Chapter Summaries

The German Left Wing Army Group, led by General Kluck and General Ludendorff, launched a truck-supported advance from Amiens toward Rouen to cut the Seine River supply route and then move on Paris. Sir French ordered the British and French corps in the region to prepare to resist and considered calling up reinforcements.

• General Kluck and General Ludendorff reviewed the plan to advance south to Rouen, cross the Seine, and attack toward Paris while the Allied main force was engaged on the Marne.
• General Ludendorff reported that the 8th Army Corps was ready, and General Kluck ordered the army group to depart in an hour.
• At nine in the morning on April 1, the German 1st Army Corps and 8th Army Corps set out from Amiens in two columns.
• Sir French ordered the British Expeditionary Force 1st Army Corps and 3rd Army Corps and the French 1st Army Corps to prepare to hold back the German advance.
• Sir French considered deploying additional British and French corps to reinforce the front.

At British Expeditionary Force headquarters in Creil, Sir French and Allied generals prepared for a massive German offensive threatening Paris and the Marne. They ordered the front to stay alert and planned to reinforce and deploy their forces, leaving the Allies facing a decisive battle as their only hope of saving Britain and France.

• Sir French told the Allied generals that more than 500,000 German troops were advancing south from Amiens and could meet their forces by the next morning.
• General Haig and General Benson warned that German attacks at the Marne and the Royal Navy’s defeat had left Britain and France in grave danger.
• General D'Esperey said German forces had become much stronger, and Sir French insisted that the Allies had to defeat them to save their countries.
• Sir French proposed identifying the main direction of the German offensive and requested the British Expeditionary Force 4th Army Corps and French 10th Army Corps as reinforcements.
• General D'Esperey and General Haig judged Paris to be the likely German target, while Sir French ordered frontline troops to report attacks and the main force to prepare to move.

The German Left Wing Army Group advanced south and found Aumale's British defenders unprepared because Major General George Milne ignored orders to strengthen their alert. German forces captured the town in less than two hours, and Major General Guderian ordered his troops to rest and resupply before continuing south the next morning.

• Major General George Milne dismissed a warning from headquarters and left the British 2nd Infantry Division in Aumale without additional preparations.
• On April 1, Major General Guderian and Major General Cavell found that the British had no defenses ready and ordered their artillery to bombard Aumale.
• The German 8th Armored Division attacked as the British tried to assemble, and the British division broke and fled.
• German forces captured Aumale, taking two or three thousand British prisoners while most of the defenders escaped.
• Major General Guderian ordered his troops to rest and replenish supplies and fuel before advancing south at first light.

After the German forces captured Aumale, Sir French and the Allied commanders misjudged their next target and prepared to defend Beauvais. When German troops advanced toward Rouen instead, the Allies redirected their forces there, leaving General Haig to prepare for a desperate defense of the city.

• General Haig called for Major General George Milne to face a military trial after the 2nd Infantry Division was caught unprepared and defeated at Aumale.
• Sir French ordered General Benson to send half the 3rd Army Corps to reinforce Beauvais while General Haig prepared to attack the Germans’ flank after they were stopped.
• The German 8th Armored Division and 34th Infantry Division left Aumale on April 2 and advanced toward Rouen.
• After Allied reconnaissance spotted the German advance, Sir French ordered General Benson to lead the 3rd Army Corps and part of the French 1st Army Corps to Rouen.
• General Haig put the 1st Army Corps on alert, withdrew its troops to Rouen, and prepared to defend the city while awaiting reinforcements.

German forces gathered around Rouen and began a massive artillery and air bombardment against the British defenses. As the city came under attack, General Haig ordered his troops to hold their positions to the death while awaiting General Benson’s reinforcements.

• German forces reached Rouen and assembled more than five hundred thousand troops around the city.
• General Haig learned that General Benson’s three hundred thousand reinforcements were expected within three days and asked him to strike the German rear once the attack began.
• General Kluck and Lieutenant General Ludendorff ordered the German artillery bombardment of Rouen on April 6.
• German artillery and aircraft devastated the British defenses and inflicted heavy losses on British artillery.
• General Haig ordered every unit to hold its position and never retreat.

General Kluck ordered the German 1st Army Corps and 8th Army Corps to attack Rouen with tank support, while keeping the Armored Forces out of the city to avoid anti-tank weapons. The tanks broke through the British defenses, destroying the anti-tank guns and rifles as they advanced.

• General Kluck ordered the Armored Forces to halt after breaking through the British outer line and let the infantry assault Rouen.
• The German artillery preparation lasted two hours before the 1st Army Corps and 8th Army Corps attacked with more than five hundred tanks.
• British 37mm Anti-Tank Guns destroyed four German tanks before the German tanks located and destroyed both guns.
• German tanks eliminated British machine-gun positions as they advanced toward the British line.
• British Anti-Tank Rifles failed to penetrate a German tank's frontal armor, and the tank's machine guns killed the rifle crews.

German forces broke through Rouen’s outer defenses and began street fighting, where the 8th Army Corps’ urban tactics helped it advance with fewer casualties than the 1st Army Corps. The British 1st Army Corps suffered heavy losses, leaving General Haig increasingly pessimistic about the battle.

• German tanks suffered heavy losses from British anti-tank weapons, so General Kluck and Lieutenant General Ludendorff kept the armored forces out of the street fighting.
• General Kluck and Lieutenant General Ludendorff sent the 1st Army Corps into Rouen from the north and the 8th Army Corps from the east, each with three Infantry Divisions.
• German infantry used machine-gun and sniper fire, grenades, and close-range weapons to break through British positions in Rouen.
• The 8th Army Corps advanced through the city with fewer casualties than the 1st Army Corps, prompting General Kluck to call for the German corps to follow its example.
• The German military inflicted heavy losses on the British Expeditionary Force 1st Army Corps, and General Haig grew more pessimistic about the coming battle.

General Haig faced the collapse of British defenses in Rouen and requested reinforcements, while German commanders prepared to ambush the advancing Anglo-French forces. The chapter ended with General Benson marching his 300,000 troops toward the trap, unaware that German forces were waiting to encircle them.

• A British major general reported that German forces had shattered two Infantry Divisions and advanced to within two kilometers of headquarters in Rouen.
• General Haig learned that British anti-tank weapons had destroyed several dozen German tanks but could not halt the German advance, so he requested reinforcements.
• General Kluck and Lieutenant General Ludendorff learned that British and French reinforcements were rushing toward Rouen and prepared to attack them.
• The German 1st and 8th Army Corps planned to use their Armored Divisions for the assault and Infantry Divisions to cut off the reinforcements' retreat.
• General Benson led 300,000 British reinforcements toward Rouen, believing he could strike the German flank, while the Germans waited to encircle his force.

The British 3rd Army Corps attacked the German defenses at Fleury but suffered heavy losses against superior artillery and failed to break through. General Benson ordered another assault, unaware that German forces had encircled his army, until more than four hundred German tanks launched a surprise attack on the morning of April 8.

• The British 22nd Infantry Division reached Fleury on April 7, and General Benson ordered it to attack the German-held town.
• German artillery overwhelmed the British guns, and the 22nd Infantry Division retreated after its assault was repulsed.
• The British 23rd and 24th Infantry Divisions joined the attack, but their three assaults failed to break the German line and caused heavy casualties.
• General Kluck and Lieutenant General Ludendorff confirmed that the German 1st and 8th Army Corps had taken positions to encircle the Allied force.
• General Benson ordered the British divisions to attack again on April 8, but more than four hundred German tanks struck first.
• General Benson realized that the Germans had set a trap.

German armored forces and air strikes routed General Benson’s Anglo-French troops and encircled them. Benson’s men tried to escape across the Seine River, where most drowned after the bridges and boats had been destroyed.

• German tanks overwhelmed the British 22nd, 23rd, and 24th Infantry Divisions as they prepared to attack.
• General Benson ordered his forces to form a defensive line and called on French divisions to reinforce them.
• German bombers destroyed many Allied anti-tank guns, and German tanks broke through the weakened line.
• General Benson learned that German troops had encircled his forces and ordered them to break out, but their attempts failed.
• Anglo-French soldiers fled south toward the Seine River and drowned while trying to cross it.

The German 1st and 8th Army Corps destroyed the surrounded Allied forces led by General Benson, capturing more than two hundred thousand soldiers. After learning that General Benson’s army had collapsed, General Haig ordered the British Expeditionary Force 1st Army Corps to withdraw from Rouen after nightfall.

• General Benson escaped across the flooded Seine on a door panel carried by his guards, while most of his troops drowned or surrendered to the Germans.
• The German 1st and 8th Army Corps completed the encirclement and annihilation of the British Expeditionary Force 3rd Army Corps and part of the French 1st Army Corps, capturing more than two hundred thousand troops.
• At Rouen, General Haig learned that General Benson’s reinforcements had been encircled and that the German main force was attacking them.
• General Benson sent General Haig a telegram reporting that the 3rd Army Corps had completely collapsed and advising him to make his own plans.
• General Haig ordered his troops to hold out until nightfall, then withdraw west along the Seine River, and the remnants left Rouen after dark.

The British Expeditionary Force headquarters received news that General Benson’s encircled troops had been overwhelmed, leaving the Anglo-French forces facing defeat. Sir French approved General Haig’s request to retreat west, while the remaining forces prepared to defend Paris.

• Sir French and General D'Esperey discussed sending reinforcements to rescue General Benson’s encircled 300,000 troops.
• General Benson reported that German tanks had breached his defenses and his line had collapsed, making rescue seem impossible.
• Sir French ordered the forces to concentrate on defending Paris as the Germans were expected to attack soon.
• General D'Esperey asked about General Haig, and Sir French predicted his troops at Rouen would also be unable to hold out.
• General Haig requested permission to retreat west, and Sir French approved the plan so the troops could eventually help defend Britain.

The Anglo-French Allied Forces suffered devastating losses as German armies pressed their attack along the Marne Defense Line, while the German 5th Army Corps remained in reserve. Marshal Joffre refused to move troops from Paris to reinforce the front because German attacks near Rouen threatened the capital.

• German 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Army Corps pushed across the Marne and battered the Anglo-French Allied Forces, whose casualties exceeded five hundred thousand by April 8.
• The French 2nd Army Corps struggled to hold Châlons-en-Champagne as the German 2nd Army Corps reduced the city to ruins.
• General Foch urged Marshal Joffre to reinforce the French 2nd Army Corps before Châlons-en-Champagne fell and the Marne Defense Line collapsed.
• Marshal Joffre said he had no spare troops because the Anglo-French Allied Forces' other corps were engaged or badly depleted.
• General Foch proposed transferring forces from Paris, but Marshal Joffre refused after a telegram reported that German 1st and 8th Army Corps had driven the Expeditionary Force 1st Army Corps into Rouen.

Oscar ordered a general offensive against the Anglo-French forces on the Marne, coordinating it with the Left Wing Army Group’s advance toward Paris. The German 5th Army Corps crossed the river, and the offensive began with a massive artillery bombardment on April 11.

• At headquarters in Reims, Oscar heard the corps commanders report their progress and told General Dithfurth that the 5th Army Corps would soon enter the battle.
• Oscar announced that the Left Wing Army Group had captured Rouen and was advancing across the Seine toward Paris, and he ordered a general offensive for April 11.
• Oscar ordered the 6th and 7th Army Corps to intensify their attack on Verdun while the other corps prepared for the Marne offensive.
• On April 10, the 5th Army Corps crossed the Marne River using pontoon bridges and joined the forces assembling on its south bank.
• On the morning of April 11, German artillery opened a heavy bombardment of the Anglo-French forces’ final two defensive lines.

After the Anglo-French forces suffered devastating losses, Marshal Joffre feared they could neither defend Paris nor hold the Marne Defense Line. German artillery devastated their positions, and four German Armored Divisions began an assault.

• General Foch told Marshal Joffre that the remaining forces in Paris were too weak and inexperienced to stop the Germans.
• Marshal Joffre said Paris could not be defended, but vowed to fight the Germans to the bitter end.
• A staff officer reported a massive German bombardment, and Marshal Joffre ordered the frontline units to hold their positions.
• Thousands of German guns destroyed the Anglo-French defenses while their remaining artillery stayed silent.
• Four German Armored Divisions attacked across separate sectors, alarming French soldiers who had few anti-tank weapons left.

German tanks and aircraft overwhelmed the Anglo-French Allied Forces at the Marne Defense Line, breaking through its first defensive line in less than an hour. Marshal Joffre ordered a retreat toward Paris and south from Verdun as the remaining defenses faced imminent collapse.

• German tanks and infantry smashed through the Anglo-French Allied Forces' first defensive line, while German aircraft attacked their anti-tank positions.
• The Anglo-French Allied Forces fled toward the second defensive line after suffering heavy casualties.
• General Foch warned Marshal Joffre that the second line would soon fall and that troops in Châlons-en-Champagne, Épernay, and Thierry risked encirclement.
• Marshal Joffre ordered the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 9th Army Corps and the British Expeditionary Force 2nd Army Corps to withdraw to Paris, while the 3rd and 5th Army Corps were to retreat south from Verdun.

As German forces closed in on Paris after the Allied retreat on the Marne, Marshal Joffre and Sir French met with France’s leaders to discuss the country’s dwindling military strength and what to do next. The chapter ended with the French government facing the possibility of defeat and the republic’s collapse.

• Marshal Joffre ordered most remaining French troops to assemble near Paris and handed responsibility for the retreat to General Foch.
• Marshal Joffre met Sir French at the Élysée Palace, where Sir French warned that the British Expeditionary Force had lost the strength and resolve to continue fighting.
• Marshal Joffre insisted France would keep resisting and said he had ordered the 11th Army Corps and 12th Army Corps north while proposing more formations in southern France.
• Sir French said the British Expeditionary Force would need instructions from home, as he doubted France could withstand Germany and feared Britain would be next.
• Marshal Joffre and Sir French joined President Poincaré and other French officials, who asked what France should do as German armies approached Paris.

French leaders debated whether to surrender or keep fighting as defeat appeared increasingly likely. They chose to continue the war until the coming naval battle with Germany showed whether France still had a path to victory.

• Marshal Joffre urged President Poincaré and the French officials to keep fighting, warning that surrender would invite severe German demands.
• Foreign Minister Théophile Delcassé predicted that Germany might take northern France, possibly including Paris, and demand at least twenty billion Mark in reparations.
• Marshal Joffre argued that a combined British, French, and Italian fleet might defeat the German Navy and shift the balance of the war.
• Secretary of the Navy Victor Gagnour said the French fleet had sailed for Britain and would join the British fleet, though victory was uncertain.
• Prime Minister René Viviani proposed continuing the war until the naval battle ended, and President Poincaré approved the plan.

President Poincaré approved Marshal Joffre’s plan to form three more army corps, and Britain agreed to keep supporting France. As Paris faced a German advance, the government and civilians fled south while the French Army gathered to defend the city.

• Marshal Joffre asked President Poincaré to form the 13th, 14th, and 15th Army Corps, and Poincaré approved them as France’s last new units.
• President Poincaré asked Sir French whether Britain would continue the war, and Sir French pledged to report France’s decision while personally supporting the fight.
• Prime Minister René Viviani proposed evacuating Paris and declaring it undefended, but Marshal Joffre insisted the army should defend the city.
• The next day, President Poincaré, Prime Minister René Viviani, and government officials evacuated to southern France as more than a million Parisians fled.
• Marshal Joffre moved French troops toward Paris to prepare for a major battle against the Germans.

As German forces closed in on Paris, Marshal Joffre placed the city’s defense under General Gallieni and departed, leaving 500,000 Allied troops to prepare for a siege. By April 16, four German army corps had surrounded Paris, trapping most of its defenders as the battle approached.

• General Gallieni told Marshal Joffre that 500,000 Allied troops were entering Paris and building defenses.
• Marshal Joffre ordered General Allenby and General D'Esperey to obey General Gallieni and hold Paris as long as possible.
• Marshal Joffre left Paris, and French troops continued turning the city and its outskirts into defensive positions.
• The German 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 8th Army Corps advanced toward Paris while Duke of Württemberg resented being excluded from the attack.
• On April 16, the German army corps captured positions around Paris, surrounding the city and trapping most of its 500,000 defenders.