This Week: The Battle of Verdun

Ettlingen's newspaper, the "Badischer Landsmann" reports on February 26, 1916, on the storming of the Panzerfeste (Fort) Douaumont. "It is in our hands", the article says. "Over 10,000 French taken prisoner".


The Battle of Verdun, a German offensive known as "Unternehmen Gericht", commenced on February 21, 1916 and was one of the largest battles of the First World War at the Western Front. The battle continued until December 18, 1916 and was fought on the hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France.

German Military Map of Verdun, 1916

 




The original idea for the attack at Verdun came from Crown Prince Wilhelm, the Supreme Commander of the 5th Army and Konstantin Schmidt von Knobelsdorf, the Chief of General Staff of the 5th Army. The 5th Army attacked the Région Fortifiée de Verdun (RFV) and the Second Army garrisons, as they intended to capture the Côtes de Meuse from which Verdun could be bombarded with artillery. Verdun was originally the strongest fort in France, and Germany's intention in attacking it was to once again strengthen its position on the Western Front. Germany assumed that the French would attempt to hold the eastern bank of the Meuse, and thus suffer catastrophic losses from German artillery fire.

The Germans made important gains at the start of the battle but the French were able to recapture much of the lost territory towards the end of the year, despite the English offensive at the Somme in July.

Report from Ettlingen's newspaper the "Badischer Landsmann", March 1, 1916.
The Battles at the Western Front. Attack at Verdun.
The town of Verdun under German fire.
Bern, March 1. (Not official). The "Petit Parisien" reports that numerous villages in the vicinity of Verdun have been cleared; the inhabitants are leaving the town of Verdun in droves and arrive in Paris in fearful expectation of news. The town has suffered heavily. In their basements, the inhabitants had the impression that they were living in a continuous rain of iron and fire hailing down on Verdun and its vicinity. The people had to be forced to leave the town on several occasions. Currently, the town has been completely cleared, apart from a dozen or so inhabitants and a few officials.








On February 25, Fort Douaumont was conquered by German troops, which caused the French to decide that the fort of Verdun must be held at all costs. General Pétain was entrusted with the defense of the town of Verdun. He introduced the "Noria", a system of rotation ensuring that French soldiers were relieved after short periods of time.

The battle consisted of four phases: the first ended on March 4, as French artillery stopped German advancement from the heights west of the Maas. In the second phase, Erich von Falkenhayn, the German Chief of General Staff, ordered attacks on the heights. The height "Dead Man's Hill" was taken several times, but never held for long. In the third phase, the focus was on taking Verdun itself. The storming of Fort Vaux commenced on June 2, and an attack on the Vaux-Fleury line with 78,000 men started on June 21. German troops were able to advance in a fourth phase, with heavy battles at Fort Thiaumont (south of Douaumont). The German attack ultimately stalled at Fort de Souville (5 km northeast of Verdun), and in view of the Allied attack at the Somme on July 1, Falkenhayn halted the offensive on July 11.

Destroyed French village at the Western Front

The "Badischer Landsmann" of February 28, 1916 published the following report from February 27:

To the west of the fort, our troops have now taken Champneuville, the Côte de Talon and are advancing towards the southern border of the forest to the northeast of Bras.

To the east of the fort, they are storming the extensive fortifications of Hardaumont.

In the Woevre plain, the German front is advancing in battle quickly towards the foot of the Côtes de Lorraine.

According to current reports, the number of non-injured prisoners is now almost 15,000.

Story This Week: Three Days in June 1916

This week our story is taken from the original newspapers and field letters of 1916 held in Ettlingen's Town Archives (Stadtarchiv Ettlingen) and observes the fates of three different men during one week in June 1916. Coincidentally, all three were either stationed in or on their way to Russia.

Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener
On Wednesday 7 June, 1916, Ettlingen's local newspaper the Badischer Landsmann reports on the death of the English Minister of War Lord Kitchener, following an announcement by the Admiralty in London.

Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener, had become Secretary of State for War at the outbreak of war in 1914. Kitchener had already won recognition for his roles in Egypt, Sudan, Khartoum, the Anglo-Boer War and India. One of the few to realize that the war would be a long one, he played a key part in organizing an enormous volunteer army as well as expanding the production of war materials. Kitchener drowned on June 5, 1916 when the HMS Hampshire was sunk west of the Orkney Islands, Scotland. He had been on his way to Russia to attend negotiations. It was reported that the HMS Hampshire struck a German mine, although various conspiracy theories concerning his death have since been put forward.

The English Minister Of War Lord Kitchener Sinks With His Staff

"WBT, London, June 6. According to official information from the Admiralty:
The Commander-in-Chief of the Great Navy announces:

To his deepest regret, he must report that the warship "Hampshire", which was on its way to Russia with Lord Kitchener and his staff on board, was sunk last night west of the Orkney Islands by a mine or possibly a torpedo. The night was extremely stormy and although all possible measures were undertaken to provide rapid assistance, it is feared that there is little hope that anybody will have survived.

(Note: Hampshire is an 11,000-ton armored cruiser launched in 1903. It had a speed of 23.2 knots. It held 39 guns and normally had a crew of 660 men on board)."

Dr. Theodor Kiefer
Four days later on June 10, 1916, young German field doctor Dr. Theodor ("Tor") Kiefer, stationed at the Eastern Front in Russia, writes to his family in Ettlingen. For the last few weeks, Tor has been acting batallion's doctor while his superior is on leave. Apart from his medical duties, Tor spends every spare moment, "with pathological zeal", as he reports, organizing the conversion of dugouts into infirmaries. It is clear from Tor's letters during this time that he is under tremendous stress, and that he values the reading and writing of post to and from his family as a mental relief.

"We are currently in a new position, no longer as pleasant as the last one, but reminiscent of the Western Front. I am presently dealing with the problem of a trench stretcher for transporting wounded in the narrow, high trenches. If the Russians attack us here they'll bash their heads in. Our people have been feverishly expanding here for weeks and apart from the fact that a position is never finished, everyone is still continuing at the same pace. I have absolutely no chance of leave at the moment. And I have no hope of it for at least two months. I do not dwell long in my thoughts on Ettlingen, but I would still be grateful for letters full of your news. The mind is easily distracted and wanders through the peaceful realms of a past long since past, and although it is dangerous to think too much, such memories are scarcely tantalizing.

It is terribly difficult to write here, the telephone rings constantly, batmen and dispatchers arrive. One can barely write one word without being distracted by something. Everything in a small room under the earth, made of raw firtree trunks, containing 3 pallets [makeshift beds] and the table."


Leutnant Felix Kiefer
On June 11, 1916 Tor's younger brother Leutnant Felix Kiefer is about to return to the Front for the third time. Felix was wounded on several occasions and after various long stays in the lazaret was always sent back to the Front, until he was finally released from military service in the spring of 1918. Felix married his sweetheart Erne during the war and they corresponded on an almost daily basis. In this postcard sent from the lazaret shortly after his release, he tells her that he has spent a boring evening in Aschaffenburg but is to commence travel to the (Eastern) Front in Russia the next day.

Felix's Postcard to Erne, June 11, 1916

The front of the postcard. The caption
reads "Young Germany"

This Week: The Soldiers of Spessart Part 3 - A Hero's Death

Our story this week once again comes from Ettlingen-Spessart in the hills above Ettlingen, and presents some of the soldiers from Spessart who fell during the Great War. It was important to romanticize and honor what was termed "a hero's death" in order to boost the population's morale and keep them confident of victory. The soldier must not have died in vain, but in the act of directly protecting the homeland and his loved ones.

"The Sun Sank In The West"

A series of painted postcards was used as a means of propaganda to transform these key concepts into romantic scenes deliberately targeted to touch the hearts of women, while combining love, death and the honor of war.

"The Sun Sank In The West.
And when you return to the homeland years from now, bring this dear treasure to my sweetheart".

The dying soldier asks his comrade to take his Iron Cross medal (the dear treasure) to his sweetheart. The clear message of the postcard is that he is proud to have died for his country, as he expects his sweetheart to be.

The postcard was one of a set of six cards, each containing lines attributed to the anonymous folk song "Die Sonne Sank im Westen" (The Sun Sank In The West), although the lines have been altered slightly from the original song. In the postcard shown above, the dying soldier states that his comrade will return home "years from now". This was not the general belief in the early months of the war in 1914, when it was expected that everything would be over by Christmas. The postcards were issued in 1915, when it had become clear that the war might continue for several years.

The memorial card of Eduard Waldmann, born on February 3, 1888, in Ettlingen-Spessart. The card states that Eduard fell "on the field of honor" and "died a hero's death on August 20, 1914 in the battles at Brudersdorf, buried in Niederweiler in Lorraine".

He was thus one of the first soldiers to fall from Ettlingen.

A quote from the book of Maccabees is printed at the top of the card: "It is better to die in war than to surrender the homeland to adversity".

Landsturmmann Adalbert Weber was born on May 2, 1889 in Ettlingen-Spessart and served in the Infanterie Regiment 114.

His card states that he "died a hero's death on April 3, 1918 in Cair, Northern France".

The memorial card of Pionier Josef Anton Kraft, of the Minenwerfer-Bataillon 7 (Trench Mortar Battalion). Josef was born on August 24, 1895 in Ettlingen-Spessart and died on January 28, 1918 in Brussels.

His card states that he "fell on the field of honor".

The memorial card of Konrad Ochs, who was born on December 12, 1897 in Ettlingen-Spessart and who fell on September 29, 1918 in La Ex Aux Bois. He is buried in the cemetry St. Morell in France.

His family has written:
"O God, you have called your loyal servant Konrad from the field of battle to you, and we would have been so happy to have seen him again among those who returned victoriously from the field [Konrad fell shortly before the end of the war]. However, it was not your wish and in your wisdom you know why it had to be so. We trust in your benevolence, even if we do not understand it. Let the efforts that he made during the war and the sacrifice of life that he made in the defense of his homeland graciously make reparation for all his sins and allow you to confer on him in return for this, in your great mercy, the crown of victory of eternal life".

The Infanterie Ersatz Bataillon 110, in which some soldiers from Ettlingen-Spessart served. Alfred Schottmüller is shown standing in the back row, 3rd from the left.
The photo shows the battalion in Heidelberg. They were assigned to the 28th Division of the 7th German Army.






All photos and postcard property and copyright of Brigitte Weber of Ettlingen-Spessart

This Week's Story: Food Rationing in Ettlingen 1915-1916

In 1914, food was already becoming scarce in Germany due to several factors. The increased needs of the armies at the Front, the lack of imports resulting from the disruption in trade, as well as the serious consequences of the War on agricultural structures, including the recruiting of the workforce into the army, all led to problems in food supply, particularly in urban areas, and to stockpiling of food.

The German government hoped to be able to regulate this food supply by defining maximum prices for bread and grain and by rationing eggs. Over the course of the War, a comprehensive system of foodstuff control was set up, which was expanded over the course of the next four years.

The photo on the left shows an Ettlingen ID card allowing the purchase of foodstuffs. The card must be produced and stamped before goods are bought. It is non-transferrable.


The first bread coupons were issued in several towns in February 1915. In November 1915, milk was rationed and in early 1916 potatoes. During 1916, statutory guidelines for meat and sausage coupons were introduced for the whole of Germany.

The photo on the right shows a booklet of 30 coupons for bread or flour for April 1915. It is issued by the Office of the Mayor of Ettlingen.

At the bottom right of the booklet. it states that it is a crime to sell the coupons.

These coupons are issued by the Community Association of Ettlingen and are for eggs and butter in 1916.

125 grams of butter can be obtained every two weeks.  Eggs can be obtained at the rate of one per week.

The other side of the ID card. Butter, eggs and lard have been stamped.

In the "Swede winter" of 1916/1917, the minimum amount of basic foodstuffs for the population could not be covered and famine became rife.

These coupons are issued by the Grand Duchy of Baden (the state in which Ettlingen was situated) and can be used to obtain meat from July through September 1916.






The government's food rationing measures attempted to ensure that the population had a minimum amount of basic foodstuffs, in order to keep them confident of victory and willing to fight. Unfortunately, the food itself was often not available and the coupons were worth nothing. Despite all the deficiencies, however, the state's rationing measures during the War and the immediate post-war years enabled millions of people to survive.

(Source of general information: Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin
https://www.dhm.de/lemo/kapitel/erster-weltkrieg/alltagsleben/lebensmittelrationierung.html)
(Source of specific information: Stadtarchiv Ettlingen)

Story of the Week: Gefreiter Ambros Weber

This week our story is once again brought to us by Notburga Felber of Ettlingen-Spessart, in the hills above Ettlingen. Notburga's grandfather on her father's side, Ambros Weber, was a small farmer. He was born in Spessart on October 7, 1882.

Ambros and Martha
on their wedding day

In the early 20th century, small farming in South Germany was not a very lucrative occupation and so Ambros also worked in a factory in Ettlingen Town.

He married his sweetheart Martha. At the outbreak of the Great War, he was thus 32 and already married.

It was typical for girls to marry in black at this time.

Ambros joined up with the 1st Landsturm Infantry Batallion No. 56, 2nd Company in Rastatt, near Ettlingen.

The photo on the left shows him in full uniform, with the photographer's romantic caption "Zur Erinnerung" - "A memento".

Ambros' unit was posted to France, on the Western Front. The bataillon was ultimately subordinate to the 28th Division of the Kingdom of Prussia and Ambros would thus have fought all along the Western Front, including battles at the Vosges, Arras, the Somme, Flanders, Champagne, Verdun, Reims and Chemin-des-Dames. 

Ambros in the more typical photographer's pose of new recruits after joining up.

We also have a postcard that Ambros sent to Martha on May 10, 1915, apparently from Dieuze, which is in French Lorraine. The photo on the front of the card shows Ambros together with one of his comrades, and Ambros is standing on the left in this picture.

Ambros (left) in Lorraine, 1915

In the postcard, Ambros thanks Martha for her postcard from Mosbronn and tells her that he is sending her a photo from the Front as a souvenir of the war.

He asks her not to worry about him so much and says that he knows she has a lot of work at home but he asks her to only do what she can because when he comes home, he wants to see her well and healthy.

Ambros survived the war and returned home, where he took up work again in the factory. He and Martha had several children, including Notburga's father, and he died on May 9, 1959.

Ambros' card to Martha from Dieuze in Lorraine in May 1915.

This Week: Gefreiter Otto Weber

Our story this week is brought to us by Notburga Felber of Ettlingen-Spessart. Notburga's grandfather  on her mother's side, Otto Weber, served as a Private in the Great War.

Otto Weber in 1914

Otto was born on March 31, 1892 and had a twin brother, Franz.
Both Franz and Otto joined the 1st Badisches Leibgrenadier-Regiment 109 at the outbreak of war in 1914. The 109 was the highest-ranking and grandest regiment in Baden, the state in which Ettlingen was located, and was the local regiment of Karlsruhe, Ettlingen's nearest city. The head of the regiment was Grand Duke Friedrich II of Baden.

Otto and his twin brother
Franz in the field

Otto was stationed at the Western Front in France. His first battles were at Metz in August 1914, and he later fought all along the Western Front, including Arras, Flanders, Champagne, the Somme, Reims and Chemin-des-Dames.


It was probably during the latter part of 1917 or early 1918 that Otto suffered gas poisoning. The use of poisonous gas by both sides was widespread during the Great War, particularly on the Western Front.

Upon returning home from the War, Otto married his sweetheart Anna, with whom he had three daughters, including Notburga's mother. However, even though he continued to work, he suffered from the ill effects of the gas poisoning for the rest of his life.

A postcard from the Front from Otto to his neighbor Luise, dated September 22, 1917. He writes, "At last I've found time to send you a photo. I trust you're well, as I am. I hope that we will see each other again soon".

Otto in the field

Otto died aged 47 on May 9, 1939, shortly before the outbreak of World War II, from the effects of the gas poisoning.

Story This Week: A Treasure Trove Of Letters

Our story this week takes place in the present time. Francine Kiefer of Washington D.C., granddaughter of Felix Kiefer, has travelled over from the USA to Ettlingen to present our municipal archive with an entire trunk of letters from the years 1911 through 1919 for safekeeping and research purposes.

The trunk contains over 2,000 letters, written mainly between Felix and his wife Erne during the Great War years of 1914 through 1918. It also includes letters from Felix to the rest of his family in Ettlingen as well as several letters exchanged between other members of the family, his war diaries, First World War maps, a family "Chronicle" written by Felix's father Alexander Kiefer (Ettlingen's master builder) and Felix's WW1 medals.

Felix's story, together with the story of his brother Tor, will be told in our partner blog The Kiefer Brothers.

Excerpt from one of Felix's letters to his wife Erne.
The collection of letters between Felix and Erne tells the love story of the couple separated by the war, Felix serving as an officer first at the Western and then at the Eastern Front, Erne serving as a nurse in a lazaret on the Western Front.












Felix kept various diaries during the war, all of which have likewise been perfectly preserved in the trunk. Although most of these are handwritten, we are very fortunate that one has been typewritten and therefore presents no problems as far as reading is concerned.

An excerpt from Felix's meticulously kept handwritten diary of 1916.
We hope that these diaries and letters will provide us with more insights into life at the front. Felix's brother, Tor, also spent much of the war stationed at the Eastern Front and the two apparently met up on several occasions. Tor's letters, which have been held in our municipal archives for several decades, have so far proved extremely interesting and informative, both with regard to historical and social aspects.

The letters, diaries, maps and medals were presented by Francine Kiefer and her husband to the Stadtarchiv Ettlingen.

Francine Kiefer, a political journalist based in Washington D.C., who writes for the Christian Science Monitor, hopes that the collection will attract the interest of historians and academics worldwide.

Kathy Quinlan-Flatter, the creator of this blog, who first contacted Francine Kiefer in March 2014 to discuss the collection of Kiefer letters held in the Stadtarchiv Ettlingen.

As a result of their correspondence and the current global interest in the Great War, Francine Kiefer decided to present the Stadtarchiv Ettlingen with her treasure trove of letters.

This Week's Story: The Soldiers Of Spessart Part 2

This week our story comes from Brigitte Weber of Ettlingen-Spessart, which lies in the hills above Ettlingen. Brigitte's two uncles fought and died in Laffaux on the Western Front when they were both just 20 years old. During the Great War, Brigitte's family received letters and photos from relatives and friends, and collected some of the memorial cards of soldiers who had died from the village.

These two photos, sent home to Brigitte's family from the Western Front, show soldiers recovering in the lazaret together with the nurses who worked there.

During the Great War, the need for prosthetics escalated immensely as tens of thousands of soldiers lost limbs. As a result, there were unprecedented developments in the design of artificial limbs.

Soldiers also suffered from a new phenomenon known as "shell shock", which was the reaction of some soldiers to the trauma of battle. Unfortunately, this "nervous and mental shock" was poorly understood, as there were often no signs of physical injury. At the start of the war, it was assumed that there was a link between the symptons and the effects of explosions from artillery shells. However, an increasing number of men who had not been exposed to artillery fire began to suffer from the phenomenon. Symptons included tinnitus, amnesia, headache, dizziness, tremor and hypersensitivity to noise.

Carl Ludwig Wilhelm Maisch, of Foot Artillery Regiment 14, born on October 3, 1895 in Ettlingen-Schöllbronn near Spessart, was wounded on April 26, 1916 at 9:30 a.m. at Verdun, and died in the lazaret at Villiers on the Western Front on April 27, 1916

Kanonier Anton Weber, born on August 31, 1885 in
Ettlingen-Spessart, fell on July 19, 1916 "on the field of honor"
at Biaches on the Somme.

A hero's death I died,
I won the best death for myself,
God holds all gifts in his hand.
I am at peace in France's cool grave,
A grenade struck me down
But heaven is open to warriors.
Mother, brothers and sisters and all my loved ones,
Remember me in your prayers,
Don't forget your Anton
Who is lying buried in foreign earth
God's will was done
We'll meet again up there.

Unteroffizier Stefan Weber, born on May 25, 1892 in Ettlingen-Spessart, and fell on December 1, 1916 at Verdun.

This Week: Leutnant Felix Kiefer - A Venturing Spirit

Our story this week comes from Francine Kiefer of Washington, D.C., USA, whose grandfather Felix Kiefer of Ettlingen fought in the Great War.

Felix was born on September 11, 1891 in Ettlingen, the youngest of seven surviving children in his family. He was the younger brother of Ettlingen's sculptor Oskar Kiefer, who designed Germany's first "anti-war memorial" for Ettlingen, shown in the section List of Fallen, of Tor Kiefer, who worked as a doctor at both the Eastern and Western Fronts, and of Sylvestra Kiefer, who worked as a nurse at the Western Front.

Like his brother Tor, Felix also served at both the Eastern and Western Fronts. He volunteered for the Army in 1914 in Munich, where he was studying chemistry at university, and entered a Bavarian regiment - the RIR 16. Felix first served in the 4th Company of the Königlich Bayerisches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 16 as an Unteroffizier. When the RIR 16 was formed in September 1914, it consisted of approximately 3,300 officers and men, and was part of the Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade 12, which in turn belonged to the 6th Bavarian Reserve Division.

In 1916, Felix was promoted to Leutnant and had moved to the 3rd Bavarian Regiment of the 11th Bavarian Division.

Tor (left) and Felix Kiefer (right)
Photo copyright Francine Kiefer

Felix's son Alexander, who later wrote an account of his father's life, recorded that Felix served in "several major battles in France", and that he was twice decorated. In the East, he served in Galicia (present day Ukraine) and Romania, as well as spending time in Budapest, Hungary. He was wounded on various occasions - once in October 1916, when he was sent to a lazaret in Brest-Litowsk (present day Belarus) and once in October 1914 in Belgium, after which he was sent to a lazaret in Hamburg.

According to his son Alexander, "deeply scarred by war, Felix was released from military service in the spring of 1918 and resumed his studies".

Erne Maria Schumann was born on October 29, 1887 in Papenburg. Four years older than Felix, her relationship with him developed in Munich while he was a university student and they married on July 20, 1916. One year later, they had their first child, Alexander - Francine's father - in Munich on August 20, 1917. Their second child, Judith, was born on April 9, 1922 in Elz.

Erne Schumann, September 11, 1915
Photo copyright Francine Kiefer

Like Felix's sister Sylvestra, Erne served as a nurse on the Western Front. She was stationed in Sedan in 1915, but was back in Munich in 1916 for the rest of the war. Felix and Erne corresponded almost daily and sometimes twice a day when they were apart from each other.

After finishing his studies in Munich, Felix took a PhD at the Bavarian University of Erlangen, which he completed in 1919. He subsequently worked as a chemist at various factories until the collapse of the German economy during the period of the Weimar Republic in the 1920s. Felix saw no other option but to emigrate to the United States. He arrived in New York in February 1927, but was then posted to Honduras, where he worked as the head chemist of the Standard Fruit company. Here, he directed the agricultural laboratory, which dealt mainly in bananas. In December 1927, his family arrived in New Orleans, then later joined him in Honduras.

Tor (left) and Felix Kiefer (right)
Photo copyright Francine Kiefer

Malaria and lack of educational opportunity for the children caused him to relocate permanently to the United States in the fall of 1928, where he worked in the states of North Carolina, Maryland and New York as a chemist and a college teacher.

His specialty was food chemistry, and he held various patents for food preservatives, including breakfast cereal, dry milk, and margarine.

Felix and Erne both became US citizens. When Erne died on October 1, 1938, Felix grieved deeply. He eventually remarried a German woman, Gisela Menzinger of Bruchsal (near Karlsruhe) in 1953, and they lived together in Florida. In 1961, after turning 70, he was forced to retire and he and Gisela moved back to Bruchsal in Germany, where he died on August 24, 1965.

Felix loved camping and took his young family on many camping trips. In keeping with the rest of his artistically inclined family, he had an artistic streak and loved to paint watercolors - several of his letters to Erne included pressed flowers and poems. He supported his family in Ettlingen with care packages after the Second World War.

Francine's father described Felix's life as one that spread "great good" and characterized him as a "venturing spirit".

Story This Week: "A Mighty Fate Descends Over Europe" - Ettlingen Reports On The Declaration Of War By England

Ettlingen's state newspaper, the Badischer Landsmann, reports on the declaration of war on Germany by England on August 4, 1914.

The War.
England Declares War.

Berlin, August 4, 1914: Shortly after 7 o'clock, the English ambassador appeared in the Foreign Office to present the declaration of war and to demand the pass papers.

[England declares war on Germany in retaliation for Germany's violation of neutral Belgian territory].






Regarding Mobilization.

Berlin, August 4. An official announcement states that the mobilization of our army and our fleet has proceeded excellently up to this point. The conscription of the drafted men, their transportation to the assigned positions, in short, everything has functioned very smoothly. The people's trust in our military organization is completely justified. The mood among the drafted men must be particularly praised. Full of enthusiasm and commitment, but also infused by the gravity of the hour, all followed the order to report for service. The German people may be confident that future military measures will also be executed with the same order and systematic planning. It has also been reported that we are absolutely innundated with spies and persons from abroad intending to perform criminal attacks. Numerous attempts have already been made to explode important engineering structures, railway bridges, tunnels and similar, to disrupt the march of our troops. All such attempts will be strictly punished by death in the prevailing circumstances. However, all attempts to date by French and Russian agents in this regard have been unsuccessful. The perpetrators were all executed immediately. The people are requested to do everything in their power to ensure that such criminal attacks will continue to be rendered ineffective. For we are surrounded by spies. Even the most insignificant incident could be of importance. Whoever fulfills their duty in this regard will be performing a service for the Kaiser and the Empire.

The Session.

Berlin, August 4.

Today’s session of the Reichstag was opened by the President Dr. Kämpf at a quarter to 4, and the House and the galleries were extremely heavily attended. The Reichskanzler appeared with the Secretaries of State and Ministers. The present Presidium was reelected to loud applause.

President Dr. Kämpf reported that the Kaiser has consented to receive the Presidium this evening and to accept the announcement of the constitution of the House. (Bravo!) He hopes to be able to inform the Kaiser that drafts received have met with approval.

Then

Reichskanzler von Bethmann Hollweg

rose to speak. A breathless silence prevailed throughout the room. A mighty fate – thus began the Kanzler – has befallen Europe. Russia has lit the tinder of the fire in the house. The Kanzler then outlined the immensely dramatic development of the last few days, in particular of Russia’s conduct and the violation of the border by France. We find ourselves, continued the Kanzler, in a position of self-defense. And necessity knows no laws. Our troops have occupied Luxembourg and possibly entered Belgian territory. This contravenes international law. But a French invasion in our flanks at the Lower Rhine could have been disastrous. We will, however, right this wrong once we have achieved our goal. We have issued a declaration to the English government that, as long as England remains neutral, our fleet will not attack the North coast of France, and that we will not infringe the territorial integrity of Belgium. I repeat this declaration publicly for the whole world.

[Apparently, Bethmann Hollweg does not consider the neutrality of Belgium to have been violated at this point, or at least only violated to the extent that it was necessary as an action of self-defense against the French attack without declaration of war (see below). Bethmann Hollweg's speech takes place during the late afternoon/early evening of August 4. At 7 o'clock in the evening, as reported above, the English ambassador arrives at the Foreign Office to present the English declaration of war, which is in retaliation for Germany's violation of neutral Belgian territory].

August 3: Ettlingen's newspaper the Mittelbadischer Courier reports on the state of war with France.

War In The East And In The West.

State of War with France

Berlin, August 3 (official report). Up to now, German troops have not trespassed over the French border, in compliance with the commands issued. In contrast, French troops have been attacking our border posts since yesterday without any declaration of war. They have trespassed over the German border at various points, although the French government assured us a few days ago that an unoccupied zone of 10 kilometers would be observed. Since last night, French companies have occupied the German towns of Doppeltal, Wetzeral and Markirch as well as the Schluchten Pass. Since yesterday, bomber planes have been flying over Baden, Bavaria, and, violating Belgian neutrality, over Belgian territory to the Rhein Province and are attempting to destroy our railways. France has thus opened the attack against us and compounded a state of war. The security of the Empire forces us to take countermeasures. His Majesty the Kaiser has issued the necessary commands. The German ambassador in Paris has been instructed to demand his pass papers.

Metz, August 3

A French doctor yesterday attempted, with the assistance of two disguised French officers, to infect wells with cholera germs. He was court-martialled and shot.

[Once again reports are received of French troops attacking without declaration of war. According to the official report from Berlin, French bomber planes have in fact been violating the neutrality of Belgian territory one day earlier than the reported violation by Germany].

This Week: "A Grave Hour Has Befallen Germany Today" - Ettlingen Reports The Outbreak Of War

Ettlingen's newspaper, the Mittelbadischer Courier, reports on the outbreak of the Great War on July 31, 1914.

State of War Declared

Ettlingen, July 31, 1914: Ettlingen's Mittelbadischer Courier announces:
State of War Declared for Germany
As Russia has not issued a declaration of neutrality to Austria, the latter is commencing complete mobilization. As a result, the mobilization of Germany has become necessary.

The Kaiser's Speech

The Courier reports on the events in Berlin. We can see from the Kaiser's speech that he is not happy to be addressing the people with news of possible war.

Berlin, July 31. A vast crowd of people had gathered [on] Unter den Linden [the name of the street] near the Palace and the Crown Prince’s Palace, and continually broke forth in enthusiastic cheers for the Kaiser and the Crown Prince. Patriotic songs were also sung. Finally, the Crown Prince appeared with his lady consort on the balcony of the Crown Prince’s Palace and thanked the crowd for its lively homage. Shortly after this, the Kaiser and the Kaiserin appeared, together with the imperial princes, on the balcony of the Palace and thanked the people for their lively homage. The crowd broke out in tumultuous cheers.

The speech that the Kaiser held to the jubilant crowd from the balcony of the Palace this afternoon was as follows:

"A grave hour has befallen Germany today. Envy everywhere leads us to defend ourselves, and justifiably so. The sword is being pressed into our hands. If my efforts at the last hour to preserve the peace and to chasten our adversaries are not successful, I hope that we will, with God’s help, wield our sword such that we can place it with honor in our sheath. War would demand enormous sacrifice of possessions and life from us. But our adversaries would discover what it means to antagonize Germany. And now I advise you to pray to God. Go now to church, kneel before God and beg Him to help our brave army."

Germany and Peace

Berlin, July 29. The "Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung" noted in today’s evening issue that the official Russian notification submitted yesterday, July 28, has caused lively reverberations here. The imperial government shares the desire to preserve peaceful relations. It hopes that the German people will support it from afar by the moderate and calm manner of its actions.

The Kaiser Calls to Arms

Baden's Grand Duke Friedrich II addresses the people of Baden (the state in which Ettlingen is situated) through an announcement in the Mittelbadischer Courier (and other local newspapers) on August 2, 1914:

My beloved people of Baden!

Our Kaiser calls to arms.

In the difficult battle that Germany is preparing to wage, the honor and existence of our Fatherland, as well as our highest and most sacred values, are at stake.

I know that my dear people will perform the difficult duties with which we will be confronted with absolute devotion and loyalty, especially our sons and brothers who will go to battle, and of whom I am certain and expect that they will – mindful of the military exploits of their fathers – bravely and selflessly risk their lives for the Fatherland. However, the other members of our community will also – of this I am certain – be prepared to make the most difficult sacrifices that must be called for, with true conviction.

God protect and preserve Germany!

Karlsruhe, August 2, 1914

Friedrich

The German Ultimatum to Russia

The Courier reports on more events in Berlin on July 31, the day of the outbreak of war. The Kaiser has sent an ultimatum to Russia to stop mobilization.

Berlin, July 31. The "Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung" officially reports: After the mediation activities performed by the Russian government upon the request of the Tsar himself were interrupted by the general mobilization of the Russian army and navy, the government of His Majesty the Kaiser today allowed it to be known in St. Petersburg that German mobilization is to be expected if Russia does not discontinue its preparations for war within 12 hours and issues a confirmation to this effect.

At the same time, an inquiry has been sent to the French government regarding its stance in the event of a German-Russian war.

The speediness and safety of our deployment requires the consistent and systematic leadership of the entire executive power

Freiherr von Hoiningen, a Prussian officer and the Commanding General of Karlsruhe's XIV Army Corps, addresses the population of the Karlsruhe district through the Mittelbadischer Courier on July 31, 1914:

To the population of the district of the XIV Army Corps
[this included Ettlingen]

His Majesty the Kaiser has declared a state of war in the German Empire. As regards national measures, this merely means that mobilization must be executed rapidly and smoothly, and not that the population need be concerned about the lack of national support. The speediness and safety of our deployment requires the consistent and systematic leadership of the entire executive power. If laws are tightened as a result of the declaration of war, then no one who observes the law and complies with the instructions issued by the authorities will be restricted in their actions as a result. I trust that the entire population will support all military and civil authorities joyfully and wholeheartedly and thus make it easier for us to fulfill our noble patriotic duties. The long-standing military glory of our army will thus be upheld and will persist in honor in the eyes of the Kaiser and the eyes of the nation.

Karlsruhe, July 31, 1914

The Commanding General

Freiherr von Hoiningen gen. Huene