"A Fleet of Taxis Did Not Really Save Paris From the..." Topic
12 Posts
All members in good standing are free to post here. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the posters, and have not been cleared with nor are they endorsed by The Miniatures Page.
In order to respect possible copyright issues, when quoting from a book or article, please quote no more than three paragraphs.
For more information, see the TMP FAQ.
Back to the Early 20th Century Discussion Message Board
Areas of InterestWorld War One
Featured Hobby News Article
Featured Link
Featured Ruleset
Featured Showcase ArticleA walk down memory lane - do you remember the Tank Trap?
Featured Workbench ArticleTony shows how he puts together and paints a Flash Gordon-inspired sci-fi pulp robot.
Featured Profile Article
|
Tango01 | 22 Nov 2015 3:42 p.m. PST |
… Germans During World War I. "On the night of September 6, 1914, as the fate of France was hanging in the balance, a fleet of taxis drove under cover of darkness from Paris to the front lines of what would become known as the Battle of the Marne. Carrying reinforcements that turned the tide of battle against the Germans, the taxi drivers saved the city and demonstrated the sacred unity of the French people. At least, that's the story. Still, as we know from our own past, heroic stories about critical historic moments such as these can have but a grain of truth and tons of staying power. Think Paul Revere, who was just one of three riders dispatched the night of April 18, 1775, who never made it all the way to Concord and who never said, "The British are coming!" Yet, his legend endures, just as it does, a century later, with the Taxis of the Marne—which really did roll to the rescue, but weren't remotely close to being a decisive factor in the battle. That doesn't seem to matter in terms of their popularity, even today…" See here link Amicalement Armand |
tberry7403 | 22 Nov 2015 4:53 p.m. PST |
My understanding is most of them didn't even make it to the front. But… Everyone knows the value of PR. |
gamershs | 22 Nov 2015 9:50 p.m. PST |
Just remember that Paul Revere didn't even finish his ride but was caught and captured by the British and released the next day. But would that have made a heroic poem? To quote a John Wayne (Marion Morison actually) movie when the facts clash with the legend, go with the legend. |
Whatisitgood4atwork | 23 Nov 2015 12:22 a.m. PST |
That's a legend gamershs. The line in 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance' was, 'When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.' A lot of great lines in that movie. My favourite is: Dutton Peabody: Give me a drink. Tom Doniphon: Bar's closed. Dutton Peabody: Just a beer! Tom Doniphon: The bar's closed. Dutton Peabody: A beer's not drinking! The whole movie is something of a homage to alcoholism. Another reason to like it. |
ochoin | 23 Nov 2015 3:00 a.m. PST |
If only there had been Uber available, taxis WOULD have saved Paris (for a discounted price, too). |
FreemanL | 23 Nov 2015 6:30 a.m. PST |
I think I remember that the taxies also had the meter running and true, were not in the front line. But the importance of rapidly shifting troops through motorized transport is the real key here. Oh, and of course the showing of all of France, even taxi drivers, were behind the military. Morale was flagging and the Marne showed that the Germans could be stopped. That everyone went sideways and the race to the sea began afterwards is what I think took all planners on both sides by surprise. Larry |
Cherno | 23 Nov 2015 10:20 a.m. PST |
Who knows? Maybe the story of the "cavalry taxis" spread quickly and gave the soldiers in the trenches a much-needed morale boost. |
Tango01 | 23 Nov 2015 10:26 a.m. PST |
|
monk2002uk | 24 Nov 2015 11:43 a.m. PST |
We put on a huge reproduction in 6mm of the First Battle of the Marne in Dormans, Champagne. It was really interested because lots of the French visitors wanted to see the taxis :-) This photo illustrates the scale of the battle: link The taxis delivered men to from Paris, which is roughly where the big pillar is on the left, to the area where the light stand is positioned. Compared to the rest of the battlefield, the numbers of men were virtually negligible. In terms of the importance, their influence was much greater. They helped to threaten von Kluck, causing him to draw more and more men away from his left wing. That opened up the gap between First and Second Armies, resulting in an unsustainable situation for the German forces. Robert |
Tango01 | 24 Nov 2015 10:46 p.m. PST |
Wow! That's superb! Thanks for share!! Amicalement Armand |
Lion in the Stars | 01 Dec 2015 6:31 p.m. PST |
Holy crap, Monk! You've been going all-out on those games! |
monk2002uk | 02 Dec 2015 1:54 p.m. PST |
Hehe. Well worth it though. The town of Dormans gave us free Champagne as a thank you. Next year we will do the Somme. Robert |
|