Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne, fought from September 6 to September 12, 1914, marked a pivotal moment in World War I, halting the German advance into France and altering the course of the war. As German forces reached a position just thirty miles east of Paris, French General Joseph Joffre coordinated a counteroffensive that began unexpectedly a day early, involving troops from the Paris garrison. This counterattack exploited a gap created between the German First and Second Armies, allowing the French Fifth Army and the British Expeditionary Force to strike effectively. The German commander, General Helmuth von Moltke, realizing the precarious situation, ordered a retreat to the Aisne River to avoid encirclement. The battle resulted in the end of Germany's hopes for a swift victory as outlined in the Schlieffen Plan, leading to a prolonged stalemate. Following the battle, a race to secure advantageous positions ensued, resulting in extensive trench warfare that characterized much of the conflict. The Battle of the Marne ultimately underscored the resilience of the Allied forces and set the stage for years of intense military engagement on the Western Front.
On this Page
Battle of the Marne
Type of action: Ground battle in World War I
Date: September 5-9, 1914
Location: A line thirty miles east of Paris, from Meaux on the Marne River to the Marshes of St. Gond on the Petit Morin
Combatants: French and British vs. Germans
Principal commanders:French, General Joseph-Jacques-Césaire Joffre (1852–1931); German, General Helmuth von Moltke (1848–1916)
Result: The Allies repelled the German advance into France
By the evening of September 4, 1914, the exhausted German First and Second Armies had reached a line thirty miles east of Paris. General Joseph-Jacques-Césaire Joffre issued an order for an Anglo-French counteroffensive to begin on September 6, but the battle began a day early when troops dispatched from the Paris garrison by taxi ran into the right flank of the westernmost German army (the First). As the commander of the First Army pulled his troops west to meet this assault, a gap opened between his forces and those of the Second Army to his left. It was into this gap that Joffre sent the French Fifth Army and the British Expeditionary Force. Disconcerted by the developing situation, General Helmuth von Moltke sent a staff officer to survey the situation. Concerned that the First Army would be cut off and annihilated, the staff officer ordered the German forces to retreat to the Aisne River. This brought an end to the German advance into France and signaled an end to its hopes of the quick victory envisioned by the Schlieffen Plan.
Significance
The Battle of the Marne blunted the German advance into France. After September 9, a race by the competing armies to turn each other’s flank resulted in a line of entrenchments that extended from the North Sea to Switzerland and inaugurated four years of trench warfare.
Bibliography
The Battle of the Marne. Documentary. Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 1991.
Holmes, Richard. Riding the Retreat: Mons to the Marne, 1914 Revisited. London: J. Cape, 1995.
Keegan, John. The First World War. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999.