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The Blow on the Yser, November 10, 1914, the sixth in a series of six postcards on the German invasion of France and the forming of the Western Front. The snaking bodies of French commander %+%Person%m%10%n%Joffre%-% and German %+%Person%m%3%n%Kaiser Wilhelm%-% turned to the north after the %+%Event%m%18%n%Battle of the Marne%-%, shaping the %+%Event%m%109%n%Race to the Sea%-%. Joffre has struck the Kaiser a roundhouse blow, sending his helmet flying. In the Battle of the Yser, the Belgian army, determined to hold native ground, inundated the coastal lowland along the Yser River. Behind Joffre's head is the small corner of Belgium they held throughout the war.
From L'Attaque & la Riposte — Originale présentation des phases de la Guerre
Ehrmann, Édition Lorraine, a set of six postcards and envelope.
Over maps of the French theater of operations on the western front in 1914 — Luxemburg, Belgium, northern France — cartoon figures of the French and German armies struggle. General Joffre represents the forces he commands. His adversary's upward-pointing mustache indicates Kaiser Wilhelm.
The titles of the cards appear only on the envelope.
1re Série
On the reverse of each card: Carte Postale
Tous les Pays étrangers n'acceptent pas la Correspondance au recto. (Se renseigner a la Poste).
Edition Lorraine

The Blow on the Yser, November 10, 1914, the sixth in a series of six postcards on the German invasion of France and the forming of the Western Front. The snaking bodies of French commander Joffre and German Kaiser Wilhelm turned to the north after the Battle of the Marne, shaping the Race to the Sea. Joffre has struck the Kaiser a roundhouse blow, sending his helmet flying. In the Battle of the Yser, the Belgian army, determined to hold native ground, inundated the coastal lowland along the Yser River. Behind Joffre's head is the small corner of Belgium they held throughout the war.
From L'Attaque & la Riposte — Originale présentation des phases de la Guerre
Ehrmann, Édition Lorraine, a set of six postcards and envelope.
Over maps of the French theater of operations on the western front in 1914 — Luxemburg, Belgium, northern France — cartoon figures of the French and German armies struggle. General Joffre represents the forces he commands. His adversary's upward-pointing mustache indicates Kaiser Wilhelm.

Image text

No. 6. 10 Novembre [Le Coup de l'Yser]



From "L'Attaque & la Riposte — Originale présentation des phases de la Guerre" — The Attack and the Retort — Original Presentation of the Phases of the War — a set of six postcards and envelope by Ehrmann, Édition Lorraine. No. 6. Le Coup de l'Yser, the Blow on the Yser.



The titles of the cards appear only on the envelope: No. 6. Le Coup de l'Yser.



1re Série



Reverse:

Carte Postale



Tous les Pays étrangers n'acceptent pas la Correspondance au recto. (Se renseigner a la Poste).



Not all foreign countries accepts correspondence on the front. (Ask at the Post Office.)



Edition Lorraine

Other views: Larger

Monday, December 28, 1914

"On the 28th [December, 1914] we captured Saint-Georges, while the Belgian 5th Division, after crossing the Yser south of Dixmude, established a small bridgehead on the right bank.

Before making further attacks in force, we had to instal ourselves firmly where we stood. That required considerable time; for to organize ground such as this was a question not of days but of weeks, the atmospheric conditions alone constituting the most serious difficulty. Water and sand made inroads into our parallels and communication trenches, frequent storms damaged our telephone lines, and the bridge of casks we had thrown across the mouth of the Yser was continually being broken by German artillery fire."

Quotation Context

Excerpt from the Memoirs of Marshall Foch, then General Ferdinand Foch. The French and Belgian troops spent the month from December 27, 1914 to January 27, 1915 preparing for an attack, constructing 'works of approach' under difficult conditions.

Source

The Memoirs of Marshal Foch, translated by Col. T. Bentley Mott by Ferdinand Foch, page 194, copyright © 1931 by Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc., publisher: Doubleday, Doran & Co., publication date: 1931

Tags

1914-12-28, 1914, December, Yser