First Battle of the Marne: Quick Facts

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Facts

Date	September 6, 1914 - September 12, 1914
Location	France • Marne River
Participants	France • Germany • United Kingdom
Context	World War I

Photos

French infantry soldiers in helmets and long coats walk through a barren, fortified trench landscape at the Marne during World War I.

Map showing the region of northern France and Belgium during World War I, highlighting the First Battle of the Marne. The map marks the maximum German advance in September 1914 with a dashed red line, troop movements with solid red arrows, and the front line for winter 1914-15. Areas controlled by the Allies are shaded in orange, Central Powers in purple, and neutral countries in green. Paris and key rivers such as the Marne, Aisne, and Seine are labeled, with the German advance stopping just ea

French, John, 1st earl of Ypres

Map illustrating the Schlieffen Plan of 1905, showing the German army's planned invasion routes at the start of World War I. Thick red arrows indicate German advances sweeping through Belgium and Luxembourg into northern France, curving toward Paris, with key cities and rivers labeled across Belgium, France, Germany, and neighboring regions.

Helmuth von Moltke

Joseph-Simon Gallieni

Map of the Western Front during World War I from 1914 to 1918, showing northern France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and western Germany. Colored lines indicate the farthest German advance in September 1914, the front line at the beginning of 1915, German and Allied offensives, and the armistice line of 1918. Major cities such as Paris, Brussels, and Verdun, as well as key rivers and geographic features, are labeled.

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Topics

Western Front Schlieffen Plan

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World War I: The First Battle of the Marne

Timeline

Historical map of the Eastern Front during World War I from 1914 to 1918, showing the farthest Russian advance in 1914, the Gallipoli campaign in 1915, the front at the time of the Russian Revolution in 1917, and the farthest Austro-German advance in 1918. The map shows Eastern Europe, including Germany, Austria-Hungary, western Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, and northern Turkey, with key cities and front lines marked.

Eastern Front

1914 - 1918

British Cavalry at the Battle of Mons

Battle of the Frontiers

August 4, 1914 - September 6, 1914

Battle of Morhange-Sarrebourg

August 20, 1914 - August 22, 1914

Map of the Western Front during World War I from 1914 to 1918, showing northern France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and western Germany. Colored lines indicate the farthest German advance in September 1914, the front line at the beginning of 1915, German and Allied offensives, and the armistice line of 1918. Major cities such as Paris, Brussels, and Verdun, as well as key rivers and geographic features, are labeled.

Battle of Mons

August 23, 1914

Thousands of Russian prisoners of war stand in long, winding lines outdoors near buildings and trees after the Battle of Augustov in World War I.

Battle of Tannenberg

August 26, 1914 - August 30, 1914

French infantry soldiers in helmets and long coats walk through a barren, fortified trench landscape at the Marne during World War I.

First Battle of the Marne

September 6, 1914 - September 12, 1914

First Battle of Ypres

October 19, 1914 - November 22, 1914

Battle of Tanga

November 2, 1914 - November 5, 1914

Falkland Islands

Battle of the Falkland Islands

December 8, 1914

Christmas Truce

Christmas Truce

December 24, 1914 - December 25, 1914

battle of Gallipoli

1915

Baltic and North seas and the English Channel

Battle of Dogger Bank

January 24, 1915

Large groups of Allied soldiers gather along the shore and hillsides at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli Peninsula, with boats and piers visible in the water during the 1915 Gallipoli campaign.

Gallipoli Campaign

February 16, 1915 - January 9, 1916

The Dardanelles

naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign

February 19, 1915 - March 18, 1915

Gas masks at the Second Battle of Ypres

Second Battle of Ypres

April 22, 1915 - May 25, 1915

French soldiers in uniform rest and eat on a grassy field behind the front lines during the Battle of Verdun in World War I, with gear and rifles stacked nearby.

Battle of Verdun

February 21, 1916 - December 18, 1916

Battle of Jutland

Battle of Jutland

May 31, 1916 - June 1, 1916

Three soldiers in World War I uniforms and helmets operate a St. Etienne machine gun in a trench at the Somme.

First Battle of the Somme

July 1, 1916 - November 13, 1916

Battle of Arras

April 9, 1917 - May 17, 1917

World War I soldiers walk through muddy, debris-strewn ruins with the damaged Cloth Hall of Ypres, Belgium, standing in the background under a cloudy sky.

Battle of Passchendaele

July 31, 1917 - November 6, 1917

Battle of Caporetto

October 24, 1917 - December 19, 1917

Battle of Gaza

November 1917

tank in the Battle of Cambrai

Battle of Cambrai

November 20, 1917 - December 8, 1917

German Prisoners at Belleau Wood

Battle of Belleau Wood

June 1, 1918 - June 26, 1918

Battle of Amiens

August 8, 1918 - August 11, 1918

John J. Pershing

Battle of Saint-Mihiel

September 12, 1918 - September 16, 1918

World War I: British army

Battle of Cambrai

September 27, 1918 - October 11, 1918

Battle of Mons

November 11, 1918

Key People

Ferdinand Foch

Ferdinand Foch

marshal of France

Helmuth von Moltke

Helmuth von Moltke

German military commander [1848–1916]

Joseph-Jacques-Césaire Joffre

Joseph-Jacques-Césaire Joffre

French general

Joseph-Simon Gallieni

Joseph-Simon Gallieni

French military officer

Kluck, 1914

Alexander von Kluck

German general

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Louis-Félix-François Franchet d’Esperey

French marshal

American infantry streaming through the captured town of Varennes, France, 1918.This place fell into the hands of the Americans on the first day of the Franco-American assault upon the Argonne-Champagne line. (World War I)

World War I Quiz

D-Day. American soldiers fire rifles, throw grenades and wade ashore on Omaha Beach next to a German bunker during D Day landing. 1 of 5 Allied beachheads est. in Normandy, France. The Normandy Invasion of World War II launched June 6, 1944.

A History of War

Civil War era cannon overlooks Kennesaw Mountain National Battle. (military, artillery, American history)

Pick Your Battles Quiz

Louis IX of France (St. Louis), stained glass window of Louis IX during the Crusades. (Unknown location.)

World Wars

Louis IX of France (St. Louis), stained glass window of Louis IX during the Crusades. (Unknown location.)

World Wars