Why did the french travel to the battelfront in taxicabs?

Answer 1

On Sept. 3, 1914 General Galliéni, military governor of Paris was given intelligence that in the western sector of the line Paris-Senlis there was a void which left uncovered the extreme German left wing marching to invest the French Capital.

After having obtained the necessary authorisation from his superior Joffre, Galliéni ordered General Maunoury to throw all his forces there in order to outflank the Germans and threaten their backlines.

To reinforce Maunoury's attack had but only an infantry fresh division just arrived by train some 60 Kilometres from the front.

So, in order to quickly set out those troops to the front, Galliéni organized their transportation by means of 600 taxis going from Paris to the front, transporting

6000 soldier in two trips.

The Germans could but hardly avoid a decisive tactical defeat, although their 1st Army was forced to retreat some 20 kilometres northwest, but from a strategical point of view the French prevent Paris from being directly invested and their front being retreated on the river Seine, what would have represented a worrying development of the war for them.

Answer 2

they had too few trucks to transport troops