1. The August Madness and Mobilization for WWI
World Wars
Ms. Hamer
September 15, 2009

2. Myth of the August Madness
While widespread fervor about the war happened…
During and after WWI, the vision of the August Madness was hyped up more and more

3. What was the August Madness?
Widespread celebrations in European cities after the declaration of war in early August 1914
Especially in Paris, London, St. Petersburg, Vienna and definitely in Berlin
Caused by relief felt after not having to wait to see what would happen with the tensions in Europe
Led to feelings of national unity
Expectations of heroism and glory were part of it
Some were just caught up in the excitement

4. Who Participated in the August Madness?
Urban, middle class and elites, and especially students
Men more so than women
Rural areas were not so thrilled
Minorities were not as enthusiastic
Still much objection to war

5. Scenes from the August Madness
Berlin
London – Trafalgar Square

6. What were the Effects of the August Madness?
Domestic truces within countries
Though this was followed with inner paranoia and fear of spies…
Mass enlistment
20 million men mobilized throughout Europe
“Spontaneous” Propaganda (the songs/poems you read last night)
Governments harnessed this enthusiasm for their war goals
Failure of International Socialism to prevent a capitalist war…

7. Mobilization

8. The Schlieffen Plan
Goal: victory for Germany in a 2 front war by tackling France in a swift victory and then turning to Russia
Would violate Belgian neutrality
Would it have ever worked?
Required troops to march miles a day while fighting resistance
Troops would quickly outdistance supply lines and artillery

9. The Schlieffen Plan

10. Plan XVII
French Plan XVII was focused on regaining Alsace and Lorraine
Stressed the offensive, which ended up being a bad call:
Smaller force
Played into the expectations of the Schlieffen Plan

11. Plan XVII

12. Schlieffen and Plan XVII

13. Battle of the Frontiers
Germany declared war on August 1st and was already fighting the French in the series of battles called the Battle of the Frontiers from August 14-September 6, 1914
Huge and violent battle
Failure of prepared plans
Belgians flooding canals and battlefield

14. Germany Invades Belgium – August 4, 1914
Advance was hampered by Belgian resistance – destruction of railroads + German fear of snipers
New technology (heavy guns) took out old forts
Were 20 miles from Paris by early September

15. Paris
The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) mobilized VERY quickly and met the Germans at Mons and then retreated to Paris with the French
French government fled to Bordeaux but prepared Paris for attack by mining bridges
French troops mobilized to defend Paris

16. Miracle of the Marne September 6-10
German advancing army got to close to each other and turned before Paris, exposing their flank to the waiting Allies
Among other acts of heroism were the 600 taxis that brought troops to the Marne from Paris!

17. Battle of the Frontiers

18. Effects of the Battle of the Frontiers and Marne
German forces fell back and dug in
Even though shallow trenches – beginning of trench warfare
Schlieffen Plan failed = Germany would face a multi-front war

19. German Atrocities in Belgium and Northern France

20. Reasons (?)
Germans were really worried about French snipers (a problem from the Franco Prussian War of 1870)
Problems with civilian resistance
Germans used terror to try to stop this…
The combination of this led to misconceptions
“man hat geschossen” – “one has shot at us”
Sometimes mistook friendly fire for resistance
Drinking of looted alcohol did not help

21. German Atrocities
Germans killed more than 6,000 civilians (men, women, and children) in Belgium and Northern France
Burned the University at Louvain along with its library and killed hundreds of civilians there
Shelled Reims Cathedral on September 19, 1914

22. Problems with Rumors of Atrocities
After the real atrocities, rumors spread of others that ended up being fakes:
Germans chopping the hands of Belgian children to prevent them from fighting
Later in the war when it was realized that these were fake, it lessened the reality of the actual atrocities
This sentiment would later lead to disbelief of the “rumors” of attacks on Jews by the Third Reich…