Marne, First Battle of the

Marne, First Battle of the

(Sept. 6–12, 1914) Military offensive by French and British troops in World War I. After the invading German forces had moved to within 30 mi (50 km) of Paris at the Marne River, Joseph-Jacques-Césaire Joffre counterattacked and halted the German advance. French reinforcements were driven to the front by 600 Paris taxis, the first automotive transport of troops. French and British troops forced the Germans to retreat north of the Aisne River, where they dug in to conduct the trench warfare of the next three years. The Allied success thwarted Germany's plan for a quick victory on the Western Front.