The Marne Battle-fields (1914)

by Unknown

HISTORICAL PART

IMPORTANT NOTE.—On pages [4] to [16] will be found a brief summarized account of the Battle of the Marne and of the events which immediately preceded it. We recommend the reading of these few pages attentively, and the consultation of the maps annexed to the same, before reading the descriptive part which commences at page [17].

A clear understanding of the action as a whole is absolutely necessary to comprehend with interest the description of the separate combats.

THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE

(1914)

The above map gives a general view of the ground on which took place successively: the battle of the frontier, the retreat of the Allies, the victorious stand, and the pursuit of the retreating enemy.

The distance from Paris to Verdun is 140 miles as the crow flies; from Charleroi to the Marne is 97 miles.

In consequence of the tearing up of that fateful "scrap of paper" which preceded the invasion of Belgium by Germany, in violation of the common rights of man, the Battle of the Frontier (also called the Battle of Charleroi) was fought in August 1914 on the line Mons—Charleroi—Dinant—Saint-Hubert—Longwy—Metz.

MAUNOURY

On August 22, 1914, and the two succeeding days this Allied offensive failed at Charleroi, in consequence of which the French Commander-in-chief, General Joffre, broke off contact with the enemy and ordered a general retreat.

It was impossible to do otherwise as the enemy forces were greatly superior in numbers. Moreover, they were well equipped with powerful artillery and machine-guns, whereas the Franco-British forces were short of both. Lastly, the German soldier had long been trained in trench warfare, whereas the Allies had yet to learn this art.

To help in readjusting the balance between the opposing forces, Joffre fell back in the direction of the French reserves.

The respite thus afforded was utilized to re-arrange the commands, and to train the reserves in the form of warfare adopted by the Germans. Meanwhile, the latter greatly extended their line of communications and more or less tired themselves.

Then began that heroic retreat, without precedent in history, which attained a depth of 122 miles, and in the course of which the Allied soldiers, though already fatigued, marched as much as thirty miles a day facing about from time to time and counter-attacking fiercely, often with success.

The Germans followed in pursuit, overrunning the country like a plague of locusts. Using their left wing as a pivot, their right undertook a vast turning movement taking in Valenciennes, Cambrai, Péronne, and Amiens.

By August 27 Joffre had fixed up a plan according to which the offensive was to be taken again at the first favourable opportunity. In view of the execution of this plan an important mass of troops, under the orders of General Maunoury, was formed on the French left.

General Maunoury's task was to outflank at a given moment the German right wing while, at the same time, a general attack, or at least unflinching resistance, was to be made along the rest of the front.

This was the Allies' reply to the turning movement of the German general Von Kluck.

A first line of resistance offered itself on the River Somme, where fierce fighting took place. It was, however, realized that the battle front could not be reformed there successfully. Joffre wanted a flanking position not only for his left wing, but also for his right, which the Somme line did not offer. He therefore continued the withdrawal of the whole front towards the River Marne and Paris.

On September 3 German cavalry patrols were signalled at Ecouen, only eight miles from the gates of Paris. The inhabitants of the latter were asking themselves anxiously whether they, too, would not have to face the horrors of a German occupation. The suspense was cruel. Fortunately, a great man, General Gallieni, was silently watching over their destinies.

This great soldier had just been made Military Governor of Paris, with General Maunoury's Army, mentioned a moment ago, under his orders. The entrenched camp of Paris and this army were, in turn, under the authority of the French Commander-in-Chief, Joffre, who thus had full liberty of action from Paris to Verdun.

On September 3 General Gallieni issued his stirring proclamation which put soldiers and civilians alike on their mettle:

"Armies of Paris, Inhabitants of Paris, the Government of the Republic has left Paris to give a new impulse to the National Defence. I have received orders to defend Paris against invasion. I shall do this to the end."

The temptation to push straight on to the long-coveted capital must have been very great for the German High Command. However, in view of the danger presented by the Franco-British forces, which were still unbroken, it was eventually decided first to crush the Allied armies, and then to march on Paris, which would fall like 'a ripe pear.'

GALLIENI

Seemingly ignorant of Maunoury's existence, Von Kluck's Army slanted off eastwards in pursuit of the British force, which it had received orders from the Kaiser to exterminate and which it had been harrying incessantly during its retreat from the Belgian frontier.

There will be heated arguments for many years to come as to whether the German High Command was right or wrong in giving up the direct advance on Paris, but whatever the consensus of expert opinion on the point may eventually be, one thing is certain—Von Kluck did not expect the furious attack by the Army of Paris, which followed.

Later, he declared: "There was only one general who, against all rules, would have dared to carry the fight so far from his base. Unluckily for me, that man was Gallieni."

On September 3, thanks to the Flying Corps, General Gallieni learned of the change of direction taken by Von Kluck's Army. Realising the possibilities which this offered, he suggested a flank attack by the Army of Paris. As previously mentioned, such an attack formed part of Joffre's general plan, matured on August 27. It was, however, necessary that the attack should be not merely a local and temporary success, as would have been the case on the Somme line for instance, where the remainder of the front was not in a favourable position for resistance, or attack.

On September 4, after conferring with General Gallieni, Joffre decided that conditions were favourable for a new offensive, and fixed upon September 6 as the date on which the decisive battle should be begun along the whole front.