Page 23 - History of War - Issue 01-14

British Royal Horse Artillery advance into
the gap between the armies of von Kluck and
von Bülow at the Battle of the Marne

forces would wheel inside Paris rather than meet the threat, creating a gap in the German
envelop and capture it. But by doing that, the lines. The BEF, tentatively at fi rst, advanced into
Germans would offer the Allies their fl ank and the void between von Kluck’s and von Bülow’s
Joffre would be given a chance to counter-attack forces, threatening the entire German position.
with his burgeoning forces. The French plan of However, a problem soon developed in the
action was simple and devastating. Maunoury Allied assault. Von Kluck’s forces fought with
and his newly formed army would strike von such ferocity that they threatened to throw the
Kluck’s fl ank. Joffre hoped that von Kluck, attacking French back into Paris; this would
seeing his vulnerable fl ank threatened, would leave the BEF stranded between two superior
turn his army to face Maunoury’s assault. Such German forces and facing annihilation. On 7 and
an action would create a large gap between 8 September, the outcome of the First Battle
von Kluck’s and von Bülow’s armies. Into this of the Marne hung in the balance. Now, Gallieni
gap, the BEF would advance, threatening intervened. Realising the decisive moment
von Kluck with envelopment and destruction. was at hand, he sent 6,000 reinforcements to
Though the British were initially reluctant the hard-pressed Maunoury. The fresh troops
to agree to such a risky offensive, the Allied sped to the front in 600 taxicabs and buses
counter-attack occurred on 6 September, – the fabled “Taxis of the Marne”. Arriving in British soldiers
beginning the First Battle of the Marne. As the nick of time, the reinforcements enabled shelter against the
expected, von Kluck reacted to Maunoury’s Maunoury to hold the line and, once again, cold in late 1914
attack by shifting troops from his left fl ank to threaten the Germans with disaster.

KING ALBERT I JOSEPH JOFFRE SIR JOHN FRENCH KARL VON BÜLOW PRINCE RUPPRECHT KAISER WILHELM II

The King of Belgium As French General during The first Earl of Ypres Assigned to the German The Crown Prince of As a friend of Archduke
assumed command of the First World War, commanded the British Second Army, Field Marshal Bavaria commanded the Franz Ferdinand, Emperor
the nation’s small army. Joffre is best-known for Expeditionary Force von Bülow’s army was part German Sixth Army at the Wilhelm was shocked
Initially cast aside by regrouping the retreating (BEF) from August 1914 of the German force that outbreak of war in Lorraine, at his assassination.
German forces, in October Allied armies to defeat to December 1915. His invaded Belgium. Following but failed to break through He encouraged the

1914 Albert’s troops held the Germans at the first forces were deployed to his poor decision-making the French lines. He was Austrians to adopt an

firm by stemming the Battle of the Marne in the continent and settled in the capture of France, one of the first Generals to uncompromising line
German advance, partly 1914. He maintained calm in Belgium, where they had the German public believed realise that the war could against Serbia, giving
through flooding the throughout the conflict and the support of the Belgian him to be responsible not be won, and left his them full German support

low-lying countryside. refused to admit defeat. Army and its fortresses. for their country’s failure. post in November 1918. in the case of war.
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