Battle of the Frontiers

The Battle of the Frontiers was a battle fought at the beginning of World War I between French forces under the command of Joseph Joffre, and the Imperial German Army, led by Helmut von Moltke, from August 14 to August 22, 1914. This battle consisted of a series of five offensives launched by both armies along the eastern frontier of France and in southern Belgium, at Mulhouse, Lorraine, the Ardennes, Charleroi and Mons.

Summary

The Battle of the Frontiers took place as a result of the implementation of the German Schlieffen Plan and the French Plan XVII by both governments. Although the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) fought a relatively minor battle at Mons, due to its position facing the critical right wing of the invading German army, they were forced to retreat all the way back to the Paris periphery by the power of the German attack.

The defeat of the French offensive during the Battle of the Ardennes led to a general withdrawal of French units to the Marne River. However, the French and British forces were able to regroup for the defense of Paris and stopped the German general offensive of the Schlieffen Plan at the First Battle of the Marne.

Below, a map which shows the directions of the German offensive in August, 1914. The red crosses mark the most intense battles.