MARNE, BATTLES OF THE. The first Battle of the Marne fought in Sep tember, 1914, marked a turning point in the European War. On Sept. 6 French and British halted their retreat from Mons and Charleroi and made a stand against the German armies. General von Kluck, unable to invest Paris as origi nally intended, while the French armies remained undefeated, was forced to stand and fight. The great struggle began on Sept. 6. Manoury's Sixth Army with Sordet's cavalry were concentrated near Amiens, their right on Roye and as Von Kluck swerved to the left this army was on the flank of the entire German line joining the Seine at Charenton, a few miles above Paris; length, 326 miles; is navigable for 126 miles up to St. Dizier. It is connected by canals with the Rhine, the Aisne, and the Seine. See MARNE, BATTLES OF THE.
extending to Verdun. Next to the Sixth French Army were the British and then the Fifth French Army under D'Esperey, of four corps, with Conneau's cavalry be tween. The three armies operated to gether on Sept. 6. against the First (Von Kluck's) and the Second (Von Billow's) Armies. A Ninth French Army under General Foch occupied the center of the line, joining Langle de Cary's Fourth Army eastward, where they were op posed by the Third Saxon and the Duke of Wiirttembe rg's Fourth Army. Farther east beyond the plain of Chalons were the Third French (Sarrail), Second (Castelnau), and First (Dubail) facing the Crown Prince of Prussia, the Crown Prince of Bavaria, and General von Hee ringen. The Prussian Crown Prince's D'Esperey had failed, and Manoury and Sir John French had turned his flank. The British had spread over the country between the Grande and Petit Morin and by night were in contact with Von Kluck's rear guard. D'Esperey cap tured Montmirail on the Petit Morin, ex posing Von Kluck's right flank, and at night General Foch pushed forward his left wing and secured a position to the left of Von Billow. Foch discovered also a gap between Von Kluck and Von Bil low's right, and by a daring move drove army was driven back by Dubail, Sar rail, and Castelnau, and held from Nancy and Verdun. Manoury's Sixth was divided only from Von Kluck by the river Ourcq. The German general crossed the Ourcq and fell upon the French Sixth Army with such violence that for two days victory hung in the balance for either side. Then 20,000 men, Republican Guards and gendarmes were rushed to the scene from Paris in cabs and auto mobiles and the Germans were forced to withdraw. Meanwhile D'Esperey's Fifth French Army on Sept. 6 had fought off the Third and Fourth German Corps. The British co-operated in these opera tions, but the French bore the brunt of the fighting. On Sept. 7, the British and Fifth French moved northward. The Sixth French Army still struggled on the Ourcq. The Fifth drove the Ger
mans back to the Petit Morin river. Foch's army held ground, fighting hard. Tills French on the 8th advanced to Cha teau-Thierry to reach the Marne river. The entire German right was in retreat. Von Kluck's frontal movement against his right between the two German armies. On the 9th Manoury won the line of the Ourcq; the British forced the Petit Morin, and by nightfall were near the Marne. Von Kluck was in full retreat.
By night D'Esperey, advancing from Montmirail, was in touch with the Brit ish at Chateau-Thierry. The German right had given way and Von Biilow's right, furiously attacked by Foch in the morning of Sept. 9, while holding ground was still in peril. Two of Von Billow's corps, driven into the marshes of St. Gond, lost heavily before they could gain high ground on the following morning. Von Billow's left and Von Hausen came under especially heavy French artillery fire, while at the same time Foch and Langle de Cary made violent direct at tacks. Von Billow was driven several miles toward Epernay and Von Hausen almost to Chalons. The Germans had now received reinforcements and their defense stiffened, but nothing could check seriously the Allies' drive. By night on Sept. 10 the battle was in its last throes. General Foch was near Chalons and General Langle de Cary occupied Vihy. Foch pushed on and entered Chalons. Manoury's Sixth French Army was mov ing along the right bank of the Ourcq toward Compiegne, driving Von BiHow almost to Rheims. On Sept. 12 the Ger mans had reached their prepared posi tions on the Aisne river.
The first Battle of the Marne was more of a moral victory for the Allies than a material one. It gave them time to prepare and forever shattered German hopes of a swift victory over France on which they had counted.
The second Battle of the Marne began on July 15, 1918, when General Foch's drive against the Germans was under way, culminating in their collapse. The Americans attacking at Vaux northwest of Chateau-Thierry at first lost ground and then drove the enemy across the Marne. On July 16 the Germans devel oped their positions on the south bank of the Marne east of Mazy and south of Dormans. Penetration at Bligny was developed by the Allies south to the Marne. July 18-23 French and American detachments under General Mangin at tacked the right wing of the Prussian Crown Prince between Soissons and Chfi teau-Thierry on a 28-mile front with a penetration of 6 miles as far as the river Crise. The Allies saved the plateau of Soissons and recovered the entire sector northwest of Chateau-Thierry. In the center they crossed the Marne, threaten ing Jaulgonne. The booty from July 18 to 23, amounted to 25,000 prisoners and over 400 guns.