BATTLES ARE WON

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 58, 23 March 1943, Page 3

BATTLES ARE WON

INITIATION AND ENDURANCE STORY OF THE MARNE * Over 28 years ago, on September G-9,, 1914, the German army suffered a decisive defeat. The battle of the Marne Avas preceded by the Russian offensive in East Prussia and the rout of the Austro-Hungarian armies in Galicia, which to a considerable extent decided its outcome. The great. "SchliefTen plan" was turned upside down, and Kaiser Germany was compelled to accept a protracted Avar and eventual defeat. The bitter lesson of. 1914 is well remembered by the German people. At the beginning of this Avar Nazi home propaganda did its best to blot out the memory of the Marne. Hitler has good reason to fear comparisons Avith 1914, for that, year saw the failure of the adventurist policies of the German general staff —policies AA'hich the Nazi clique is applying to-day Avith even greater risk. Bent on knocking France out early in the struggle, the German High Command in August, 1914, concentrated considerably superior forces on its right Aving and moved these armies across Belgium and Northern France towards Paris. German Gamble August 20 saAV the beginning of the frontier battle in which the French armies Avere defeated and thrown back to the Seine. The German C. in C., Moltke, believed that the campaign Avas alreadj' as good as Avon, and that* liis sweeping pursuit would finish off the French. The scheme Avas based on the calculation that the German plan would run faultlessly to schedule, and that the Allies Avould. take no counter-measures in the meantime. The value of this Prussian calculation was evident after the frontier battle. The. German command made a number of mistakes, and the Allies, far from taking no countermeasures, were active in both tlio west and the east. Moltke detached two corps from the right. Aving of his army advancing in France and sent them to the eastern front. He himself admitted that, this Avas one of the cardinal 1 reasons for the German defeat. The French High Command profited by the enemy's mistakes and launched a counter-'offensiA-e. The adventurist, nature of German strategy Avas exposed before the whole AA'orld. It Avas not the inconsiderable numerical .jjreponderance of the Allies on the Marne that turned the tide of battle. The German war machine Avas defeated because, in their arrogance, the. German generals conducted their Avholesale oftensive AA'ithout taking certain fundamental changes in the situation into account. The French command skilfully took of the enemy's mistakes, and the Marne; became the. scene of a titanic engagement. The French troops, offering .stiff resistance and conducting an active defence, gained, time until a decision had been reached on the left wing. The German armies Avere compelled to retreat;-no other course was open to them. The battle of the Marne did not result in the. immediate destruction of the German forces. They managed to withdraw and Moltke still had a chance; to straighten out the situation on the western front to his advantage. In October lie launched, a violent offensiA r e. on Calais, again imperilling the position of the Allies. But. the German High Command let slip its chance. It was being tied down ever more firmly on the eastern front, and was; forced to move the centre of gravity in that direction. J The Marne battle remains an outstanding example of how. in a difficult situation, victory can be won by the army that displays firmness and endurance and does not permit the enemy to frighten it. By launching active operations such an army is capable of Avresting the initiative from the enemy and radically changing the Avliole strategic situation.