Editing First World War (section)

=== Western Front ===

German forces advanced through Belgium and northern France in August 1914. The advance was stopped at the [[First Battle of the Marne]] from 6 to 12 September. Both sides then extended their positions northward until a continuous front ran from the Swiss border to the North Sea. Trenches and artillery positions became the main features of the front.

The Western Front remained largely fixed from late 1914 until 1918. Allied and German armies attempted to break the defensive system through prolonged offensives. The [[Battle of Verdun]] began in February 1916 and continued until December. The [[Battle of the Somme]] began on 1 July 1916 and lasted into November. Both battles caused very high losses without producing a decisive strategic breakthrough.

France launched the Nivelle Offensive in April 1917. Its failure contributed to mutinies in parts of the French Army, although French forces continued to hold the front. British and Commonwealth troops fought the Third Battle of Ypres later that year. Heavy rain and damaged drainage turned much of the battlefield into mud.