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French postcard celebrating the Allied victory at the Battle of the Marne with the Kaiser tumbling in the river, Germans (in green) fleeing. The French in blue and red advance and tend to German wounded. The British, France's ally, advance in the distance. Caption: Dans un élan magnifique, les armées allemandes on passé deux fois la Marne. Tout va bien. Les troupes sont fraîches. (Agence Wolff) Caption: With magnificent élan, the German armies have crossed the Marne twice. All is well. The troops are fresh. (Wolff Agency) Signs and text: On demande couturière pour recoudre les boches Voulez vous que j’écrive a vos parents? Poudres sèches pour la guerre future 1873 Sucre pastilles caramelle Baton provisoire de maréchal We need a seamstress to mend the Boche You want me to write to your parents? Dry powder for future war 1873 Caramel sugar lozenges Marshal’s provisional baton Reverse: "Artistic Caricatures" (1re Série de 6 cartes)

French postcard celebrating the Allied victory at the Battle of the Marne with the Kaiser tumbling in the river, Germans (in green) fleeing. The French in blue and red advance and tend to German wounded. The British, France's ally, advance in the distance.

Image text

Caption:

Dans un élan magnifique, les armées allemandes on passé deux fois la Marne. Tout va bien. Les troupes sont fraîches. (Agence Wolff)



With magnificent élan, the German armies have crossed the Marne twice. All is well. The troops are fresh. (Wolff Agency)



Signs and text:

On demande couturière pour recoudre les boches

Voulez vous que j’écrive a vos parents?

Poudres sèches pour la guerre future 1873

Sucre pastilles caramelle

Baton provisoire de maréchal



We need a seamstress to mend the Boche

You want me to write to your parents?

Dry powder for future war 1873

Caramel sugar lozenges

Marshal’s provisional baton



Reverse:

"Artistic Caricatures" (1re Série de 6 cartes)

Other views: Larger

Monday, September 14, 1914

"On the evening of the 14th of September, 1914, in Luxemburg, Lieut.-General von Falkenhayn, then Minister of War, was entrusted by His Majesty the Emperor and King with the post of Chief of the General Staff of the Army in the Field, in the place of the invalided General von Moltke.

The change was not universally made known forthwith. . . .

It did not seem fitting to disquiet any further the population at home, which was already sufficiently agitated by the events of the war, and by means of this change of leadership to give enemy propaganda further ostensible proof of the completeness of the victory obtained on the Marne, so long as there was any prospect of a speedy improvement in General von Moltke's health. . ."

Quotation Context

After defeat in the Battle of the Marne, Kaiser Wilhelm II replaced Helmuth von Moltke, who had suffered a nervous collapse, with Erich von Falkenhayn as Chief of the General Staff, a position Falkenhayn would hold until August 29, 1916.

Source

General Headquarters and its Critical Decisions, 1914-1916 by Erich von Falkenhayn, pp. 1, 2, copyright © 1920 by Dodd, Mead and Company, Inc., publisher: Dodd, Mead and Company, Inc., publication date: 1920

Tags

1914, August, September, 7 Reserve-Division, invasion, 1914-09-14, Nouvron, Falkenhayn