Early War Battles (1914-1915)

The war kicked off with some absolutely pivotal battles that set the tone for everything that followed. The Battle of Mons in August 1914 showed Britain's fighting spirit - the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) successfully burned bridges to stop German advances, but were eventually forced to retreat.

The Battle of Tannenberg was a disaster for Britain's Russian allies. The Russian army got completely slaughtered by the Germans, leaving Britain without crucial support on the Eastern Front. Meanwhile, the First Battle of the Marne became Britain's first real success - they exploited a gap between German armies and forced the Germans to retreat.

The First Battle of Ypres cost Britain dearly. Although they kept the town safe from German invasion, so many professional soldiers died that the British army was never the same again. The Gallipoli Campaign started promisingly but turned into a complete failure when ships hit mines and Britain couldn't get enough troops to defeat the Turks.

Key Point: These early battles established the brutal pattern of WWI - initial successes often turned into costly failures with massive casualties.