Second Battle of Marne

The second battle of the Marne resulted from the third major thrust of the great German offensive of 1918. Beginning in late May 1918, the German advance reached the Marne River in early June leaving Paris dangerously exposed. On 15 July the Germans launched their final drive towards the French capital. The results were uneven and the French, supported by British and American troops, were able to hold the German advance. A large Allied counter-attack was delivered against the German right flank on 18 July and in the next two days the Germans fell back almost 10 km. Pressed hard by the Allies, the German withdrawal continued until 3 August, by which time the German forces were back where they had been before the start of their offensive. The second battle of the Marne cost the Germans over 168,000 casualties, but Allied casualties were equally high - 13,000 British and dominion, 12,000 American and 95,000 French.