First Battle of the Marne

Allied forces halted the German advance just 30 miles from Paris in a crucial six-day battle along the Marne River. French General Joffre counterattacked into a gap that opened between the German First and Second Armies. The famous 'Taxis of the Marne' rushed 6,000 French reserve troops to the front. The German retreat ended hopes of a quick victory and forced them to dig in, beginning the trench warfare that would define the war.