Let us acknowledge that we needed a lesson in patriotism--For down within us all is something deeper than personal interests, than personal kinships, than party feeling, and this is the need and the will to devote ourselves to that most general interest which Rome termed the public thing, Res publica.
And this profound will within us is patriotism." Meanwhile there was a slight offset to the German successes.

Russia had overrun Galicia and the Allies had conquered the Germany colony of Togoland in Africa.

But on August 26 the Russians were severely defeated in the battle of Tannenburg in East Prussia.

This was offset by a British naval victory in Helgoland Bight.

(August 28.) So great had become the pressure of the German armies that on September 3 the French government removed from Paris to Bordeaux.