To save
the welfare and the honor or Germany I expect every officer and
man, notwithstanding the hard and heroic fights of the last few
days, to do his duty unswervingly and to the last breath. Everything
depends on the result of to-morrow."
Much did, indeed, depend on the result of the morrow, and for the
third day, again, it was General von Kluck's initial move that
brought disaster to the German side.
Why was it that Von Kluck, instead of marching directly on Paris,
as would have been expected, made a detour, having as his object
not the capital but the French army? It may be said in favor of it
that the decision taken by the German General Staff was in conformity
with the military doctrine of Napoleon. According to this doctrine,
a capital, whatever its importance, is never more than an accessory
object, geographical or political. What is of importance is the
strategical object. The strategical object is the essential, the
geographical object is only accessory. Once the essential object
is attained, the accessory object is acquired of itself. Once the
French armies had been beaten, thrown back, and dispersed, Von
Kluck could return to the capital and take it easily.
Conceive of him, on the other hand, attacking the capital with the
army of Manoury on his right, which constituted a serious menace
to his left, and in front or him the British army and the Fifth
French Army; he might have been caught as in a vise between these
forces while all his activity was being absorbed by his attack
on the intrenchments around Paris.
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