Sunday, August 8, 1914, revealed the Germans in such overpowering
strength, that the French were left no other choice than to beat a
hasty retreat. They accordingly fell back upon Altkirch, to intrench
a few miles beyond their own border. Thus ended the French initial
offensive. In military reckoning it achieved little of value.

Meanwhile in the Ardennes on August 13, 1914, the German Crown
Prince, commanding the Fourth Army, advanced from Luxemburg into the
southern Ardennes and captured Neuf-château. His further objective
was to break through the French line somewhere near the historic
ground of Sedan. But at this point some change in the German plan
seems to have taken place. From the maze still enveloping the opening
events of the war, one can only conjecture a reason which would
move such an irrevocable body as the German General Staff to alter
a long-fixed plan. Probably, then, the unanticipated strength of
Belgian resistance foreshadowed the summoning of reenforcements
to Von Kluck's right wing of the whole German army. We have seen,
in fact, how he came to be near a desperate need at Bruges, and
only the heavy reenforcement of Von Boehn enabled that general
to deliver a final defeat to the Belgian field army at Weerde.
Whatever the cause of change of plan may have been, important forces
attached to or intended for the armies of the Duke of Württemberg
and the crown prince were withdrawn to support the armies of Von
Kluck and Von Bülow. These forces went to form a unit under General
von Hausen, a veteran of Sadowa. This change left the Saxon army
of the crown prince with hardly sufficient strength for a main
attack on the French line at Sedan, but still formidable enough
to feel its way cautiously through the Ardennes to test the French
concentration on the central Meuse's west bank. When the German
right had finally settled Liege, the Saxon army could then join