Battle of Mulhouse
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Mulhouse (also called the Battle of Alsace ), which began on August 9, 1914, was the opening attack of World War I
by the French army against Germany
. The battle was part of a French attempt to recover the province of Alsace
, which the French had been forced to cede to the newly formed German Empire
following France's defeat by Prussia and other independent German states in the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870. It had been a goal of France to recover Alsace and Lorraine ever since. The assault ended in failure, with a full withdrawal on August 10 toward Belfort led by General Bonneau.
It was part of the larger French offensive into Alsace-Lorraine according to the Plan XVII
of operations.
On the German side, the XIV. and XV. Army Corps of the VII. Army under Generaloberst Josias von Heeringen
opposed the French advance.
Forming a fundamental component of France war strategy, Plan XVII, the Battle of Mulhouse was intended to secure the recapture of Alsace (with Lorraine to follow separately), territories lost to Germany as a consequence of losing the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870-71.
Aside from the matter of national pride inherent in the capture of Alsace, French troops there would be well placed to guard the flank of subsequent French invasions further north.
In command of the operation to take Mulhouse was General Bonneau, and he was assigned a detachment of the First Army, plus one cavalry and two infantry divisions. Ranged against him was the German Seventh Army under General von Heeringen.
Having crossed the frontier on the morning of 7 August, the French quickly seized the border town of Altkirch
with a bayonet charge. However Bonneau, suspicious of the light state of the German defences, was wary of advancing much further for fear of stepping into a carefully laid German trap. However, under orders to move to the Rhine next day, Bonneau continued his advance, taking Mulhouse shortly after its German occupants had left the town.
The taking of Mulhouse, albeit without opposition, sparked wild celebrations in France.
With the arrival of German reserves from Strasbourg
, the Germans mounted a counter-attack on the morning of 9 August at nearby Cernay
.
In the absence of reserves of his own, and unable to mount a concentrated defence, Bonneau began a slow withdrawal the same day.
Joseph Joffre
, the French Commander-in-Chief
, hastily despatched a reserve division to assist in the defence, but they arrived too late to save the town from recapture, Bonneau withdrawing towards Belfort
, the only fort to have held out during the Franco-Prussian War
, on 10 August in order to escape German encirclement.
Bonneau's withdrawal to Belfort was seen as both an actual and symbolic humiliation by Joffre, and his response was immediate. Charging Bonneau with a lack of aggression, he was promptly relieved of command. Recognising the high profile of the loss, Joffre added four more divisions to the so-called 'Army of Alsace' placed under the command of General Pau, which unsuccessfully advanced upon Lorraine later that month.
issued the following proclamation:http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/joffre_alsace.htm
French Proclamation on Invasion of Alsace at Mulhouse
7 August 1914
CHILDREN of ALSACE!
After forty-four years of sorrowful waiting, French soldiers once more tread the soil of your noble country. They are the pioneers in the great work of revenge. For them what emotions it calls forth, and what pride!
To complete the work they have made the sacrifice of their lives. The French nation unanimously urges them on, and in the folds of their flag are inscribed the magic words, "Right and Liberty."
Long live Alsace.
Long live France.
General-in-Chief of the French Armies,
JOFFRE
, 20 km to the north. In this engagement, future Generalissimo
Colonel
Robert Nivelle
's artillery proved decisive. On the 24th August the French withdrew from Mulhouse to a line at Altkirch
, to not return to Mulhouse itself until the Armistice
.
, and dismissed General Aubier, commander of the accompanying 8th Cavalry Division.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
by the French army against Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The battle was part of a French attempt to recover the province of Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
, which the French had been forced to cede to the newly formed German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
following France's defeat by Prussia and other independent German states in the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870. It had been a goal of France to recover Alsace and Lorraine ever since. The assault ended in failure, with a full withdrawal on August 10 toward Belfort led by General Bonneau.
Opposing forces
The French force under General Bonneau, detached from the 1st Army in Lorraine, consisted of the 7th Army Corps (14th and 41st infantry divisions reinforced by one brigade of the 57th reserve division from Belfort) and the 8th cavalry division.It was part of the larger French offensive into Alsace-Lorraine according to the Plan XVII
Plan XVII
Plan XVII was the name of a "scheme of mobilization and concentration" that was adopted by the French General Staff in 1913, to be put into effect by the French Army in the event of war between France and Germany but was not ‘a prescribed narrative for the campaign’ or battle...
of operations.
On the German side, the XIV. and XV. Army Corps of the VII. Army under Generaloberst Josias von Heeringen
Josias von Heeringen
Josias von Heeringen was a German general of the imperial era who saw service in the First World War.-Biography:Heeringen was born in Kassel in the Electorate of Hesse...
opposed the French advance.
The battle
The Battle of Mulhouse, one of the August Battle of the Frontiers, comprised the opening French attack of the war, and began at 05:00 on 9 August 1914.Forming a fundamental component of France war strategy, Plan XVII, the Battle of Mulhouse was intended to secure the recapture of Alsace (with Lorraine to follow separately), territories lost to Germany as a consequence of losing the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870-71.
Aside from the matter of national pride inherent in the capture of Alsace, French troops there would be well placed to guard the flank of subsequent French invasions further north.
In command of the operation to take Mulhouse was General Bonneau, and he was assigned a detachment of the First Army, plus one cavalry and two infantry divisions. Ranged against him was the German Seventh Army under General von Heeringen.
Having crossed the frontier on the morning of 7 August, the French quickly seized the border town of Altkirch
Altkirch
-See also:* Château d'Altkirch - destroyed castle in the town.* Communes of the Haut-Rhin department-References:* -External links :* * * * * * * *...
with a bayonet charge. However Bonneau, suspicious of the light state of the German defences, was wary of advancing much further for fear of stepping into a carefully laid German trap. However, under orders to move to the Rhine next day, Bonneau continued his advance, taking Mulhouse shortly after its German occupants had left the town.
The taking of Mulhouse, albeit without opposition, sparked wild celebrations in France.
With the arrival of German reserves from Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, the Germans mounted a counter-attack on the morning of 9 August at nearby Cernay
Cernay
Cernay is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:*Cernay, Calvados, in the Calvados département*Cernay, Eure-et-Loir, in the Eure-et-Loir département*Cernay, Haut-Rhin, in the Haut-Rhin département...
.
In the absence of reserves of his own, and unable to mount a concentrated defence, Bonneau began a slow withdrawal the same day.
Joseph Joffre
Joseph Joffre
Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre OM was a French general during World War I. He is most known for regrouping the retreating allied armies to defeat the Germans at the strategically decisive First Battle of the Marne in 1914. His popularity led to his nickname Papa Joffre.-Biography:Joffre was born in...
, the French Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
, hastily despatched a reserve division to assist in the defence, but they arrived too late to save the town from recapture, Bonneau withdrawing towards Belfort
Belfort
Belfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-...
, the only fort to have held out during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, on 10 August in order to escape German encirclement.
Bonneau's withdrawal to Belfort was seen as both an actual and symbolic humiliation by Joffre, and his response was immediate. Charging Bonneau with a lack of aggression, he was promptly relieved of command. Recognising the high profile of the loss, Joffre added four more divisions to the so-called 'Army of Alsace' placed under the command of General Pau, which unsuccessfully advanced upon Lorraine later that month.
Proclamation on Invasion of Alsace at Mulhouse
Having entered Mulhouse on August 7, 1914 Joseph JoffreJoseph Joffre
Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre OM was a French general during World War I. He is most known for regrouping the retreating allied armies to defeat the Germans at the strategically decisive First Battle of the Marne in 1914. His popularity led to his nickname Papa Joffre.-Biography:Joffre was born in...
issued the following proclamation:http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/joffre_alsace.htm
French Proclamation on Invasion of Alsace at Mulhouse
7 August 1914
CHILDREN of ALSACE!
After forty-four years of sorrowful waiting, French soldiers once more tread the soil of your noble country. They are the pioneers in the great work of revenge. For them what emotions it calls forth, and what pride!
To complete the work they have made the sacrifice of their lives. The French nation unanimously urges them on, and in the folds of their flag are inscribed the magic words, "Right and Liberty."
Long live Alsace.
Long live France.
General-in-Chief of the French Armies,
JOFFRE
The Battle of Dornach
A French counter-attack in the wealthy Mulhouse suburb of Dornach began on the 19th of August and resulted in the retreat of the German troops to EnsisheimEnsisheim
Ensisheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.On 7 November 1492, a 250 pound meteorite fell there, and since then it has attracted many meteorite enthusiasts. It was described in detail by the contemporary poet Sebastian Brant.Ensisheim is also the birthplace...
, 20 km to the north. In this engagement, future Generalissimo
Generalissimo
Generalissimo and Generalissimus are military ranks of the highest degree, superior to Field Marshal and other five-star ranks.-Usage:...
Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Robert Nivelle
Robert Nivelle
Robert Georges Nivelle was a French artillery officer who served in the Boxer Rebellion, and the First World War. In May 1916, he was given command of the French Third Army in the Battle of Verdun, leading counter-offensives that rolled back the German forces in late 1916...
's artillery proved decisive. On the 24th August the French withdrew from Mulhouse to a line at Altkirch
Altkirch
-See also:* Château d'Altkirch - destroyed castle in the town.* Communes of the Haut-Rhin department-References:* -External links :* * * * * * * *...
, to not return to Mulhouse itself until the Armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
.
Aftermath
Due to the failure of his attack, General Joffre replaced General Bonneau, in command of the VIIth Corps with the reactivated General Paul PauPaul Pau
Paul Marie Cesar Gerald Pau, was a French General, a commander of an army at the beginning of World War I....
, and dismissed General Aubier, commander of the accompanying 8th Cavalry Division.