavy German artillery
established in fortified positions, covering distances all measured
in advance, with every group and French battery presenting a sure
target and the action of the French cannon rendered useless.
If the left wing of the First Army found itself checked, the center
and the right on the other hand were in an excellent position and
were able to advance. But at this point (August 21, 1914) the Second
French Army (the army of Lorraine) met a serious reverse in the
region of Morhange and was compelled to retreat. This retreat left
the flank of the First Army gravely unprotected, and as a consequence
this army was also obliged to fall back. This rear-guard movement
was accomplished over a very difficult piece of country down to
the Baccarat-Ban de Sapt-Provenchère line, south of the Col du
Bonhomme. It was found necessary to abandon the Donon and the Col
de Sapt.
The task committed to the Second Army, that of Lorraine under De
Castlenau, was to protect Nancy, then to transfer itself to the
east, advancing later to the north and attacking in a line parallel
to that taken by the First Army on the Dieuze-Château Salins front
in the general direction of Saarbrücken. Its mission was therefore
at once both offensive and defensive: to cover Nancy and continue
toward the west the attack of the First Army.
After having repulsed, August 10 and 11, 1914, the strong German
attacks in the region of Spincourt and of Château Salins the Second
Army took the offensive and went forward almost without stopping
during four days of uninterrupted fighting. Penetrating into Lorraine,
which had been annexed, it reached the right bank of the Selle, cut
off Marsal and Château Salins, and pushed forward in the direction
of Morhange. The enemy fell back; at Marsal he even left behind
enormous quantities of ammunition.
As a matter of fact, he fell back on positions that had been carefully
fortified in advance and whence his artillery could bombard at an
almost perfectly accurate range. August 20, 1914, made a violent
counterattack on the canal of Salines and Morhange in the Lake
district. The immediate vicinity of Metz furnished the German army
with a vast quantity of heavy artillery, which played a decisive
role in the Battle of Morhange. The French retreated, and during
this rear-guard movement the frontier city of Lunéville was for
some days occupied by the Germans.
Thus the First and Second Armies failed in their offensive and saw
themselves obliged to retreat, but their retreat was accomplished
under excellent circumstances, and the troops, after a couple of
days of rest, found themselves in a condition again to take the
offensive. The First Army gave energetic support to the Second
Army, which was violently attacked by the Germans in the second
week of August. The German attack, which was first arrayed against
Nancy, turned more and more to the east.
The battle, at first waged in the Mortagne basin, was gradually
extended to the deep woods on the left bank of the Meurthe and on
to Chipotte, Nompatelize, etc. The battles that have been named
the Battle of Mortagne, the Battle of the Meurthe, the Battle of
the Vosges, all waged by the First Army, were extremely violent
in the last week of August and the first two weeks of September.
These combats partly coincided with the Battle of the Marne; they
resulted, at the end of that battle, in the German retreat. The
Second Army renewed the offensive August 25, 1914; it decisively
checked the march of the German army and commenced to force it
back.
The instructions issued to General de Castelnau directed him everywhere
to march forward and make direct attacks. The day of August 25,
1914, was a successful day for the French; everywhere the Germans
were repulsed. From August 26 till September 2, 1914, the Second
Army continued its attacks.
At this point the commander in chief having need of important forces
at his center and at his right relieved the Second Army of much of
its strength. This did not prevent it from engaging in the great
Battle of Nancy and winning it. It was September 4, 1914, that this
battle began and it continued till the 11th, the army sustaining
the incessant assaults of the Germans on its entire front advanced
from Grand Couronne. The German emperor was personally present at
this battle. There was at Dieuze a regiment of white cuirassiers
at whose head it was his intention to make a triumphal entry into
Nancy. Heavy German artillery of every caliber made an enormous
expenditure of ammunition; on the Grand Mont d'Amance alone, one
of the most important positions of the Grand Couronne of Nancy,
more than 30,000 howitzer shells were fired in two days. The fights
among the infantry were characterized on the entire front by an
alternation of failure and success, every point being taken, lost
and retaken at intervals.
The struggle attained to especial violence in the Champenoux Forest.
On September 5, 1914, the enemy won Maixe and Remereville, which
they lost again in the evening, but they were unable to dislodge
the French from the ridge east of the forest of Champenoux. The
Mont d'Amance was violently bombarded; a German brigade marched
on Pont-à-Mousson. The French retook Crevic and the Crevic Wood.
On the 7th the Germans directed on Ste. Geneviève, north of the Grand
Couronne, a very violent attack, which miscarried. Ste. Geneviève
was lost for a time, but it was retaken on the 8th; more than 2,000
Germans lay dead on the ground. The same day the enemy threw themselves
furiously on the east front, the Mont d'Amance, and La Neuvelotte.
South of the Champenoux Forest the French were compelled to retire;
they were thrown back on the ridge west of the forest. On the 9th a
new bombardment of Mont d'Amance, a struggle of extreme violence,
took place on the ridge west of the forest of Champenoux, the French
gaining ground. General Castelnau decided to take the direct offensive,
the Germans giving signs of great fatigue. On the 12th they retired
very rapidly. They evacuated Lunéville, a frontier town, where they
left a great quantity of arms and ammunition. The French began
immediately to pursue them, the Germans withdrawing everywhere
over the frontier.
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