Schlieffen plan failed. Both stopped on the Aine. When machine guns set up on the banks both realised what impressive the effect of barrage was.

Both tried to turn the flank. When they could reach the Atlantic it meant failure to get ahead of the other.

Before the race to the sea Moltke jr. was replaced by Falkenhayn, Prussian minister for defence. The war was lead by Falkenhayn's initiative until the autumn of 1916. He was one of the first military leaders who realised the war was definitely prolonged at this stage.

In his judgment Germany was like a sieged fortress encircled by the Allied. From the viewpoint of two front war it was impossible not only to defeat Russia with their inexorable resource and her vast territory but also to force Russia to make a separate peace with Great Britain intact even if France was defeated. On the other hand, even though making a compromise peace with Russia the French would not give up with her ally, Great Britain. In total it was also impossible to defeat Great Britain before the drop out of her allies, France and Russia.

Falkenhayn thought that if so there was no other way than to have the Allied attritioned, totally intolerable to their societies. Though it was unclear whether they agree on a compromise peace.

It seems that this judgement was also applicable to WW2 partly because of European geography. However, in WW1 it was Germany to offer compromise peace due to intolerable attrition.

Falkenhayn had also quarrels with the East faction, Ludendorff and Hindenburug who put enphasis on the offensive to Russians first. He tried rather to balance both the Western front and the Eastern. In this light there had never been a decisive battle in his mind.

In the autum of 1914 He planned to break through at Ypre and then turn to the sea in order to envelop both the British and the Belgians.

The Siege Battle of Antwerp

In mid September 3 divisions around Antwerp resisited against the German Beseler Contingent which had 4 divisions. Beseler began bombardment after reinforced with Skoda made 30.5 siege guns.

Kitchener, British war minister and Grey, foreign secretary soon noticed British herself in danger. If Antwerp fell and then followed Ostend, Calais and Boulogne, the German could grip the harbours to land on the British Iles. By gaining a few more days they could urge BEF to go north.

Churchill, the First Sea Lord volunteered to check the deffence of Antwerp. He arrived there on 3 October and encouraged Belgian Government. However, next day 4 October Churchill reported that the successful defensive was hopeless. Though, Kitchener threw all his cards to gain time. The only remaining ground force in Great Britain, Marine Brigade 10000 strong was odered to land on Antwerp.

Belgians had no weapon to cope with Skoda 30.5. The shell fell from 6 miles away. On 6 October the Belgians decided to withdraw to Ostend.

On 9 October Antwerp fell. the British marine brigade suffered more than 2500 loss, some of whom were interned in Holland untill the end of the war. But they gave valuabe time for BEF to reach the sea. And, the Belgians successfully fled away with few casualities again.

The First Battle of Ypre