'Race to the sea'..?

Question

Hi, can someone please outline the main points of what 'The Race To The Sea' was?
Ive read about it on wiki etc but dont know how to sum it up!
Thank you x
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_to_the_Sea

Answer 1

It probably refers to World War One. Basically the Germans were squaring off with the French. Both sides builty lines of defensive trenches opposite one another. Since the best way to get past the trenches was to go around the side of it, both sides ended up "racing to the sea" one side trying to go around the other side trying to stop them. Eventually the trenches on both sides reached the ocean and then a very bloody stalemate ensued for a number of years.

Answer 2

The Race to the Sea was a name given to a period of World War I when, on the Western Front, the two sides were still engaged in mobile warfare. With the German advance stalled at the First Battle of the Marne, the opponents continually attempted to outflank each other through north-eastern France. This process brought the forces back to positons prepared under British Admiralty guidance, on the North Sea coast in Western Belgium. The nature of operations then changed to trench warfare, which is very large scale siege warfare. This produced a continuous front line of trench fortifications more than two hundred miles long, which by the following Spring extended from the coast to the Swiss border.

It began in September of 1914 in Champagne, at the end of the German advance into France, and ended at the North Sea in November. In the ensuing battles fought in Picardy, Artois and Flanders, neither side could gain the advantage and so, as repeated attempts to find the open flank were made, the line was extended until it reached the coast. The term "Race to the Sea" suggests that all the forces began in Champagne though significant parts of the German Army arrived from Belgium, after the fall of Antwerp, and much of the BEF arrived from England by way of English Channel coast of France. the movement towards the North Sea was the result of continual failed attempts at flanking maneuvers.

In fact, the eventual "finish line" of the race was already occupied by two forces. The Belgian army, later reinforced by the British Royal Naval Division, had been holding out in Antwerp which finally fell on October 10. The Belgian and British forces had withdrawn to a line on the River Yser which flows into the North Sea at Nieuport.

Answer 3

It was between the two opposing sides during the 'Great War', the First world war to you and me..!
The two sides were trying to outflank each other in France.
The 'Race th the Sea', was to prevent this by not giving a flank to be attacked.