THR THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES – PART TWO On 28 July Austro-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Russia, as the self-proclaimed protector of all Slavs, had already begun to mobilise, as had France, allied to Russia. On 29 July Britain warned Germany that she would not remain neutral in the event of war. On 1 August Germany declared war on Russia and on 3 August on France. On 4 August Germany declared war on Belgium and invaded, and as a result the British Empire declared war on Germany and Austro-Hungary. In 1914 the German standing army was 700,000 strong, with immediate reserves of around three million. France’s standing army was 820,000 strong with reserves of two and three quarter million. By far the world’s largest army was that of Russia, which with available reserves numbered almost six million men but with serious deficiencies in artillery, communications and logistic units. At this stage the British contribution on land would be tiny, just four infantry divisions, a cavalry division and an independent brigade, but both France and Russia saw the Royal Navy as being essential to successful prosecution of the war, even if its traditional weapon of the blockade would take time to be effective.
THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES - PART TWO
THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES - PART TWO
THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES - PART TWO
THR THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES – PART TWO On 28 July Austro-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Russia, as the self-proclaimed protector of all Slavs, had already begun to mobilise, as had France, allied to Russia. On 29 July Britain warned Germany that she would not remain neutral in the event of war. On 1 August Germany declared war on Russia and on 3 August on France. On 4 August Germany declared war on Belgium and invaded, and as a result the British Empire declared war on Germany and Austro-Hungary. In 1914 the German standing army was 700,000 strong, with immediate reserves of around three million. France’s standing army was 820,000 strong with reserves of two and three quarter million. By far the world’s largest army was that of Russia, which with available reserves numbered almost six million men but with serious deficiencies in artillery, communications and logistic units. At this stage the British contribution on land would be tiny, just four infantry divisions, a cavalry division and an independent brigade, but both France and Russia saw the Royal Navy as being essential to successful prosecution of the war, even if its traditional weapon of the blockade would take time to be effective.