First World War.com - Vintage Video - Taxis of the Marne, September 1914

First World War.com - A multimedia history of world war one

The taxis of the Marne, September 1914 Vintage Video: Taxis of the Marne, September 1914
Updated - Saturday, 17 January, 2004

With German forces close to achieving a breakthrough against beleaguered French forces outside Paris between 6-8 September 1914, a decision was taken by French military authorities to despatch emergency troop reinforcements from Paris.

Extraordinarily these were despatched - on 7 September - using a fleet of Parisian taxi cabs, some 600 in all, ferrying approximately 6,000 French reserve infantry troops to the front.

The tactic worked and Paris was saved - barely. The incident quickly gained legend as "the taxis of the Marne". Events at the ensuing First Battle of the Marne led to a throwing back of German forces, ensuring Paris' safety - and military stalemate and with it the onset of trench warfare.

Click here to view footage of the Paris taxis carrying French soldiers in defence of the city (Windows Media, 20 seconds, 840KB).

A "conchie" was slang used to refer to a conscientious objector.