When dawn swept away night's covering and revealed the first day of August, Germany thought of another first of August, ten years ago, when the Empire declared war on Imperial Russia.
What were the old leaders of the German Imperial Army doing? The answer was soon forthcoming. The ex-Crown Prince, Field Marshals von Hindenburg and von Mackensen, Generals von Ludendorff and von Kluck celebrated the day by delivering themselves of mighty dicta to the German people:
Ex-Crown Prince: The memory of our fallen and badly wounded comrades should be a lasting summons to us...