After the Battle of the Marne was won by the Allied armies in early September 1914, the Germans withdrew to a formidable position north of the Aisne River and entrenched themselves on the high ground. Numerous French efforts to dislodge them failed and the two great hosts stared at each other from their respective trenches. German General Erich von Falkenhayn and French Marshal Joseph Joffre realized that there was much open, exploitable territory to the north of these solidified lines and each prepared to maneuver around the flanks of his opponent. These mutual and simultaneous flanking moves resulted in a series of headlong battles that gradually shifted the forces north toward the French Channel coast. These maneuverings yielded a series of encounter battles at Picardy, Albert, Artois, La Bassee and along the Yser River. But these engagements were ultimately indecisive and the campaign’s final stage was set for the dramatic clash at the end of the “race”, at the ancient textile city of Ypres.