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82-595: The Couillet Treaty details the heavy war reparations imposed by the Imperial German Army on the Belgian town of Charleroi and its surrounding communes, in retaliation for the action allegedly carried out by f rancs-tireurs against its soldiers as they entered Charleroi. On 22 August 1914, during the Battle of Charleroi at the start of World War I , German General Max von Bahrfeldt , commander of

164-737: A Military Cabinet and exercised control through the Prussian Ministry of War and the Great General Staff . The Chief of the General Staff became the Kaiser's main military adviser and the most powerful military figure in the empire. Bavaria kept its own Ministry of War and General Staff , but coordinated planning with the Prussian General Staff. Saxony also maintained its own Ministry of War and

246-457: A Belgian Volkskrieg", the battle in the heart of the town of Charleroi occupies very little space. A soldier belonging to the 78th reserve infantry regiment testified that he had seen a German Dragoon whose eyes had been gouged out by Belgian civilians, whose body was smeared with a flammable liquid, and burned alive. There is no mention of this anywhere else, however, not even in the accusations made by General von Bahrfeldt. On 22 August 1915, in

328-450: A Belgian court martial in Mons in 1925. For his part, he denied any responsibility and felt in no way guilty for what had happened at Charleroi, blaming it on the " francs-tireurs ": "My division was to march to Charleroi, the seat of Belgian industry. Its suburbs resemble the industrial centres of Westphalia, but Charleroi is incomparably dirtier. The lowest layer of the working population is

410-633: A commendation for the loyalty with which he had carried out the requisitions imposed on him. The last hostages were freed and Charleroi thus escaped annihilation. On a military level, August 23 saw the fall of the Namur forts in the east and the British surrender at Mons in the west. General Lanrezac had no one left to protect his flanks and decided to withdraw his army to the Givet - Philippeville - Merbes-le-Château line. Around midnight, General von Bülow sent

492-408: A geographical area. The corps was also responsible for maintaining the reserves and Landwehr in the corps area. By 1914, there were 21 corps areas under Prussian jurisdiction and three Bavarian army corps. Besides the regional corps, there was also a Guard Corps ( Gardecorps ), which controlled the elite Prussian Guard units. A corps usually included a light infantry ( Jäger ) battalion,

574-554: A good command of German, who had agreed to act as interpreter. The latter was carrying a white flag. The group headed for Montignies-sur-Sambre . In the square, the Caroloregians were accused of shooting at German soldiers. After displaying the document obtained from the German consul, the group, now accompanied by Lieutenant Hermann von Hanneken , was invited to head for Couillet , where they could meet General von Bahrfeldt at

656-400: A heavy artillery ( Fußartillerie ) battalion, an engineer battalion, a telegraph battalion, and a trains battalion. Some corps areas also disposed of fortress troops; each of the 25 corps had a Field Aviation Unit ( Feldflieger Abteilung ) attached to it normally equipped with six unarmed "A" or "B" class unarmed two-seat observation aircraft apiece. In wartime, the army corps became

738-458: A mixture of Walloons, Flemings [sic], Germans and other foreign immigrants, all influenced by the low Catholic clergy, rotten from lack of any social care, fallen into alcohol and atrophied as a result, the Walloon easily irritable, devious, a dangerous enemy at the back of the army. [...]" According to Bahrfeld, when they arrived in the town, "the inhabitants opened fire on the innocent soldiers of

820-562: A mobile tactical formation and four Höhere Kavallerie-Kommando (Higher Cavalry Commands) were formed from the Cavalry Inspectorate, the equivalent of corps, being made up of two divisions of cavalry. The areas formerly covered by the corps each became the responsibility of a Wehrkreis (military district, sometimes translated as corps area). The military districts were to supervise the training and enlistment of reservists and new recruits. Originally each military district

902-443: A series of calm orders to the population to prevent any acts that might provoke retaliation. In Charleroi, seven ambulances manned by volunteer doctors were ready for action. Over the next few days, several thousand people, mainly families of industrialists and shopkeepers, left Charleroi by train for other Belgian towns or France. On 20 August, the 3rd and 10th corps of the 5th French army commanded by General Lanrezac arrived in

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984-666: A telegram to the General Staff in which he summarised the progress made by the Second Army, stating that "the German soldiers had, in places, to defend themselves against acts of hostility from the civilian population". The town of Charleroi, has to supply for this evening, 23rd August, 6 o'clock in the afternoon : 120 tons of oats, 40 tons of bread, 20 tons of canned and smoked meats, 800 kilos of coffee, 800 kilos of salt, 100 kilos of sugar, 3 tons of benzine and 50 litres of glycerine. All these items are to be supplied in horse-drawn carriages and must be delivered by 6 p.m. to

1066-651: A unit of the 2nd Army , came from Gosselies along the Chaussée de Bruxelles. Their targets were the Charleroi and Couillet bridges. Preceded by Belgian civilians taken hostage, they were fired upon by French soldiers entrenched at La Planche in Dampremy . After this altercation, the German soldiers turned back and marched up the road towards Bon-Air in Lodelinsart , where, claiming that civilians had been seen near

1148-569: The 15th Infantry Division at Limoges , and the 3rd Logistics Brigade, all reporting to Corps HQ at Lille . On 1 July 1993 three specialist brigades, engineer, artillery, and signals, were created at Lille. In 1994, the 27th DIA left the FAR to rejoin the 3rd Corps as the 27th DIM. In February 1996 the President of the Republic decided on a transition to a professional service force, and as part of

1230-577: The 19th Reserve Division , set himself the objective of taking the bridges over the Sambre located at Charleroi and Couillet and held by soldiers of the French 3rd and 10th Corps . As they advanced through the town, the German soldiers were rarely fired upon by the French soldiers. Convinced of the presence of snipers, the Germans took civilians hostage and set fire to houses. On 23 August, fearing that

1312-611: The Battle of Charleroi began, centred on the capture of the bridges over the Sambre . From those at Tamines , Auvelais , and Arsimont, on the Lower Sambre, to those at Lobbes and Thuin , on the Upper Sambre. During the three days of fighting, civilians were indirect victims but were also targeted. Numerous massacres of civilians were perpetrated by the Imperial German Army. The Germans believed that there

1394-506: The Chamber of Commerce , passed on this information to the mayor, Émile Devreux. On Sunday 23 August, just after 5 am, a delegation set off in search of the German general, bearing a certificate of good conduct issued by the German consul before his departure. The group was made up of Émile Devreux, mayor , Émile Buisset, alderman for finance, Albert Dulait, a lawyer, whose car was driven by his son Paul, and Louis Smeysters, an exporter with

1476-910: The Federal Army ( Bundesheer ). The Federal Army system functioned during various conflicts of the 19th century , such as the First Schleswig War from 1848 to 1852. However, by the time of the Second Schleswig War of 1864, tension had grown between the main powers of the confederation, the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia, and the German Confederation was dissolved after the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. Prussia formed

1558-690: The Ministry of War of Württemberg also continued to exist. The command of the Prussian Army had been reformed in the wake of the defeats suffered by Prussia in the Napoleonic Wars . Rather than rely primarily on the martial skills of the individual members of the German nobility, who dominated the military profession, the Prussian Army instituted changes to ensure excellence in leadership, organisation, and planning. The General Staff system, which sought to institutionalise military excellence,

1640-629: The North German Confederation and the treaty provided for the maintenance of a Federal Army and a Federal Navy ( Bundesmarine or Bundeskriegsmarine ). Further laws on military duty also used these terms. Conventions (some later amended) were entered into between the North German Confederation and its member states, subordinating their armies to the Prussian Army in time of war, and giving

1722-642: The Palais de Justice , the Protestant church, and a few houses around the Jesuit college, which served as an ambulance hospital, were spared. The Germans arrived in the rue du Pont Neuf at the crossroads with the Café du Luxembourg, from where they fired towards the barricade set up by the French in front of the bridge. As the French had already evacuated the area, the German officers thought it would be difficult to take

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1804-552: The 1860s, they surveyed the major European forces and decided that the Prussian system was the best one. That system was continued into the Imperial Army after 1871 and resulted in a modest cadre of professional officers and sergeants, and a large reserve force that could be quickly mobilised at the start of a war. The British could not use the system because they rejected conscription. The Japanese, however, were also observing

1886-428: The 19th reserve division from window wells, windows and roofs after being signalled by the ringing of bells. The houses from which the shots were fired fell into ruins and went up in flames. Civilians found with weapons in their hands were shot. No doubt many innocent people suffered the same fate, as the fierce street fighting whipped up passions. [Old, young and even women took part in the fighting. The women even dragged

1968-629: The Bavarian Army. These divisions were all mobilised in August 1914. They were reorganised, receiving engineer companies and other support units from their corps, and giving up most of their cavalry to form cavalry divisions. Reserve divisions were also formed, Landwehr brigades were aggregated into divisions, and other divisions were formed from replacement ( Ersatz ) units. As World War I progressed, additional divisions were formed, and by wars' end, 251 divisions had been formed or reformed in

2050-402: The Charleroi region, not to mention the buildings looted and hundreds of hostages insulted and verbally abused. The day after the treaty was signed, discussions ensued between the signatory communes about their respective shares. Finally, the mayors agreed to jointly and severally owe the banks and Paul Dewandre the sum of ten million francs, payable one year after the agreement, in proportion to

2132-466: The Château de Parentville. General von Bahrfeldt called on the mayor, pointing out that civilians had fired on his soldiers. He demanded payment of war indemnity. This was initially set at 50 million Belgian francs. Then, in the face of objections from the delegation, it was reduced to 10 million. Émile Buisset then explained the city's financial situation. The General stuck to the ten million but allowed

2214-527: The First World War, Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg increasingly set foreign policy, working directly with the emperor—and indeed shaped his decision-making—leaving the chancellor and civilian officials in the dark. Historian Gordon A. Craig says that the crucial decisions in 1914, "were made by the soldiers and that, in making them, they displayed an almost complete disregard for political considerations." The Kaiser had full control of

2296-595: The German Army during World War I. Although its name actually means something very close to the "Air Forces", it remained an integral part of the German Army for the duration of the war. The Kaiserliche Marine of the German Empire had their own, separate Marine-Fliegerabteilung maritime aviation forces, apart from the Luftstreitkräfte of the army. The German Army from 1871 to 1914 inherited

2378-465: The German Army's structure. The regiment was the basic combat unit as well as the recruiting base for soldiers. When inducted, a soldier entered a regiment, usually through its replacement or training battalion, and received his basic training. There were three basic types of regiment: infantry, cavalry, and artillery. Other specialties, such as pioneers (combat engineers) and signal troops, were organised into smaller support units. Regiments also carried

2460-558: The German General Staff upon the formation of the German Empire, given Prussia's leading role in the German Army. In the German Empire, diplomatic relations were the responsibility of the Chancellor and his Foreign Minister. The German Army reported separately to the emperor, and increasingly played a major role in shaping foreign policy when military alliances or warfare was at issue. In diplomatic terms, Germany used

2542-606: The Montignies-sur-Sambre town hall. To be supplied: Five automobiles; all weapons and ammunition in the possession of the inhabitants, revolvers, gunpowder, etc., also on the square of the Montignies Town Hall. Finally, the town has to provide the sum of ten million francs in five installments, the first payment today August 23rd at 6 o'clock in the afternoon, will be two million in cash, securities, or bills of exchange. Subsequent payments of

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2624-512: The Old World). It is said to have sold no fewer than 150,000 copies. It depicts a war between Germany and Great Britain, during which "a socialist insurrection by the workers of Charleroi responds to Germany's invasion of Belgium". On 22 August, the 2nd German Army tried to take the bridges over the Sambre from the north and establish itself on the right bank. At around 6.30 am, troops from General Max von Bahrfeldt 's 19th Reserve Division ,

2706-474: The Prussian Army control over training, doctrine, and equipment. Shortly after the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the North German Confederation also entered into conventions on military matters with states that were not members of the confederation, namely Bavaria , Württemberg , and Baden . Through these conventions and the 1871 Constitution of the German Empire , an Army of

2788-425: The Prussian system of military attachés attached to diplomatic locations, with highly talented young officers assigned to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, and military capabilities of their assigned nations. They used close observation, conversations, and paid agents to produce very high-quality reports that gave a significant advantage to the military planners. The military staff grew increasingly powerful, reducing

2870-600: The Realm ( Reichsheer ) was created. The Constitution of the German Empire, dated April 16, 1871, changed references in the North German Constitution from Federal Army to either Army of the Realm ( Reichsheer ) or German Army ( Deutsches Heer ). The contingents of the Bavarian , Saxon , and Württemberg kingdoms remained semi-autonomous, while the Prussian Army assumed almost total control over

2952-648: The Rue du Grand Central and the Digue Square went up in flames. Around twenty hostages were killed or injured. Later that morning, the Germans, still accompanied by hostages, advanced along Boulevard Audent. Under the pretext of possible snipers, the soldiers methodically set fire to the bourgeois houses on the Boulevard Audent, but also in the Boulevard Defontaine and the rue d'Orléans. Only

3034-618: The Ville Basse and the bridges over the Sambre before the end of the day, so they turned east towards Montignies-sur-Sambre. At nine o'clock in the evening, the houses on the boulevards, streets and squares along the east-west axis were still burning. "Rue de la Montagne, Rue Charles II, Rue du Grand Central, Place de la Digue. All this forms one huge inferno where long flames are twisted into madness, where fantastic sprays of sparks shoot out in disproportionately high jets. In Rue Charles II,

3116-577: The Württemberg list was a separate chapter of the Prussian Army rank lists. Württemberg and Saxon units were numbered according to the Prussian system but Bavarian units maintained their own numbers (the 2nd Württemberg Infantry Regiment was Infantry Regiment No. 120 under the Prussian system). The commander of the Imperial German Army, less the Bavarian contingent, was the Kaiser . He was assisted by

3198-730: The area in the interim. It headed towards Dampremy via the Warchat and the Deschassis slag heap and finally arrived, still preceded by civilians used as human shields, at a place called Viaducs by the rue de Heigne. From here, the Germans headed towards the Prison Bridge via the Rue du Grand Central. From the bridge, the French, whose sole mission was to stop the incursions of German cavalry, fired, killing, and wounding soldiers and hostages. German soldiers cut holes in doors and windows to spray incendiary pellets inside houses. The whole of

3280-472: The armed forces but the organisation was highly complex. In peacetime the Imperial German Army was divided into four basic levels, the Army inspectorate ( Armee-Inspektion ), the army corps ( Armeekorps ), the division, and the regiment. During wartime, the staff of the Army inspectorates formed field army commands, which controlled the corps and subordinate units. During World War I, a higher command level,

3362-582: The armies of the other states of the Empire. After 1871, the peacetime armies of the four kingdoms remained relatively distinct. The term "German Army" was used in various legal documents, such as the Military Penal Code, but otherwise, the Prussian, Bavarian, Saxon, and Württemberg armies maintained their distinct identities. Each kingdom had its own War Ministry, Bavaria and Saxony published their own rank and seniority lists for their officers and

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3444-417: The army group ( Heeresgruppe ), was created. Each army group controlled several field armies. Germany was divided into army inspectorates, each of which oversaw three or four corps. There were five in 1871, with three more added between 1907 and 1913. The basic organisational formation was the army corps ( Armeekorps ). The corps consisted of two or more divisions and various support troops, covering

3526-414: The barricade, they looted and set fire to houses. From the heights of Jumet , German artillery bombarded the valley floor and Charleroi. At Bon-Air, General von Bahrfeldt divided his troops into two columns. One headed towards Montignies-sur-Sambre and Couillet to take the Écluse bridge over the Sambre. The other was to capture from the rear the French troops entrenched at La Planche, who had evacuated

3608-490: The corps took control of a force of 50,000 personnel including reservists, with 380 AMX-30, 1,300 armoured vehicles, 106 artillery pieces, and 56 Roland anti-aircraft missiles. In 1984 the 6th Engineers Regiment joined the corps. At the end of the 1980s, the Corps comprised three major formations, the 2nd and 10th Armoured Divisions and the 8th DI. There was also a logistics brigade stationed at Beauvais. On 1 July 1990, with

3690-439: The differences becoming less over time, the origin of units would be denoted on the uniform in the colours of the rank insignia until the early 20th century. They also had different cockades on the headgear. The Imperial cockade was to be worn above the state cockade on hats and caps, while they were worn on the right (state on the left) of helmets and more specialised headgear. When the British decided to reform their army in

3772-510: The disorientation caused by fighting in an urban area, meant that they saw the city as a "nest of franc-tireurs", with snipers popping up everywhere. There was also religious fanaticism. The Protestant German soldiers present felt that the Catholic priests were inciting their flocks to popular warfare. The fear of a workers' insurrection was much weaker. However, in 1906, a novel entitled 1906: Der Zusammenbruch der alten Welt (1906: The Fall of

3854-529: The goods before 6 o'clock in the evening, otherwise, Charleroi would be reduced to ashes. The delegation, with the exception of Louis Smeysters, who was being held hostage, took leave of the General and went to Charleroi town hall accompanied by Lieutenant von Hanneken. In addition to Émile Devreux himself, Louis Lalieu, the dean priest of Charleroi, and Vital Françoisse, director of the ACEC , were held hostage in

3936-466: The government. On the following day, 3 August, this ultimatum was rejected. That same day, the 1st Regiment of Foot Chasseurs left Charleroi for Liège to the applause of the crowd. The brewery " Aux caves de Munich ", in the rue du Comptoir, was ransacked by a few rioters. The Germans entered Belgium near Aachen on 4 August. The King appealed to France and the United Kingdom . In Charleroi,

4018-448: The house of a druggist was burning and looked like a huge green Bengal fire in this infernal firework display. Walls came tumbling down, burnt-out roof timbers collapsed. The whole earth is shaking and the heat is intolerable". The town's inhabitants wondered about the Germans' intentions. Would they continue to set fire to the town and bomb it? Refugees from Couillet claimed that cannons were pointed at Charleroi. Léon Henvaux, secretary of

4100-674: The largest industrial base in Continental Europe, and behind only Great Britain (18%) and the United States (22%) worldwide. The army closely cooperated with industry, especially in the Great War, with particular focus on the very rapidly changing aircraft industry. The army set prices and labour exemptions, regulated the supply of credit and raw materials, limited patent rights so as to allow cross-licensing among firms, and supervised management–labour relationships. The result

4182-414: The mayor's office. The mayor appealed to the authorized representatives of the local banks: Banque de Charleroi, Banque Centrale de la Sambre , Union du Crédit, Banque Charles Bivort, Banque Félix Pierlot et Cie and Crédit Général Liégeois, who released all their available assets and guaranteed the additional cash contribution from wealthy individuals, including businessman Paul Dewandre. These efforts raised

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4264-751: The military leaders drew back. In 1905, when the First Moroccan Crisis was roiling international politics, the Chief of the General Staff Alfred von Schlieffen called for a preventive war against France . At a critical point in the July Crisis of 1914, Helmuth von Moltke , the chief of staff, without telling the emperor or chancellor, advised his counterpart in Austria-Hungary to mobilise against Russia at once. During

4346-518: The mob attacked the German consulate , taking down its flag and coat of arms. However, it escaped the fate suffered by the brewery the day before. The following day, the Garde Civique was mobilized. On 16 August, the last fort in Liège surrendered. The press began to report German atrocities , including the massacre of civilians and the burning of houses. From then on, the authorities issued

4428-485: The national army of the Kingdom of Saxony one of the four states of the German Reich to retain its own armed forces. Nevertheless, in times of war, all of these would pledge allegiance to the Kaiser and the German nation. They did, however, remain organisationally distinct, being able to raise units of their own without assistance from the dominating Prussians. In one instance, Freiherr von Sonden (from Württemberg)

4510-482: The number of inhabitants. The balance of eight million still owed would not ultimately be claimed by Germany, but would be included in the war contribution imposed on Belgium. For the population, it was the start of four years of occupation marked by deprivation and the death of loved ones. In the German White Paper , a work whose "intention is clearly to provide evidence in support of the accusations of

4592-419: The orders of Général de Barry, with its HQ fused with HQ 1st Military Region. Its major units were 2nd Armored Division and 8th Infantry Division (8 DI) . On 1 July 1979 the Corps was transferred to Lille and its HQ fused with HQ 2nd Military Region. In 1991 the functions were separated, and Generals Arnold, Vaujour, Billot, and Heinrich held command as commanders of 3rd Corps solely. With its transfer to Lille,

4674-596: The presence of senior German military authorities, a monument was unveiled on the Couillet heights, bearing the words Den Kameraden ("To our comrades") and the date August 1914. This monument was blown up after the war, on 11 November 1920. After the end of the war, Gen. Max von Bahrfeldt was convicted of war crimes at a trial in Belgium for his actions during the Battle of Charleroi and sentenced to death in absentia by

4756-428: The promulgation of the ‘Armées 2000’ plan, the 3rd Army Corps became the only army corps in the metropolitan territory, and the 7th Armored Division joined it, with the grouping rising to 44,000 men with 15,000 vehicles. In 1993, after the disbandment of the 8th DI, the Corps was reorganised to include three armoured divisions, the 2nd, 7th, and 10th, the 12th Light Armoured Division with its command post at Saumur ,

4838-464: The regimental depot. Cavalry, field, and horse artillery regiments were also similarly organised. The German Empire was formed by 38 duchies and kingdoms each with their traditions of warfare. Although the new army of the united German Empire was nominally "German" and most state forces served integrated into the Prussian Army, the Bavarian Army, the Saxon Army, and the Württemberg Army remained independent national contingents: The Royal Saxon Army...was

4920-449: The reserve system and, unlike the British, decided to copy the Prussian model. Barnett (1970) explains that every young man was drafted at age 18, with the upper-class becoming officers: the Prussian system... was based on service of only three years with the colors... and four years in the reserve. The Prussian standing army had become simply a training cadre for the intake of conscripts. The Prussian army's organization for peace and war

5002-420: The resulting changes, ten regiments were dissolved in 1997. The specialist brigades were transferred on 1 July 1997 to Lunéville (signals), Haguenau (the artillery brigade) and Strasbourg (engineers). The 2nd Armoured Division left Versailles on 1 September 1997 and was installed at Châlons-en-Champagne in place of the disbanding 10th Armoured Division. On 5 March 1998, in view of the ongoing structural adoptions of

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5084-439: The role of the Minister of War, and increasingly asserted itself in foreign policy decisions. Otto von Bismarck , the Imperial Chancellor from 1871 to 1890, was annoyed by military interference in foreign policy affairs – in 1887, for example, they tried to convince the emperor to declare war on Russia ; they also encouraged Austria-Hungary to attack Russia. Bismarck never controlled the army, but he did complain vehemently, and

5166-411: The rue du Pont Neuf, who opened fire. Of the five Germans, two were wounded and a third killed. In the afternoon, we learned, to our dismay, that the Germans had entered Brussels the day before. Again that afternoon, the Belgian authorities ordered the civic guards to be sacked. From then on, the French alone were responsible for guarding the bridges over the Sambre and defending the city. On 21 August,

5248-811: The same amount will be made at intervals of six to twenty days. Payment will be received at the Charleroi Town Hall until the full amount has been paid. The Mayor and two respectable citizens of the city will be kept as hostages. Read and signed : Von Bahrfeldt. E. Deveux. In Charleroi, 41 civilians were killed and 159 buildings destroyed. In Lodelinsart, 93 houses were burnt down and 16 civilians killed, in Dampremy 11 civilians were killed and 134 houses were burnt down, in Montignies-sur-Sambre 37 civilians were killed, in Jumet, 86 houses were destroyed and 10 civilians were killed, in Monceau-sur-Sambre, 251 houses destroyed and 37 civilians killed, as for Couillet, 69 houses were destroyed and 16 civilians killed. In all, 250 civilians were killed and 1,300 houses burned in

5330-451: The sum of two million euros. Several bankers and the mayors of twenty communes also pledged to pay the ransom. The foodstuffs demanded by the Germans, which were too large for the resources available in an industrial area, were incompletely collected by Alderman Édouard Falony with the help of the surrounding municipalities. The delegation presented itself to the German headquarters at 6 pm that evening. The burgomaster nevertheless received

5412-427: The sum to be paid in installments at intervals. The first fifth had to be paid before 6 o'clock in the evening. In addition to the ten million, the general imposed multiple requisitions for grain, flour, oats, and other foodstuffs. When Burgomaster Devreux pointed out to the General that these goods did not exist in Charleroi, the General replied that he had to make arrangements with the surrounding burgomasters and supply

5494-449: The time, and that the region's subsoil contained different qualities of this fuel , Charleroi saw the emergence of a large number of industries linked to coal production . This growth was also linked to the technological skills of local and foreign entrepreneurs, the support of financial groups, and the exploitation of the working masses, who in 1914 had one of the lowest rates of unionization in Europe. The Charleroi Exhibition of 1911

5576-465: The town would be completely destroyed, a group of Carolorégian notables, including the burgomaster Émile Devreux, went to meet the general to negotiate. He accused the civilians of firing on his soldiers. Under threat of cannon fire, he forced the members of the delegation to sign the "Treaty of Couillet", which stipulated the payment of a hefty war indemnity in money and other assets, to be settled at 6 p.m. that same day. The toll of German atrocities

5658-415: The town, where the population greeted them enthusiastically and awaited the British Expeditionary Force , which they knew was not far off. However, the next morning, uhlans scouts from Generaloberst von Bülow 's 2nd German army arrived in the town under the cover of a thick fog. They were initially mistaken for British but were eventually recognized by the French soldiers manning the barricade set up on

5740-470: The traditions of the army, in many cases stretching back into the 17th and 18th centuries. After World War I, regimental traditions were carried forward in the Reichswehr and its successor, the Wehrmacht , but the chain of tradition was broken in 1945 as West German and East German units did not carry forward pre-1945 traditions. Each Imperial German regiment of infantry had headquarters units, three battalions, and one training battalion assigned to

5822-540: The various traditions and military ranks of its constituent states, thus becoming a truly federal armed service. Critics long believed that the army's officer corps was heavily dominated by Junker aristocrats, so that commoners were shunted into low-prestige branches, such as the heavy artillery or supply. However, by the 1890s, the top ranks were opened to highly talented commoners. The rank insignia of commissioned officers . The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel . The Imperial Army

5904-546: The wounded into their homes, where they robbed and tortured them". Imperial German Army The states that made up the German Empire contributed their armies; within the German Confederation , formed after the Napoleonic Wars , each state was responsible for maintaining certain units to be put at the disposal of the Confederation in case of conflict. When operating together, the units were known as

5986-459: Was 41 civilians killed and 159 homes burnt down in Charleroi itself. Around 250 civilians were killed and 1,300 buildings were destroyed throughout the Charleroi region . After the depression of the last quarter of the 19th century , the twenty or so years leading up to World War I saw Belgian production rise at a rate of over 3% a year. Given that coal was the main source of energy at

6068-572: Was able to "quite legitimately send a request directly to the Ministry of War in Stuttgart for the raising of a new artillery regiment". Regiments and units from separate constituents were also raised locally and often numbered independently from each other – for example, there was (among others) both a Bavarian 1st Infantry Regiment and a Württemberger 1st Infantry Regiment . While the aforementioned contingents wore distinctive uniforms, with

6150-483: Was abolished on 6 March 1919, and the provisional Reichswehr was created. 3rd Army Corps (France) The 3rd Army Corps ( French : 3e Corps d'Armée ) was a corps -sized military formation of the French Army that fought during both World War I and World War II , and was active after World War II until finally being disbanded on 1 July 1998. Reformed at Ste Germain-en-Laye on 1 July 1979 under

6232-452: Was collusion, including armed collusion, between the French army and Belgian civilians. Since the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 , officers of the Imperial German Army had been intensely concerned about how to deal with potential franc-tireurs . They were convinced that they would have to face them in a future conflict with France. This collective fear, combined with other factors such as alcohol, inexperience, physical and nervous exhaustion and

6314-493: Was linked to an army corps; thus Wehrkreis I took over the area that I. Armeekorps had been responsible for and sent replacements to the same formation. The first sixteen reserve corps raised followed the same pattern; X. Reserve-Korps was made up of reservists from the same area as X. Armeekorps . However, these links between rear areas and front line units were broken as the war went on and later corps were raised with troops from all over Germany. The basic tactical formation

6396-472: Was the division . A standard Imperial German division was organised into: One of the divisions in a corps area usually also managed the corps Landwehr region ( Landwehrbezirk ). In 1914, besides the Guard Corps (two Guard divisions and a Guard cavalry division), there were 42 regular divisions in the Prussian Army (including four Saxon divisions and two Württemberg divisions), and six divisions in

6478-618: Was the golden age of the Charleroi region. For the city, it was the year of its demographic peak, with 32,553 inhabitants, a record never reached again until the merger of the communes in 1977. The budget was balanced at just under 2,400,000 Belgian francs. The tensions caused by the international situation in the spring of 1914 , and the assassination of Archduke François-Ferdinand of Austria on 28 June and its aftermath, led King Albert I to decide on general mobilization on 31 July 1914. Germany demanded free passage for its troops through Belgian territory on 2 August and sent an ultimatum to

6560-541: Was the main result. It sought to identify military talent at the lower levels and develop it thoroughly through academic training and practical experience on division, corps, and higher staffs, up to the Great General Staff, the senior planning body of the army. It provided planning and organisational work during peacetime and wartime. The Prussian General Staff, proven in battle in the Wars of Unification , became

6642-478: Was very rapid expansion and a high output of high-quality aircraft, as well as high wages that attracted the best machinists. Apart from aircraft, the army's regulation of the rest of the war economy was largely inefficient. The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte , known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches (The Air Corps of the German Empire), was the over-land air arm of

6724-421: Was virtually the same. Prussia was divided into army-corps districts for the purposes both of administration and of recruitment. On the outbreak of war the command organizations of the district became that of a corps in the field. Localization of the Army and its recruitment gave the districts pride and interest in their 'own' corps. The German Empire accounted for 12% of global industrial output in 1914, making it

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