CHAPTERII

chapterii

duringthegermanretreattotheirhindenburglinewesawthefullruthlessnessofwarasneverbeforeonthewesternfront,inthelayingwasteofabeautifulcountryside,notbyrationalfighting,butbycarefullyorganizeddestruction.ludendorffclaims,quitejustly,thatitwasinaccordancewiththelawsofwar.thatistrue.itisonlythatourlawsofwararenotjustifiedbyanycodeofhumanityabovethatofprimitivesavages.“thedecisiontoretreat,”hesays,“wasnotreachedwithoutapainfulle.itimpliedaconfessionofweaknessthatwasboundtoraisethemoraleoftheenemyandtolowerourown.butasitwasnecessaryformilitaryreasonswehadnochoice.ithadtobecarriedout...thewholemovementwasabrilliantperformance...theretirementprovedinahighdegreeremunerative.”

isawthebrilliantperformanceinitsoperation.iwentintobeautifullittletownslikeperonne,wherethehouseswerebeingguttedbysmolderingfire,andintohundredsofvillageswheretheenemyhadjustgoneoutofthemaftertouchingoffexplosivechargeswhichhadmadealltheircottagescollapselikecardhouses,theirroofsspreadflatupontheirruins,andtheirchurches,aftercenturiesofworshipinthem,fallintochaoticheapsofmasonry.iwanderedthroughtheruinsofoldfrenchchateaux,onceverystatelyintheirterracedgardens,nowalitterofbrickwork,brokenstatuary,andtwistediron—workaboveopenvaultswherenoteventhedeadhadbeenlefttolieinpeace.isawthelittleoldfruit-treesoffrenchpeasantssawnoffatthebase,andthetalltreesalongtheroadsidesstretchedoutlikedeadgiantstobarourpassage.enormouscratershadbeenblownintheroadways,whichhadtobebridgedforourtrafficofmenandguns,followinghardupontheenemy'sretreat.

therewasaqueersenseofillusionasonetraveledthroughthisdesolation.atashortdistancemanyofthevillagesseemedtostandasbeforethewar.oneexpectedtofindinhabitantsthere.butuponcloseapproachonesawthateachhousewasbutanemptyshellblownoutfromcellartoroof,andonewanderedthroughthestreetsoftheruinsinasilencethatwasbrokenonlybythesoundofone'sownvoiceorbyafewshellscrashingintotheguttedhouses.theenemywasinthenextvillage,orthenextbutone,withafewfield-gunsandarear-guardofmachine-gunners.

inmostvillages,inmanyofhisdugouts,andbycontraptionswithobjectslyingamidthelitter,hehadleft“boobytraps”toblowourmentobitsiftheyknockedawire,orstirredanoldboot,orpickedupafountain-pen,orwalkedtoooftenoveraboardwherebeneathacidwaseatingthroughametalplatetoahigh-explosivecharge.ilittleknewwheniwalkedroundthetowerofthetownhallofbapaumethatinanotherweek,withtheenemyfaraway,itwouldgoupindustandashes.onlyafewofourmenwerekilledorblindedbythesemonkey-tricks.ourengineersfoundmostofthembeforetheyweretouchedoff,butonewentdowndugoutsorintoruinedhouseswithasenseofimminentdanger.allthroughthedevastatedregiononewalkedwithanuncannyfeelingofanevilspiritleftbehindbymassesofmenwhosebodieshadgoneaway.itexudedfromscrapsofoldclothing,itwasinthestenchofthedugoutsandintheruinstheyhadmade.

insomefewvillagestherewerelivingpeopleleftbehind,somehundredsinnesleandroye,and,alltold,somethousands.theyhadbeendriveninfromtheothervillagesburningaroundthem,theirownvillages,whosedevastationtheywepttosee.imetthesepeoplewhohadlivedundergermanruleandtalkedwithmanyofthem—oldwomen,wrinkledlikedried-upapples,youngwomenwaxenofskin,hollow-eyed,withsharpcheekbones,oldpeasantfarmersandthegamekeepersoffrenchchateaux,andyoungboysandgirlspinchedbyyearsofhungerthatwasnotquitestarvation.itwasfromthesepeoplethatilearnedagooddealaboutthepsychologyofgermansoldiersduringthebattlesofthesomme.theytoldmeoftheterrorofthesemenattheincreasingfuryofourgun-fire,oftheirdesertionandrevolttoescapetheslaughter,andoftheirrageagainstthe“greatpeople”whousedthemforgun-fodder.habituallymanyofthemtalkedofthewarasthe“greatswindle.”thesefrenchcivilianshatedthegermansinthemasswithacold,deadlyhatred.theyspokewithshrillpassionatthethoughtofgermandiscipline,fines,punishments,requisitions,whichtheyhadsufferedintheseyears.thehopeofvengeancewaslikewatertoparchedthroats.yetinoticedthatnearlyeveryoneofthesepeoplehadsomethinggoodtosayaboutsomegermansoldierwhohadbeenbilletedwiththem.“hewasagood-naturedfellow.hechoppedwoodformeandgavethechildrenhisownbread.heweptwhenhetoldmethatthevillagewastobedestroyed.”evensomeofthegermanofficershaddeploredthisdestruction.“theworldwillhavearighttocallusbarbarians,”saidoneoftheminham.“butwhatcanwedo?weareunderorders.ifwedonotobeyweshallbeshot.itisthecrueltyofthehighcommand.itisthecrueltyofwar.”

onthewholeitseemedtheyhadnotmisusedthewomen.iheardnotalesofactualatrocity,thoughsomeofbrutalpassion.butmanywomenedtheirshoulderswheniquestionedthemaboutthisandsaid:“theyhadnoneedtouseviolenceintheirwayoflove—making.thereweremanyvolunteers.”

theyrubbedtheirthumbsandfingerstogetherasthoughtouchingmoneyandsaid,“youunderstand?”

iunderstoodwheniwenttoaconventinamiensandsawacrowdofyoungmotherswithflaxen-hairedbabies,justarrivedfromtheliberateddistricts.“allthosearethechildrenofgermanfathers,”saidtheoldreverendmother.“thatistheworsttragedyofwar.howwillgodpunishallthis?alas!itistheinnocentwhosufferfortheguilty.”

eighteenmonthslater,orthereabouts,iwentintoahouseincologne,whereabritishoutpostwasonthehohenzollernbridge.therewasababies'crecheinanupperroom,andagermanladywastendingthirtylittleoneswhosechorusof“gutentag!gutentag!”waslikethequackingofducks.

“afterto-morrowtherewillbenomoremilkforthem,”shesaid.

“andthen?”iasked.

“andthenmanyofthemwilldie.”

sheweptalittle.ithoughtofthoseotherbabiesinamiens,andoftheoldreverendmother.

“howwillgodpunishallthis?alas!itistheinnocentwhosufferfortheguilty.”

ofthosethingsgeneralludendorffdoesnotwriteinhismemoirs,whichdealwiththestrategyandmachineryofwar.