Battle of the Frontiers

A series of battles in August 1914 in which French and German forces fought along the Franco-Belgian and Franco-German borders during World War I. The clashes ended in French and Belgian retreats.

Plan XVII: The French Army’s prewar plan for mobilization and offensive operations against Germany. Its attacks into Alsace-Lorraine shaped the southern battles of August 1914.
Great Retreat: The Allied retreat across northern France in late summer 1914 after German advances from Belgium and Lorraine. It followed the defeats across the frontier and carried the armies toward the Marne.
July Crisis: The diplomatic confrontation in July 1914 that followed the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and preceded World War I. Its escalation brought France and Germany into war.
Battle of Liège: An August 1914 German assault on the Belgian fortified city of Liège, which fell after heavy artillery bombardment. The opening major action in Belgium delayed the German advance.
Schlieffen Plan: Germany’s prewar plan to defeat France through a rapid advance across Belgium before turning against Russia. Its advance through Belgium brought German forces into the northern battles.
First Battle of the Marne: A September 1914 battle in which French and British forces halted the German advance toward Paris. The retreat from the frontiers ended in this Allied counteroffensive.
Franco-Russian Alliance: A military alliance between France and Russia formed in the 1890s to counter the Triple Alliance. The alliance shaped French planning for a two-front war against Germany and Austria-Hungary.
Battle of the Frontiers of Alsace: The August 1914 fighting in Alsace, including French advances and German counterattacks around Mulhouse. It represents the southernmost French offensive of the campaign.
Battle of Charleroi: A major August 1914 battle in Belgium in which German forces defeated the French Fifth Army. It was one of the principal engagements within the wider campaign.
Siege of Maubeuge: A German siege of the French fortress of Maubeuge that ended with its surrender in September 1914. The fortress fell during the German advance following the frontier battles.

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