Battle of Mons
Mons, Belgium
What happened
Field Marshal Sir John French's British Expeditionary Force, with corps commanders Horace Smith-Dorrien and Douglas Haig, fought the German First Army of General Alexander von Kluck. In August 1914, at the start of World War I, German armies swept through Belgium toward France. The British army took up positions along the Mons–Condé Canal in Belgium, and its soldiers fired their rifles so fast that some Germans thought they were facing machine guns. But when the French army beside them fell back, the British had to retreat too.
Why it matters
Result: See Analysis section. Leaders: John French / Horace Smith-Dorrien against Alexander von Kluck. Why it matters: It was the British army's first major battle of World War I. The British fought well but had to retreat when the French Fifth Army fell back.
What came next
The Great Retreat lasted two weeks and covered over 250 miles. The first Victoria Crosses of the First World War were awarded for actions at Mons.
Did you know?
The first and the last British soldiers killed in World War I are buried in the same cemetery near Mons, St Symphorien, which holds both British and German graves.
Timeline
- 23 August 1914The British fight the German army at Mons.
- Late August 1914The Great Retreat begins.
- 5-12 September 1914The First Battle of the Marne stops the German advance.