September 13, 1914

One hundred years ago today the First Battle of the Aisne began on the Western Front. After losing the First Battle of the Marne the German army retreated about 30 miles north to the river Aisne. At this river the German army would make its stand against the advancing French and British armies. By this point in the war both the German and the Allied armies were exhausted, battered and unable, and unwilling, to engage in head on attacks. So when the German and the Allied armies began to clash again around the Aisne both sides looked for some way to gain an upper hand without directly engaging the enemy.

Over the next few days the war would change to something none of the belligerents were prepared for or expected. September 13, 1914 was the beginning of the end of World War One being fought as a nineteen century war. The era of industrial war was about to begin.