Home Before the Leaves Fall A New History of the German Invasion of 1914

by Senior, Ian

• ISBN13: 9781849088435
• ISBN10: 1849088438
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-07-24
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Summary

The German invasion of France and Belgium in August 1914 came within an ace of defeating the French armies, capturing Paris, and ending the First World War before the autumn leaves had fallen. But the German armies failed to score the knock-out blow they had planned. The war would drag on for four years of unprecedented slaughter. There are many accounts of 1914 from the British point of view. The achievements of the British Expeditionary Force were the stuff of legend, but in reality there were only four divisions in the field; the French and Germans had more than 60 each. The real story of the battle can only be told by an author with the skill to mine the extensive German and French archives. Ian Senior does this with consummate skill, weaving together strategic analysis with diary entries and interview transcripts from the soldiers on the ground to create a remarkable new history. In addition, all previous classic histories on the subject either focus virtually exclusively on the British experiences or are now very out-of-date such as Barbara Tuchman's Guns of August (1962) or Sewell Tyng's Campaign of the Marne (1935). Supported by up numerous sketch maps, extensive archival research and poignant first-hand accounts, Home before the leaves fall is an accessible, narrative account of the German invasion that came within an ace of victory, that long hot summer.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 8
The Schlieffen-Moltke Plan	p. 17
Plan XVII	p. 43
Opening Moves	p. 65
The Battle of Charleroi	p. 73
The Retreat Begins	p. 103
The Battle of Guise	p. 130
The Retreat Continues	p. 159
The Eve of Battle	p. 192
Taken by Surprise	p. 203
Bloody Days at Trocy	p. 224
The Barrier of the Marshes	p. 234
Struggle for the High Ground	p. 241
Night Attack	p. 256
Stalemate on the Ourcq	p. 275
The Beginning of the End	p. 288
The Last Retreat	p. 292
Analysis	p. 310
Postscript	p. 339
Appendices	p. 342
Composition and order of Battle of the French and German Armies and the British Expeditionary Force	p. 342
Table of Equivalent Ranks	p. 362
Directive of 27 August	p. 363
Joffre's Order for the Battle of the Marne	p. 366
Notes	p. 367
Bibliography	p. 380
Index	p. 385
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