A corps of German cavalry had crossed the Oise and had reached Chateau Thierry. The First German Army (General von Kluck), consisting of four active army corps and a reserve corps, had passed Compiegne. The Second Army (General von Buelow), with three active army corps and two reserve corps, had attained to the region of Laon. The Third German Army (General van Hausen), with two active army corps and a reserve corps, had crossed the Aisne and reached Chateau Porcin-Attigny. Farther to the east the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh German Armies, making about twelve active army corps, four reserve corps, and numerous Ersatz companies, were in contact with the French troops (Fourth and Fifth Armies) between Vouziers and Verdun, the others from Verdun to the Vosges. Such was the situation. It may be seen, if a map is consulted, that the Fifth French Army, commanded from August 30 by General Franchet d'Esperey, would have found itself in grave peril following on the backward bending of the British and French forces operating on its left, if the French had accepted the challenge of a decisive battle. The French commander in chief resolutely chose the alternative that obviated such a risk, that is, he decided on a postponement of the offensive and the continuation of the retreat. Already on September 1, 1914, he prescribed as the extreme limits of the retreat the line running through Bray-sur-Seine, Nogent-sur-Seine, Arcis-sur-Aube, Vitry-le-Francois, and the region north of Bar-le-Due. That line would have been reached had it been necessary. On the other hand, it was his intention to attack before it was reached if the forces could be offensively arrayed, allowing of the cooperation of the British army and the army of Manoury on the left, and on the right that of the divisions of reserve that had been held on the heights of the Meuse.