First World War Galleries Table of contents
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- Europe’s Hour of Destiny
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3.ShockSeven million men marched off to war in August 1914. A million of them lay dead by the end of the year. Mainland Europe became a battleground. Both sides wanted to crush their enemies and end the war quickly. In the west, British, French and Belgian troops fought the German invaders. In the east, Germany and Austria-Hungary clashed with Russia and Serbia. Neither side achieved a decisive victory. The horrific number of casualties caused by modern weapons came as a terrible shock. War crimes against civilians made the horror worse. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF), the core of Britain’s small army, was almost destroyed. Europe’s Hour of Destiny‘Europe’s Hour of Destiny.’ German newspaper editorial, 1 August 1914
Germany’s new heroes, Generals von Hindenburg and Ludendorff (right and left centre) Poster-map This poster-map of the Battle of Tannenberg celebrates the German victory over Russia in the province of East Prussia (in present-day Poland). Tannenberg made national heroes of the victorious, Generals Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff. Their success deflected public attention away from Germany’s failure in the west. Summary caption The army of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which set out to crush Serbia and fight Russia, was an extraordinary mix of men from 14 nationalities. It included Bosnians, Croats, Czechs, Italians, Poles, Romanians, Slovaks, Slovenes and Ukrainians. Between them, they spoke 27 languages and dialects. By the end of 1914, the Austro-Hungarian Army had suffered nearly a million casualties. Austrian uniform This is the uniform of a trooper from the Austrian 8th Lancer Regiment. Many of the men in this regiment came from a Polish-speaking region of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Poles had a proud tradition of fighting on horseback with long lances. But the cavalryman’s lance and sword were no match for modern weapons. Posters These posters give a German view of ‘Our Enemies in the West’, the French, British and Belgians, and ‘Our Enemies in the East’, the Russians, Serbs and Montenegrins. The ‘East’ also includes the Japanese, Britain’s allies in the Far East since 1902. The posters reinforce the idea that Germany was ‘encircled’ and could only defend itself by going to war. German medallion A German patriotic medallion was made in anticipation of a triumphant victory march into Paris. As soldiers departed for the Front in August, the Kaiser had promised them, ‘You will be home before the leaves have fallen from the trees’. Summary caption The Battle of the Marne proved that the battle was a thing of the past. The Marne was a series of connected battles fought over a week, along a 95-mile front. The French commander, General Joseph Joffre, used railways to concentrate his scattered forces. French guns showered German soldiers with shrapnel. The ‘miracle of the Marne’ saved France and forced the Germans to retreat. But Germany had not been beaten. Photo caption General Joseph Joffre, victor of the Battle of the Marne German cavalry bugle and lance pennant This German cavalry bugle and lance pennant were captured during the Battle of the Marne. German cavalry regiments, especially the Uhlan lancers, had a fearsome reputation in 1914, so trophies like these were highly prized by British and French troops. Summary caption The German Army was led by the world’s most professional officers. The soldiers they commanded were conscripts, but many more men volunteered for service after the outbreak of war. The German arms industry which supplied them and the railway system which transported them to war were considered the best in Europe. But in 1914, on the Western Front alone, 750,000 German troops were killed or wounded. German uniform This is the uniform of a German private of the 56th Infantry Regiment. The field grey uniform was adopted by the German Army in 1910. Most German troops also wore the leather Pickelhaube helmet. The spike was meant to deflect sword blows from cavalry. Foot soldiers formed the bulk of all armies. German troops invading Belgium and France marched on average 12 miles each day while heavily laden with weapons and equipment. Display captionSummary caption In August 1914 France had an army the same size as Germany’s, despite having a much smaller population. It could only do this by calling up over 80 per cent of men of military age. French troops hurled themselves at the Germans, often in reckless attacks. Between August and December 1914, an average of 2,000 French soldiers were killed every day. French uniform This is the uniform of a French private of the 5th Infantry Regiment in 1914. French politicians resisted attempts to update their army’s colourful uniforms. Heroes were expected to dress the part, and their highly visible red trousers were seen as a symbol of French bravery and superiority. But in practice it made the men easier targets. Patriotic dolls France, like Britain, could call upon troops from home and also from its extensive empire. These patriotic dolls depict an alpine light-infantryman from France, a Spahi cavalryman from Morocco, a Zouave and an Algerian sharpshooter. Zouaves were recruited from French settlers in Algeria and Tunisia. 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