Race to the Sea

A series of flanking maneuvers in 1914 in which German and Allied forces tried to outflank one another, extending the Western Front northward to the North Sea.

First Battle of the Aisne: A September 1914 battle in which Allied forces halted the German advance north of the Aisne River. Its stalemate prompted both sides to seek an open northern flank.
Battle of the Marne: A September 1914 battle in which French and British forces stopped the German advance toward Paris. The German retreat after the Marne opened the campaign of reciprocal flanking moves.
First Battle of Ypres: An October–November 1914 battle in Flanders that checked German efforts to break through the Allied line. The battle’s outcome helped prevent a German breakthrough at the northern end of the line.
John French: British field marshal who commanded the British Expeditionary Force during the opening campaigns of World War I. He directed British forces through the northern flank battles.
Battle of Picardy: A series of October 1914 clashes in Picardy during the opposing armies’ northward maneuvers. These clashes carried the flanking contest through Picardy.
Schlieffen Plan: A German prewar strategy for defeating France quickly by advancing through Belgium before turning against Russia. Its advance through Belgium shaped the German position as the front shifted north.
Trench warfare: A form of warfare in which opposing forces defend from interconnected, fortified trenches. The closed flank made prolonged defensive positions central to fighting in the west.
Joseph Joffre: French general who served as commander-in-chief of the French armies during the opening years of World War I. His coordination of French operations helped sustain the Allied line as it moved north.
Battle of Artois: A series of 1914 battles in the Artois region of northern France. The fighting shifted the contest into the approaches to Flanders.
Western Front: The principal European theater of land warfare between Germany and the Allied powers in World War I. The Race to the Sea formed the northern extension of this larger front.

Linked from 6 pages