The First Battle of Rethel was a battle fought on the Western Front of World War I in January 1915.
By December 1914, French general Joseph Joffre was confident that his men along the Aisne front were ready to break through the German lines, and needed only an edge. Joffre gave orders for the French army at Chateau-Thierry to take control of Rethel and force the Germans to pull men away from other regions. The Allies launched probing attacks across the frontline: the British attacked Peronne from Villers-Bretonneux and Arras and Oudenaarde from Ypres, sapping German strength and driving down the German public's morale. By January 1915, the French were ready to mount their attack on Rethel, where the main breakthrough was to take place.
32,000 French troops faced 16,000 entrenched Germans, and the French advanced after massive artillery barrages pummeled the German left-flank trenches. The Germans nonetheless inflicted severe casualties on the advancing French both on the right and left. The French on the left were caught up in an outright slaughter while advancing across open country, while the French on the right were eventually able to overcome steep losses with the help of persistent artillery support against entrenched German soldiers. The French secured the sector facing their right flank before launching a combined attack on the German right from two sides, yet the fierce resistance of the German second line made the French Army's victory a dearly-bought triumph. Nevertheless, the French were able to achieve a clean sweep, securing all of their offensive objectives. The great French victory at Rethel provided the Allies with a morale boost and severely damaged Germany's control over the town, enabling the Allies to press the attack in the coming weeks.
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