The First Battle of the MarneIt DID appear to be a miracle. When the war started, the French had gone all-out in their Plan XVII offensives aimed at recapturing Alsace and Lorraine, losing a quarter-of-a-million troops in the process. And nearly losing Paris as well. But the canny Joseph Gallieni, charged with defending Paris had done so by marshaling his forces and looking for the right opportunity to strike back. The Germans gave it to him.
Like miracles. When it was over, the casualties were staggering. Two million men had participated. Half-a-million were lost. It was the largest “open field” operation of the war, with both sides fighting in desperation and the highest daily combined casualty counts of any battle in the war.
The First Battle of the Marne includes:Map: Full color, 11” x 17” mounted mapboardPieces: 200 full color, die-cut counters Rulesbook: 12 pages Charts and Displays: Two army organization displays Skill Level: Medium Designer: Jon Compton & Lembit Tohver The First Battle of the Marne ended German hopes for a quick finish, and set the stage for all that followed throughout the 20th Century. Up for it? |
Download the latest rules in PDF format Email us your questions and comments Visit our game support folder on Consimworld About the Designers: Jon Compton is a political scientist specializing in formal mathematical methods and international relations. He holds a Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University and has published papers and lectured widely on violent non-state actors, irregular warfare, and deterrence issues. His work, Three Papers on Violent Non-State Actors: Environmental Permissiveness and Motivation in the Transnational Terrorism Typology, the Middle Eastern Region, and the Americas will be published in book form in 2014. He works as a strategic defense analyst in the Washington DC area, and lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and two children. Lembit Tohver is a Canadian wargame enthusiast since 1967, and has served as the chief game developer for both Against the Odds Magazine and the L2 firm. |
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In 1964, historian Lt. Col. Joseph B. Mitchell published a compact book, Twenty Decisive Battles of the World, an expansion of Sir Edward Creasy's most famous work from a hundred years past, updating it into the 20th Century.
Turning Point Simulations (TPS), a division of LPS Inc, examines these 20 battles with a new series of boxed wargames. These games emphasize accessibility and playability, and come with hard-mounted maps and mounted, die-cut counters. Each battle is presented in a design of low complexity, but high challenge, from some of the industry's top designers.
And be sure to check out our sister publication Against the Odds!
While TPS games focus on the decisive battles across time, Against the Odds magazine investigates all of military history from a broad perspective. The economic, political, religious and social aspects of warfare are examined in concert with events on the battlefield. Get yourself truly "connected" with games and gaming by subscribing to Against the Odds! Learn more...
The Marne has many novel wrinkles. It was the first battle in which observation planes are credited with providing critical information - they spotted a gap between German armies and the opportune place for a counterattack. Paris was on the edge of defeat. Two German armies were almost surrounded and destroyed. And then, there were the 600 taxicabs, legendary for rushing reserves to a critical area. Gallieni’s quote was, “Well, here at least is something out of the ordinary!" And so much about the battle was exactly that - Out of the ordinary.
