Race for the Sea

Race to the Sea
Part of the Western Front of World War I
Franco-German flanking moves, 15 September – 8 October 1914
Date 17 September – 19 October 1914 Location France and north-west Belgium 49°30′N 02°50′E / 49.500°N 2.833°E / 49.500; 2.833Coordinates: 49°30′N 02°50′E / 49.500°N 2.833°E / 49.500; 2.833 Result Stalemate
Belligerents
Belgium France  United Kingdom	German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Albert I Joseph Joffre Sir John French	Erich von Falkenhayn

The Race to the Sea took place from about 17 September – 19 October 1914, after the Battle of the Frontiers (7 August – 13 September) and the German advance into France, which had been stopped at the First Battle of the Marne (5–12 September) and was followed by the First Battle of the Aisne (13 September – 28 September), a Franco-British counter-offensive. The term described reciprocal attempts by the Franco-British and German armies to envelop the northern flank of the opposing army through Picardy, Artois and Flanders, rather than an attempt to advance northwards to the sea. The "race" ended on the North Sea coast of Belgium around 19 October, when the last open area from Dixmude to the North Sea was occupied by Belgian troops, who had been withdrawn from the Siege of Antwerp (28 September – 10 October). The outflanking attempts had resulted in a number of encounter battles but neither side was able to gain a decisive victory.

After the opposing forces had reached the North Sea, both tried to conduct offensives, leading to the mutually costly and indecisive Battle of the Yser (16 October – 2 November) and the First Battle of Ypres (19 October – 22 November). After mid-November, local operations were carried out by both sides and preparations were made to take the offensive in the spring of 1915. Erich von Falkenhayn, Chief of the German General Staff (Oberste Heeresleitung) since 14 September, concluded that a decisive victory could not be achieved on the Western Front and that it was equally unlikely in the east. Falkenhayn abandoned Vernichtunsstrategie (strategy of annihilation) and attempted to create the conditions for peace with one of Germany's enemies, by Ermattungsstrategie (strategy of exhaustion), to enable Germany to concentrate its resources decisively to defeat the remaining opponents.

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