First Battle of the Aisne

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the 1914 battle. For the 1917 battle see Second Battle of the Aisne, and for the 1918 battle see Third Battle of the Aisne.

Part of the Great Retreat on the Western Front (World War I)

Map of the Western Front and the Race to the Sea movement, 1914.

Date	September 13 – September 28, 1914
Location	Aisne River,France
Result	Draw, Allies gained some ground

Combatants

United Kingdom

France

German Empire

Commanders

John French

Louis Franchet d'Esperey

Michel-Joseph Maunoury

Strength

Two French armies and the BEF

Three German armies

Casualties

Unknown

Retreat to the Marne
Maubeuge – Le Cateau – Guise – 1st Marne – 1st Aisne

The First Battle of the Aisne was the Allied follow-up offensive against the right wing of the German First Army (led by Alexander von Kluck) & Second Army (led by Karl von Bülow) as they retreated after the First Battle of the Marne earlier in September of 1914. The offensive began on the evening of 13 September, after a hasty pursuit of the Germans.

Though tired, the Allies realised on 11 September the Germans planned to stop retreating at the Aisne River.

When the two German armies arrived at the Aisne, they were reinforced by the 7th army (led by Josias von Heeringen), and commenced setting up defensive positions in trenches along the Aisne's northern banks, with their main defences based on the Chemin des Dames ridge.

Upon their arrival on 13 September, the French Fifth (led by Louis Franchet d'Esperey) & Sixth (led by Michel-Joseph Maunoury) armies, aided by the BEF (led by Sir John French), launched an assault.

On the 14th, the Allies continued to assault the Germans on Chemin des Dames ridge above them, but German counter-attacks drove them back. German machine guns and heavy artillery effectively kept the Allies at bay.

Pushed back further by the Allies on the 18th, fighting was then abandoned on the 28th. It finally became clear to both sides, that neither would be able to mount an effective frontal assault on their enemy's trenches. Besides, the French were also under severe pressure at Reims. Instead, both forces attempted to manoeuvre past the other in the "Race to the Sea" movement, started by French commander in Chief, Joseph Joffre, who moved his forces to the north and west so as to attack the exposed German right flank at Noyon (resulting in the First Battle of Albert).

There were two later battles on the Aisne; The Second Battle of the Aisne (April-May 1917) and the Third Battle of the Aisne (May-June 1918).