WWI, Tirailleurs at the Battle of the Marne, 1914

Tirailleurs (Algerian riflemen) of the French army attack German guns, from a painting by Fernand Besnier. Tirailleur dates back to the Napoleonic period where it was used to designate light infantry trained to skirmish ahead of the main columns. During WWI tirailleurs from North African territories served on the Western Front as well as at Gallipoli, incurring heavy losses. The Battle of the Marne was a WWI battle fought between September 5-12, 1914. The battle ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had reached the outskirts of Paris. The counterattack of six French field armies and one British army along the Marne River forced the German Imperial Army to abandon its push on Paris and retreat northeast, setting the stage for four years of trench warfare on the Western Front. The battle of the Marne was an immense strategic victory for the Allies, wrecking Germany's bid for a swift victory over France and forcing it into a drawn-out two-front war

Picture No

10978415

Media ID

47619396

Size

4500px x 2658px (4.3MB)

Credit

Source

Photo Researchers

Date

1914