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LEFT ttrORLD WAR 419 WORLD WAR eastern flank, that a wide gap was created in the whole French line. D'Es- pery's corps east of the gap, his 10th division freed by Von Biilow's witn- drawal, left his division to Foch, who launched a terrific attack on the Prus- sian Guard, holding position between the Marshes of St. Gond and La Fere Cham- penoise. The Germans were routed, losing most of their artillery; the Saxon regiments were smashed, and the whole army of Hansen scattered. News of this disaster started Von Kluck in rapid re- treat to the Aisne, compelled Von Biilow to abandon the attempt to hold the north bank of the Marne, and forced all the German armies to retire. September 9 was the decisive day for the armies of Von Kluck, Biilow, and Hansen. It is estimated that about 2,225,000 men were Marne possible. This struggle, which the Germans lost, became known as the second battle of Nancy and saved the eastern barrier of France. The Germans after the Marne retreat dug themselves in behind the Aisne and by September 18 had assumed the offensive, driving back French and British to the north of the river. To the east the German line now swept around Rheims and through the Argonne. In the third week of Septem- ber Foch was held up at Rheims by Bii- low who captured several forts and bom- barded Rheims. West and east of the Argonne the German advance was checked. Forts south of Verdun were attacked, and St. Mihiel captured by the Germans. The bombardment of the Cathedral of Rheims proved a costly mis- take; it roused the French people to VERDUN BATTLES engaged in the fighting between Verdun and Paris, and that the losses in killed and wounded were between 300,000 and 350,000. The Battle of the Marne broke the German offensive and wrecked their plan which was to annihilate the French armies in the first six weeks of the war. During the first week of September, and before the battle of the Marne had been decided eight German corps at- tempted to cut their way through the French barrier forts between Toul and Epinal which would bring them to the flank and rear of all the French armies engaged from Verdun to Paris, but the army of General de Castelnau repulsed all attacks and made the victory of the fresh determination to crush the in- vaders and added to the growing num- ber of Germany's enemies among neutral nations. The Germans continued to make gains and their lines of trenches by the third week in September stretched from the Vosges to the Oise. The French flanking operations west of this river were defeated and the Germans recap- tured Peronne, Roye, and Lassigny. Late in September there was only a gap of forty miles between the French lines from Lille southward and the Channel. The Germans now had two definite aims, to capture Antwerp and the Belgian army, occupy the Channel port? and regain the initiative. Ant-