The Campaign of the Marne by Sewell Tyng
Publisher: Westholme Publishing, U.S. (26 Jul 2007)
ISBN-10: 1594160422
This is a superb history of the opening campaign on the Western Front. This is history pitched at the strategic and operational levels of war, with tactical actions interspersed that demonstrate the effects of the friction of war. Tyng's style is concise and very readable. The chapters are short, from 4 to 12 pages, which makes it fast paced, enjoyable and easy to maintain a clear understanding of a complex and vast canvas of interlocking battles. It is precise in its narrative and fair and balanced in its analysis of the various actions fought by the contending armies and of the decisions of the opposing commanders. It is a benchmark of how good military history should be written. This is not a book for those who prefer the soldier's view of war.
The book opens with a chapter each on the Schlieffen Plan and Plan XVII which provide valuable insights into just how much Joffre was aware of a possible German thrust through Belgium and the fact that Plan XVII was a concentration plan rather than a plan of campaign. This is followed by a comparison of the opposing armies: German, French, Belgian and British.
The Campaign of the Marne is a masterful account of the opening campaign all along the Western Front during August and September 1914, not just The Battle of the Marne. Thus it opens with the German invasion of Belgium and the fighting to capture the fortress of Leige. It then addresses the various Battles of the Frontiers from Belgium through to the Swiss border, covering the actions of the six French and seven German Armies, the Belgians and the BEF. These chapters are not just narrative; Tyng comments on the implications of each action in relation to the overall plans and intentions of the opposing commanders which are not only valuable but provide context to the outcome of the campaign.
The Allied retreat and the German advance makes interesting reading - as the mistakes on each side and the friction of war affect the outcome of battles and missed opportunities while Joffre, the French Commander-in-Chief, sets in train the forces and deployments that made the Battle of the Marne possible. The chronological events that led to the Allied victory on the Marne are clearly described and in doing so Tyng corrects a good many misconceptions and myths, not the least of which are who was the real architect and advocate of the French counter-attack and who was actually responsible for ordering the initial German retirement; all supported by documentary evidence in the appendices.
At the same time the battles around Nancy and Verdun are described in sufficient detail to maintain a sound understanding of what was occurring across the whole front. The book concludes with a summary of the German retreat to the Aisne and the desultory Allied "pursuit" followed by brief chapters on the Marne in retrospect, legends and myths and an analysis of Joffre. 20 very good sketch maps support the narrative and allow the reader to readily follow the complexity of this vast and fast moving campaign.
Tyng considers the Allied victory on the Marne was due to Joffre's generalship and strategic grasp of events immediately after the Battles of the Frontiers, mistakes on the part of the German commanders and that perennial problem, the friction of war. It is hard to contest this conclusion.
Highly recommended. Buy it, you won't be disappointed. Copies available from the WFA Online Bookstore.
Reviewer: Chris Roberts
