France paid dearly. Some of her richest
provinces were invaded and held all through the early part of the
war by Germany, almost solely because her transportation of troops
to the crucial point was not effective. The mere presence of the
Germans over so large a section of French territory was due solely
to the rapidity of the German mobilization, which was the result of
long years of preparation. Even behind the Belgian screen France did
not move rapidly enough to save herself, only barely rapidly enough
to save Paris. The plan of General Joffre, which entailed a gradual
retreat to let the Germans expand far from their base, while the
French concentrated between the border and Paris, was a move
determined, not by any special theory of war, nor yet by special
configuration of the country, but by the slowness of mobilization.
The initial success of Germany was a victory of thorough
preparedness, the initial defeats of the French army were the
results of military preparedness hampered by politics.

As the campaign developed, the mobilization of the Germans on the
west front was seen to have a double purpose. The armies of Von
Kluck were to hold Belgium and the north of France, while the armies
of the crown prince were to march through Luxemburg and batter down
the Verdun-Belfort line. It has been shown how the rapid
mobilization and gallant defense of Liege by the Belgians delayed
the former. Without aircraft it was more than possible that, behind
the screen of the forests of Luxemburg, France might not have known
what forces were being concentrated on that frontier, and might have
weakened the line to rush troops against Von Kluck. But the French
aviators, who are the best in the world, were able to fly over the
territory of Germany and Luxemburg where troops were mobilizing, and
the information they sent down was sufficiently alarming to keep
France from weakening the Franco-German fortress-defended line too
seriously. This, again, handicapped France from being able to go to
the support of Belgium. The dramatic plan of the crown prince's
hammering march to Paris failed absolutely and completely by the
successful defense of Verdun.

[Illustration: German-French Frontier, Fortresses of.]

CHAPTER XXVII

BRITAIN--RUSSIA--AUSTRIA

The initial mobilization of Great Britain was a matter as well
managed as that of Germany. For precision there was nothing to
choose as between them. Yet, comparing the German and B