Meuse, Battles of the

In World War I, battles between French and German forces in August 1914 on the line of the River Meuse in northern France. The French won a remarkable victory in stemming at least part of the German invasion but did not fully exploit their advantage.

After the German invasion of Belgium and northern France, the 4th French Army was ordered to hold the left bank of the River Meuse and maintain contact with the 5th Army, then in headlong retreat from Charleroi. However, the Germans were able to exploit a 48 km/30 mi gap between the two armies and establish a bridgehead south of Sedan. This was extended by taking other bridges and the Germans advanced along the whole Meuse front. The Germans were checked by the French at Noyers and unable to reinforce due to demands from the Eastern Front and a fresh attack in the southwest. They were driven back over the Meuse, a considerable victory for the French. However, they failed to exploit it as Marshal Joffre ordered a general retreat and the French commander in the field promptly obeyed, pulling back rapidly and abandoning large areas which could have been used to delay the subsequent German advance.