<P> The German Army came within 70 km (43 mi) of Paris but at the First Battle of the Marne (6--12 September), French and British troops were able to force a German retreat by exploiting a gap which appeared between the 1st and 2nd Armies, ending the German advance into France . The German Army retreated north of the Aisne River and dug in there, establishing the beginnings of a static western front that was to last for the next three years . Following this German retirement, the opposing forces made reciprocal outflanking manoeuvres, known as the Race for the Sea and quickly extended their trench systems from the Swiss frontier to the North Sea . The territory occupied by Germany held 64 percent of French pig - iron production, 24 percent of its steel manufacturing and 40 percent of the coal industry--dealing a serious blow to French industry . </P> <P> On the Entente side (those countries opposing the German alliance), the final lines were occupied with the armies of each nation defending a part of the front . From the coast in the north, the primary forces were from Belgium, the British Empire and then France . Following the Battle of the Yser in October, the Belgian army controlled a 35 km (22 mi) length of West Flanders along the coast, known as the Yser Front, along the Yser river and the Yperlee canal, from Nieuwpoort to Boesinghe . Meanwhile, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) occupied a position on the flank, having previous occupied a more central position . </P> <P> From 19 October until 22 November, the German forces made their final breakthrough attempt of 1914 during the First Battle of Ypres, which ended in a mutually - costly stalemate . After the battle, Erich von Falkenhayn judged that it was no longer possible for Germany to win the war by purely military means and on 18 November 1914 he called for a diplomatic solution . The Chancellor, Theobald von Bethmann - Hollweg, Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg, commanding Ober Ost (Eastern Front high command), and Hindenburg's deputy, Erich Ludendorff, continued to believe that victory was achievable through decisive battles . During the Lodz offensive in Poland (11--25 November), Falkenhayn hoped that the Russians would be made amenable to peace overtures . In his discussions with Bethmann - Hollweg, Falkenhayn viewed Germany and Russia as having no insoluble conflict and that the real enemies of Germany were France and Britain . A peace with only a few annexations of territory also seemed possible with France and that with Russia and France out of the war by negotiated settlements, Germany could concentrate on Britain and fight a long war with the resources of Europe at its disposal . Hindenburg and Ludendorff continued to believe that Russia could be defeated by a series of battles which cumulatively would have a decisive effect, after which Germany could finish off France and Britain . </P> <P> Between the coast and the Vosges was a westward bulge in the trench line, named the Noyon salient for the captured French town at the maximum point of advance near Compiègne . Joffre's plan for 1915 was to attack the salient on both flanks to cut it off . The Fourth Army had attacked in Champagne from 20 December 1914--17 March 1915 but the French were not able to attack in Artois at the same time . The Tenth Army formed the northern attack force and was to attack eastwards into the Douai plain across a 16 - kilometre (9.9 mi) front between Loos and Arras . On 10 March, as part of the larger offensive in the Artois region, the British Army fought the Battle of Neuve Chapelle to capture Aubers Ridge . The assault was made by four divisions along a 2 mi (3.2 km) front . Preceded by a surprise bombardment lasting only 35 minutes, the initial assault made rapid progress and the village was captured within four hours . The advance then slowed because of supply and communication difficulties . The Germans brought up reserves and counter-attacked, forestalling the attempt to capture the ridge . Since the British had used about one - third of their supply of artillery ammunition, General Sir John French blamed the failure on the shortage of ammunition, despite the early success . </P>

What type of war caused a stalemate on the western front
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