World War I: A concise military history by Gilbert Adrian

Author:Gilbert, Adrian [Gilbert, Adrian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lume Books
Published: 2020-12-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

The Western Front 1917

The cost of the great Battles of Verdun and the Somme profoundly shocked the governments of France and Britain. The scale of the military effort and the loss of so many men were without historical precedent and yet, as 1916 drew to a close, the net result was deadlock once again. Demands for change were in the air.

In France, Joffre was replaced as Commander in Chief by General Robert Nivelle, an artillery officer who had established a reputation for efficient and successful operations during the French counter-attacks at Verdun. In Britain, Herbert Asquith, was succeeded as prime minister by David Lloyd George on 7 December. Always mistrustful of the military, Lloyd George sought to reverse the 'Western' strategy of Sir William Robertson (Chief of the Imperial General Staff) and Sir Douglas Haig (newly promoted field marshal) by advocating an all-out attempt to crush Austria.

Nivelle thought differently: he planned a major French offensive in Champagne, supported by a British attack around Arras. Charming and articulate, Nivelle gained the confidence of the Allied politicians, and his ability to speak good English made a favorable impression on Lloyd George who, despite his 'Eastern' stance, accepted Nivelle's plan for an offensive in the West. In striking contrast to the aloof and attritional-minded Joffre, Nivelle promised the war-weary politicians outright victory, quickly and cheaply. They grasped at Nivelle's almost magical promises and expectations rose accordingly.

Nivelle claimed the battle could be won in 48 hours by an attack of some 1,200,000 men against the German line along the Chemin des Dames that overlooked the River Aisne. With over 5000 guns at his disposal Nivelle guaranteed that the German defenses would be pulverized into submission. However, matters were somewhat complicated when the German High Command set in motion a strategic withdrawal along a wide sector of the Western Front on 14 March, falling back to carefully prepared positions some 15 to 20 miles to the rear of the existing line.

The new line became known as the Siegfried Stellung to the Germans and the Hindenburg Line to the Allies. Intended primarily as a means of rationalizing the German defenses, the withdrawal shortened the trench lines by 25 miles, allowing some 10 divisions to be withdrawn from frontline duties. The German decision was no doubt influenced by their knowledge of the intended French offensive (French security was virtually non-existent), as the withdrawal seriously dislocated Nivelle's plan. Yet he stubbornly refused to make any operational changes in the face of growing misgivings from both his own army commanders and the British.

The British diversionary attack around Arras opened the 1917 Allied offensive. The Canadian Corps was ordered to take Vimy Ridge (considered virtually impregnable) in order to safeguard the left flank of the main advance either side of Arras, which was entrusted to General Sir Edmund Allenby's Third Army. The German position was well defended but the British had planned the offensive with some care, profiting from the lessons of the Somme battle the previous year.

Artillery support

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