"After all, selling weapons and strategic materials can only make a small fortune, and the real benefits have to be won by war. For the European war, we are not at the moment easy to intervene, but we can prepare for the war against Tsarist Russia. The North China Military Region, the Northeast Military Region, the Northwest Military Region, and the North Sea Fleet were ordered to enter a state of first-class combat readiness, and the General Staff immediately began to formulate a new strategic plan. Ren Chao ordered with a stern face.

"Commandment!" Yang Jichang and others bowed in response.

The German First Army was on the outskirts of Paris, and the French government was forced to move to Bordeaux.

The 1st Army led by Kluke did not advance directly towards Paris, but rotated eastward to cooperate with the 2nd German Army commanded by Biraud to encircle and annihilate the French 5th Army. In this way, the flanks of the German revolving front had to pass near Paris and cross the front of the French 6th Army. The chief of the French General Staff, Chauffeur, could not grasp this opportunity quickly, and he still ordered the troops to continue to retreat, but the commander of the Paris garrison, General Gallieni, saw this clearly at once, and he excitedly shouted: "They have sent the flanks to the door!" How can the Germans be so stupid! I can't believe there's such a thing, it's great. He immediately ordered Maunoury's French 6th Army to prepare for an attack on the German right flank. He called Xia Fei again and asked him to approve the attack, but Xia Fei did not say anything. Gallieni drove to the British headquarters in the hope of winning their support, but the British chief of staff said he was "not interested" in the plan to attack the right flank of the German army.

On the evening of 3 September 1914, Cluke reached the Marne, and the French 5th Army and the British Expeditionary Force outside of him had crossed the Marne earlier in the day. These two troops, who had retreated hastily and were exhausted and confused, had repeatedly received telegrams to blow up the bridge, but neither had done so. Having captured these bridgeheads, Kluke defied orders from the Berlin High Command to keep him on par with Bíró's 2nd Army. He was ready to immediately cross the river early the next morning and continue his pursuit of the French 5th Army.

On this day, the officers and men of the Kluk Army Group marched almost 30 miles. According to a French eyewitness, when the German soldiers reached the vicinity of the north bank of the Marne, "many fell to the ground, exhausted, and only muttered in a daze: '30 miles!'" 30 miles! 'I'm so tired that I can't say anything." Cluk overwhelmed his soldiers and outpaced his supply convoy and heavy artillery fleet. It seemed to him that the French army, in the midst of its successive defeats, would never be able to turn its head against his morale and ability with a single trumpet. He didn't expect an old fellow named Gallieni in the French army. Just waiting for his negligence. ”

On September 4, 1914, Kluke pushed forward and bluntly told the Supreme Command that he could not carry out the order to keep him behind as a flanker of the German 2nd Army. Waiting for the German 2nd Army in Biro to catch up with him would have to halt the advance for two days, which he believed would weaken the entire German offensive and give the French time to regain their strength and move freely. In fact, Biro's 2nd Army was just as exhausted. So, Kluke put aside the orders of the Supreme High Command. Continue to push to the southeast, in other words, for Paris is getting farther and farther away.

In Berlin, everyone from the Kaiser to the common people believed that the French army was about to be completely wiped out and that German victory was imminent. Only the Chief of the General Staff, Moltke Jr., was full of doubts: "The victor must be captured." But where are our prisoners since the pursuit of the French? There were 20,000 in Green, and in other places combined, there were only 10,000 or 20,000 people, and the number of captured cannons was also small. Are the French retreating in a planned way? ”

On the morning of September 4th. The report of the French reconnaissance aircraft gave Gallieri the opportunity for him to "act immediately." The adventurous advance of Cluke's forces southeast of Paris had made his Royal High's troops the target of the French 6th Army and the British offensive in Maurau. At 9 a.m., without the consent of Xia Fei. Gallieni issued a pre-order to Maunuri to prepare for battle. He then called the General Headquarters and asked Xia Fei to give an official order to attack. But Xia Fei did not comment.

In fact, Xia Fei also had a counteroffensive plan, and the plan also included the plan to use Maonuli's 6th Army to attack the outside of the German right flank. Xia Fei hoped that one more day would allow reinforcements to arrive and the 5th Army to make arrangements, so that he would have more time to win the cooperation of the British army. After listening to Gallieni's request, Xia Fei faced the battle map and thought. Xia Fei is an overly composed person, he can sit in his chair and think all day without saying a word, regardless of what others say about him.

In the afternoon, when Gallieni called again, Chauffeur finally gave the go-ahead for Mauloli's 6th Army to attack from the north bank of the Marne, and at 10 p.m. that night ordered the rest of the French army to halt its retreat and launch a full-scale counteroffensive on 6 September.

However, the British refused to carry out this counteroffensive plan. Xia Fei was in a hurry, and personally went to the British headquarters on the afternoon of September 5 to persuade the British commander, Sir French. Eventually, French agreed to Xiafei's request and said that he would "do his best" to fight.

In the evening, Xia Fei returned to his headquarters and issued a brief mobilization order to the troops: "We are about to participate in a battle, which is a battle that will affect the fate of our country. The retreat phase is over, and now we should go all out to attack the enemy and drive them back, and if the troops cannot advance any further, then hold their positions at any cost, and would rather die in battle than retreat. Under the current circumstances, any gesture of weakness will not be tolerated. ”

On 5 September 1914, when Army Group Crucker passed east of Paris and could see the Eiffel Tower, its right rear flank was attacked by Maunnouri's 6th Army. Kluke immediately ordered the 3rd and 9th armies to turn back against Mao Laoli, and these two corps were tasked with covering the right flank of the German 2nd Army. So their retreat created a gap of 20 miles wide between the German 1st Army and the 2nd Army. Because the British army, facing this gap, had retreated rapidly, so Kluke dared to take this risk. For the Germans, the key to victory was whether they could break the French flanks, Maunnouri's 6th Army and Foch's 9th Army, before the main French forces and the British could take advantage of a gap to break through their own waists. (To be continued......)