Coverage of the Siege in Magazines Worldwide
The events and siege operations at Antwerp lasted from late August till October 10th 1914 and though relatively forgotten now, especially in the own home city, at the time they were considered to be of prime importance and most newsworthy events. Many British and American reporters for instance, found that they could do their job of reporting war news far more easily from the besieged city of Antwerp, than from behind the lines in France. It was expected that the fortifed city would be able to hold out indefinetly and that sooner or later British or French forces would arrive en masse to relieve the siege and chase the Germans back across the border.
That the city was able to hold out for so long while on other fronts the Entente suffered many setbacks also made for heartening news and was played up greatly, especially in British magazines and papers. In fact the British media were very much interested in events at Antwerp and gave extended coverage to the developing situation. British interest was intensified when the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, sent some 8000 men of the British Naval Brigade to Antwerp to strengthen the defences and bolster Belgian morale.
After the war had ended and the grand multi volume histories were being published in the various Allied countries, the siege and fall of Antwerp was thought to be but an unimportant detail. At the time the events were happening however most people, politicians, military leaders and newseditors for that matter thought otherwise and placed weighty importance upon the outcome of the fight for Antwerp. This can be readily seen when looking through news publications of those long ago days. Below are links to a number of full page scans from news magazines published during and immediately after the fighting for the entrenched camp of Antwerp.
* see also : The Siege of Antwerp : August-October 1914
Full Pages from War-Time Magazines and Books
