mbourg armies as numerous as those which faced them on the French
side, and at the same time to mass the major part of their troops on the
right so as to pour into the valley of the Oise their chief invading
forces.

This explains why the French left, which was exposed to the offensive of
the German right, was obliged to make a rapid retreat, permitting the
German armies of General von Kluck and General von Buelow to advance with
all speed in the direction of Paris.

The French military staff, as soon as they perceived the danger that
threatened, proceeded to a new alignment of forces. As long as this
alignment of forces could not be effected the retreat had to continue.
As soon as it was accomplished, as soon as General Joffre had his armies
well in hand and the situation of his troops well disposed, he checked
the retreat, gave the signal for the offensive, and so followed the
great Battle of the Marne.

The German plan consisted, therefore, in delivering the main blow
through the medium of the right wing of the German forces, consisting of
the army of Von Kluck, the army of Von Buelow, and the army of Von
Hausen, which were to march with all speed in the direction of Paris.

What plan had the French staff in mind to oppose to this plan of the
Germans? Its plan aimed at checking and holding the greatest possible
number of Germans by a vigorous offensive in Alsace and Lorraine so as
to prevent them from joining the three first German armies which
threatened Paris. In support of this offensive of the armies of Alsace
and Lorraine, the central French armies attacked in the direction of the
Ardennes and Belgian Luxembourg with the object of checking the center
of the German armies and then turning toward the west so as to cooperate
in the offensive of the French forces which, aided by the British army
and the Belgian army, were fighting in Belgium.

The French armies, which are numbered from the right to the left--that
is, from the east to the west--comprised: A detachment of the Army of
Alsace that was dissolved toward the end of the month of August; the
First Army (General Dubail); the Second Army (General de Castelnau); the
Third Army (General Ruffey, replaced at the end of August, 1914, by
General Sarrail); the Fourth Army (General de Langle de Cary); the
Fifth Army (General Lanrezac, replaced in the last days of August, 1914,
by General Franchet d'Esperey). At the right of this army was stationed
the British arm