Die Kaiserzeit : Chapter 3, The Battle of the Marne

The battles in northern France continue with the brutal battle of Abbeville forcing our troops back across the Somne. The path towards the Seine is closed by the French and Belgian troops.

In Elsaß-Lothringen our troops continue to force the French back. The loss of so many troops has left this section of the line weak as our troops smash into the French reserves.

The British propaganda put out disgusting disinformation. Of course we shoot the Belgians when they destroy our telephone wires and halt our trains. Death to saboteurs, death to soldiers without uniform!

While we win great victories in the east Austria-Hungary is falling apart. The Russians have crossed the Dniester and now head towards the Serbs in Romania. Von Falkenhayn must act soon.

Der Endsturm, the Final Storm. The last operation in the west! Our troops will smash across the Marne and Seine; we will finish what we started. We are only 100km from Paris only one final push is needed!

In the east Operation Blitz calls for a rapid advance towards the collapsing Austrians. We will outflank the Russian advance and make their position in Galicia unattainable.

Large parts of the Landwehr are being sent to clean out East Prussia, we will not allow a centimeter of the Fatherland to remain in Russian hands!

We “win” the crushing battle at St. Die. It does however put us up for a strong defense line along the Moselle.

Finally on the 7th of October Bulgarian diplomats approach us. They wish to join on our side and win back what Serbia and Greece stole from them.

Serbia now faces a war on two fronts!

Get out of my Fatherland!

Every centimeter is contested. We take an area and the French counterattack, more troops are fed into the meat grinder and so the killing goes on.

More of our Pacific holdings fall yet Qingdao holds strong. The Japanese are proving inept beyond all imagination.

The French drive us out of Arras, it will be retaken.

Reinforcements arrive in the nick of time and drive the French back.

All troops must be freed up for Der Endstrum!

Another bloody victory.

Disaster, our attempt to cross the Marne comes to an end with 20 000 dead in Epernay.

Yet we cross the Oise north of Paris, forwards!

Another attempt is given up. The defenses at the Marne are proving too strong. All hopes now rests on getting across the Seine.

The Bulgarians rush into undefended Serbia. Falkenhayn predicts a Serbian collapse within a week. The Advisor is not so convinced.

The fighting in the west is taking its toll on the land. Schirmeck is a land covered in craters. Getting supplies through the area is proving near impossible.

Drive them across the Rhine! Out of Germany!

Towards the Seine!

Operation Blitz begins. We must save the Austro-Hungarians from being destroyed.

Our troops are a mere 35 kilometers from Paris. Some forward units claim they can see the Eiffel tower.

The Bulgarians reach the outskirts of Skopje.

Another trap on the inept Russians, we are fighting a lumbering giant. We shall keep taking his fingers from him, one at a time.

Our troops cross the Vistula and reach Austrian Galicia.

In the west another 7000 die for the Fatherland. Our strained troops continue to push beyond the point of exhaustion. Disorganized and lacking in replacements they push on, cheering for every sign towards Paris they see.

Every bit counts.

The last part of the Fatherland is secured.

Serbia is being squeezed together very slowly. But where is the Austro-Hungarian offensive?

The British think they can starve us to death?

Think again! Kaiserliche Marine I choose you!

Choo Choo!

Time to hunt the Royal Navy.

Von Spee finds the Russian Navy instead. An easy victory.

On the 3rd of November the Ottoman Empire joins on our side. Hopefully this will relieve some of the pressure from the Russians.

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The Bulgarians do what the Austro-Hungarian Army couldn’t do in months, they take a Serbian city! Falkenhayn predicts a Serbian collapse within a week.

Silence is all that remains in the west. Operation Endstrum has been a giant failure. The French have dubbed it the Miracle of the Marne. The open terrain that gave such brutal battles has come to an end and now rivers divide us for over 300 kilometers. The maelstrom of the last months have come to an end. Our troops now dig down on opposite sides of the river. It is now all quiet on the western front.