First Battle Of The Marne

First Battle of the Marne, September 5-12, 1914, a pivotal World War I battle that halted the German advance on Paris

French Offensives into Alsace-Lorraine

1914 Aug

The French army launched offensives into Alsace-Lorraine, aiming to recover territory lost in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. These offensives were part of France's Plan XVII, which incorrectly anticipated that Germany would concentrate its forces in eastern France. The French military philosophy at the time emphasized the 'cult of the offensive,' prioritizing spirit and guts over defensive strategies.

Creation of the French 6th and 9th Armies

1914 Aug

As the Great Retreat continued, Joffre bolstered defenses by creating two new armies: the 6th, to defend Paris, and the 9th, stationed between the 3rd and 4th armies. He also transferred men from eastern armies and integrated reserves into the defense, strengthening the Allied forces in preparation for a counterattack.

Germany Declares War on France

1914 Aug 3

Germany declared war on France, anticipating a swift victory. This declaration was part of a broader strategy to avoid a two-front war by quickly defeating France before turning attention to Russia. The German strategy involved an invasion through Belgium, violating its neutrality, to outflank French defenses.

Beginning of the Great Retreat

1914 Aug 24

Joffre acknowledged the risk to his northwestern flank and abandoned Plan XVII. He initiated the Great Retreat, a 300 km withdrawal of the French 3rd, 4th, and 5th armies and the BEF. This retreat was a response to the German advance and a shift to a defensive posture to wear down the enemy before resuming the offensive.

Moltke Issues Grand Directive

1914 Sep 2

Moltke issued a Grand Directive altering the German attack strategy. Instead of encircling Paris to the west and south, the Germans would bypass it to the north and attempt to entrap French forces between Paris and Verdun. This change required the 1st Army to follow in echelon to protect the western flank of the 2nd Army.

Kluck's Forces Cross the Marne River

1914 Sep 3

Kluck's forces crossed the Marne River 60 km east of Paris, marking the first German troops to do so. This move was part of Kluck's pursuit of the retreating French 5th Army and reflected his confidence that the Allied forces were depleted and defeated. However, this boldness left his flank exposed.

Joffre Replaces Lanrezac with d'Espèrey

1914 Sep 3

Joffre dismissed Lanrezac as commander of the 5th army and replaced him with d'Espèrey. This decision came despite Lanrezac's correct assessment of the German offensive and his defensive posture, which preserved his army. The change in command reflected Joffre's preparation for a counterattack.

Joffre Orders Counterattack

1914 Sep 4

Joffre issued Instruction General No. 5, halting the French retreat and ordering a counterattack to begin on September 6. This decision followed discussions with British commanders and reflected Joffre's belief that British participation was crucial for success.

Beginning of the First Battle of the Marne

1914 Sep 5

The First Battle of the Marne, also known as the Miracle on the Marne, was a crucial battle in World War I. Fought between September 5 and 12, 1914, it halted the German advance into France, preventing the quick victory they sought. The battle took place as the German army aimed to occupy Paris and defeat the French and British armies, but the Allies managed to halt their retreat in the Marne River valley.

Clash on Kluck's Right Flank

1914 Sep 5

French and Germans clashed on Kluck's 1st army's right flank as part of Maunoury's 6th army was probing northeast from Paris near the Ourcq River. Gronau attacked the French, holding them off for 24 hours before retreating. Kluck was warned of the threat to his right flank and his whole army.

Creation of Gap Between German Armies

1914 Sep 5

Kluck's turn to the northwest to fight the 6th French army created a 50 km gap between his forces and Bülow's 2nd German army. This gap was observed by French air reconnaissance and exploited by the Allies, who sent the BEF and 5th Army into the breach.

Taxi Transport to the Front

1914 Sep 7

Military Governor Gallieni in Paris reinforced the 6th army by transporting soldiers to the front via rail, truck, and Renault taxis. Approximately six hundred taxicabs were commandeered to carry soldiers to Nanteuil-le-Haudouin, 50 kilometers away. The French treasury reimbursed the total fare of 70,012 francs.

Hausen's Attack on Foch's 9th Army

1914 Sep 8

Hausen launched a surprise attack on Foch's 9th army in the Marshes of Saint-Gond near Sézanne. The attack, launched at night with no artillery preparation, pushed Foch back 13 km but eventually bogged down due to exhaustion and casualties.

Hentsch Visits German Armies

1914 Sep 8

Hentsch departed Luxembourg by automobile and visited the 5th, 4th, and 3rd German Armies that afternoon. He reported back to Moltke that the situation of those armies was "entirely favorable."

Hentsch Orders Bülow's Withdrawal

1914 Sep 8

Hentsch, Moltke's emissary, met with Bülow and his staff at 2nd Army headquarters. Informed that Bülow's right flank was near collapse, Hentsch asserted his authority to order Kluck to withdraw from his battle with the 6th French Army. Bülow ordered a 20 km withdrawal of his forces.

Hentsch Orders Kluck's Retreat

1914 Sep 9

Hentsch met with Kuhl, Kluck's chief of staff, and described Bülow's hazardous position, asserting the necessity of a general retreat. Kuhl acceded to Hentsch's authority, and Kluck issued the order to retreat, citing the behest of Moltke's General Staff.

Joffre Orders Advance

1914 Sep 10

Joffre ordered the French armies and the BEF to advance, gathering up German stragglers, wounded, and equipment. The advance was opposed only by rearguards, marking the beginning of efforts to exploit the German retreat.

Moltke Orders General Retreat to the Aisne River

1914 Sep 11

Moltke visited the 3rd, 4th, and 5th German armies and ordered their retreat to the Aisne River, joining the ongoing retreat of the 1st and 2nd armies. This retreat aimed to regroup the German forces for another offensive.

End of the Schlieffen Plan

1914 Sep 13

The German retreat from September 9–13 marked the end of the Schlieffen Plan, the strategy for a quick victory over France. The failure of this plan forced Germany into a two-front war, a scenario its strategists had long feared.

Moltke Forced to Resign

1914 Sep 14

German military authorities informed Kaiser Wilhelm II that Moltke's nerves were at an end and he was no longer able to conduct operations. The Kaiser forced Moltke to resign due to "ill health," and Erich von Falkenhayn was appointed to replace him.

Germans Dig In on the Aisne

1914 Sep 14

The German armies ended their withdrawal on high ground on the north bank of the Aisne and began to dig in. Frontal attacks by the Ninth, Fifth, and Sixth Armies were repulsed from 15–16 September.

French Second Army Moves from Lorraine

1914 Sep 17

The French Second Army completed a move from Lorraine and took over command of the left-hand corps of the Sixth Army, as indications appeared that German troops were also being moved from the eastern flank.

Beginning of the Race to the Sea

1914 Sep 17

The belligerents made reciprocal attempts to turn the northern flank of their opponent. Joffre ordered the French Second Army to move to the north of the French Sixth Army, by moving from eastern France from 2–9 September and Falkenhayn who had replaced Moltke on 14 September, ordered the German 6th Army to move from the German-French border to the northern flank on 17 September.

Beginning of Battle of Flirey

1914 Sep 19

The German armies attacked from Verdun westwards to Reims and the Aisne at the Battle of Flirey, cut the main railway from Verdun to Paris and created the St. Mihiel salient, south of the Verdun fortress zone.

Beginning of the First Battle of Picardy

1914 Sep 22

The French advance at the First Battle of Picardy met a German attack rather than an open flank. By the end of the Battle of Albert, the Second Army had been reinforced to eight Corps but was still opposed by German forces at the Battle of Arras, rather than advancing around the German northern flank.

Beginning of the Battle of Albert

1914 Sep 25

By the end of the Battle of Albert, the Second Army had been reinforced to eight Corps but was still opposed by German forces at the Battle of Arras, rather than advancing around the German northern flank.

End of the Battle of Albert

1914 Sep 29

By the end of the Battle of Albert, the Second Army had been reinforced to eight Corps but was still opposed by German forces at the Battle of Arras, rather than advancing around the German northern flank.

Battles of La Bassée, Messines and Armentières

1914 Oct

The Franco-British attacks towards Lille in October at the battles of La Bassée, Messines and Armentières were followed up by attempts to advance between the BEF and the Belgian army by a new French Eighth Army.

BEF Withdraws from the Aisne

1914 Oct 1

The BEF began to withdraw from the Aisne on the night of October 1/2, with the first troops arriving in Abbeville on the Somme on the night of October 8/9. The BEF prepared to commence operations in French Flanders and Flanders in Belgium, joining with the British forces that had been in Belgium since August.

Beginning of the Battle of Arras

1914 Oct 1

By the end of the Battle of Albert, the Second Army had been reinforced to eight Corps but was still opposed by German forces at the Battle of Arras, rather than advancing around the German northern flank.

End of the Battle of Arras

1914 Oct 4

By the end of the Battle of Albert, the Second Army had been reinforced to eight Corps but was still opposed by German forces at the Battle of Arras, rather than advancing around the German northern flank.

Formation of the French Tenth Army

1914 Oct 4

The BEF had begun to move from the Aisne to Flanders and reinforcements from England assembled on the left flank of the Tenth Army, which had been formed from the left flank units of the 2nd Army.

BEF Moves from the Aisne to Flanders

1914 Oct 5

The BEF had begun to move from the Aisne to Flanders on 5 October and reinforcements from England assembled on the left flank of the Tenth Army, which had been formed from the left flank units of the 2nd Army on 4 October.

BEF Arrives in Abbeville

1914 Oct 8

The BEF began to withdraw from the Aisne on the night of October 1/2, with the first troops arriving in Abbeville on the Somme on the night of October 8/9. The BEF prepared to commence operations in French Flanders and Flanders in Belgium, joining with the British forces that had been in Belgium since August.

End of Battle of Flirey

1914 Oct 11

The German armies attacked from Verdun westwards to Reims and the Aisne at the Battle of Flirey, cut the main railway from Verdun to Paris and created the St. Mihiel salient, south of the Verdun fortress zone.

German Offensive at the Battle of the Yser

1914 Oct 16

A new 4th Army was assembled from the III Reserve Corps, the siege artillery used against Antwerp, and four of the new reserve corps training in Germany. A German offensive began by 21 October but the 4th and 6th Armies were only able to take small amounts of ground, at great cost to both sides at the Battle of the Yser and further south in the First Battle of Ypres.

End of the Race to the Sea

1914 Oct 17

The belligerents made reciprocal attempts to turn the northern flank of their opponent. Joffre ordered the French Second Army to move to the north of the French Sixth Army, by moving from eastern France from 2–9 September and Falkenhayn who had replaced Moltke on 14 September, ordered the German 6th Army to move from the German-French border to the northern flank on 17 September.

Beginning of the First Battle of Ypres

1914 Oct 19

A new 4th Army was assembled from the III Reserve Corps, the siege artillery used against Antwerp, and four of the new reserve corps training in Germany. A German offensive began by 21 October but the 4th and 6th Armies were only able to take small amounts of ground, at great cost to both sides at the Battle of the Yser and further south in the First Battle of Ypres.

End of the Battle of the Yser

1914 Oct 31

A new 4th Army was assembled from the III Reserve Corps, the siege artillery used against Antwerp, and four of the new reserve corps training in Germany. A German offensive began by 21 October but the 4th and 6th Armies were only able to take small amounts of ground, at great cost to both sides at the Battle of the Yser and further south in the First Battle of Ypres.

French Offensives into Alsace-Lorraine

Creation of the French 6th and 9th Armies

Germany Declares War on France

Beginning of the Great Retreat

Moltke Issues Grand Directive

Kluck's Forces Cross the Marne River

Joffre Replaces Lanrezac with d'Espèrey

Joffre Orders Counterattack

Beginning of the First Battle of the Marne

Clash on Kluck's Right Flank

Creation of Gap Between German Armies

Taxi Transport to the Front

Hausen's Attack on Foch's 9th Army

Hentsch Visits German Armies

Hentsch Orders Bülow's Withdrawal

Hentsch Orders Kluck's Retreat

Joffre Orders Advance

Moltke Orders General Retreat to the Aisne River

End of the Schlieffen Plan

Moltke Forced to Resign

Germans Dig In on the Aisne

French Second Army Moves from Lorraine

Beginning of the Race to the Sea

Beginning of Battle of Flirey

Beginning of the First Battle of Picardy

Beginning of the Battle of Albert

End of the Battle of Albert

Battles of La Bassée, Messines and Armentières

BEF Withdraws from the Aisne

Beginning of the Battle of Arras

End of the Battle of Arras

Formation of the French Tenth Army

BEF Moves from the Aisne to Flanders

BEF Arrives in Abbeville

End of Battle of Flirey

German Offensive at the Battle of the Yser

End of the Race to the Sea

Beginning of the First Battle of Ypres

End of the Battle of the Yser

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