German armies making up the right hook" began to lose contact with each other and French pressure on their flank forced them to move eastward, across the north of Paris instead of westward and around it. Joffre, the head of the French armies, realised the situation and in a remarkable move swung his armies around and moved into the gap the two German armies had left.
The Battle of the Marne changed the whole scenario and forced the Germans to retreat, saving Paris and probably the Allies' cause. The French were assisted by the removal of some German d ivisons to the eastern front to bolster the defences, which were under considerable strain against the Russian armies that had entered the fray more quickly than the Germans predicted.
What followed, as the Germans recovered from their defeat, was the "race to the sea" as each tried to outflank the other.
The battle front now covered a line over four hundred miles long, from the frontier with Switzerland to the coast of Belgium. The British moved to the left of the French, with the tiny Belgium army on its left. The BEF now concentrated its e orts around thetownofYpres(orWiperstotheTommy!) and fierce battles took place to the east of the town.
It became a matter of honour to the British to hold this town and hold it they did but with horrendous casualties that were to go on for four long years. Douglas Haig regained his honour at the "First Battle Of
Ypres" but the original BEF virtually ceased to exist as its members fought and died tenaciouslytoholdonthesalientaroundthe town. General Smith-Dorrien was sacked for telling the truth about the deficiencies in the BEF, although his conduct was probably the best of the three main leaders and this could be construed as a threat to Field Marshall French!
The stalemate of trench warfare now took over and the inadequacies of the British army came to the fore. Lack of shells, large guns and equipment. Lack of properly trained NCOs to train the men of Kitchener's New Army as the best men to trainthemnowlayinaforeignfieldthatwas forever England.
British officers were not trained in the mechanised warfare of the 20th century. British industry was not geared up for a long war and the Prime Minister, Herbe  Asquith was not a war leader. The war that was to be over by Christmas had stagnated into an immobile subterranean stalemate. Christmas Day brought the unofficial truce between the ordinary ranks of both sides and was never to be repeated in the following years. 1 91 5 was a calmer year on the western front as Germany went on the defensive and made the eastern front its main area of operation.
Although battles did take place at places such as Neuve Chappele and Loos and the shortage of shells at these battles became a scandal bringing about the formation of a Ministry of Munitions under Lloyd George, Britain looked elsewhere for a victory. General French was replaced by Haig and later Asquith was replaced by Lloyd George within a coalition government.
Germany's main e o  in 1 91 5 came in the east as it pushed the Russian "steamroller" back across the border and aiding the Austo-Hungarian armies who had suffered alarmingly at the hands of not only the Russians but also the Serbs, the same people they had gone to war to crush! Tanneberg was a tremendous victory for the Germans and Russia had two armies virtually destroyed. The architects of this victo  were Field Marshall Hindenburg and General Ludendorf, who in 1 91 6 became the leaders for the whole German army. The introduction of gas and flame throwers by the Germans brought new horrors to warfare as did the bombing of civilians in London by Zeppelin airships.
Britain's main e ort in 1915 was to be at Gallipoli where the forces of the Anzacs made their debut. Australian and New
World War 1  ke Totton
Zealanders alongside the British fought a desperate and bloody war for nearly eight months on the peninsular attempting to knock out Turkey and open the way to the Black Sea and assist Russia with military aid. Heroism and sacrifice could not overcome incompetent generals and a stubborn and brave foe. The only success of the campaign was the re-embarkation of the troops done without a single casualty! And all the while the British Army was expanding to a level unknown in its history, the cream of society was gathering and trainingforthegreatbattleof1916.
The Royal Navy started the war with a confidence born out of Trafalgar but its admirals were not the same calibre of Nelson or St Vincent. The expected big battle between the two greatest fleets in the world did not materialise until 1 91 6 and was to prove somewhat indecisive.
In the meantime, the Royal Navy blockade stopped all maritime trade into Germany and cut off its trade routes to its empire. Germany's land is less productive than G reat Britain and soon food shortages were felt across the country. Germany's overseas colonies were taken and her naval squadrons abroad were hunted down and destroyed. The cessation of its trade, especially in food and fertilizers was to have a devastating effect on the citizens as starvation forced its people into revolution in late 1918.
The submarine menace to Great Britain did nottakeeffectuntil1916andwastocause its greatest threat, for before the war Britain imported nearly 70% of its foodstuffs. It was lucky that the British Merchant Navy was the largest in the world and could take large losses. Only the introduction of the convoy system in 1 91 7 reduced the losses and enable the Allies to keep the trade routes o pen.
The Royal Navy was also imbibed with admirals ofthe same calibre as the Army. Lacking in initiative and enterprise, they blusteredfromonebattletoanotherwithout much panache, missing opportunities to win and change the course of the war.
The next four years were to find massive changes to the army as Britain, especially after April 1917, took the prime roll in defeating the German Army but the human cost, so huge, is still felt today even after one hundred years. German historians have stated that the German army was never the same afterthe battle of the Somme as its efficiency deteriorated and its home front starved and then revolted.
Phonebox Magazine 53