Poem ~ No longer 'if' but when will Battle begin... Sunday, 16 August 1914

Now still within the first two weeks of declared war,

Comes speculation to closer detail, and the arena,

Of an inevitable first great battle between allies

And the massing of the German armies.

The stage of war is no longer ‘if’ but when and where?

So to scrutinize the current scenes of the conflict,

Brings up the question where this future fight might be.

In Paris the War Ministry points to the fact of failure,

Of German’s plan of an ‘attaque brusque’ via Belgium.

So might some grand battle occur in a current place

Of conflict? In a study of the massed details of theatre

Of war are perhaps two viewpoints are most worthy.

The French having fully mobilised on the Friday gone,

Have since fully joined force with the Belgian army.

Across the shared border they gathered at Gembloux -

Not far from Belgian capital and the plains of Waterloo.

Secondly is the view of the enemy’s likely intentions,

To curve round the left flank of prepared Allied forces.

But the Germans plans are still 10 days behind -

Halted by Belgian force of Liege forts – the Kaiser's plan

For his army to ‘sweep through Belgium like a whirlwind’

Has been more of a draft – yet an enemy’s determination,

Is still there, to hack their way through by whatever

Path they can, with engagements fought at Liege,

The Meuse, Haelem, Diest and Enghesee,

Perhaps one of these might grow into a decisive battle?

Uhlans being the advance troop to envelope the allies left,

The enemy will find the forts of Namur stronger than

Those encountered in their previous skirmishes.

A weakness is apparent in the German's starving army,

With many men surrendering and then asking for food.

Amid their ranks stories of suicides must hinder morale –

With speculation comes suggestion is that the giant battle

May take place on one of three areas; South in Alsace,

On borders of Luxembourg, or within Belgium itself -

The Germans though, do not doubt, are waiting, pacing

Time, make readiness in a line from Liege to Colmar.

Valiantly the French hold the enemy at the Vosges passes,

As reports warn that this week is likely to witness events

Of an invincible Teutonic reassertion, coiled like a spring.

Lord Kitchener provides warnings that the campaign

Is likely to last for sometime. As the Napoleonic wars before

Army after army will be needed  - so make heed this caution

For this Great Britain - a great nation never to look back.

by Jamie Mann

Anon., 1914. Campaign in Belgium - Arena of Battle. The Daily Telegraph - Special Sunday Edition, 16 Aug. p.2. Col.1. [online] 16 Aug. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11034529/Daily-Telegraph-August-16-1914.html Accessed: 16th August 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 16 August 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11034529/Daily-Telegraph-August-16-1914.html

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