The Legendary Paris Taxis of World War One

The Plan

It’s 1914. The German plan going into what would become World War I is to rush troops to the west and overwhelm France quickly, before the much larger and more formidable Russia has a chance to mobilize for war.

To do this, Germany sends its troops through Luxembourg and Belgium — much to the displeasure of the governments of Luxembourg and Belgium.

To counter this, France and its allies, the British, send forces into Belgium to slow the German advance. But German troops advance anyway.

By Sept. 3, 1914, French troops — exhausted and badly in need of reinforcements — are forced to pull back to the Marne River, just a dozen or so miles east of Paris, with the intent of holding the city.

German Chief of the General Staff Helmuth von Moltke organizes his forces into two wings. The right wing is to swing north and encircle the allied forces.

The Gap

As the French retreat, however, German field commanders see an opportunity to overrun the Allies. The right wing of von Moltke’s army moves to the southeast — east of Paris, rather than to the north of Paris as planned.

This does three things:

1. It throws the Germany supply lines into disarray

2. It exposes the right prong of the German forces to an attack from the rear.

3. And it opens a gap between the prongs of the German attack.

Using their relatively new airplanes as observing posts, Allied command sees the opportunity for a counterattack. What the plan needs to work, however, is fresh troops.

The French have plenty of fresh men — a mostly inexperienced reserve division — back in Paris. But how can they be brought to the front in time?

Taxis to the Rescue

he answer: Taxicabs.

On Sept. 7, the military governor of Paris, Gen. Joseph Gallieni, commandeers 600 taxicabs and dozens of trucks to ferry 10,000 reservists and their equipment to the front. Heavy artillery is moved east on trains.

The city of Paris rallies around the effort, considering it similar to the grassroots-type effort that led to the French Revolution. The “taxis de la Marne” will become a beloved symbol of French spirit.

Commandeered taxicabs gather at Les Invalides in central Paris. Credit: Sortir de Paris

The next night, Sept. 8, the newly refreshed French forces launch their counterattack on the point between the two German wings.

By the next day, the tables have turned drastically. It’s now the Germans who are in danger of being surrounded. When von Moltke is told the news, he suffers a nervous breakdown. His subordinates order an immediate retreat across the Aisne River — wide enough to give the Germans time to dig in and fortify their lines. In their haste, the Germans leave behind guns, artillery and ammunition.

By Sept. 13, 1914, nearly all the German troops have fallen back behind this line. The danger to Paris is over.

One Little Catch to This Story

Historians know it happened. Plenty of Parisians witnessed the massing of the taxicabs and the departure of the reserves. There are photos — you’re seeing a couple of them here. There are even records showing the French treasury reimbursed the taxi owners a total fare of 70,102 francs.

“A fleet of taxis did not really save Paris from the Germans during World War I,” reports Smithsonian magazine. The taxis “really did roll to the the rescue,” the magazine said, but they “weren’t remotely close to being a decisive factor in the battle.”

The Independent, a London newspaper, is even more emphatic: “The 6,000 taxi-borne reinforcements were an anecdotal pinprick, skilfully used by the French government to promote the idea that a ‘sacred union’ of soldiers and civilians had come together to fight a great patriotic war.”

The Independent also points out that a cap was put on the taxi meters. “The drivers were cheated out of their full fares,” the paper reports.

The Result

The Allied forces pursue the Germans all the way back to their new trenches. With no progress in sight, they, in turn, dig trenches of their own — small shallow pits that are eventually enlarged and deepened.

French troops in their trenches. Credit: Library of Congress

In an effort to outflank each other, both sides extend their lines north in what becomes known as “the Race to the Sea.” By the end of October, a solid line of trenches runs from the French-Swiss border to the English Channel.

Breaking this deadlock would cost three years and millions of lives.