Explore "The Battle of the Marne" by G.H. Perris on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
During the night of August 25 -- while Smith-Dorrien's men were defending themselves at Solesmes and Haig's at Landrecies -- General Maunoury received the order to disengage his divisions, and to hurry across country to Montdidier with his Staff, there to complete the formation and undertake the command of the new 6th Army. This distinguished soldier was sixty-seven years of age. Wounded in the war of 1870, he had taken a leading part in the development of the French artillery, directed the Ecole de Guerre, and restored a strict discipline in the garrison of the capital as Governor of Paris. Two of his phrases will help to characterise this gallant officer. The first was that in which, in the moment of victory, he spoke of himself as having for forty-four years directed all his energies toward "la revanche de 1870. " The other was addressed to a group of fellow-officers who were discussing certain German brutalities.
He could not understand such things, he said, and added: "When we are in their country, we will give them a terrible lesson in humaneness. "[34]