s showed that French and British soldiers alike were
animated by the highest spirit and meant to "do or die." As regards
the British Army, reinforcements had arrived, deficiencies in armament
and material had been partially made good, and, most important of all,
the promise of an immediate advance against the enemy had sent a
thrill of exultation and enthusiasm throughout the whole force. A
modicum of rest had also been secured.

As I have said before, it is not my purpose in these pages to write a
history. Many volumes have been published with this object. They have
appeared in many countries and in many languages. A few have seemed to
me to be wonderfully accurate accounts, considering the
great difficulty of arriving at the truth long before the time when
full and authentic material can possibly be available.

All I have had in my mind in writing this book is to explain, so far
as I can, my own part throughout these great events in carrying out
the responsible task entrusted to me by my country; the aspect in
which the situation presented itself in my mind from day to day; and
my reasons for the decisions which guided the action of the troops
under my command.

My desire here is to recall exactly what was in my mind on the morning
of the 6th September, which saw the opening of the Battle of the
Marne, and to describe the _view_ which presented itself to me of the
situation on both sides; in other words, the basis for the orders
which were issued to the troops.

These orders were necessarily founded upon my own personal
appreciation of the situation as it appeared to me at the moment. It
was impossible for me to know that situation accurately in all its
details. For instance, I could not then know, as I know now, that the
Germans had abandoned their vigorous offensive 24 hours earlier than
this, nor should I have conceived it possible that they could have
done so.

Reverting, then, to my general view of things on the morning of the
6th; in the first place, my personal conference with Joffre on the
night of the 5th had put me in full possession of his exact plans and
all that was in his mind.

His intention was to attack at all points _au fond_, to inflict a
crushing defeat on the whole German Army on our front by assailing its
flank with the 6th French and British Armies attacking from a line
running roughly from Le Plessis-Belleville on the north
through Cuisy--Iverny--Neufmontiers--Meaux, across the Marne to