d possible to destroy them by main force, since German
numbers were still superior, German artillery unchallenged, and the
early successes productive of unbounded confidence. The German armies
thus leaped forward for the final decisive battle, which had been just
missed at the French frontier. (Vol. II, 84, 85.)

But the new situation imposed new strategy. It was no longer possible
to envelop the Allies, and accordingly, Kluck, on the western flank,
turned southeast and marched across the face of Paris, crossing the
Marne near Meaux and leaving only one corps to guard his flank toward
Paris. This was a sound maneuver, if the French troops in Paris were
too few or too broken to strike; it was perilous in the extreme, if
the opposite were the case. And it was the case, for Joffre had
concentrated behind Paris a new army, Manoury's, which was now to
attack.

On September 5, 1914, the Germans having now fallen into Joffre's
trap, the French commander in chief issued his famous order, and the
whole Anglo-French army suddenly passed from the defensive to the
offensive. (Vol. II, 102.) The first shots of the conflict, the great
Battle of the Marne, were fired by some German field pieces, at
Monthyon, just north of the Marne and less than twenty miles from
Paris. They greeted the advance of Manoury's army coming east out of
Paris and striking at Kluck's open flank. (Vol. II, 103.)

[Illustration: September 6, 1914, the Battle of the Marne.

_Allies._--A, Belgians; B, Manoury; C, British; D, Franchet d'Esperey
(Lanrezac); E, Foch; F, Langle de Cary; G, Sarrail (Ruffey); H,
Castelnau; I, Dubail.

_Germans._--I, Kluck; II, Buelow; III, Hausen; IV, Wuerttemberg; V,
Crown Prince; VI, Bavaria; VII, Heeringen.]

The next day Manoury rolled up Kluck's flank, drove his troops in on
the Ourcq River, and threatened his army with destruction. Kluck saved
himself by extraordinary clever work, he drew his troops back from
the front of the British south of the Marne, put them in against
Manoury and by September 10, 1914, had driven Manoury back toward
Paris and was threatening him. The first blow had failed, but it had
brought a chain of consequences fatal to German plans. (Vol. II,
99-110.)

First of all the British, once Kluck had drawn his main masses from
their front, began somewhat tardily to advance, threatening Kluck's
other flank, and Franchet d'Esperey's army, to the east, about
Montmirail, in turn, attacked Buelow's, whose