It's always a good idea to read your posts before sending them. That way you get to know if they make any sense or not..
Sorry, I'd forgotten there was no Battle of Britain in WW2.
WW1 had an African and Asian theatre. It also employed new technologies: tanks, planes, gas, flamethrowers.
Not that it did them much good. WW1 help bring about the Russian Revolution, the Easter Rising, the Indian Non-cooperation movement and May Fourth Movement, to name a few.
Which one? She has a two-part series on the outbreak of war: The Guns of August and the Proud Tower.
Both I think, as I said not read them myself but often see them recommended.
Africa. A minor African theatre. Only a million dead.
Much? Or most?
Was it called European War One, or World War One? Just asking for a friend.
you might find this British Intelligence in the Great War - Historic UK an interesting readI’ve recently been reading a little & watching a few documentaries on WW1 trench warfare, in particular about the battle of the Somme.
Did Rawlinson or any other senior generals subsequently apologise (e.g. in their memoirs) about how catastrophically bad their decisions had been for the ‘poor bloody infantry’ of the British army?
e.g. First day of the Somme: attacking in daylight; walking not running; troops bogged down with up to 60lb of kit; enemy wire not having been destroyed in the previous seven days’ artillery barrage (this could have been ascertained - and in at least one case I read about - was ascertained by a forward scouting party going towards enemy lines and who found the wire to be intact).
Also, what was the basis of the generals’ assumption that the Germans would be obliterated by the artillery barrage? Did they really have no knowledge of the well-constructed and deep bunkers built into the German trench system, where they were able to shelter until it was time to haul out their machine guns?
Heads should’ve rolled, but I bet they didn’t
Please tell me that British tactics were modified in some way after the disaster of 1st July… as I understand the battle of the Somme lasted until November or later…
They did eventually get their act together hence the 100 day offensive that finished the Germans off the British army of 1918 was probably the best trained and most successful combined arms force we created pity. Most of the lessons were put back in the box and ignored.I’ve recently been reading a little & watching a few documentaries on WW1 trench warfare, in particular about the battle of the Somme.
Did Rawlinson or any other senior generals subsequently apologise (e.g. in their memoirs) about how catastrophically bad their decisions had been for the ‘poor bloody infantry’ of the British army?
e.g. First day of the Somme: attacking in daylight; walking not running; troops bogged down with up to 60lb of kit; enemy wire not having been destroyed in the previous seven days’ artillery barrage (this could have been ascertained - and in at least one case I read about - was ascertained by a forward scouting party going towards enemy lines and who found the wire to be intact).
Also, what was the basis of the generals’ assumption that the Germans would be obliterated by the artillery barrage? Did they really have no knowledge of the well-constructed and deep bunkers built into the German trench system, where they were able to shelter until it was time to haul out their machine guns?
Heads should’ve rolled, but I bet they didn’t
Please tell me that British tactics were modified in some way after the disaster of 1st July… as I understand the battle of the Somme lasted until November or later…
I’ve recently been reading a little & watching a few documentaries on WW1 trench warfare, in particular about the battle of the Somme.
Did Rawlinson or any other senior generals subsequently apologise (e.g. in their memoirs) about how catastrophically bad their decisions had been for the ‘poor bloody infantry’ of the British army?
e.g. First day of the Somme: attacking in daylight; walking not running; troops bogged down with up to 60lb of kit; enemy wire not having been destroyed in the previous seven days’ artillery barrage (this could have been ascertained - and in at least one case I read about - was ascertained by a forward scouting party going towards enemy lines and who found the wire to be intact).
Also, what was the basis of the generals’ assumption that the Germans would be obliterated by the artillery barrage? Did they really have no knowledge of the well-constructed and deep bunkers built into the German trench system, where they were able to shelter until it was time to haul out their machine guns?
Heads should’ve rolled, but I bet they didn’t
Please tell me that British tactics were modified in some way after the disaster of 1st July… as I understand the battle of the Somme lasted until November or later…
How much of the Allied victory was due to the Americans entering the war? The German military commanders must’ve been delighted when the Russian Revolution freed up tens of thousands of their troops on the Eastern front, yet they still lost. I do vaguely recall reading an argument that they overstretched themselves in an attempt to march on Paris; in advancing too far too fast in the West they’d cut themselves off from their own supply lines - has anyone come across this theory?
