Die Kaiserzeit : Chapter 2, Die Wacht am Rhein

Die Kaiserzeit : Chapter 2, Die Wacht Am Rhein

It is the 15th of August 1914, The Great War as some have taken to calling it has not even raged a month and even so hundreds of thousands have died. The loss of life is far greater than has ever been seen before.

In the west the French have rapidly advanced into Elsass-Lothringen. Carried on by the famed French élan they seem unstoppable as no amount of losses seems to dissuade them.

In the east the news aren’t any better. The Russians shocked us by mobilizing at neck breaking speed being able to put hundreds of thousands of troops into action within days of the war starting. They have advanced into Silesia and Prussia, currently they threaten Breslau with only poorly trained and equipped Landwehr in their path. Yet von Falkenhayn and his Advisor say there is hope yet.

The Americans boast of their feat of engineering. Europe however cares little as hundreds of thousands of bodies litter Europe.

In Antwerp another 25 000 Germans fall. But with the fall of Antwerp falls the last fortified position in Belgium. Our advance is now open, onwards! To Paris!

The Kaiserliche Marine strikes out at the British. We give them a pounding on the coast of Holland.

The Russians desperately tries to save their trapped comrades. They die in their thousands.

The navy will not sit idle while the German soldier dies. They will fight like all true Germans.

Whatever the cost.

In a heroic effort the Landwehr troops defend Herrnstadt. With it they close the advance into Silesia while exhausting several Russian divisions. Locked into the attack they do not pay attention to their flank.

They are unaware of the Prussian Glory about to hit them from behind. We will sell the land we won against the Russians for time, time to destroy another Russian army. Since there are not enough troops to cover the front we will juggle our troops.

In the west the brutal struggle goes on. Machine guns are artillery claim their victims as the French élan carries them into Germany.

With reinforcements from Belgium however our troops smash into the French. French Élan cannot melt Krupp steel.

Our troops reach the channel as the last of Belgium is falling into our hands.

The Russian general Drizhenko finally realizes what is happening and throws himself at our cavalry. In the woods of Wielun the fate of Silesia will be decided.

The French attempt to take Saargemünd finally comes to an end. The troops are relieved, finally the fighting is over.

Yet the Fatherland calls again and they carry on the attack. Into Schirmeck, the connection point to the French thrust. If it falls so does hundreds of thousands of Frenchmen. For it our men fight hard.

In a few days the situation for the French has fallen apart. The famed élan carried them into Elsaß-Lothringen yet greed pushed them deeper and deeper. Our reserves slowly pulled back exhausting them as they went before the artillery and fresh troops came from Belgium. Now the smashing begins. The German jaw closes around the french prey.

The 3rd battle of Schirmeck ends in another victory.

Meanwhile in Silesia the Advisor and Falkenhayn carried on a great campaign. The cavalry in Wielun held strong until the infantry relived them. Now the over a hundred thousand trapped Russians desperately try to escape our trap.

From the east our troops come rushing into Warsaw. The Poles seemingly confused as German troops enter the city only three days after the Russians left, and from the same way.

The Austro-Hungarians reclaim Lwów and the area around it as we relieve pressure with our offensive.

In Elsaß-Lothringen the French are trapped behind our lines. French élan calls for another attack and so the 4th battle of Schirmeck commences.

France is being breached.

Our troops reach the Oise in the center and the Somne in the north. The good news trickling back home boost recruitment as men rush to sign up to serve the Fatherland.

In Silesia the problematic nature of trying to surround and destroy an enemy superior in numbers is slowing down the destruction of the men in Silesia. The Russians also recapture Warsaw.

The poor cavalry hold to the last man in Krepice before they shatter.

Yet their sacrifice is not for naught.

Across the Somne! Towards the Seine!

Our attempts to root out the men in Haguenau end in disaster. We will have to starve them out.

The 4th battle of Schirmeck ends in a defeat. We must retake it!

The well trained troops of the German army are now true veterans after the bloody fighting they’ve been through.

We are so close to the Seine!

Another cavalry division shatters. If only we had other troops to use in their stead.

Warsaw falls and with it another 15 000 Russians.

The Fifth battle of Schirmeck ends in another victory 4-1 for Germany!

The French reserves appear and dash our hopes of crossing the Seine.

Shocking news today as Austro-Hungarian troops aid us in an offensive action against the Russians. The Advisor is reportedly in denial while Falkenhayn is in a severe state of shock.

The bloody Battle for the Oise begins on the 10th of September. On the 11th our troops are repelled in one of the many battles.

Another loss…

The Landwehr take heavy losses in keeping the Russians penned in.

Following the near complete collapse of Germany in the month before. The fact that Von Falkenhayn and the Advisor turned the eastern front while Ludendorff crushed the Elsaß-Lothringen salient meant there was no place for von Moltke. He suffered a mental breakdown when things were at their worst reportedly sitting in a corner wagging back and forth repeating “Keep the right wing strong” over and over. Only the mentally sound can control an army. As such he is dismissed.

Yet Falkenhayn can have no effect on Schirmeck as the 6th battle begins.

Verdun falls as the small militia unit holding the fort fled after an intense artillery barrage.

We finally cross the Somne.

Interesting research.

The 7th battle of Schirmeck is drawing to a close.

Just as the British marines retook Schirmeck the French surrender in Haguenau, unable to persevere any longer after having been under siege for over three weeks. 90 000 troops walk into captivity along with 30 000 who were captured trying to flee to Haguenau. In total we take 120 000 captives. The dead, wounded and missing are far larger.

Damn French élan knows no limit.

The Russians are finally rounded up by the Landwehr.

38 000 Russians surrender in Katowice. Raising the total captured in the east to over 100 000.

As the Battle for Elsaß-Lothringen comes to an end a corps I sent back towards Paris. For the decisive battle, The Battle for the Marne. They will carry out the last operation. The final storm towards Paris, For that and much more see the next chapter of the Kaiserzeit : Der Endsturm