"
I asked him what he thought of the future.
"There is no question about the future," he said with decision. "That
is already settled. When the German advance was checked it was checked
for good."
"Then you do not believe that they will make a further advance toward
Paris?"
"Certainly not."
He went on to explain the details of the battle of the Marne, and how
in losing that battle the invading army had lost everything.
It will do no harm to digress for a moment and explain exactly what
the French did at the battle of the Marne.
All through August the Allies fell back before the onward rush of the
Germans. But during all that strategic retreat plans were being made
for resuming the offensive again. This necessitated an orderly
retreat, not a rout, with constant counter-engagements to keep the
invaders occupied. It necessitated also a fixed point of retreat, to
be reached by the different Allied armies simultaneously.
When, on September fifth, the order for assuming the offensive was
given, the extreme limit of the retreat had not yet been reached. But
the audacity of the German march had placed it in a position
favourable for attack, and at the same time extremely dangerous for
the Allies and Paris if they were not checked.
On the evening of September fifth General Joffre sent this message to
all the commanders of armies:
"The hour has come to advance at all costs, and do or die where you
stand rather than give way.
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