| There
were battles around the River Aisne virtually throughout
the war.
On
13 September 1914 the BEF, moving north from the River
Marne, crossed the River Aisne in pursuit of the Germans
and for two weeks both sides fought tenaciously on
and around the Chemin des Dames ridge. By the end
of the month stalemate had been reached and trench
warfare had begun. Had the BEF been just two hours
earlier at the River Aisne the outcome could have
been quite different. British casualties have been
estimated at some 12,000.
Later
in the war, in both 1917 and 1918 the Aisne once more
figured prominently in the fighting in connection
with the Chemin des Dames. As a result of the 1917
failures General Nivelle was replaced and the French
Army was undermined by a series of mutinies.
In 1918 the extraordinary success of the Kaiser's
offensive took the Germans back across the river
These
battles are covered in greater detail in our Western
Front - South book opposite with travel directions,
historical notes, tourist details and maps and photographs.
There
is a free battlefield map worth at least £3
with this book. |