August 14th, 1914 - The Battle of Lorraine

Conflict: World War I

Combatants: French vs. Germans

Location: France

Outcome: German victory

A French advance by the Army of Alsace on August 8th was followed by offensives by the First and Second Armies on August 14th. Although the Germans were forced to withdraw initially, the Sixth and Seventh Armies, commanded by Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria and General Josias von Heeringen respectively, counterattacked and drove the French back to Nancy. French General Ferdinand Foch's XX Corps assisted in blunting the German drive.

WWI German supply depot in Lorraine by Thomas Quine

Points of Interest:

• The defeat at Lorraine was followed closely by defeats at the Ardennes, the Sambre, and Mons.

• The overall French offensive of August, 1914 resulted in the 300,000 casualties.

Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria by an unknown photographer

Josias von Heeringen by Nicola Perscheid

Ferdinand Foch by an unknown photographer

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Sources:

Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).

Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.

Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.

Ellis, John, & Cox, Michael (2001). The World War I Databook. Bodmin, UK: MPG Books Ltd.

Keegan, John (2001). An Illustrated History of the First World War. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.