Changes

The German army, by contrast was largely dependent on the horse for its transportation needs. The French sixth army launched its attack and drove a wedge between the German First army and the Second Army. The BEF advanced into the gap in the line. The French Ninth Army resisted a massive German counter-attack on the right-wing. Despite this, the German First Army nearly defeated the French army between the 6th and -8th of September. The French were only saved by 6000 reserves brought up from Paris. The Germans came very close to a victory. By the 9th of September, the German chief of staff Helmuth von Moltke saw that his front line was in danger ordered a partial retreat. Joffre pursued, but the Germans were able to hold their new defensive line.<ref> Isselin, H. <i>The Battle of the Marne</i> (Elek Books, Paris 1965), p. 134</ref> Soon the two lines became increasingly fixed. This was the time usually regarded as the end of the First Battle of the Marne. Each of the army begun a series of manoeuvres to outflank the others. This led both sides to develop a network of trenches and barbed wire defences to protect their flanks. This was called the ‘race to the sea’. The outcome of these manoeuvres was the trench warfare that was to dominate the war until the Autumn of 1918.

==Outcome of the Battle==