Key Facts
- Dates
- 15–18 July 1918
- Duration
- 4 days
- Key weapon
- Several hundred Renault FT tanks
- Strategic consequence
- Triggered Allied advance leading to armistice ~100 days later
Strategic Narrative Overview
The German assault began on 15 July 1918, crossing the Marne River on a broad front. However, French forces had anticipated the attack through intelligence and prepared elastic defenses. An Allied counterattack swiftly struck the German right flank, spearheaded by French infantry supported by several hundred Renault FT tanks. The combination overwhelmed German positions, inflicting severe casualties and halting the offensive within four days.
01 / The Origins
By mid-1918, Germany was under severe strain on the Western Front after years of attrition and the failure of earlier 1918 Spring Offensives to deliver a decisive breakthrough. German High Command launched a final offensive in the Marne region, hoping to split Allied lines, draw reserves away from Flanders, and force a negotiated peace before American troops could tip the balance decisively in the Allies' favour.
03 / The Outcome
The German failure at the Second Battle of the Marne proved irreversible. Unable to recover the initiative, German forces began a general retreat. The battle initiated the Hundred Days Offensive, a relentless Allied advance across the Western Front that progressively collapsed German resistance and culminated in the Armistice of 11 November 1918, ending the First World War.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
2 belligerents
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.