Breaking Point of the French Army: The Nivelle Offensive of 1917

by David Murphy

Overview

In December 1916 General Robert Nivelle was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the French armies fighting the Germans on the Western Front. He had enjoyed a meteoric rise to high command and public acclaim since the beginning of the war - he was a national hero. In return, he proclaimed he ‘had the formula’ that would ensure victory and end the conflict in 1917. But his offensive was a bloody and humiliating failure for France, one that could have opened the way for French defeat.

This is the subject of David Murphy’s penetrating, in-depth study of one of the key events in the history of the Great War. He describes how Nivelle, a highly intelligent and articulate officer, used his charm to win the support of French and British politicians, but also how he was vain and boastful and displayed no sense of operational security. By the opening of the campaign, his plan was an open secret and he had lost the ability to critically assess the operation as it developed. The result was disaster.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781781592922
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	10/19/2015
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	658,922
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.90(d)

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations vi

List of Maps vii

Abbreviations xii

Acknowledgements xiii

Introduction xiv

Chapter 1 The French Army, 1914-17 1

Chapter 2 The Rise of General Robert Nivelle 27

Chapter 3 General Nivelle and his Plan 54

Chapter 4 The French Tank Programme 72

Chapter 5 The Offensive 84

Chapter 6 Reinforcing Failure 106

Chapter 7 The Mutinies 121

Conclusion 149

Appendix: Visiting the Battlefield 166

Notes 169

Bibliography 180

Index 185