WAR OF THE NATIONS 



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WAR OF THE NATIONS 



By April 1 the onrush had been stopped by 

 the desperate valor of the defenders. This 

 result was due in no small degree to the unifica- 

 tion of the allied command under the French 

 General Foch (which see). Heretofore each 

 allied army had fought independently, but the 

 unity secured during the dark days of this 

 successful German advance made it possible to 

 use needed troops, regardless of nationality, in 

 any sorely-pressed spot. 



The German armies had taken French terri- 

 tory to a depth of about twenty-seven miles in 

 ten days. So rapid had been their advance 

 that they were forced to suspend operations to 

 reform their lines and advance slower units, 

 such as heavy artillery. A week later the 

 offensive was started again, but the allies held 

 the advancing hosts more quickly than before, 

 for the second drive was slowed up in seven 

 days, and only about fifteen miles more were 

 gained. Other drives followed, until six had 

 spent themselves. Then ensued a brief period 

 of comparative quiet, during which the entire 

 resources of the central powers were concen- 

 trated largely upon the center of the western 

 front, in preparation for an assault which 

 should carry the Germans into Paris. Scattered 

 fighting of desperate character continued, how- 

 ever. 



The Battle for Paris. On May 27 the battle 

 was resumed with unprecedented intensity. 

 The most active section was the line from the 

 Chemin des Dames, northeast of Soissons, 

 westward through Noyon to Cantigny and 

 northward to Arraa. The weight of German 

 steel and preponderance of man power drove 

 the British, French and Americans steadily 

 back, though they fought with stubbornness 

 which was steadily exhausting the attackers. 

 The great drive also extended eastward to- 

 wards Rheims; and, too, another offensive was 

 launched against the British, Belgians and 

 Americans in the region of Ypres, in an effort 

 to reach the Channel ports. 



The outlook for the entente armies was truly 

 discouraging. Field Marshal Haig sent out the 

 cry, "We are fighting with our backs to tin 

 wall!" While there was some encouragement 

 in the old saying, "The English soldier can fight 

 as long as any other soldier and fifteen min- 

 utes longer/' military circles were nevertheless 

 considering new defensive tactics to be em- 

 ployed in case the enemy should break through 

 and reach its objectives. Entente newspapers 

 were preparing their readers for such a catas- 

 trophe. 



The victorious Germans turned their best 

 battalions in the direction of Paris. Between 

 Soissons and Rheims they advanced in a south- 

 westerly direction, against the French and 

 Americans. From the Soissons-Rheims line 

 they pushed southward to the banks of the 

 Marne, which they reached May 31. At Bel- 

 lean Wood in a hazardous enterprise 8,000 

 American marines were reduced to 2,000 effec- 

 tives, but they won, and grateful France 

 renamed the spot the "Wood of the American 

 Marines." At Chateau Thierry Americans were 

 sent to relieve tired French men, with instruc- 

 tions to retard the progress of the enemy and 

 fall back slowly to prepared defenses farther in 

 the rear. The Germans, sure of an early entry 

 into Paris, thirty-one miles away, sav:i- 

 attacked the Americans, and pushed them back 

 Contrary to expectations, the American general 

 ordered a counter-attack, which was imme- 

 diately and successfully delivered. Chateau 

 Thierry was cleared of the Germans on July 

 21; Paris was saved, and thereafter the Teu- 

 tonic forces were on the defensive. The steady 

 increase of American effectives gave Foch, who 

 had been raised to the rank of Marshal of 

 France, a numerical superiority which made it 

 possible for him to attack when and where he 

 pleased. The initiative had passed forever 

 from the Germans. 



The Soissons-Rheims "pocket," with Chateau 

 Thierry at its southern tip. on the Marne, was 

 cleared by successive stages. Then began a 

 series of hammering blows by Foch between 

 Rheims and the North Sea. While t 

 line of over 200 miles was virtually one great 

 battle, there were distinct and savage encoun- 

 ters in chosen spots, and at times five great 

 battles were raping at one time. Canti. 

 northwest of Montdidier. was the scene of a 

 great offensive by American troops, and 

 capture was followed by thrusts north and 

 south by the Hntish and French. The German 

 line began to recede. By August 18 the allied 

 lines ran south by east of Albert to Soissons, 

 and north from Albert to a line east of Arras, 

 west of Lens and Lille and cast of Ypres. 

 allied world gated at the map intently day by 

 day and saw, from north to south, the hard* 

 hit t inn allied line run roughly through Albert, 

 Bray, Rosicrcs, Montdidicr; then through Ba- 

 paume, Chaulncs, Rove, Lassigny; Pcronne, 

 Nesle, Noyon; Roisel, Ham, Chauny; Lille, 

 Lens, Douai, Cambria, Bohain, Saint Qucntin, 

 La Frcr, Saint Gobain Forest (from which a 

 supergun had bombarded Paris, seventy-six 



