Stalemate

The Marne therefore contributed to stalemate through a sequence: the German advance was stopped, Germany retreated to defensible positions, Allied attacks failed to dislodge it, and both sides entrenched. It prevented a swift German victory, but it did not give the Allies an immediate victory in the war.

By late 1914, movement had largely given way to stalemate: neither side could achieve a decisive advance. Both sides dug trenches to protect their soldiers and hold the territory they controlled. By 1915, these had developed into extensive defensive networks stretching from the Channel coast to the Swiss frontier.