... troops. Belgium, to Germany's surprise, resisted the invasion. They held on for as long as possible, but were severely outnumbered. This unexpected resistance slowed down the German advance, sufficiently for the BEF and the French army to prepare themselves. When the BEF arrived, they marched into Belgium, to hold off the Germans. They marched to the town of Mons, where they fought the Germans. They held them back for about a day, but were overwhelmed, and forced into retreating. The battle of Mons certainly slowed the Germans down, but wasn't a huge conflict, and didn't last long. With the BEF and the French withdrawing, it looked like the Germans might make it to Paris. However, when driven back close to the river Marne, the Germans swerved to the southeast, away from Paris. The French commander Joseph Joffre noticed that the German right flank was vulnerable, and organised an attack. It was ...

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