Battle of Lorraine

Battle of Lorraine

By: Aileen Juarez and Henry Skolnick

Before

The Battle

Afterwards

Effects on war

Germany won the battle, with casualties leading to 66,500 men while the casualties for the French are unknown.

It ended with most of the French retreating to Paris and Marne.

This was humiliating towards both armies which lead to the battle of Marne.

It began with the end of the Franco-Prussian War, creations of the Schlieffen Plan, and Plan XVII.

Plan XVII was an incentive to form an offensive against Germany's head on past the Rhine should more active conflict between the two countries manifest itself after the Franco-Prussian war.

The French had lost the Franco-Prussian war, and Germany had seized Alsace and Lorraine and made it a part of the German empire.

Plan XVII was a plan of which to invade and retake Alsace and Lorraine should Germany declare war.

With the Schlieffen Plan in effect, it was the perfect opportunity for France to execute Plan XVII.

The battle of Lorraine is one of the first frontier battles between France and Germany during Plan XVII and the Schlieffen Plan. It began on the 14th of August, and ended on the 25th, spanning almost two weeks. The French mounted their main offensive within the south and would send two corps into the Voseges, two corps towards Sarrebourg, and another pair of corps towards General de Castelnau. The second group of reserve divisions would break off and head towards Morhange in echelon to act as a flank guard from a German offensive from Metz. The First Army would advance and capture Donnon by the means of German withdrawal. At dusk, the 26th division of the XIII corps would attack Cirey and suffer many casualties from heavy artillery and machine gun fire. By August 15th, the Second Army reported the Germans possessed long range artillery and bombarded French infantry while artillery caused many casualties. The second army prepared for heavy artillery and pushed back the Germans.

Rupprecht continued fighting until the end of the month, without success Stalemate and trench warfare ensued.

The Battle of Lorraine was one of the first few frontier battles in the Rhineland. As the Germans and the French fought in Lorraine, more parts of the Rhineland would be under conflict in areas such as the Ardennes, Charleroi, Mulhouse, and Mons. Within these parts of the Rhineland, the French would get over encumbered by heavy artillery and sweeping waves of fire from the German army. Within most of these battles the French were forced to retreat and regroup away from the Rhineland with the Germans progressing. This resulted in the Germans achieving tactical victories nearly every time. Although it seemed hopeless for the French, the withdrawal of armies would later prove useful in swaying the German army from reaching Paris. The Germans were under the impression taking France would be simple and easy to continue work within the Schlieffen plan, but would soon prove them otherwise in the Battle of Marne, a battle that resulted in allied victory and would help keep the Germans out of Paris; as mentioned before.