The Great War: 100 Years Ago

Great Britian and France order general mobilizations in response to the German declaration of war on Russia.  Germany, hoping that the mobilization would be quickly followed by declarations of war is dissapointed, Great Britian and France hold off to see if Belgium is taken over.

The German battle plan against France demanded that she attack through Belgium, her armies were simply to large and constrained to take a more direct central route, and there was justified fears that France on the defensive would be costly to dislodge from their border redoubts.  To prepare for this move, Germany demanded that Belgium allow German troops to occupy their country while their army disbanded.  Belgium refused this demand and started moving forces to defend the country against Germany.  After the ultimatum the first Bristish and French offciers were allowed to cross the border to recon routes for their units to defend Belgium, but these efforts were limited and covert.

In response to the Austria-Hungary declaration of war on Serbia, Russian mobilization started to move forward.  The Germans, wanting further justification for war, declared that if Russia did not cease mobilization, German would be in a state of war with Russia.  The was was actually declared on 1 August.

Despite warnings from Germany, Russia starts its mobilization in response to similar moves from Austria-Hungary.  Germany would use this act as reason to declare war on Russia.

The new Battleship, the SMS Grosser Kurfürst, joins the HIgh Seas Fleet.  Built to sustain the German races for Naval superiority, she was 36ktons displacement and carried an armament of ten 30.5 cm SK L/50 guns, with plans to add the ship and her oncoming sisters to a new V Division of the III Battle Squadron.  Although less powerful than the new Queen Elizabeth-class battleships join the fleet in the next few months, she was well armored and a useful fleet element, although he potential was never realized in combat due to restrictive limitations placed on her employment by the Kaiser.

The Grosser Kurfürst was of the König-class although the first ship of the series was not commissioned until the 8th of August, 1914