Extracted from: The Franco-German War: The War That Ended Early, by Franz Gottlieb. Engel Publishing, Copyright 2010
The Franco-German war was largely one of manoeuvre, and the Battle of the Marne was to prove its end. The reasons are simple: the French position went from bad to worse throughout the war, never mind the battle, and their generals were too busy bickering with those of the British Expeditionary Force to send reinforcements [1].
French soldiers waiting to attack
The French Sixth Army broke on the 7th of September, having received no reinforcements - there were no trains or buses to move them to the front. Some historians have said that taxi-cabs could have been used, but there is no evidence that this was ever seriously considered [2].
With the Sixth Army broken, the French began to withdraw, but confusion reigned and orders were not clear, resulting in an initial orderly withdrawal being turned into a panicked rout by German attacks.
The result was the complete collapse of the French west flank, which lead to the encirclement and destruction of their eastern flank, which was already under serious attack.
The French defeat at the Marne paved the way for the Fall of Paris...
The French Defeat at the Marne and its Implications, by Robert Autumn. Random House Inc., Copyright 2007
The disaster that was the Battle of the Marne resulted in the Fall of Paris. The Germans dug a series of trenches around the city with typical efficiency, and shelled outlying areas of it heavily before beginning an infantry attack assisted with armoured cars, cavalry, and artillery barrages.
Notre Dame Cathedral, A Parisian Landmark
French and British troops fought a grinding war of attrition within the city itself, assisted by civilians, but were slowly and surely ground into dust beneath the seemingly-invincible hammer of the Germans. As the battle continued, smaller and smaller pockets of troops began to surrender, as the French offices of government were seized and the government was simply forced to surrender, there being simply no other option.
With the humiliation of France and Britain, the peace-talks for the Franco-German War could begin...
[1] POD
[2] Another POD
The Franco-German war was largely one of manoeuvre, and the Battle of the Marne was to prove its end. The reasons are simple: the French position went from bad to worse throughout the war, never mind the battle, and their generals were too busy bickering with those of the British Expeditionary Force to send reinforcements [1].
French soldiers waiting to attack
The French Sixth Army broke on the 7th of September, having received no reinforcements - there were no trains or buses to move them to the front. Some historians have said that taxi-cabs could have been used, but there is no evidence that this was ever seriously considered [2].
With the Sixth Army broken, the French began to withdraw, but confusion reigned and orders were not clear, resulting in an initial orderly withdrawal being turned into a panicked rout by German attacks.
The result was the complete collapse of the French west flank, which lead to the encirclement and destruction of their eastern flank, which was already under serious attack.
The French defeat at the Marne paved the way for the Fall of Paris...
The French Defeat at the Marne and its Implications, by Robert Autumn. Random House Inc., Copyright 2007
The disaster that was the Battle of the Marne resulted in the Fall of Paris. The Germans dug a series of trenches around the city with typical efficiency, and shelled outlying areas of it heavily before beginning an infantry attack assisted with armoured cars, cavalry, and artillery barrages.
Notre Dame Cathedral, A Parisian Landmark
French and British troops fought a grinding war of attrition within the city itself, assisted by civilians, but were slowly and surely ground into dust beneath the seemingly-invincible hammer of the Germans. As the battle continued, smaller and smaller pockets of troops began to surrender, as the French offices of government were seized and the government was simply forced to surrender, there being simply no other option.
With the humiliation of France and Britain, the peace-talks for the Franco-German War could begin...
[1] POD
[2] Another POD
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