Battle of Mons (1914)

Battle of Mons (1914)

1. When was it?

   • August 23, 1914, occurred shortly after the Schlieffen Plan commenced.

2. Opposing Forces

   • British: ~75,000 to 90,000 BEF
     • The British were heavily outnumbered, but they were highly trained professional soldiers. Their rapid rifle fire was so fast that the Germans thought they were facing machine guns.
   • German: ~160,000 soldiers
   • (French army fought Germans few miles away)

3. What happened?

   • Instead of going wide around Paris, General von Kluck decided to turn early (to the east of Paris). He did this to chase down and finish off the retreating French army (BIG MISTAKE)!
   • Britain (the BEF) retreated from Mons because they were heavily outnumbered and their French allies had already pulled back, leaving their side exposed.

Images and files in the map