French operations in Artois , Champagne and Alsace from November–December 1914 , led General Joseph Joffre , Generalissimo ( Commander in Chief ) and head of Grand Quartier Général ( GQG ) , to continue the offensive in Champagne against the German southern rail supply route and to plan an offensive in Artois , against the lines supplying the German armies from the north .

French operations in Artois , Champagne and Alsace from November–December 1914 , led General Joseph Joffre , Generalissimo ( Commander in Chief ) and head of Grand Quartier Général ( GQG ) , to continue the offensive in Champagne against the German southern rail supply route and to plan an offensive in Artois , against the lines supplying the German armies from the north .

The failure to break through , despite the expenditure of and the suffering of led to recriminations against Joffre ; the German 6th Army suffered Bodily_harm A lull followed until the Second Battle of Champagne , the Third Battle of Artois and the Battle of Loos in September .

The French part of the offensive was intended to be strategically decisive by breaking Bodily_harm through the German defences on the Aisne front within with casualties expected to be around A preliminary attack was to be made by the French Third Army at St Quentin and the British First , Third and Fifth armies at Arras , to capture Conquering high ground and divert German reserves from the French fronts on the Aisne and in Champagne .

The main offensive was to be delivered Military_operation by the French on the Chemin des Dames ridge ( the Second Battle of the Aisne , , and ) , with a subsidiary attack by the Fourth Army ( Third Battle of Champagne , Battle of the Hills , Battle of the Hills of Champagne ) .

The main offensive was to be delivered Military_operation by the French on the Chemin des Dames ridge ( the Second Battle of the Aisne , , and ) , with a subsidiary attack by the Fourth Army ( Third Battle of Champagne , Battle of the Hills , Battle of the Hills of Champagne ) .