CHAPTER V HOW EUROPE HAD PREPARED FOR THIS WAR With all the attempts to keep peace, Europe has known for many years that war would again appear, and all the nations were more or less prepared, though none so well as Germany. We remember that when war broke out between France and Germany in 1870 the Germans threw an immense army to the border so quickly that they found the French utterly unready. Because of this ability to move so rapidly with a large force, the Germans reached Paris in six months and the war was soon over. But this time Germany was even better prepared. The German army was well supplied with draft RAILROAD animals, tractors and auto-trucks, ADVANTAGES which enabled them to move with speed. For many years Germany and Austria have been busy building strategic railways for use in war. Besides the many double-tracked roads to the Belgian frontier, Germany had seventeen lines of railway leading to the Russian borders, which would enable her to send to that front more than five hundred troop trains each day. So that in a few days after the declaration of war the German armies, if desired, might all be upon the borders of Russia. To Germany's seventeen lines, Russia had only five railroads to this frontier. Austria had eight lines running to the Russian border and could throw a million men on the Rus sian frontier in a very few days, running 260 trains every twenty-four hours. To the Austrian frontier Russia had only four lines. These roads were built not only to carry the armies to the enemy's territory, but with them Germany and Austria could furnish their armies with food and supplies in great quantities. Then, too, Germany and Austria occupied the center of the fighting area and could move their armies back and forth at will from one frontier to another wherever there was most need of them. Thus, the Central Powers, being able to shift their soldiers from one battle front to another, made one German soldier equal to two of the Allied soldiers, unless the Allies could arrange to strike both sides of Germany at the same time. AND FLEETS All the nations of Europe kept large standing armies, the cost of which loaded them down with STANDING ARMIES heavy taxes. All nations, too, except England, had required universal military training. It takes time to train a man to become a good soldier. So these nations required all their young men to spend a few years in army training during times of peace so that when war came, soldiers in large numbers would be ready. Universal military training is a great burden, but it was the only safeguard against Germany's speed in attack. England, surrounded as she is by water, was relying on her fleet. She had only a small standing army and her citizens had no army training. Upon her navy England had lavished millions to keep well ahead of all other nations, and she believed she could control the sea in any war that might come. Germany had a fine navy, but it was no match for that of England. All frontiers of the continental nations were fortified with mammoth forts of steel and concrete built, as it was thought, strong enough to defy capture. Military men in each country worked at secret plans and weapons with which to surprise their enemies when the storm broke. Military spies were sent nosing about other nations to discover and report the strength and weakness of their neighbors. Secret treaties were made, and many other activities existed, of which civilized mankind ought to be ashamed. In nearly all these matters Germany took the lead, because her leaders for years have been war-mad, and at the same time thorough and scientific about whatever they attempted. She had built up great ammunition and gun factories, each with its war secrets. The weakest spot in the Austrian defense was that almost half of her population are Slavs. Many of them disliked the Austrians and were opposed to her government. They preferred Russia instead, the home of their people. GERMANY We all believe now that Germany could have stopped this war if she had chosen to do so, but we have many reasons for thinking that she welcomed the occasion to extend her power. Why do we believe this? In the first place, the deepening of the great Kiel Canal leading from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea was completed just a month before the war opened. This enabled the German war fleet to pass directly back and forth between these waters without going through the winding and more or less dangerous route around Denmark. The Canal gives Germany a great advantage both with regard to England and Russia. The Kaiser thought that England was on the verge of civil war at home and that she would not enter the war at this time. German war leaders also quoted some things that had been said in the French Senate which they thought indicated that France was poorly prepared for war. They realized, too, that Russia was getting stronger every day. Germany thought, should she wait another three years, that she would lose the advantage that she had in 1914 because of the great increase in the Russian armament and the growth of her strategic railways. So Germany decided it was now or never for her to take the first place among the nations of Europe. SPEED IN We knew that Germany was armed to MOBILIZING the teeth with all her men trained, but the system which she had worked out, of getting her men quickly into the ranks fairly took our breath away. When a soldier was ordered out, he reported at once to the storehouse, where his equipment was kept. He gave his name to a clerk and was given a bundle of clothing which contained two complete uniforms, two coats, two pairs of trousers, two pairs of leggings and two pairs of marching shoes, one hat, two suits of underclothes, four pairs of socks, a comfort kit, a blanket, robe and other necesary things. These articles of clothing were all the correct size, for they had been selected, tried on and put away for this soldier with his name on the tag and bundle many months before. The bundle also contained a brass tag bearing his official number, which he was to wear next to his body, suspended from his neck by a cord. With this bundle of clothing he at once repaired to a dressing room, put on his uniform and made up his field roll with his other articles. Then he tied up his civilian clothing and handed it to the clerk to put away for him. Next the man went to the armory, which was either in the same building where his outfit was kept, or near by. Here he drew his rifle, belt, and ammunition. He was now ready to march with his company or regiment, or to go on board a troop train. The regiments in the cities were ready to march in from four to six hours. The country districts needed only from twelve to twentyfour hours to mobilize. Thus we see that Germany had a complete field outfit ready for every able-bodied man, with his name on it, and every man knew just where to go to get his outfit in the least possible time after the war call came. Within twenty-four hours after war loomed up, Germany had two million men on the way to her frontiers. As soon as the mobilization began, soldiers were on the streets marching to war. There were regiments of infantry, troops of cavalry, batteries of artillery and long lines of forage, ammunition and hospital wagons. These soldiers of Germany were greeted with loud cheers from every quarter. Both the soldiers and the bystanders joined in singing: "Die Wacht am Rhine," "Deutschland uber Alles," "Hoch der Kaiser" and one might hear the cry "Nach Paris" and "Nach Petersburg. This mobilization of the German army was a wonderful feat. At the end of six days, we are told, there were three million men along the French and Belgian borders and a smaller number along the Russian frontier. In short, the men were gathered |