1St Battle of the Marne - Setup Order
1st Battle of the Marne - Setup order 1 x3 Rebais Coulornmiers French Fifth Army British 2 x1 Expeditionary Force 3 x1 4 x4 Meaux Marne River 5 x5 German 2nd Army French 6th Army 6 x10 German 1st Army Monthyon 7 x9 8 x3 Historical Background The 1st Battle of the Marne took place between 5th and 11th September,1914. The most important consequence of the battle was that the French and British forces were able to prevent the German plan for a swift and decisive victory. 9 x2 At the end of August 1914, the three armies of the German invasion's northern wing were sweeping south towards Paris. The French 5th and 6th Armies and the British Expeditionary Force were in retreat. General Alexander von Kluck , commander of the German 1st Army, was ordered to encircle Paris from the east. Expecting the German Army to capture Paris, the French government departed for Bordeaux. About 500,000 French civilians also left Paris by 3rd September. Joseph Joffre, the Commander-in-Chief of the French forces, ordered his men to retreat to a line along the River Seine, southeast of Paris and over 60km south of the Marne. Joffre planned to attack the German 1st Army on 6th September and decided to replace General Charles Lanrezac, the commander of the 5th Army, with the more 10 x2 aggressive, General Franchet D'Esperey. The commander of the BEF, Sir John French, agreed to join the attaqck on the German forces. General Michel Maunoury and the French 6th Army attacked the German 1st Army on the morning of 6th September.