The Importance Of The First Battle Of Marne

Introduction
The First Battle of Marne showcased several new warfighting abilities by the German Army and Allied Forces, composed of the French Armies and British Expeditionary Forces. This battle was the first victory for the Allies, successfully thwarting the German offensive, and recovering lost territories in the process. The ever evolving strategies and warfare innovations of the French and British Forces greatly contributed to the astounding victory to the Allies. The battle ended the German Armies possibility of bringing the war on the western front to an early end, demonstrating the advantages of unconventional tactics compared to traditional military strategies of the era. The First Battle of Marne was a ground-breaking milestone
With an estimated 1547 miles of trenches dug, the conflict vastly changed every location it took place on. There had never been a war previously fought in history that had so much importance placed on defensive positions. Trench warfare combined with the machine gun led to a much longer conflict and directly lead to the largest cost of human life ever scene at this point in history. The British expeditionary force was equipped with the Vickers and Lewis light machine guns, which greatly increased their firing rate allowing fewer Soldiers to defend positions from a much larger attacking force. The Germans fielded the water cooled Maxim 1910 that cycled 550 rounds per minute. French forces protected their front lines and flanks with the Chauchat light machine gun allowing them to focus on their offensive maneuvers to the German lines. The effective fire range of the Chauchat was 200 meters with a 500 rounds per minute rate of fire, making it difficult for the Germans to penetrate the front lines of the Allies. On the first day of the battle the exhausted German forces were met with the traditional formations of the French and British allied forces. However, the French had a formation of troops maneuvering to a different location on the east flank of the German formation. The flanking French forces might not have intentionally tried this new battle formation but they immediately
Through the introduction of war tactics and unconventional methods previously absent in prior conflicts, ultimately preventing the German war machine from conquering France. The French Army proved that through the use of new concepts, their war fighting mentality was superior to the traditional German Army routine. In conclusion, the advancements of the First Battle of the Marne shaped the way battles were fought led to the overall victory of World War I for the Allied