FIRST BATTLE OF THE MARNE IN WORLD WAR I

The First Battle of the Marne occurred from September 6th to the 12th in 1914 and was the first major conflict of World War I.  The First Battle of the Marne is significant for how French forces were able to stop the advancing German army before they reached Paris.  The battle saw defending French troops stop the German army from carrying out the Schlieffen Plan and leading to trench warfare in Northern France that would last for another 4 years.  Previous to the First Battle of the Marne, the German army had invaded France by way of Belgium.  British forces assisted the Belgium forces by slowing the German forces as they advanced through the country.  This slower pace, allowed the French to prepare to defend their country.  Eventually, the German forces were stopped at the Marne River just 30 miles from capturing the French capital.  It is estimated that the French and the German each suffered 250,000 casualties at the First Battle of the Marne.  While it is remembered as a victory for the Allied forces, it is also the event that led to the continued stalemate of trench warfare that remained on the Western Front for the rest of the war.

French soldiers at the First Battle of the Marne.

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