There were two battles of the Marne , both during the First World War. When one speaks about “battle of the Marne”, the name refers in general to the first, which took place of the 5 to the September 12th 1914; The Second battle of the Marne, as for it, was held mainly from July 15th to 20th 1918.

Michael offensive

Released from the face of the east by the Traité of Brest-Litovsk German divisions of infantry are brought quickly by the railroad.

The “Michael operation” began the morning of the March 21st 1918 in Picardy, by a bombardment of artillery rather short but extremely violent one. Before the British defenders thoughtless cannot react, the special teams of German troops of attack left the fog and smoke to tackle or circumvent the strategic points of the lines. Taken by surprise, overflowed and submerged, the defenders moved back on all the face, a broad breach opened, allowing the Germans to advance of more than 50 km. More than 160.000 British were put out of combat.

But the opening does not succeed, because Erich Ludendorff, which however underwent only little opposition on its left, continued to concentrate its reserves in front of Arras, where British resistance became increasingly strong. In spite of the desperate calls of Haig, Foch refused to engage its restricted reserves. Haig had to make come urgently from the reinforcements of the United Kingdom and the British HQ had to withdraw divisions of other theaters of operations.

It is only on March 28th that Ludendorff thought abruptly of the possibilities which arised side of the Sum, to carry out a fast and decisive opening for Paris, but it was then too late. Two days before, the Allies had agreed to entrust to the general Foch the single command on the Western face. One of its first acts of command was to employ part of its thin reserves to stop the dangerous breach on the Sum. At the beginning of April the Michael offensive was stopped in the area of Montdidier.

Offensive in Aisne

Ludendorff concentrates 42 divisions under the command of von Boehn, chief of the VII {{E}} Armée, which holds the face between Pontoise and Berry-with-Vat. The left wing of VIIe Armée is prolonged by 4 divisions of the Iere Armée (von Below) which occupy the sector of Berry-with-Vat in Rheims and will take share with the attack.

The May 27th, the German offensive starts close to the Aisne, starting from the Way of the Ladies, where the previous year the French had failed in a attacks fatal. The preparation of artillery starts with a shooting of shell with gas, then becomes mixed, but with more than fifty percent of toxic shells. After June 5th, 5 other divisions will be still engaged, that is to say on the whole 47 divisions, corresponding to nearly 60 Frenchwomen. The offensive however stops ten days later because of the exhaustion of the attackers, but those have advanced of 45 km, taken Castle-Thierry and are to 70 km of Paris. They were absolutely to try to rectify their lines, by conquering ground between two the projecting important ones close to Arras and the Rheims, and another smaller along the Lily. They applied initially their effort to the two zones which framed Compiegne, while attacking by the two sides on June 9th. But their offensive was rather badly organized and they had to undergo themselves of the attacks to the Mustard gas, so that French troops, assisted well by the American with Wood-Belleau and Vaux, could resist.

Friedensturm

Pressed to finish some and hypnotized, as in 1914, by Paris, that they threaten at the same time by the valley of the Oise in north, by the valleys of the Ourcq and the Marne, in the east, the Germans still decide a new offensive, more formidable. It is the “Friedensturm” or battles for Peace.

Ludendorff projects, by a frontal attack, to separate the armies allied from the north of those of the east, while turning on the one hand, Verdun by Holy-Menehould and the higher valley of Aisne, on the other hand, Rheims and the Montagne de Reims by the valley of the Marne. During all the day of July 15th, in spite of the thick smoke screens which dissimulate them, the allied planes locate the bridges thrown on the Marne and bombard them at low altitude. They destroy some several and precipitate the troops and the convoys in the river. Then, they attack with the machine-gun the troops which led to southern bank. Thirty less vulnerable footbridges are installed. In spite of a light tactical advantage acquired in south-west of Rheims and on the Marne, the offensive of Luddendorf completely failed out of Champagne. Renonçant to turn Rheims by the east, it will seek to overflow the mountain of Rheims by the south. It needs a success at all costs.

It tries a perilous operation, dictation as much by temerity that by the ignorance of the French resources that it believes exhausted, and will be baited in direction of Épernay. Ludendorff throws its troops without counting, thus endeavouring to achieve the fixed goal. It launches by five times, in five different places, of large attacks, but as a whole it is pushed back; in the valley of Ardre, it must be even defended against renewed attacks.

The allied counter-offensive of July 18th

At the moment when German divisions mass towards the side is pocket, the equivalent of 21 allied divisions whose Italy do not hasten towards the western side starting from the forest of Villers-Cotterêts.

In two days, the number of the prisoners exceeds 17.000 men and 360 guns were captured. Surprised, the Germans engage 4 divisions of reinforcement in the center. Around 6 p.m., they took again Vierzy, but without keeping it. The Allies are with less than 15 kilometers of the station of Fère-in-Tardenois, the single railway being under the fire of artillery. The 20, the Germans take divisions on the close armies and engage the 5th division of the Guard against the army Degoutte, two divisions and of the withdrawn elements of the Marne, against the army Mangin.
In spite of these reinforcements, on July 28th the station is taken by the Allies and on August 7th all the ground is repris.
The tanks proved their effectiveness.

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