Why go
The war adds a human scale to places that can otherwise feel ceremonial. Gare de l’Est and Gare du Nord were departure points for mobilised soldiers, while the Champs-Élysées later became a route for celebrations. The story of Paris taxis carrying troops toward the Marne remains a vivid link between ordinary city streets and the front.
The full story
When war began in 1914, mobilised soldiers left Paris from its major stations and the German advance soon reached the Marne east of the city. The government moved to Bordeaux, and museum masterpieces were sent away for safety. During the First Battle of the Marne, military governor Joseph Gallieni requisitioned buses and about 600 Paris taxis to move troops toward Nanteuil-le-Haudouin. The number carried was limited, but the episode became a lasting symbol of civilian and military solidarity. Paris itself also endured bombing by aircraft and Zeppelins. In 1918, long-range German guns again threatened the city; a shell struck Saint-Gervais church during a service. After the armistice, crowds filled the Champs-Élysées for celebrations and the Allied victory parade. The arc from wartime fear to public ceremony is still legible in the city’s stations, churches and ceremonial avenues.