September 21st, 1914

- After yesterday's failed attacks, General Heeringen of the German 7th Army orders another push by VII Reserve Corps against the British positions opposite.  The corps commander, however, refuses, replying that 'the daily repetition of attack orders could not obtain any success.'  Indeed, full-scale offensive actions by either side have petered out, and the front line becomes increasingly static.  This does not mean there is no fighting - skirmishes occur regularly, and artillery fire is near constant - but there is a growing recognition that neither side is able to break through the enemy lines, which have not shifted to a significant degree since September 14th.  Thus though fighting continues along the Aisne, the Battle of the Aisne, in terms of efforts to break through the enemy positions, has effectively come to a end.

- Today Joffre orders Foch to postpone further attacks by 9th Army, and that artillery fire should be limited.  The French army is starting to experience a shortage of artillery shells, a crisis that will in time afflict all of the major combatants.  In each case, peacetime estimates of the number of shells an artillery piece would use prove to be significantly wide of the mark.  For the French, each of their approximately three thousand 75mm guns began the war with 1244 shells each.  All of this starting ammunition has been fired off by today - the very effectiveness of the '75s' results in more and more requests from the infantry for additional fire support.  The current daily production of 75mm shells, however, is only twenty thousand, or between six or seven shells per gun.  Such a paltry amount could easily be shot off even when major operations were not underway, so the only way Joffre could stockpile shell reserves for major attacks was to reduce artillery fire at other times.

- The German 8th Army reaches the Niemen River today at three points - near Kovno, near Miroslav, and north of Grodno.  However, the Russian 1st Army has been able to cross to the east bank of the river, and has had time to prepare defenses.

- In Galicia, Conrad orders a further retreat, ordering his armies falling back to the Dunajec River, a tributary of the Vistula River.  Here the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th armies are to entrench, with 1st Army being detached to co-operate with the German 9th Army assembling to the north.  The pursuing Russian armies today isolate the Austro-Hungarian fortress of Przemysl, and the 150 000 defenders find themselves under siege.  Otherwise, however, the advance of the Russians is slowing to a halt - September rains have turned the roads into mud, making rapid movement impossible.  Further, the Russian armies are increasingly crippled by supply shortages - there are few railways connecting Galicia with Russia, meaning supplies have to be shipped by horse and cart.

Thus the retreating Austro-Hungarian armies are granted a brief reprieve from Russian pressure.  However, the damage has been done - out of 1.8 million soldiers mobilized at the beginning of August, over 400 000 have become casualties in the fighting in Galicia alone.  Moreover, casualties have been heaviest among the German regiments that constitute not only the elite but also the most loyal units of the Austro-Hungarian army.  These losses cannot be replaced, and increasingly the army has to rely on the non-German regiments whose loyalty is always in doubt.  Finally, many regiments have lost their pre-war junior officers, for whom the rank and file felt a sense of comradeship - replacement officers, unknown and often speaking only German, increase the sense of alienation among the masses of soldiers.  As a result, the Austro-Hungarian army can never completely recover the strength lost in the Galician battles over the first two months of the war.  Conversely, though the Russians have suffered heavy casualties - over a quarter of a million - their massive manpower reserves mean they can absorb far greater losses than the Austro-Hungarian armies could ever hope to.

- In the South Pacific the German East Asiatic Squadron approaches Bora Bora in the Society Islands, owned by France.  Admiral Spee hopes to reprovision from the island, and though Bora Bora is undefended, he would much prefer to acquire food and supplies without force - if attacked, the French islanders might prefer hiding or burning supplies rather than see them seized by Germans.  He thus attempts another ruse - his ships will simply act as if they are not Germans.  Flying no identifying flags, the squadron leisurely approaches Bora Bora, where they are met offshore by several French officers.  Spee ensures that the French officers interact only with German sailors who themselves speak French or British, and imply that they are a British squadron patrolling the Pacific.  The French officers are completely fooled - they gladly offer supplies to the German ships, who pay in cash.  Further, under subtle prodding, they discuss the port defences at Papeete, vital information for the Germans as it is their next target in their journey towards South America.  As they depart, the French fire a salute from one of the antiquated cannons on the island; the cheeky response of the squadron is to raise the German ensign before disappearing over the horizon.

- As the British begin to formalize their naval blockade of Germany, a crucial question is what to do with neutral-flagged ships in the North Sea, whose cargo may be destined for Germany either directly or indirectly (unloaded at a neutral port and shipped overland to Germany).  The desire to halt all trade with Germany needs to be balanced with the opinion of neutral countries, especially the United States, as Britain depends on foreign trade, especially of foodstuffs, for its economy.  Today the British government publishes an expansion of its contraband list of items that will be seized if found on a neutral ship.  Among the goods that will now be seized are rubber, magnetic iron ore, copper, and glycerine, all important components of munitions production.

- The finance minister of France today requests that the Banque de France, the country's national bank, advance a further 3.1 billion francs to support the war effort.  By effectively printing more money, without having to acquire equivalent gold reserves, it gives the French government flexibility to meet the monetary demands of war, but creates inflationary pressure.

September 20th, 1914

- Along the Aisne River the Germans undertake a series of major attacks against the positions of the BEF and the French 5th and 6th armies.  In particular, the German VII Reserve Corps of 7th Army, having just arrived at the front, throws its full strength against the British.  After initial gains, the British are able to recover the lost ground by nightfall, though at a cost of 1800 casualties.  On both sides, the French armies are also able to hold their ground.

- The second part of Falkenhayn's planned assaults on the flanks of Verdun begins today when Army Detachment Strantz launches its attack south of the French fortifications.  Advancing across the Woëvre, a flat plain between the Moselle River to the east and the Meuse River to the west, the detachment's objectives are to reach the Meuse River, secure a position on the nearby hills, and cut one of the two railways that connect to Verdun that remain under French control.  Despite the importance of this stretch of the front line, it is poorly-defended, with only the 75th Reserve Division present.  The region was at the border between two French armies - 3rd to the north and 1st to the south - who both had higher priorities and had their attention focused elsewhere.  Finally, the ongoing redeployment of forces from the east to the northwest by Joffre had left areas such as this with insufficient defenders.  Thus the German attacks this morning are overwhelmingly successful - the forward defensive lines are all captured and the 75th Reserve Division is shattered beyond repair.  The Germans thus advance southwestward into the gap they have blown in the French line.

The German attacks on the flanks of Verdun, September 1914.
The large salient created by the attack towards St. Mihiel is
clearly visible, and in the northwest is the attack begun
yesterday by XVI Corps.

- As the diminished German 8th Army advances into Russia towards the Niemen River, the right wing reaches the fortifications at Ossowietz today, and begin to besiege them.

The region between East Prussia and the Niemen River in Russia, location
of the advance of the German 8th Army after the Battle of the Masurian
Lakes.

- The funeral of J. H. De La Rey is held today in Lichtenburg, South Africa.  Among the speakers is C. F. Beyers, who was beside De La Rey when he was shot.  The latter's death having derailed their plans, Beyers urges his fellow Boers in the crowd to obey the decision of Parliament regarding the invasion of German South-West Africa.  J. C. G. Kemp feels likewise - he attempted unsuccessfully to rescind his resignation from the army.  With Lt.-Col. Martiz of Force B unready at present to revolt with his men, it appears that the prospects of a rebellion against the government have fizzled out.

- The German light cruiser Königsberg, after several weeks in the Indian Ocean, launches a surprise raid on Zanzibar off the west African coast.  She fortuitously catches the British light cruiser Pegasus in the harbour repairing her boilers.  Unable to sail, Pegasus is rapidly destroyed by Königsberg.

September 19th, 1914

- At Rheims the return of the French X Corps stabilizes the line - though the Germans remain in control of the high ground north and east of the city, the French hold the fort at La Pompelle to the southeast.  The hardening line leaves Rheims in French hands but easily within German artillery range.  At the centre of the city sits historic Rheims Cathedral, whose construction began in 1211 and for centuries had been the location where the kings of France were crowned.  The French today are using the cathedral to house German wounded, and its towers were draped in the flags of the Red Cross.  Nevertheless, the cathedral is targeted by German gunners along with the rest of the city - at 4pm, a shell strikes the northwest tower, setting fire to the wooden scaffolding that had been erected in peacetime as part of the cathedral's restoration.  The spreading fire melts the leaden roof, and molten lead ignites straw in the nave below, killing a dozen German prisoners.  The fire also spreads to the Archbishop's Palace, consuming irreplaceable Roman and Gothic tapestries.  Though the stone edifice of the cathedral remains, its interior is gutted, and medieval stain-glass windows are shattered.  The devastation of Rheims Cathedral receives worldwide attention, and is seen as yet another example of German barbarism and disdain for Western civilization.  The bombardment of the cathedral and the city will continue for years to come.

A German shell strikes Rheims Cathedral, Sept. 19th, 1914.

- West of Verdun, XVI Corps launches the first part of Falkenhayn's two-pronged offensive on the flanks of the town's fortified zone.  Attacking south into the heavily-forested Argonne, XVI Corps uses overwhelming artillery fire targeted precisely on the French trenches.  Most of the French defenders are killed or scattered, and the German infantry methodically advance into the abandoned positions.

- General Hausen of 3rd Army retires today on the grounds of ill-health, replaced by General der Kavallerie von Einem, formerly of VII Corps.

- Army Detachment Gaede is formed at the far southern end of the Western Front, in the Vosges near the Swiss border.  It consists of only three Landwehr brigades under the command of General Hans Gaede, and covers what a quiet sector on the front, as its hilly and wooded terrain makes it particularly unsuitable for offensive operations.

- The first South African attack in German South-West Africa occurs today when Force C lands at Lüderitz on the coast.  They encounter no resistance, as the Germans, fearing the guns of the Royal Navy, have abandoned the town and retreated inland.  However, with three aircraft they are able to monitor the movements of the South African force.

- David Lloyd George, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, addresses a packed crowd this evening at Queen's Hall, London.  He has long had a reputation as a dazzling speaker, and brings his full oratorical powers to bear to justify British participation in the war.  Britain, Lloyd George argues, was honour-bound to come to the aid of Belgium through the guarantee of independence the British government had given almost a century ago.  This view of honour is contrasted with the action of Germany:

She [Germany] says treaties only bind you when it is to your interest to keep them.  'What is a treaty?' says the German Chancellor.  'A scrap of paper.' . . . Have you any of those neat Treasury 1 pound notes?  If you have, burn them; they are only 'scraps of paper.'  What are they made of?  Rags.  What are they worth?  The whole credit of the British Empire.

We are fighting against barbarism.  But there is only one way of putting it right.  If there are nations that say they will only respect treaties when it is to their interest to do so, we must make it to their interest to do so for the future.

Britain is not fighting to preserve the balance of power or the integrity of the Empire, says Lloyd George, but rather on behalf of the underdog, a much more appealing basis:

That is the story of the little nations.  The world owes much to little nations - and to little men.  This theory of bigness - you must have a big empire, and a big man - well, long legs have their advantage in a retreat.  Frederick the Great chose his warriors for their height, and that tradition has become a policy in Germany.  Germany applies that ideal to nations; she will only allow six-feet-two nations to stand in the ranks.  But all the world owes much to the little five feet high nations.  The greatest art of the world was the work of little nations.  The most enduring literature of the world came from little nations.  The greatest literature of England came from her when she was a nation of the size of Belgium fighting a great Empire.  The heroic deeds that thrill humanity through generations were the deeds of little nations fighting for their freedom.  Ah, yes, and the salvation of mankind came through a little nation.  God has chosen little nations as the vessels by which he carries the choicest wines to the lips of humanity, to rejoice their hearts, to exalt their vision, to stimulate and to strengthen their faith; and if we had stood by when two little nations were being crushed and broken by the brutal hands of barbarism our shame would have rung down the everlasting ages.

Lloyd George concludes by emphasizing the transformative effect he sees the war having on British society:

May I tell you, in a simple parable, what I think this war is doing for us?  I know a valley in North Wales, between the mountains and the sea - a beautiful valley, snug, comfortable, sheltered by the mountains from all the bitter blasts.  It was very enervating, and I remember how the boys were in the habit of climbing the hills above the village to have a glimpse of the great mountains in the distance and to be stimulated and freshened by the breezes which came from the hilltops, and by the great spectacle of that great valley.

We have been living in a sheltered valley for generations.  We have been too comfortable, too indulgent, many, perhaps, too selfish.  And the stern hand of fate has scourged us to an elevation where we can see the great everlasting things that matter for a nation; the great peaks of honour we had forgotten - duty and patriotism, clad in glittering white; the great pinnacle of sacrifice pointing like a rugged finger to Heaven.  We shall descend into the valleys again, but as long as the men and women of this generation last they will carry in their hearts the image of these great mountain peaks, whose foundations are unshaken though Europe rock and sway in the convulsions of a great war.

September 18th, 1914

- The advance of the French IV and XIII Corps along the Oise River is halted today by the German IX Reserve Corps, aided by the arrival of II Corps, which was pulled from the Aisne front expressly for the purpose of extending the German flank northwards.  An entrenched army needs fewer soldiers per mile to hold the line, which allows both sides to send forces into the open spaces north of Compiègne without fatally weakening their existing defensive positions.  Indeed, this points to one of the paradoxes of trench warfare - it was adopted in September 1914  to facilitate, not hinder, further mobile operations by making more forces available to outflank the enemy.  The problem, of course, is that this is equally true for both sides, so the 'mobile' formations created by both inevitably run into each other, and trench warfare replicates itself in order to provide further 'mobile' operations.  Thus trench warfare spreads like a virus along the Western Front, ironically from a desire of both sides to continue a war of movement.  It also feeds the perception of the generals that trench warfare is a temporary phenomenon (i.e. present only to facilitate future mobile operations, at which point trenches will no longer be needed) as opposed to becoming a permanent fixture.

- Further east, German attacks near Rheims continue to push back the French defenders.  Today the Germans seize high ground east of the city, including the forts at Berru and Nogent-l'Abbesse.  The French X Corps, which had begun to march west to join the effort to envelop the German flank past 6th Army, is ordered to return to Rheims to contain the German push.

- Joffre today scales back offensive operations along the Aisne River, it becoming clearer by the day that traditional frontal assaults by infantry on entrenched and prepared German positions are not achieving significant results.  Meanwhile, General Castlenau's new 2nd Army begins to assemble near Amiens.

- The redeployment of the German 6th Army is planned today at a conference at OHL in Luxembourg between Falkenhayn and Rupprecht.  The first corps will arrive on September 21st and bewill be tasked with sweeping away any French infantry between Roye and Montdidier.  A second corps will arrive on September 23rd, and with further units trickling in subsequent days 6th Army as a whole is to turn the enemy flank.  Rupprecht, however, is concerned that the French will be undertaking similar redeployments from east to west, and will benefit from having an intact railway system to move their units faster.  Thus both Falkenhayn and Rupprecht agree that German attacks must be undertaken along the existing front line to tie down French forces and prevent them from redeploying in time to stymie 6th Army.  In addition to further assaults between Compeigne and Rheims, two operations are planned in the Verdun sector.  The first, to be undertaken by the Crown Prince's 5th army, is to attack into the Argonne Forest to the west of Verdun.  The second is an offensive aiming to drive between Verdun to the north and Toul and Nancy to the south by capturing St. Mihiel and reaching the Meuse River.  To facilitate the second operation, the left wing of the 5th Army, comprising those forces southeast of Verdun, is formed into Army Detachment Strantz, named for General Hermann von Strantz, commander of V Corps.  By forming this detachment, there will be a separate command staff for each attack.  In addition to forcing the French to keep significant forces in the east, the operations aim to isolate the fortifications around Verdun, which are the strongest in France and form a key 'hinge' of the French line.

- General Ludendorff meets today with General Conrad at Neu Sandec in Austrian Galicia today.  The relationship between the two allies is frosty at best - Conrad blames the failures of his armies in Galicia on a perceived lack of support from Germany, and spends much of the meeting lecturing Ludendorff.  The German army, conversely, believes that Tannenberg demonstrates that it has done more than its share - if nothing else, Ludendorff is convinced of his own genius - and that Conrad and the Austro-Hungarian army have demonstrated particularly impressive ineptitude.  Indeed, so dismissive are the Germans of their putative allies that they have not even bothered to inform Conrad that Moltke has been replaced by Falkenhayn.

Despite the atmosphere of recrimination, agreement is reached for the next stage of operations.  The defeat of the Austro-Hungarian armies in Galicia potentially exposes German Silesia to Russian invasion, which necessitates a German response.  Ludendorff convinces Falkenhayn that a major German force is needed immediately, so 8th Army in East Prussia is reduced to two corps and the remainder redeployed near Cracow to form a new 9th Army of four corps, a reserve division, and a cavalry division.  At Ludendorff's insistence Hindenburg is to directly command 9th Army with himself as Chief of Staff, and while command of 8th Army is transferred to General Richard von Schubert, Hindenburg and Ludendorff are to remain in a supervisory role over their old command.  Conrad, meanwhile, agrees to assign the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army to co-operate with the German 9th Army, while the rest of his armies, after completing their retreat, will, it is hoped, go back over on the offensive.

Falkenhayn's conception of the role of 9th Army is simply to occupy the Russians and help their Austro-Hungarian allies survive - his attention is still primarily on the Western Front, seeking a decisive decision there.  Hindenburg and Ludendorff, however, believe that the most effective route to victory is on Eastern Front.  Their plan for 9th Army is to undertake a major offensive to seize the Russian fortress at Ivangorod and advance on Warsaw, seeking to crush the Russian armies just as they had done at Tannenberg.  They believe that they should have priority for reinforcements, and they begin bombarding not only Falkenhayn but also the Kaiser for additional units for the East.  Falkenhayn thus finds the duo of Hindenburg and Ludendorff to be rivals, not subordinates, and the latter are able to leverage the prestige gained from Tannenberg to raise their profile.  German high command is thus fundamentally divided on grand strategy, divided between West and East.

- In London, the British Admiralty has fallen for Admiral Spee's deception at Samoa four days earlier, and believes that the German East Asiatic Squadron is returning to the West Pacific.  Today they signal Rear Admiral Craddock in the South Atlantic with revised instructions: 'Situation changed  . . . Gneisenau appeared off Samoa on 14th and left steering NW.  German trade on west coast of America is to be attacked at once.  Cruisers need not be concentrated.  Two cruisers and an armed liner appear sufficient for Magellan Straits and west coast.  Report what you propose about Canopus.'  Crucially, the signal says nothing about the modern armoured cruiser Defence - the Admiralty has decided that with the German East Asiatic Squadron sailing westward, it is not needed in the South Atlantic, and can be retained on its present station in the Mediterranean.  Craddock, however, assumes that Defence is still on its way, believing quite reasonably that if the Admiralty had changed its mind, it would have let him know.

- In China, the main portion of the Japanese expeditionary force sent to capture the German enclave at Tsingtao lands at Laoshan Bay, thirty miles from their objective.  The Japanese aim is to assemble overwhelming force, especially in terms of artillery, before advancing on the German positions.

September 17th, 1914

- The French 6th Army attacks today along its front, reclaiming the ground lost to the Germans in recent days.  6th Army also undertakes the first attempt to outflank the German line from the north, as IV and XIII Corps are pushed northwards along the Oise River in the direction of Noyon.  They soon run into the German IX Reserve Corps, just arrived from Belgium to cover the exposed flank of 1st Army, and their advance slows.

To the east, General Bülow launches the attack agreed to yesterday by Falkenhayn.  Though the right of the BEF is able to hold, the Germans are able to push the French 5th Army southwards, capturing the high ground at Brimont, just 9000 yards north of Rheims.

Machine gun position of the 1st Battalion, The Cameronians outside a wood
 at Venizel on the Aisne, September 17th, 1914.

- Though most of the German 6th Army is to be redeployed to northern France, some units are to remain to hold the line in Lorraine.  Today, those units are formed into Army Detachment Falkenhausen, named for its commander, General Freiherr von Falkenhausen, formerly commander of the Ersatz Corps.  In this context, an 'army detachment' is precisely that - a detached portion of an army under a separate commander and assigned different tasks.  It reflects Falkenhayn's intention that the front south of Nancy is to be largely quiet, as units are transferring to the open northern flank.

- In Galicia, though the armies of Austria-Hungary have retreated to the San River, they find it provides no security.  With superior numbers, the Russians are still able to move on the Austro-Hungarian flanks (8th Army from the south and 9th Army from the north), and have crossed the San River in multiple places.  Given the deteriorating situation, Conrad today orders the retreat of his four armies in Galicia to continue.  In doing so, he is breaking contact with Przemysl, the largest Austro-Hungarian fortified zone in Eastern Europe and comparable to Verdun in France.  With its large garrison, it now awaits the approach of the Russians.

- The governor of German New Guinea has been facing an increasingly impossible situation in his defense of the colony since the landing of the Australians six days earlier.  In addition to being overwhelming outnumbered and without any prospect of reinforcement, he feels he can no longer rely on the loyalty of his indigenous soldiers, and his German soldiers are increasingly waylaid by dysentry and malaria.  As such, the German governor surrenders New Guinea to the commander of the Australian expedition, delivering the entirety of the colony, both its islands and the mainland, to Australian occupation.

- In Australia, Labour party leader Andrew Fisher becomes Prime Minister after his party emerged victorious from the recent election which had been called just before the outbreak of war in Europe.  Fisher is fully committed to supporting the British war effort - in a campaign speech on July 31st, he had famously declared that Australia will defend Britain 'to our last man and our last shilling'.

September 16th, 1914

- Along the Aisne River the day dawns with heavy rain and mist, and desultory attacks by the Germans and French around Craonne amount to nothing.  Instead, the bulk of the day is spent throwing artillery shells at each other.

- Falkenhayn, in conference with Bülow, agrees to the latter's proposals along the Aisne front between Soissons and Rheims.

- As the retreating Austro-Hungarian armies cross the San River, they pass the massive fortifications at Przemysl, one of the most important fortified positions on the Eastern Front.  As 3rd Army, most shattered of the Austro-Hungarian armies, passes the city its new commander is forced to warn his neighbouring armies of the breakdown of discipline among his soldiers: 'Whole regiments are streaming into Przemysl; they are famished; they are looting shops and committing excesses.'

September 15th, 1914

- Along the Aisne, the Germans launch significant counterattacks, and hardest hit is the French 6th Army, pushed almost back to the river by nightfall, and neighbouring British divisions to the east also suffer, though I Corps is able to largely hold its gains of yesterday.  North of Rheims the French 5th Army attacks  this morning, but achieve only negligible gains.  His 9th Army checked along the Suippes River, even the naturally-aggressive Foch writes of 'great resistance' to Joffre today.

- The battles along the Aisne stretch westward to the Oise River between Compeigne and Noyon.  Here the front lines peter out, and beyond to the west and north lies territory largely devoid of military forces.  Indeed, moving north from Noyon one does not encounter a significant military force until Antwerp, where the Belgian Army is contained by German forces.  The small military presence that does exist in this space consists of small cavalry detachments and a few reserve divisions, not nearly enough to hold any position in strength.  For several weeks this area has been home to small skirmishes and hit-and-run raids, but as the armies grapple along the Aisne this void starts to draw the attention of both sides.  It offers the potential of a decisive victory to the army that can arrive first and turn the flank of the enemy.  The movement of forces into this gap becomes known as 'The Race to the Sea.'  To a significant degree, it is a race of logistics - who can move the greatest forces the quickest.  In this the French, with their intact railway network, have an advantage opposed to the Germans who are still repairing the lines damaged during their advance.  However, the limits of logistics means that armies arrive a division or a corps at a time, instead of all at once, leading to piecemeal commitment of forces.

- New Chief of the General Staff Erich von Falkenhayn formulates his strategy for further operations today.  His focus remains on the Western Front, where 1st through 5th and 7th armies are to hold the present line, and launch counterattacks if able to tie down French forces.  Believing that Nancy cannot be taken, the bulk of 6th Army is to depart Lorraine and head north.  Some units are to support 1st Army on the western flank of the German line.  He also desires to expedite the capture of Antwerp, to secure the northern flank of the German line and free the forces currently covering the city to redeploy elsewhere.  Most of 6th Army, however, is to deploy in the area of Maubeuge to conduct operations westward and perhaps turn the northern flank of the French lines and achieve a decisive victory.  Thus, despite the defeat of the Marne, Falkenhayn still believes that the German army can achieve a decisive victory in the west.

- Joffre's gaze is also turning to the empty spaces on the map north of Noyon.  Today he disbands the existing 2nd Army in Lorraine, its remaining forces absorbed by 1st Army to the south.  Instead, General Castlenau is brought west where he will command a new 2nd Army that is to assemble in the vicinity of Amiens and the Somme River, consisting of units drawn from the old 2nd Army as well as from 1st Army and a cavalry corps drawn from 5th Army.

- In East Prussia the German 8th Army crosses the border in pursuit of the Russian 1st Army.  The Russians offer no significant resistance beyond rearguard actions, General Rennenkampf willing at present to trade space for time to recover from the Battle of the Masurian Lakes.

- In Serbia, the Austro-Hungarian 5th Army has managed to secure several bridgeheads across the Drina River, though the Serbian defense remains intact.

- In South Africa, despite the efforts of Prime Minister Botha and Minister of Defence Smuts, the flame of rebellion briefly flickers today.  Though the precise intentions of the conspirators remain ellusive, it is clear that a number of leading figures within the South African armed forces and the Boer community have decided to oppose the invasion of German South-West Africa, approved by the South African Parliament in the past week.  Within the army they include Commandant-General C. F. Beyers, Major J. C. G. Kemp, and Lieutenant-Colonel S. G. Martiz, the latter assigned by Beyers to command Force B of the invasion expedition.  They also count among their numbers Boer ex-generals C. R. de Wet and J. H. De La Rey, the latter a prominent and popular political figure.  This morning Beyers and Kemp submit their resignations from the South African army to Smuts.  Though likely intended to be the signal for a rebellion, what happens next derails everything.  As Beyers and De La Rey drive to Johannesburg in the afternoon, they fail to stop at a police checkpoint, and a police officer, mistaking De La Rey for a member of sought-after gang, shoots and kills him.  Though accidental, the death of De La Rey shocks Beyers and the others.  De La Rey had believed in an almost mystical destiny for himself as the saviour of the Boer people, who would lead them to independence.  His death, on the contrary, strikes his companions as perhaps a contrary judgement on their intentions.  Whatever their intentions had been, the others take no further action this day.

September 14th, 1914

- This morning French and British units on the north bank of the Aisne River advance against the German defence lines.  The latter has dug in along the crest of the plateau, rendering their trenches almost invisible until the French and British are almost upon them.  The French 6th Army fights its way up the heights before being checked by the Germans at the crest.  The greatest success of the day is achieved by the BEF's I Corps under General Haig, which secured a position on the plateau, though it was short of the Chemin des Dames road.  To its right the French 5th Army attacked in the direction of Craonne, but was largely unsuccessful.  Further east the French 9th and 4th armies were also coming up against the main German line of defence.

By the end of today's fighting, it has become clear to the French and British generals that the German retreat has ended, and that the enemy intends to hold its present positions.  Tonight, Joffre issues a new directive to his armies instructing them that methodical attacks will need to be undertaken to achieve further advances, and than any position gained will have to be fortified immediately against possible German counterattacks.

- This evening General Lyncker conveys to Moltke the Kaiser's order to report himself sick.  Despite his anxieties, Moltke wants to remain in command, but not only have most of his fellow officers lost confidence in him, but crucially so has the Kaiser.  Wilhelm's trust in Moltke never really recovered from the fatal interview of August 1st, and failure in the West has eroded whatever remained.  He had demonstrated indecision and hesitancy, and plagued by a chronic pessimism.  Indeed, it can be said that he cracked under the pressure of the culminating moment of his military career - he found himself paralyzed by the significance of each choice he had to make.  Of course, defeat at the Marne is not just Moltke's responsibility, but as the Chief of the General Staff he is ultimately responsible, and becomes the needed scapegoat for failure.

Moltke, though he is no longer in command, is not formally relieved of his post.  The German high command does not wish to admit that it has been defeated in the West, which a public dismissal of Moltke just days after the Marne would indicate.  Indeed, public pronouncements in Germany never admit that the Germans lost the Battle of the Marne - it is depicted as a mere redeployment preceding further offensive operations.  Thus the unwillingness of the German army to admit to itself that it was defeated on the Marne, and all the consequences that entails, is mirrored by the German public.

Moltke's replacement is Minister of War Erich von Falkenhayn.  Young at only fifty-three years of age, he owes his appointment in part due to his friendship with the Kaiser.  However, Falkenhayn is more than an imperial toady - he is a Prussian Junker who has commanded a Guards regiment, shown skill as Minister of War, and has a reputation for energy and decisiveness.  Moreover, since he does not give up the post of Minister of War and had already been at OHL, his ascension to command can be obscured.

- Considering the Russian defeats in East Prussia, scapegoats are necessary.  With General Samsonov dead, the next logical target is General Zhilinskii, who as commander of North-West Front was responsible for 1st and 2nd armies.  He is dismissed from his post today, replaced by General Ruzski, formerly of 3rd Army.  He brings to his new command the caution and hesitancy he showed in the recent battles in Galicia.

- The attack of the Austro-Hungarian 5th Army, still struggling to cross the Drina River, has achieved at least one objective - responding to the attack, the Serbian 1st Army returns across the Save River this morning to support the Serbian defense.

- The British armed merchant liner Carmania arrives at 11am this morning at Trinidad Island, 600 miles off the Brazilian coast in the south Atlantic.  It had been ordered to investigate the island on the suspicion it is being used as a coaling base by German raiders.  Sure enough, it spots three German ships at the islands - two colliers busy transferring coal to the German armed merchant liner Cap Trafalgar.  The two colliers promptly flee the scene, while the first battle in history between ocean liners is fought.  Carmania significantly outguns Cap Trafalgar - the former has eight 4.7 inch guns to the latter's two 4-inch guns.  Within an hour the German ship has taken a ferocious beating, and sinks at 150pm.  Carmania, with significant damage itself, including five holes at the waterline, is unable to taken on survivors of Cap Trafalgar, but does not interfere when one of the German colliers returns to pick up the lifeboats.  Carmania for its part limps to Gibraltar for repairs.

- The German East Asiatic Squadron arrives at Samoa just before dawn this morning, but finds the harbour empty except for two American sailing ships.  Sending landing parties ashore to attempt to recapture the island would have been futile, so the squadron departs without firing a shot.  Radio intercepts indicate that the wireless station at Apia, outside the range of the squadron's guns, is broadcasting the presence of the German ships.  Admiral Spee thus decides on a simple ruse - though his ultimate destination is the west coast of South America, he sails northwest until out of sight of Samoa before turning eastward.  This deception works - the British believe that the German East Asiatic Squadron is returning to the west Pacific.

At the same time as the Germans are sailing away from Samoa, the British search for the enemy squadron is stepped up.  A signal is sent to a British squadron currently in the River Platte under the command of Rear Admiral Christopher Craddock.  The original mission for Craddock's squadron was to hunt the German light cruiser Dresden in the South Atlantic, but today his assignment changes.  The Admiralty informs Craddock that the German East Asiatic Squadron may be heading to the Straits of Magellan to pass into the South Atlantic.  Craddock is to leave sufficient ships to deal with Dresden while sailing with a force capable of sinking Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.  Reinforcements are also being sent - the slow pre-dreadnought Canopus and the modern armoured cruiser Defence.

- In the Indian Ocean, the German light cruiser Emden is terrorizing British trade, having sunk eight merchant ships near Calcutta.  In response, all merchants in the Bay of Bengal were ordered to remain in port - precisely the disruption of trade that Emben's captain had hoped for on detaching his ship from the rest of the German East Asiatic Squadron.

September 13th, 1914

- After closing up to the Aisne River yesterday, today the British and Entente armies attempt to force a number of crossings.  For the most part, the Germans do not defend at the river's edge, but rather are positioned on the heights to the north, and pouring accurate artillery fire down on advancing Entente forces.  Most of the bridges over the Aisne have been destroyed, and the heavy rains have left the river deeper than usual, so much of the day is spent by engineers constructing and maintaining pontoon bridges over which infantry and artillery can pass.  They do so under constant bombardment, and take heavy losses.

Nevertheless, at several places Entente units are able to secure bridgeheads across the Aisne.  The French 6th Army faces the German 1st Army frontally and is unable to cross at Soissons due to artillery fire.  They are, however, able to do so further west, about halfway between Soissons and the confluence of the Aisne and the Oise Rivers at Compiègne.  To the east, by nightfall most of the BEF is across the Aisne and on the slopes leading up to the plateau to the north.  Further upstream much of the French 5th Army had gotten across the Aisne, though the key crossing at Berry-au-Bac remained in German hands at nightfall.  5th Army also liberates Rheims today, cavalry patrols entering the city at 6am.  Despite liberating several villages outside Rheims, the French advance is halted just north of the city, as 9th Army is unable to get across the Suippes River in strength.  Crucially, Rheims remains in range of German artillery.

As the British and French get across the Aisne, the first units of the German 7th Army, transferred from Lorraine, arrive to man the front between 1st Army to its west and 2nd Army to its east.  Thus the gap that had existed between the two German armies, and which played such a decisive role at the Marne, has been closed before the British and French were able to exploit its existence.  The German retirement from the Marne has thus achieved its foremost objective - close the gap before the Entente can take advantage of it.

German dead after the retreat across the Aisne.

- The open space to the northwest of the German 1st and French 6th armies appears to be the ideal place for cavalry to operate and potentially turn the flank of the enemy.  In practice, cavalry proves unsuitable to this task.  Crucially, the issue is not defensive weaponry, but the pace of operations.  The first six weeks of the war in the west have demonstrated that cavalry divisions are all too quickly worn out.  The rapid retreat in August, then the turn back northwards after the Marne, has left cavalry units, and in particular their horses, exhausted.  Shoes for the horses frequently broke, stops for water were forbidden to maintain the pace of movement, and fodder was often nowhere to be found.  Thus, even before the advent of trench warfare in the West, the cavalry was demonstrating that it could not execute the responsibilities it had been given - reconnaissance, flank protection, and screening.  Today, General Sordet's Cavalry Corps, after an operation along the Oise River in the direction of Soissons, returns to French lines today exhausted and without having accomplished anything.

The front lines along the Aisne River Sept. 13th to 14th, 1914.

- The Russian 1st Army crosses over the German border and returns to Russian territory.  Though having to give up all of its gains of August, the retreat has preserves 1st Army, and ensures that it does not suffer the same fate as 2nd Army.  The escape does come with a price - 1st Army has suffered 100 000 casualties in the Battle of the Masurian Lakes.

For Ludendorff, the battle has been a frustrating one.  Though the Russians have been driven from German territory, the timely retreat of the Russian 1st Army stymied any attempt to annihilate it.  He is critical of François' management of I Corps, but in practice the issues that prevented an encirclement of the Russians - advancing units outrunning supply, fatigue, delays in bringing up reinforcements, the arrival of enemy reserves - are endemic to battles in the First World War.  Further, the German 8th Army, though victorious, has been bloodied as well, suffering approximately 70 000 casualties.

- The Austro-Hungarian 5th Army attempts a second time to cross the Drina River, hoping to take advantage of the success of XVI Corps to the south.  Heavy rain hampers operations, and forces that do make it across the Drina find themselves under accurate fire from Serbian artillery.

- The British submarine E9 today torpedoes and sinks the German light cruiser Hera off the Frisian coast.

September 12th, 1914

- The German 1st and 2nd armies today cross the Aisne River, which flows east to west before entering the Oise River and Compiègne.  To the north of the Aisne runs a long plateau several hundred feet above the river valley, and ending on average a mile north of the river.  The western portion of this ridge is known as the Chemin des Dames after an east-west road named for the daughters of Louis XV.  It is on the southern edge of this plateau that the Germans stop their retreat.  Four weeks of constant movement is now at an end - as an example, III Corps of 1st Army has marched 653 kilometres since August 17th.  Here the German soldiers begin to dig in, expecting the British and French armies following them will attack.  This is the first appearance of a phenomenon that will in time become synonymous with the Western Front.  At this time, the trenches are crude affairs - little more than glorified ditches.  It takes time to learn how to construct the most effective trenches, using shelters, support trenches, zig-zagging trenches, etc.  Of course, learning how to build trenches takes much less time than learning how to successfully attack them.

- As the Germans dig in north of the Aisne, the British and French are closing up to the river itself.  With most of the bridges blown, much of the day is spent in long-range artillery duels with German guns on the opposite banks.  With continuing rain and poor visibility, the Entente armies are not yet aware that the Germans have stopped their retreat and are digging in.  They are preparing to cross the Aisne tomorrow, and hope remains that the advance will continue - Joffre today dispatches two divisions to the French 6th Army on the far left of the line, hoping the additional strength will allow it to envelop the western flank of the German 1st Army.

- This afternoon retreating German units evacuate Rheims, withdrawing to higher ground just north of the city.

- The Belgian sortie from Antwerp, begun on the 9th, comes to an end today, as the Belgian army retreats back behind the city's fortifications.  Though they Belgians were unable to hold any ground, the sortie necessitated the redirection of several German divisions to contain it, a key aim of the move.

- Russian Foreign Secretary Sergei Sazonov issues today to Britain and France his 'Thirteen Points', which embody the war aims of the Russian government.  According to Sazonov, 'the principle objective . . . should be to strike at German power and its pretensions to military and political domination.'  To this end, Sazonov called for the formation of a Polish state under Russian overlordship and which would included eastern Posen from Germany and western Galicia from Austria-Hungary.  Russia itself would take the portion of East Prussia around the Niemen River from Germany and eastern Galicia from Austria-Hungary.  Russia also supported the war aims of its allies - France was to receive Alsace-Lorraine and any neighbouring portions of Germany it desired, and Serbia was to acquire Bosnia-Herzegovina and most of the Dalmatian coast.