In the latter part of September General French became anxious to move northward, where his forces would be nearer their bases of supplies and have the added incentive of fighting to protect the Channel ports, that were, in a sense, the outer defense of Britain. As soon as French troops could be found to teplace them in the Aisne line Joffre consented to the transfer, which was made between 3 and 19 October. The object of the Allies at that time was to reoover Lille, which von Kluck's cavalry had talcen in August, and push ing on to the northeast to touch hands with King Albert at Antwerp. If the movement succeeded the international battle line, turning north at Noyon, would be continued through northern France and central Belgium, so that the Ger mans would be kept away from the Belgian sea coast. It was even hoped that Liege might be recovered and the invaders deprived of their main line of communication in the north.
To carry out this plan it became necessary for Antwerp to hold out against the Germans who were pressing it as hard as they could. With its outlying forts and redoubts it was considered the strongest place in Europe, next to Paris. Against these forts the great howitz ers of the enemy were concentrated and a bom bardment was opened on 29 September. The stories of Liege and Namur were repeated. Fort after fort crumbled, and by 7 October the city was in flames, so that tire king dared not longer risk the capture of his army. As it was, he had stayed too long—at the urgent request of Mr. Winston Churchill, of the British Cabi net. That impetuous man visited Antwerp after the French staff arrd King Albert had decided to withdraw, and by offering British aid induced them to stay two days longer. The promised help did not arrive. Only a division of marines came into the city, and a division of infantry arilved at Ostend without being able to reach Antwerp. As the Belgian force moved out on the 8th the Germans pressed northward to cut them off. All escaped but one division, which was forced to cross into Holland and submit to internment. The Belgians drew back toward France, leaving their enemy to occupy the coast as far as Nieuport. Zeebrugge and Ostend thus fell to the Germans, who made of them sub marine bases, from which much damage was later done to British shipping.
8 The German Drive for the Channel Ports.— Early in October the German High Command formed a new design. It had failed in its great objective of destmying the French army and taking Paris. It now wished to reach the Channel ports of Dunkirk, Calais and Boulogne, cut tile British line of supplies, and place the southern coasts of England within reach of the long-range German cannon.
If it could extend the line directly west from Noyon to the sea it would be materiaEy short ened, the French would be cut off from the British and made an easier victim of later campaigning, and a barge and wealthy portion of France would be brought under German control. If the line reached the sea south of the Somme all the work of dislodging the in vaders would have to be done from a line still farther south, and it is dodbtful if it could have been carried through successfully. Here, as in the Marne camp-aign, the Germans failed by a narrow margin. The design pleased the German peopbe 'because it was directed against Great Britain. The kaiser himself went to Flanders to cheer his troops, and his whole available strength was put into the effort.
Joffre's action in defense was not originally a mere act of resistance. It began as au. offen sive, tiie object being to close the gap between de Maud'Huy, whose northern flank was near La Bassee and the Belgian army which, having moved out of Antwerp on 8 October, was fall ing back along the Belgian Coast There was still hope that the wavering line could be stabil ized somewhere near Antwerp. If that city could not be saved, possibly Zeebrugge or Os tend could be made the northern terminus of the line of defense.
North of La Bassee the line was held, for the most part, by the British, as far as the northern outslcirts of Ypres, in Belgium. Far ther on it was hekl by some French troops, south of Dixrnude., and beyond this to Nieu port, on the sea, it passed into the hands of King Albert's arrny, which 'had withdrawn from Antwerp along the seacoast, followed by the German army that had pressed it out of that city. Besides these main elements, the forces contained a corps of Indian troops, Ghurkas, Sikhs and Rajputs, long trained to fight for the British in India. They had been landed at Marseilles and carried thence to the areas behind the British lines, where they first served as supporting troops. There were, also, native troops from Africa, Sengalese, Moroccans and Turcos, fighting with the French. It was a striking complex of nationalities assembled to wage with the last available ounce of strength the battle for the preservation of civilization. Europe had seen nothing like it since the hosts of Martel met the Moslems at Tours in 732 and drove them south of the Pyrennees.