From the 15th of September, 1914, it was clear that the Germans
were making a great effort to try and overwhelm the French left.
General Joffre parried the attack, reenforcing at first the army
of Manoury by an army corps, then transferring to the left of the
army of Manoury the entire army of Castelnau that was in Lorraine.
A corps of cavalry and four territorial divisions commanded by
General Brugere received the order to establish itself on both banks
of the Somme and protect the detraining of the army of Castelnau.
From September 21 to September 26, 1914, all the French forces
that had newly arrived were engaged in the Lassigny-Roye-Peronne
region. They succeeded in withstanding, not without difficulty, the
German attack, but they could not advance. The Germans determinedly
and unweariedly continued to mass new forces on their right. On
the left of the army of Castelnau it was therefore necessary to
establish a new army. It was established on September 30, 1914,
under the command of General Maud'huy. From the first days of October
this army waged violent conflicts in the region of Arras and of
Lens. It found facing it two German cavalry corps, the Guard, four
active army corps, and two reserve corps.
General Joffre continued without intermission to send new forces
to the left. On October 4, 1914, he called on General Foch in the
north and charged him with the duty of coordinating the action of
all the armies in that region: those of De Castelnau, Maud'huy,
and the territorial divisions.
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