The Guns of August (81 page)

Churchill and Fleet: Corbett, 25–30; Churchill, 230 ff. Subsequent material on Churchill’s role in the crisis and mobilization of the Fleet is from his Chapter IX, “The Crisis,” and Chapter X, “Mobilization of the Navy.”

“Invented by a genius”: L. J. Maxse, “Retrospect and Reminiscence,”
National Review,
Vol. LXXI, 746.

“Splendid condottierre” and “playing the peace-card”: Morley, 24.

“Are we to go in”: Asquith, II, 7.

Grey in Cabinet of July 31: Morley, 2.

“Cabinet seemed to heave a sigh”:
ibid.,
3.

Bankers “aghast” and City “totally opposed”: Morley, Lloyd George, 61.

Tory leaders: Chamberlain, 94–101; Wilson, 154.

“Et Cambon,
“Et l’honneur”:
Chamberlain, 101.

Grey’s telegrams on Belgian neutrality and French reply:
British Blue Book,
Nos. 114, 124, 125.

Lloyd George, only a “little violation”: Beaverbrook, 15–16.

Grey to Cambon, “France must take”: Nicolson,
Diplomatist,
304.

“Ils vont nous lâcher”: ibid.,
304–5.

Churchill at dinner: Beaverbrook, 22–3.

8. Ultimatum in Brussels

Below-Saleske’s instructions: Jagow to Below, July 29 and August 2, marked “Urgent and Secret,” Kautsky, Nos. 375 and 648.

“I am a bird of ill omen”: Whitlock, 3

Bassompierre’s interview with Below: Bassompierre, 15–16.

“Your neighbor’s roof”:
ibid.

Queen translates appeal to Kaiser: Cammaerts, 405; text of the letter: Galet, 31.

Delivery of the ultimatum: Bassompierre, 17; remainder of paragraph and further account of government discussions of ultimatum are from Bassompierre unless otherwise noted.

Below seen driving back: Gibson, 9–10.

Davignon’s optimism and van der Elst’s esteem for Germans: Klobukowaki, 34–5.

Moltke drafted ultimatum: Kautsky, No. 376, n. 1.

Text of ultimatum:
Belgian Grey Book,
No. 20.

“Sealed envelope”: Cammaerts, 39.

“As if he wished to build something”:
ibid.,
67.

Galet’s teachings, career, and temperament: D’Ydewalle, 94.

Kaiser’s assurance to van der Elst: Cammaerts, 108–9, 115.

“To ensure against being ignored”: Galet, 8.

King Albert’s visit to Berlin, 1913: Beyens, II, 38–43; Jules Cambon to Pichon, November 22, 1913,
French Yellow Book,
No. 6; Poincaré, II, 86; Galet, 23.

What Moltke said to Major Melotte: Beyens, II, 47–53.

Galet’s memorandum: Galet, 23.

Council of State, August 2: Carton de Wiart, 207–9: Galet, 46–50.

“If Germany victorious, Belgium will be annexed”: qtd. Poincaré, II, 281.

German anxiety about Belgian resistance: see notes on Moltke and Jagow for Chapter 9, p. 124.

Below’s interview with van der Elst:
Belgian Grey Book,
No. 21; Cammaerts, 13.

King staring out the window: Carton de Wiart, 210.

Conference at Bethmann-Hollweg’s house: Tirpitz, I, 366–70.

Berliners looking nervously at the sky: Hanssen, 14. More sophisticated Germans were skeptical of the reports. Conrad Haussmann (16), noting the lack of precise details, found them “not very convincing.”

De Gaifiier delivers Belgian reply: Bassompierre, 31, 37; text of the reply,
Belgian Grey Book,
No. 22.

Kaiser’s reply to King Albert: Galet, 58–9.

“What does he take me for?”: Cammaerts, 19.

9. “Home Before the Leaves Fall”

Grey in Cabinet of August 2: Grey, II, 12.

“National devotion” in France: Report by British Consul in Dunkirk, BD, XI, 508.

War Book: Corbett, 20–21.

Grey’s naval pledge to Cambon: Grey, II, Appendix D, 301.

Cambon-Grey conversation: Grey to Bertie, BD, XI, 487.

Cambon’s “secret” telegram: Poincaré, II, 278.

Nations do not wage war “by halves”: article by Cambon,
Revue de France,
July 1, 1921.

Dissolution of the Cabinet: Morley, 4, 17; Asquith, II, 8.

Churchill hurries to see Balfour: Dugdale, II, 78.

Haldane and Grey receive telegram from Belgium and ask Asquith to mobilize: Haldane, 294–5.

Conservatives urge support of France and Russia: Dugdale, II, 79–80; Chamberlain, 99–100.

Russia disliked as ally: Morley, 6.

Lichnowsky’s last interview with Grey: Grey, II, 13.

House of Commons awaiting Grey: MacDonagh, 3;
Punch,
August 12, 153.

“Pale, haggard and worn”: Grenfell, Field Marshall Lord,
Memoirs,
London, 1925, 204.

Grey’s speech: full text, Grey, II, Appendix D.

Lord Derby’s whisper: Grenfell,
op. cit.,
204.

Ramsay MacDonald, Kier Hardie, and unconvinced Liberals: NYT, August 4.

“What happens now?”: Churchill, 235.

“If they refuse there will be war”: Poincaré, IV, 519 (French ed.).

“You will be home before the leaves”: Blücher, 137.

German diarist:
ibid.,
12, 16.

Breakfast in Paris on Sedan Day: Count Häseler, qtd. Grelling, 30.

Russian expectations of early victory: Vladimir Gurko, 542; Botkin, 112.

English officer asked about duration: Bridges, 74.

“Vasilii Fedorovitch”: Vladimir Gurko, 542.

German stockpile of nitrates: Erzberger, 15.

Joffre predicts long war: Joffre, 53.

Kitchener’s prediction: Birkenhead, 22.

“If only someone had told me”: qtd. Bernhard Huldermann,
Albert Ballin,
London, 1922, 212.

Prince Henry and King George: King George to Grey, December 8, 1912, BD, X, part 2, No. 452. On July 26, 1914, Prince Henry, who was again in England, was told by King George, “I hope we shall remain neutral. But if Germany declares war on Russia and France joins Russia, then I am afraid we shall be dragged into it.” Nicolson,
George V
, 245–6.

Kaiser “convinced” England would be neutral: Freytag-Loringhoven, qtd.
AQ,
April, 1924, 153.

Corpsbrüder:
Wile, 212.

“More English, the better”: Kuhl, 34.

Moltke’s memorandum of 1913: Ritter, 68–9. Even in 1906 Schlieffen envisaged Britain as an enemy with an expeditionary force of 100,000 in Belgium,
ibid.,
161–4.

“We had no doubt whatever” of the BEF: Kuhl, qtd.
AQ,
April, 1922, 166.

“England probably hostile”: qtd. Frothingham, 60. The German Navy, like the Army, expected Britain to be an enemy: “There was scarcely any possible doubt that England would never countenance a military weakening of France by us,” Tirpitz, I, 334.

Crown Prince, the “military solution”:
My War Experiences,
5.

“The Blessing of Arms”:
Alldeutscher Blätter,
August 3, qtd. Hallays, 27.

Reichstag deputies depressed: Hanssen, 13, 19.

Herrick calls Viviani: Poincaré, II, 284.

Schoen brings declaration of war:
ibid.,
285–8.

“The lamps are going out”: Grey, II, 20.

Below’s note, “if necessary”: Bassompierre, 37

Whitlock calls on Below: Whitlock, 64; Gibson, 22.

“Our greatest disaster”: Czernin,
In the World War,
New York, 1920, 16.

“We Germans lost the first great battle”: Crown Prince,
Memoirs,
180.

Many suspect a trick: Galet, 51; Joffre, 135.

Messimy’s order: Messimy, 289.

King Albert’s appeal to guarantors: Galet, 63.

Moltke hopes for “an understanding”: Moltke to Jagow, Kautsky, No. 788.

Jagow’s interview with Beyens: Beyens, II, 269–72.

“Common bond of love and hate”: Millard, 35

Austrian minister’s tears: Bassompierre, 41.

King Albert in Parliament: Galet, 62; Gibson, 13–19; Whitlock, 60.

Crowds’ enthusiasm: Bassompierre, 40; Millard, 35–7.

Foreign volunteers in Paris: Gibbons, 27.

Speeches of Viviani and Poincaré:
French Yellow Book,
Nos. 158 and 159; Poincaré, II, 296–7.

Joffre “perfectly calm”: Poincaré,
ibid.

Scenes in Berlin: Hanssen, 25.

Picture of Wilhelm I at Sedan: Wetterlé, 29.

Bethmann and Erzberger meet deputies: Haussmann, 16–20.

Kaiser’s speech in Weisser Saal:
ibid.,
21; Hanssen, 25; text of speech is in Ralph H. Lutz,
Fall of the German Empire, Documents, 1914–18,
Stanford, 1932, Vol. I.

Social Democrats debate “Hoch!”: Haussmann, 23.

Promises of Jagow and von Heeringen: Erzberger, 231.

Bethmann’s speech: NYT, August 5, 2:6; full text in Lutz,
op. cit.

British ultimatum:
British Blue Book,
Nos. 153 and 159.

Goschen-Bethmann interview: Bethmann, 159, note; Goschen to Grey,
British Blue Book,
No. 160.

Stoning British Embassy: Gerard, 137; Beyens, I, 273.

“To think that George and Nicky”: qtd. Blücher, 14.

“Treat us like Portugal”: Tirpitz, I, 307.

“Not much loved”: Crown Prince,
Memoirs,
81–2.

Depressed deputies’ comments: Haussmann, 25, 27; Hanssen, 32.

Rumor about Japan: Hanssen, 14.

“Siam is friendly”: Blücher, 6.

Cambon visits Grey: Poincaré, II, 293.

Wilson’s indignation at mobilization order: Wilson, 147, 156; Chamberlain, 103–4.

Balfour’s letter to Haldane: Dugdale, II, 81.

Asquith reads ultimatum to House:
Punch,
August 12, 154; MacDonagh, 78.
Punch
’s correspondent, who was present, says Asquith’s statement was received with “a deep-throated cheer … fierce in its intensity.”
The Times
correspondent (MacDonagh), who was also present, says it was received in “complete silence.” This illustrates one of the perils of writing history.

Cabinet waits for midnight: Lloyd George, 69–71.

Moltke, “next 100 years”: Conrad, IV, 194.

10. “Goeben … An Enemy Then Flying”

Sources for all action by, and events aboard, the
Goeben
and
Breslau,
unless otherwise noted, are Souchon, Kopp, and
Krieg zur See,
the official German naval history. Likewise, for action of the British ships, the sources are the official history, Corbett, 56–73 (with two magnificent maps, unfortunately too large to reproduce in these less expansive days), Milne, and Churchill 236–43 and 265–75. Corbett’s account was published first; Milne’s was written to dispute Corbett who, he felt, had done him injustice, Churchill’s to compose a narrative that, while not too obviously blaming the naval commanders, would show the Admiralty to have been blameless and still claim to be history, not special pleading. This delicate feat of balancing was accomplished by placing the blame for failure to arrest the
Goeben
on accidents of fate; on “the terrible Ifs, “in his words. The account is one to be read with caution not incompatible with admiration.

Admiralty wireless to Souchon:
Krieg zur See,
2. Tirpitz’s idea was that Souchon should be placed at the disposal of the Turkish Government “to command the Turkish fleet.” Tirpitz to Jagow, Kautsky, No. 775.

Enver as advocate of German alliance: Emin, 68–69; Nogales, 26, Morgenthau, 30–34.

Talaat’s appetite and views: Steed, I, 377; Morgenthau, 20–24; Nogales, 26–28.

Churchill on Turkey:
Aftermath,
374.

Churchill’s letter rejecting Turkish alliance: Churchill, 524.

Kaiser’s instructions: These took the form of marginal notes on telegrams from Wangenheim, German ambassador in Constantinople, Kautsky, Nos. 141 and 149. The Kaiser was on his yacht at this time, mid-July, and his marginalia were telegraphed to the Foreign Office as instructions.

Turkish-German negotiations for treaty: Emin, 66–8; Djemal, 107–14; correspondence between Wangenheim and Jagow; Kautsky Nos. 45, 71, 117, 141, 144, 183, 285. Draft of the Treaty, signed Bethmann-Hollweg, is No. 320; final text is No. 733; further discussion of terms and implementation, Nos. 398, 411, 508, 517, 726, 836.

British seizure of Turkish warships: Churchill,
Aftermath,
377–8; Djemal, 96, 104, 116; Grey, II, 165–66; Grey’s “regrets”:
British Blue Book,
II, Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Turkish warships cost $30,000,000: Allen, Whitehead and Chadwick,
The Great War,
Philadelphia, 1916, II, 374.

Turkish ministers’ second thoughts: On August 3 Wangenheim reported that Enver would like “to declare war immediately” but the other ministers were against it; Kautsky, No. 795.

“Spit in the soup”: Souchon, 33.

“How many boilers leaking?”: Souchon gives the conversation verbatim, 37.

British Consul’s telegram: BD, XI, 480.

Churchill’s July 31 instructions to Milne: Churchill, 237–8.

Not intended “as a veto”:
ibid.,
272.

“Betrayal of the Navy”: Fisher,
Letters,
II, 451, April 22, 1912.

Fisher’s wrath:
ibid.;
“succumbing to court influence,” 458; “Utterly useless,”
ibid.;
“unfitted,” 451; “backstairs cad,” 360; “serpent,” 418; “Sir B. Mean,”

Churchill’s Order of August 2: Churchill, 239; third order to Milne,
ibid.

Gauthier challenges Messimy: Poincaré, II, 279–80.

Orders to Lapeyrère and his subsequent actions: Capt. Voitoux, “l’Evasion du Goeben et Breslau,”
Revue Politique et Parlementaire,
March and May, 1919. The French role in the failure to arrest the
Goeben,
like the British, became a cause of extreme embarrassment to the government and was investigated in 1916 by a Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry under Admiral Amadée Bienaimé. Its report, implying blame of Admiral Lapeyrère, which he refused to answer, was never published but was analyzed in Admiral Bienaimé’s book, which gives the impression of making Admiral Lapeyrère the scapegoat for a general dissatisfaction with the navy. Materials collected by the Committee of Inquiry were deposited in 1919 with the Ministry of Marine.

“Tasting that moment of fire” and “sowing death and panic”: Souchon, 40.