First Battle of Picardy

First Battle of Picardy
	Part of the Race to the Sea, First World War
	; Franco-German northward flanking moves, 15 September – 8 October 1914
Date	22–26 September 1914
Location	Picardy, France49°30′N 2°50′E / 49.500°N 2.833°E
Result	Inconclusive
Belligerents
France	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Joseph Joffre; Michel-Joseph Maunoury; Noel de Castelnau	Erich von Falkenhayn; Alexander von Kluck; Rupprecht of Bavaria
Strength
Sixth Army; Second Army	1st Army; 6th Army
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown
	Picardy class=notpageimage\| Picardy, a historical territory and former administrative region of France, now part of the Hauts-de-France region

The First Battle of Picardy (22–26 September 1914) took place during the Race to the Sea (17 September – 19 October) and the First Battle of the Aisne (13–28 September). The "race" was a Franco-British counter-offensive, which followed the Battle of the Frontiers (7 August – 13 September) and the German advance into France during the Great Retreat, which ended at the First Battle of the Marne (5–12 September).^[a] The term describes reciprocal attempts by the Franco-British and German armies to envelop the northern flank of the opposing army, through Picardy, Artois and Flanders.

The first outflanking attempt resulted in an encounter battle in Picardy. The French Sixth Army attacked up the Oise river valley towards Noyon, as the Second Army assembled further north, ready to attempt to advance round the northern flank of the German 1st Army. Both French armies managed to advance successively on a line from Roye to Chaulnes, until the German 6th Army and other reinforcements arrived from Lorraine and halted the French advance. Both sides then attempted another flanking move to the north, which merged into the Battle of Albert (25–29 September).^[b]

^ Edmonds 1925, pp. 27–100.
^ Edmonds 1926, pp. 400–408.
^ Mertz von Quirnheim 1929, p. 14.
^ Strachan 2001, pp. 266–273.
^ Clayton 2003, p. 59.
^ Doughty 2005, p. 98.
^ Foley 2007, pp. 101–102.
^ Sheldon 2010, p. x.

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[FOOTNOTEEdmonds192527–100-1] Edmonds 1925, pp. 27–100.

[FOOTNOTEEdmonds1926400–408-2] Edmonds 1926, pp. 400–408.

[FOOTNOTEMertz_von_Quirnheim192914-3] Mertz von Quirnheim 1929, p. 14.

[FOOTNOTEStrachan2001266–273-4] Strachan 2001, pp. 266–273.

[FOOTNOTEClayton200359-5] Clayton 2003, p. 59.

[FOOTNOTEDoughty200598-6] Doughty 2005, p. 98.

[FOOTNOTEFoley2007101–102-7] Foley 2007, pp. 101–102.

[FOOTNOTESheldon2010x-8] Sheldon 2010, p. x.

[a]

[b]