The First Battle of the Marne 1914 AD

The First Battle of the Marne 1914 AD

It DID appear to be a miracle. When the war started, the French had gone all-out in their Plan XVII offen- sives aimed at recapturing Alsace and Lorraine, losing a quarter-of-a-million troops in the process. And nearly losing Paris as well.

But the canny Joseph Gallieni, charged with defend- ing Paris had done so by marshaling his forces and looking for the right opportunity to strike back. The Germans gave it to him.

The Marne has many novel wrinkles. It was the first battle in which obser- vation planes are credited with pro- viding critical information - they spotted a gap between German armies and the opportune place for a counterattack. Paris was on the edge of defeat. Two German armies were almost surrounded and destroyed. And then, there were the 600 taxicabs, legendary for rushing reserves to a critical area. Gallieni’s quote was, “Well, here at least is something out of the ordinary!" And so much about the battle was exactly that - Out of the ordinary.

Like miracles.

When it was over, the casualties were staggering. Two million men had participated. Half-a-million were lost. It was the largest “open field” operation of the war, with both sides fighting in desperation and the highest daily combined casualty counts of any battle in the war.

The First Battle of the Marne includes:
One full color, 11” x 17” mounted map
200 full color, die-cut counters
12 page rulebook
2 Player Aid Charts

The First Battle of the Marne ended German hopes for a quick finish, and set the stage for all that followed throughout the 20th Century. Up for it?