Battle of the Trouée de Charmes 1914 • Contemporary Era
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24–26 August 1914 French victory

Battle of the Trouée de Charmes

First World War – Battle of the Frontiers · Trouée de Charmes, Lorraine, between Nancy and the Vosges, France

Summary

The Battle of the Trouée de Charmes, also called the Battle of Mortagne or Rozelieures, was fought in Lorraine between Nancy and the Vosges from 24 to 26 August 1914 at the start of the First World War. About 750,000 men were engaged: 400,000 in the German 6th and 7th Armies under Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria and 350,000 in the French 1st and 2nd Armies under Generals Dubail and Castelnau. It ended in a French victory without which the recovery on the Marne would not have been possible.

Historical context

After the Battle of the Frontiers and the general French retreat, Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria targeted the Trouée de Charmes, a 65 km gap between Toul and Épinal in the Séré de Rivières system. From 24 to 26 August 1914 Dubail's and Castelnau's French 1st and 2nd Armies faced the German 6th and 7th Armies.

Tactics

The Germans launched a southward offensive to cross the Moselle at Charmes and link with the Crown Prince's forces. Castelnau organized defense then a counter-offensive by the 2nd Army, notably around Rozelieures, during three days of intense fighting in Lorraine.

Consequences

The French victory of 26 August inflicted one of the bloodiest episodes of August 1914 on the German army. It influenced Moltke's decisions on reinforcing the right wing in Belgium and, according to Wikipedia, made the recovery on the Marne possible.

Location

Place : Trouée de Charmes, Lorraine, between Nancy and the Vosges, France
Coordinates : 48.375°N, 6.29777778°E

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