August 4th is one of the most important dates in the Centenary. The previous day in 1914 had seen the Belgian government unsurprisingly reject German demands for the free movement of troops through Belgium. Britain had then guaranteed military support to Belgium, which meant a large-scale war was almost inevitable.

So on the 4th, the Germans crossed the Belgian border and the Great War began in earnest. If you would like to know more about the nascent operations of the conflict, our forthcoming Invasion 1914 is a great place to start! It covers the German strategic plans for the war on two fronts, assessing the plans themselves versus the actuality of the first battles of World War I. 

 

9781472803351

 It's a really engaging read and full of great insights into what went well and what went badly for the Germans during their advances. Not to forget, it's also 25% cheaper (priced at £6.74) with this month's WWI discount! 

While we are on the subject of military strategy and planning at the outset of the Great War, I have a bit of a trivia/guess who question for you. Can anybody tell me who this chap is?

 

 

WWI_strategist