The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-11-07
The German Defensive.

AZ the battle Of the Marne the great
German offensive was halted. rolled
back. After six weeks q colossal mil
itary operation to end q world war by
single blow had terminated In de-
Feat and The German general staff,
confronted by the failure of that
grandoise conception which had oc-
cupied the industry and the genius
of their generals for a decade. were
compelled to accept that defensive
role. SO hateful to all their strategists
from Bfucher and Won Moltke to Bern
hardi.
Yet as In the earlier weeks II had
been the German offensive which had
supplied the central circumstances in
the great war. so from early Septem-
Ger to late October 1t was the u~,-
man defensive which claimed equal
attention. In that period German
high command gave an example Of re-
sourcefulness. Of SIN in foreseeing
and parrying deadly thrusts Of ability
to transport men from one end OF
Europe to the other and with smaller
resources keep the numbers equal at
the decisive point. which was be-
yond praise.
To get at the throat Of France. to
take Paris and destroy French mill
tary power before Russia was mobiliz-
ed-this was the compelling purpose
OF German strategy from Liege to the
Marne. But one month after the.
failure Mt the Marne, German armies
we're advancing In Poland. Galicia.
and along the Niemen. A new army
was storrning the last line Of the de-
lenses OF Antwerp. another was
pounding at the barrier forts of East
ern France. while along the Aisne
the great mass Of German military
strength stood inexpugnable on the
front occupied five days after the re-
treat from the Marne had begun. In
that time rout. W. IN seemed immi-
nent. had been a,oidcd. A retreat
from France. once apparently inescap-
able. had been at the last postponed
indefinitely. Finally. the allied ad-
vance. frontally and by the left flank.
had been halted.
Besides this struggle i'm France. the
conflict alog the distant Vistula still
seemed relatively less Significant
Again the world watched the German
operations In the west. saw i'm the
German defensive i'm late September
and October the same superb military
skill OF the offensive i'm August and
early September. discovered In the
strategy Of Won Kluck n new page i'm
defensive warfare. comparable with
those devoted To the achievements of
Lee In Northern Virginia. OF Napoleon
In 1914. of the great Frederick I'm the
most famous Of all his campaigns.
In this same time and by contrast
with German achievement. allied ef-
forts seemed incomparably inferior
With superior numbers. encouraged
by recent success. possessing shorter
lines OF communication and hence in
exhaustible supplies OF reserves and
material. the allies failed to transform
German retreat into n rout. They
were unable To terminate German oc-
cupation of French territory either by
frontal or flank attack. They did not
succeed I'm succoring gallant Belgium
In her last ditch at Antwerp. They
could not turn To decisive advantage
along the Aisne the latest brave ngh,
of King Albert. which occupied SO
many Germans along the Sche!dt.
Territory was regaincd. German at
tacks were rcpulscd. advantages wer,
won: but measured by their oppoItu
nifty. the allies I'm October. as i'm tn,
earlier months. still seemed lackins
I'm the mastery Of the art Of war
which their great opponent now dis
played on the defensive. as before h,
had shown 10 i'm the offcnsivc.-Fron
-'Gcrmany on the Defensive" by
Frank II Simonds. ia the America,
Review OF Reviews for y, ,%cmL,r.