Скачать или смотреть October 10, 1914: Britain's Doomed Rescue Fails as Antwerp Falls

On October 10th, 1914, the heavily fortified Belgian city of Antwerp, a crucial port and strategic stronghold, fell to German forces after a fierce siege. The Belgian army, overwhelmed, was forced to retreat westward, many escaping into neutral Netherlands. A last-ditch effort by the British, deploying the Royal Naval Division (a hastily assembled force of reservists, sailors, and even some Marines), arrived on October 6th. However, their numbers were insufficient, their equipment lacking, and their arrival ultimately too late to prevent the city's collapse. The fall of Antwerp marked a significant early victory for the Germans and solidified their control over much of Belgium, pushing the Allied lines further towards the eventual stalemate of trench warfare.