Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 32. Chapters: First Battle of Ypres, Battle of Mons, Battle of Liege, Rape of Belgium, Siege of Antwerp, Battle of the Yser, 1913-14 in Belgian football, Battle of Haelen, Battle of Charleroi, Battle of Armentieres, Battle of Messines. Excerpt: The First Battle of Ypres, also called the First Battle of Flanders (French: ), was a First World War battle fought for the strategic town of Ypres in western Belgium. The German and Western Allied attempts to secure the town from enemy occupation included a series of further battles in and around the West Flanders Belgian municipality. The strategy of both the Allied and German armies is not entirely clear. The accepted and mainstream reasoning for the Ypres battle was the British desire to secure the English Channel ports and the British Army's supply lines; Ypres was the last major obstacle to the German advance on Boulogne-sur-Mer and Calais. The French strategy revolved around a desire to prevent German forces from outflanking the Allied front from the north. This was the last major German option, after their defeats at the First Battle of the Aisne and First Battle of the Marne. The Ypres campaign became the culmination point of the Race to the Sea. The opposing armies both engaged in offensive operations until the major German offensive occurred in mid-October, which forced the Allies onto the strategic defensive and limited to counter-attacks. The battle highlighted problems in command and control for both sides, with each side missing opportunities to win a significant decision early on. The Germans in particular overestimated the numbers and strength of the Allied defences at Ypres, and called off their last offensive too early. The battle was also significant as it witnessed the destruction of the highly experienced and trained British regular army. Having suffered enormous...