World History, Grades 9-12

846 Chapter 29

A Bloody Stalemate

It did not take long for Sir Edward Grey’s prediction to ring true. As the summer

of 1914 turned to fall, the war turned into a long and bloody stalemate, or dead-

lock, along the battlefields of France. This deadlocked region in northern France

became known as the Western Front.

The Conflict Grinds AlongFacing a war on two fronts, Germany had developed

a battle strategy known as the Schlieffen Plan, named after its designer, General

Alfred Graf von Schlieffen (SHLEE•fuhn). The plan called for attacking and

defeating France in the west and then rushing east to fight Russia. The Germans

felt they could carry out such a plan because Russia lagged behind the rest of

Europe in its railroad system and thus would take longer to supply its front lines.

Nonetheless, speed was vital to the Schlieffen Plan. German leaders knew they

needed to win a quick victory over France.

Early on, it appeared that Germany would do just that. By early September,

German forces had swept into France and reached the outskirts of Paris. A major

German victory appeared just days away. On September 5, however, the Allies

regrouped and attacked the Germans northeast of Paris, in the valley of the Marne

River. Every available soldier was hurled into the struggle. When reinforcements

were needed, more than 600 taxicabs rushed soldiers from Paris to the front. After

four days of fighting, the German generals gave the order to retreat.

Although it was only the first major clash on the Western Front, the First Battle

of the Marne was perhaps the single most important event of the war. The defeat

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Allied countries
Central Powers
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Central Powers victory
Allied victory
Central Powers advance
Farthest Allied advance
Allied advance
Armistice Line, Nov. 1918
World War I in Europe, 1914–1918
GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Maps
1.LocationIn which country was almost all of the war in the West fought?
2.LocationWhat geographic disadvantage did Germany and Austria-Hungary face in fighting
the war? How might this have affected their war strategy?