August 23, 1914

One hundred years ago today Japan declared war on Germany.

The armies of Austria-Hungary began their first major battle with the invading Russian army at Krasnik (in modern day southeast Poland). It ended with the Russian army being forced to retreat. This battle would result in short lived optimism among the Austria-Hungarian military. In reality  the  would be a start of the larger Battle of Galicia that would result in over half a million causalities, on both sides, over the next three weeks and would end poorly for Austria-Hungary. 

In the west the army of Great Britain fought its first major battle of the war at Mons, in Belgium and its first battle with a European army in almost 60 years.  The German army had been advancing quickly through Belgium and did not expect much from the untried British army. The German Kaiser had joked that when the British army had arrived in Belgium that he would send the Berlin police force to go arrest them. The British government and public were nervous that their small untested army might be swept aside as had happened to the French and Belgians on many occasions.

To the surprise of all the British army performed remarkably well. Though out numbered 2 to 1 it was able to stop the German advance, at least for a little while, and the German army took heavy losses. But after a day of hard fighting the British army had to retreat, but did so good order.

Though the battle bought valuable time for the French and British army performed well, it was ultimately a defeat.  However the Battle of Mons would become, and still is, a matter of pride for the British people. At the time, the news that the army had fought well was a relief for so many in Great Britain who thought the army might be overrun by the Germans. The battle would become a mythical event with stories circulating that angles with flaming swords flew over the battlefield driving back the Germans and that ghost of the famed English Yeomen with longbows, heroes of the medieval battle of Agincourt, appeared to rally British troops.

These stories were later all traced to poets and propagandist and not to eyewitness accounts. But the stories would have their effect and the assurance to the people of Great Britain that the British army proved that it could hold its own against the continental armies of Europe seared the Battle of Mons into British folklore.  

Despite the British resistance at Mons the German army was now 130 miles from Paris.