Course of the "Race to the Sea" showing dates of encounters and highlighting the significant battles.

The "End of the Line": the Western Front reaches the sea near Nieuwpoort, Belgium.

The Race to the Sea was the name given to a period of World War I when the two sides engaged in trench warfare continually attempted to outflank each other on the northern flank resulting in a northward extension of the near-continuous front line towards the North Sea. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (740x900, 71 KB)Map showing the course of the Race to the Sea during 1914 following the Battle of the Aisne. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (740x900, 71 KB)Map showing the course of the Race to the Sea during 1914 following the Battle of the Aisne. ... Image File history File links WW1_Western_Front_at_Nieuport. ... Image File history File links WW1_Western_Front_at_Nieuport. ... For most of World War I, Allied Forces, predominantly those of France and the United Kingdom, were stalled at trenches on the Western Front. ... Nieuwpoort is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of West Flanders. ... Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Franz... Trench warfare is a form of war in which both opposing armies have static lines of defence. ... A front line is a line of confrontation in an armed conflict, most often a war. ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ...

It started in September of 1914 at the Swiss border at the end of the German advance into France and ended at the North Sea in November. In the ensuing battles fought in Picardy, Artois and Flanders, neither side could gain the advantage and so, as repeated attempts to find the open flank were made, the line was extended until reaching the coast. The term "Race to the Sea" suggests that it was a race to the sea when in actual fact it wasn't; the movement towards the North Sea was the result of continuous failed flanking (trying to get round the back of the opposition and attack from behind). Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... wazzup Categories: | ... Artois is a former province of northern France. ... Flanders (Dutch: ) has several main meanings: the social, cultural and linguistical, scientific and educational, economical and political community of the Flemings; some prefer to call this the Flemish community (others refer to this as the Flemish nation) which is, with over 6 million inhabitants, the majority of all Belgians; a...

In fact, the eventual "finish line" of the race was already occupied by two forces. The Belgian army, later reinforced by the British Royal Naval Division, had been holding out in Antwerp which finally fell on October 10. The Belgian and British forces had withdrawn to a line on the River Yser which flows into the North Sea at Nieuport. The British 63rd (Royal Naval) Division was a First World War division of the New Army. ... The Siege of Antwerp was an engagement of the Germans and the Belgians during World War I. The German army invaded Belgium on the morning of August 4, 1914, two days after the decision of the Belgian government not to allow German troops unhindered passage to France. ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in Leap years). ... Categories: France geography stubs | Belgium geography stubs | Belgian rivers | French rivers ... Nieuwpoort is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of West Flanders. ...

The race is deemed to have begun late September, 1914 following the end of the Battle of the Aisne, the unsuccessful Allied counter-offensive against the German forces halted during the preceding First Battle of the Marne. The route of the race was largely governed by the north-south railways available to each side, the French through Amiens and the Germans through Lille. Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants Britain, France Germany Commanders Sir John French, Louis Franchet dEsperey, Michel-Joseph Maunoury, Joseph Joffre Alexander von Kluck, Karl von Bülow, Josias von Heeringen Strength Two French armies and the BEF Three German armies Casualties Unknown Unknown The First Battle of the Aisne was the Allied follow... Combatants France United Kingdom German Empire Commanders Joseph Joffre John French Helmuth von Moltke Karl von Bulow Alexander von Kluck Strength 1,071,000 1,485,000 Casualties Approximately 263,000: 250,000 French casualties (80,000 dead) 13,000 British casualties (1,700 dead) Approximately 250,000 total The... The cathedral in Amiens Location within France Amiens is a city and commune in the north of France, 120 km north of Paris. ... For other uses, see Lille (disambiguation). ...

The French Tenth Army began to assemble at Amiens from mid-September and on September 25 began to push eastwards. The German Sixth Army had reached Bapaume on September 26 and advanced to Thiepval on the 27th, in the midst of what was to become the Somme battlefield of 1916. The German aim was to drive westward to the English Channel, seizing the industrial and agricultural regions of Northern France, cutting off the supply route of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and isolating Belgium. Meanwhile, six of the eleven German cavalry divisions would sweep through Flanders to the coast. The 6. ... Bapaume is a chief town of canton of northern France, in the département of Pas-de-Calais, arrondissement of Arras. ... This article is about the Thiepval village and memorial, for other uses see Thiepval (disambiguation) Thiepval is a village in the Somme département, Picardy region of Northern France. ... Combatants British Empire Australia Canada New Zealand Newfoundland South Africa United Kingdom France German Empire Commanders Douglas Haig Joseph Joffre Max von Gallwitz Fritz von Below Strength 13 British & 11 French divisions (initial) 51 British and 48 French divisions (final) 10. ... Year 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Satellite view of the English Channel The English Channel (French: La Manche (IPA: ), the sleeve) is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. ... The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was the British army sent to France and Belgium in World War I and British Forces in Europe from 1939 - 1940 during World War II. The BEF was established by Secretary of State for War Richard Haldane following the Second Boer War in case the... Soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat are commonly known as cavalry (from French cavalerie). ... Symbol of the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division in NATO code A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to fifteen thousand soldiers. ...

However, between October 1 and October 6 the German Sixth Army's offensive north of the Somme was halted by the French under the direction of General Ferdinand Foch. The German cavalry encountered the French XXI Corps near Lille and were likewise halted. The only gap remaining was in Flanders with the Belgians on the Yser to the north and the French in Picardy to the south. October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years). ... Ferdinand Foch OM GCB (October 2, 1851 – March 20, 1929) was a French soldier, military educator and author credited for possessing the most original and subtle mind in the French Army. ...

Attention now turned to Artois and Flanders where the BEF had begun to redeploy in order to shorten their supply route through Boulogne and Calais. The Germans reached Lille on October 13 and the British reached Balleuil on the next day. The line formed in Artois was established by the Battle of La Bassée between October 12 and October 27, the British held Arras while the Germans were in Lens. Boulogne-sur-Mer is a city and commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... Calais is a town in northern France, located at 50°57N 1°52E. It is in the département of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... Arras (Dutch: ) is a town and commune in northern France, préfecture (capital) of the Pas-de-Calais département. ... Lens is commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département. ...

In Flanders, the British 7th Division had moved in to Ypres on October 14. The Germans had actually occupied the town with a small detachment on October 3 but were forced to withdraw. The British planned to advance along the road to Menin but were stopped by a superior German force. On October 21, King Albert of Belgium ordered the sea-locks at Nieuport to be opened, creating an impassable flooded marshland up to a mile wide as far south as Dixmude. The British 7th Division was a Regular Army division that was formed by combining battalions returning from outposts in the British Empire at the outbreak of the France on 6 October, 1914. ... Ypres municipality and district in the province West Flanders Ypres (French, pronounced generally used in English1) or Ieper (official name in Dutch, pronounced ) is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. ... October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... Albert I (April 8, 1875 – February 17, 1934) was the third King of the Belgians. ... A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... Diksmuide (Dixmude or Diksmude ? in French and English) is a municipality in the province of West Flanders, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. ...

The German effort to achieve a breakthrough now concentrated at Ypres. In what was to become the First Battle of Ypres, the German attack began on October 21. Fighting would continue until late November but, while the British forces were dangerously stretched, no breakthrough came. Combatants United Kingdom France German Empire Commanders John French Ferdinand Foch Erich von Falkenhayn Strength UK: 7 infantry divisions, 3 cavalry divisions France: ? Fourth and Sixth Armies Casualties UK: 58,000 France: 50,000 130,000 The First Battle of Ypres, also called the Battle of Flanders, was the last...

While the race to the sea was over when the offensive at Ypres ceased, the Western Front still contained gaps. In particular, no front was established in the Vosges Mountains until early 1915. The Vosges mountains are range of mountains in central-western Europe, stretching along the west side of the Rhine valley in a NNE direction, from Basel to Mainz, for a distance of 250 km (150 miles). ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

The implications seaward

While the BEF was following events to the Marne and returning northwards, there had been coordinated efforts by relatively small forces of the Belgian field and fortress armies, French marines, Royal Marines, the Naval Brigade (sailors half retrained as infantry), the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and vessels of the Royal Navy. The aim was to support Antwerp, so tying up German forces and protecting the coast from occupation which would permit its harbours to be used by U boats and prevent their use in supplying a British army. This much and the importance of Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer in supplying the BEF were perceived at the time. Flag of Belgium The Belgian Army forms the land component of the Belgian Armed Forces. ... The Fusiliers de Marine, or fusiliers marins, are units specialised in the protection and defence of sensitive points of the French Navy on land. ... His/Her Majestys Royal Marines, also known as the Royal Marines (RM), are the Royal Navys Light Infantry, the United Kingdoms amphibious force and specialists in Arctic and Mountain Warfare. ... The British 63rd (Royal Naval) Division was a First World War division of the New Army. ... Personnel of No 1 Squadron RNAS in late 1914 The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of World War I, when it merged with the British Armys Royal Flying Corps (RFC) to form the Royal Air Force. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... The Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal (Cathedral of our Lady) at the Handschoenmarkt, in the old quarter of Antwerp is the largest cathedral in the Low Countries and home to several triptychs by Baroque painter Rubens. ... October 1939. ... Boulogne-sur-Mer is a city and commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département of which it is a sous-préfecture. ...

It is also true that in order to maintain a British army in France at all, the allies had to control the English Channel. To do this, particularly against U boats, the Strait of Dover had to be controlled. For this, its two coasts had to be occupied by the Allies so that a barrage of vessels, mines and nets could be maintained up to the two coasts.^[1] In the event, this aim of retaining control of the French coast was achieved by coordination between naval and military forces of Belgium, France and the United Kingdom and no French port was lost. How much of this aspect was understood before the event is not clear. It was perhaps, so obvious, in the Admiralty at least, that it was not stated explicitly. Certainly, the U boat threat was well appreciated at this stage but the First Lord's account of the time and its events makes no mention of the need stop the threat at the strait. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was the British army sent to France and Belgium in World War I and British Forces in Europe from 1939 - 1940 during World War II. The BEF was established by Secretary of State for War Richard Haldane following the Second Boer War in case the... Satellite view of the English Channel The English Channel (French: La Manche (IPA: ), the sleeve) is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. ... Satellite image of the Strait of Dover The Strait of Dover (French: Pas de Calais, i. ... Old Admiralty House, Whitehall, London, Thomas Ripley, architect, 1723-26, was not admired by his contemporaries and earned him some scathing couplets from Alexander Pope The Admiralty was historically the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. ...

These considerations made crucial, the BEF's return to the north before the fluid situation there had solidified into a line reaching the coast west of Dunkirk. On the whole, the German forces significant in this aspect of the 'race' came from eastern Belgium having been occupied there by operations associated with the resistance of Antwerp.

Reference

• Churchill, W.S. The World Crisis 1911–1918 London (1938) Chapter XII

Notes