No. 1. L'Attaque Brusquée: d'après "le Bystander". The Sudden Attack, August 24, 1914. In French territory, with Luxemburg and much of Belgium behind him, a helmeted Kaiser Wilhelm knocks Joffre back with a powerful uppercut. The western end of the Allied line was held by the British. Their retreat from Mons, Belgium on August 24 brought the full length of the Allied line into France.
From L'Attaque & la Riposte — Originale présentation des phases de la Guerre (The Attack & the Retort — Original Presentation of the Phases of the War)
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

24 Aout d'après "le Bystander" (August 24, after "The Bystander")

[No. 1. L'Attaque Brusquée: d'après "le Bystander". The Sudden Attack, August 24, 1914.

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

Other views: Larger

Victorious in the Battle of the Frontiers, five German armies advanced through northern France driving three French Armies and the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) before them.

As the Allies retreated, French General Joffre reconfigured his forces, strengthening and extending his left, held by the BEF, creating the Sixth Army.

The German offensive was weakened as troops were drawn off to besiege two French fortresses and the Belgian fortress of Antwerp. Commander von Moltke also sent two army corps east to aid the war against Russia.

On August 26, one corps of the BEF fought the Battle of Le Cateau. On August 29, the Germans struck the French Fifth Army in the Battle of Guise. In both cases, the retreating Allies were dangerously isolated, and at peril of being outflanked.

Joffre, seeking a line on which to stop the Germans, struggled to keep the British in the field, as British commander Sir John French considered retreating to the coast and Britain.

Following its war plan, the First German Army advanced to the southwest to envelop Paris. On August 31, as the German Second Army stayed in position, the First Army commander, convinced the British had fled, and that he had no significant French forces on his right, turned to the southeast, advancing rapidly to envelop the French Fifth Army. On September 1, a 30-mile gap separated the two German armies.

The French government fled Paris on September 2, giving command of the city's defense to General Gallieni. The new French Sixth Army retreated to the strongly fortified city.

Joffre repeatedly asked his commanders when they would be ready to counter-attack. Franchet d’Esperey, new commander of the Fifth Army, would be ready on September 6. On September 5, German forces encountered the Sixth Army advancing from Paris, and realized their danger.

Start Date: 1914-08-23

End Date: 1914-09-05

More about The Allied Retreat of 1914: