Battle of the Marne (1914)

The First Battle of the Marne (September 1914) halted the German advance that so threatened Paris the French government evacuated, using 600 Paris taxicabs to rush reinforcements in a counter-attack. Joffre's stand forced German forces to retreat to the Aisne River, ending the Schlieffen Plan and condemning both sides to four years of trench warfare that caused over 5 million casualties by 1918. This stalemate proved even longer than the Battle of Hastings' (#5) aftermath, as Hastings reshaped England in decades, while the Marne's deadlock dragged on for four grinding years. The 600 taxis mobilized 6,000 troops—a stark contrast to Hastings' 7,000-8,000 Norman infantry decisively altering England's future.