What Germany Thinks - Thomas F. A. Smith
"This results not so much from barrack-yard drill and field manoeuvres,
as from the practical experience of warfare gained in many campaigns.
England is occupied almost uninterruptedly, in warlike enterprises in
some part of the world or other. Further, the officers--belonging mostly
to the upper circles--have distinguished themselves in the field by a
rash bravery which was marked perhaps, not so much by military as
sportsmanlike behaviour.
"All in all the strategic value of the English army in regard to
leadership, training, discipline and the spirit of the troops, cannot
compare with the conscript armies of other lands--especially the German
army. Yet the contempt which has been expressed for it in the Press as
an army of hirelings, is just as little merited to-day as it was in the
past when it added many a glorious page to England's history.
"These remarks are intended as a refutation to the reproaches made
against the English army. It is true, those unjust criticisms did not
originate with experts, or they would imply a dangerous under-estimation
of the enemy. But in consequence of the widespread acceptance among the
masses they unjustly feed the fires of hate."[230]
[Footnote 230: Dr. G. Landauer: "England." Vienna; 1915, pp. 74-5.]
"For the last ten days we have been resting to the west of Lille not far
from Armentieres; an English army is opposed to us. My battery is one of
the links in the long chain of growlers[231] which daily pour fire and
iron on to the enemy. We gave up counting the days and fights, for every
day has its battle. Besides the English there are Indian troops, and a
few French batteries in front of us.
[Footnote 231: The Germans call their big guns "Brummer," _i.e._,
growler.--Author.]
"Every day confirms our experience that we are faced by an enemy with
incomparable powers of resistance and endurance. An enemy who can hardly
be shaken by the sharpest rifle-fire or the most awful rain of shell and
shrapnel. We gain ground slowly, exceedingly slowly, and every step of
soil has to be paid for dearly.
"In the trenches taken by storm the English dead lie in rows, just like
men who had not winced or yielded before the bayonets of the stormers.
From the military point of view it must be admitted that such an enemy
deserves the greatest respect. The English have adapted the experiences
gained in their colonial wars to European conditions in a particularly
clever manner.
"Every attempt to cross the canal was thwarted by artillery fire and in
many places the enemy was more advantageously situated than our men. His
trenches were at least dry while ours were flooded with water. I went
into the front trenches by Dixmude and found them lined half a yard deep
with faggots and wood, yet at every step our feet sank into the water
and slush.
"On the other bank of the Yser lay the enemy and fired continuously.
Anyone who saw our soldiers under these conditions and heard their jokes
will never forget the sight. All the folk at home who grumbled at the
slow progress ought to have been sent for a single day and night into
that mud-swamp!
"In those fields and canals, in this endless morass--made impassable by
flooding--many, many brave German soldiers have sacrificed their lives.
During the autumn and winter months of 1914 the whole Yser domain was
transformed into a vast graveyard.
"The battle-front was determined by the nature of the land. It stretched
from the sea through Ramscapelle, Dixmude, Roulers, Paschendaal to Ypres
and the rage of battle swayed like a tossing ship in ocean storm. Even
now Germany does not know the greatness and terror of the battles fought
there. Only names are known, such as Middelkerke, Zonnebeeke, Warneton,
etc.
"The Belgians fought with the courage of despair. Their battle-cry was
'Louvain!' and 'Termonde!' Highlanders, Indians, Sikhs, Ghurkas,
Zouaves, Turkos, Canadians, Belgians, French and English were thrown
into the line, and ever-new regiments landed at Calais. Houses and
villages were taken and re-taken at the point of the bayonet, as many as
seven times. Towns and bridges were conquered and lost often eight times
in succession, accompanied by heavy artillery duels and incredible
losses."[232]
[Footnote 232: Heinrich Binder: "Mit dem Hauptquartier nach Westen," p.
123 _et seq_.]
"We[233] have just gone into billets. Not far off are the positions of
_the_ enemy--the English. There will be a battle to-morrow and everybody
is serious. Mostly by the evening, we are too tired to think, but it is
not so to-day.
[Footnote 233: Extracts from the diary of a German soldier, published in
"Der Weltkrieg" ("The World War"). Leipzig, 1915; p. 632 _et seq_.]
"Again and again I arrive at the same conclusion--war is too great a
thing to comprehend. Now we are going into battle with the
black-white-gold band on our breasts. Greetings to you all at home,
above all to you, father. I have your blessing, haven't I?
"October 24th.--We are lying before the road from Ypres to Paschendaal.
The Lt. Colonel has just told us that 'the losses cannot go on at this
rate.' By the side of the brook, on this side the road, English
sharpshooters are in hiding. They shoot damned straight. Our artillery
is not yet up; the reason for our heavy losses yesterday.
"The infantry advance with a rush towards the windmill, but we no sooner
top the hill than the English machine guns begin to rattle. Our front
ranks are mown down. Every attempt to advance fails. The order was given
to lie down and there we remained for four hours. Then we rush one after
the other through a hedge. When darkness fell we had nearly reached the
English trenches, but were recalled and spent the night in our trench.
"The next morning passed quietly, except for rifle-fire. Captain von K.
was hit, and rolled over in front of the trench. Three comrades crept
out one after the other to fetch him--all three fell. At last our
wounded captain was still too--killed by a second bullet. Being
compelled to watch this scene without power to help, was the beginning
of our day.
"Just after mid-day the music began. Crash! a shell lands in our trench
on the right. A short pause, and crash follows crash as the shells are
dropped into our trench at distances of four yards. Death walks slowly
up the trench towards us. We know that he is coming, we see him.
Everybody is lying flat on the ground. We are waiting for 'our' shell.
"If we had a communication trench we could escape--but there isn't one.
We reckon the distance: twenty-five yards away another direct hit.
Crash! only twenty yards. Fifteen yards! We have only five minutes to
live. Thoughts of God and home and parents rush through the mind; yet
they are only numb feelings. Crash! ten yards; one more and then comes
'ours.' But no, the next boom was in the trench behind, and in the same
manner that trench was cleared from end to end.
"'Lieutenant T. killed, Lieutenant K. takes command' was passed along.
We have hardly left the trench when bullets begin to whistle round our
heads. Man after man remains behind. At last night sinks and hides the
horrors of the day. I have lost my company and spend the night in the
open with a few others.
"The next morning the sun shone brightly; the morning wind blows coldly
over the furrows and over the dead. I have no words to describe what I
saw--but my heart bled! Near Paschendaal I found my company. Altogether
there are thirty of us--out of two hundred and fifty."
German war literature affords a complete picture of the transformation
of German contempt for the British army into profound respect. As
witness the following:
"It cannot be denied that the English have supported Joffre's offensive
with valour, strength and vigour. The battles which have raged since the
end of September on the front between Givenchy la Gobelle and
Armentieres, have confirmed the deadly seriousness of the English. And
if they have not obtained great successes, still, in this gigantic
grapple, they have displayed desperate courage which compels the
admiration of their opponents.
"The Commander of a division, with whom I spent the last few days, said
to me in a tone of deep conviction: 'Nobody must talk lightly of English
soldiers in my presence. Their bravery and the extraordinary courage of
English officers compels my admiration. Regimental commanders and staff
officers advanced in the first line of their troops. They fight and fall
by the side of their men. I saw several high officers killed myself.'
Besides, I have heard his Excellency's words confirmed by many of his
officers."[234]
[Footnote 234: Julius Hirsch; War Correspondent with the German Army, in
the _Fraenkischer Kurier_, October 22nd, 1915.]
In a previous work the author has expressed the opinion that Great
Britain must employ all her strength in this, the greatest of all wars,
and in concluding this work he repeats that warning still more
emphatically. Only a true realization of the inevitable fact that
British democracy is on trial by battle--"man to man and steel to
steel"--will give the necessary courage, endurance, faith and hope to
bring the issue to a victorious end.
THE END
INDEX
Alleged Ill-Treatment of Germans in Belgium
Appreciation, a German, of England
Atrocities
Attack on Liege by a Zeppelin
Attitude of Germany and Austria
Austrian mobilization
Battle of the Marne
Belgian kindness to Germans
Belgrade during the crisis
Bethmann-Hollweg falsely accuses Russia of causing the war
Bismarck
Britain's position in the world
British
accused of plundering
Army
General Staff's guide-books to Belgium
inefficiency
Navy
Socialists
Brutal treatment of foreigners in Germany
Courage of British Army
Demonstrations in Favour of War
Diplomatic battles
England's Attitude
heir
neutrality, German offers for
Excitement in Germany
French Airmen, Alleged Attack near Nuremberg
alleged attack on Frankfort
German Brutality towards Germans
Chancellor's speech in the Reichstag
comment on the conference proposal
Crown Prince
frontiers, alleged violation by the French
General Staff, did it conspire to bring about war?
German efficiency
invasion of France
losses
methods
mobilization
nerves
opinion of England
plundering
Press plays Germany a foul trick
provocation to Belgians before the war
State, a Nirvana
German Socialists
and conscription
and universal peace
cheer the announcement that Germany had invaded two neutral countries
help Kaiser's government
support the war
vote for a war of aggression
why they supported the war
German Socialists' attitude to England
campaign against Russia
class-war
peace programme
proclamation on August 1st, 1914,
German troops enter Belgium and Luxembourg
unity
war against civilians
German White Book on atrocities by the Belgians
Germans charge French with looting
enter Brussels
invade Belgium
Germany declares war on France
declares war on Russia
made peace impossible
rejects British friendship
Germany's alleged efforts for peace
case
case against Belgian civilians
hunt for phantom gold
hunt for spies
re-birth
ultimatum to Russia
Grey, Sir Edward
Grey's, Sir Edward, conference proposal
Haldane Lord
Hate literature
Heligoland prepared for war
Ill-treatment, alleged, of Germans by British
Ireland and Germany
Iron Crosses
Italian Socialists condemn their German comrades
Japan
Kaiser's return to Berlin
threat
threat to England
_Koenigin Luise_ starts to lay mines round the English coast
Lassalle's opinion of Austria
Last protest against war
Legend of gouged-out eyes
Letter of Belgian Legation Secretary
Louvain
Lying, a foundation-stone of German policy
Macdonald, Mr. Ramsay
Martial law proclaimed in Germany
Militarism, spirit of
Necessity knows no law
Neutrality of Belgium
"Now there are only Germans"
Oncken, Professor Hermann
Opinion in France at the outbreak of war
Peace, did Germany work for?
Poisoned water-supply scare
Press, German, condemns the Austrian ultimatum
Prince Heinrich's telegram to King George
Proclamation of the Social Democrats, July 25th, 1914
Propaganda for the annexation of Belgium
Reconciliation with Germany
Roman Catholic Church refutes German atrocity legends
Russia ignores the German ultimatum
Russia's attitude during the crisis
military measures
right to intervene
Secret Belgian documents seized in Brussels
Social Democratic demonstrations against war
Social Democrats' report on Belgium
Socialists, German, vote for war
Spy scare and its results
Status of German professors
Swiss Neutral on Belgian neutrality
Terms of Triple Alliance
Treatment of Belgian civilians
Trevelyan's, Mr. Charles, remarkable promise
Tricks of the German Press
Unprepared Condition of the Franco-Belgian Frontier
Violation of Belgian Neutrality
_Volksstaat_ (People's State)
War Delirium
Warsaw citadel blown up
Wolff's News Agency