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

by David Murphy

Overview

This historical analysis of the ill-fated Franco-British operation reveals how it nearly spelled defeat for the Triple Entente in WWI.
 
In December of 1916, General Robert Nivelle was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the French armies fighting the Germans on the Western Front. A national hero, he had enjoyed a meteoric rise to high command and public acclaim since the beginning of the Great War. 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.

Historian David Murphy presents a penetrating, in-depth analysis of The Nivelle Offensive, demonstrating why it failed and underscoring its importance in the course of the First World War. Murphy describes how the charismatic officer used his charm and intelligence to win the support of French and British politicians, but also how his vanity and braggadocio 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:	9781473872929
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	01/31/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	24 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

DAVID MURPHY lectures in military history and strategic studies at Maynooth University, Ireland. He was a major contributor to the Royal Irish Academy’s Dictionary of Irish Biography, and has taught at University College, Dublin and Trinity College, Dublin. He became the first Irish scholar to be awarded a fellowship to the West Point Summer Seminar in Military History. He has lectured at West Point, at the US Army Command and Staff College. His publications include Lawrence of Arabia, The Arab Revol, The Irish Brigades, 1685-2006: A Gazetteer of Irish Military Service Past and Present, Irish Regiments in the World Wars, Condottiere, 1300-1500: Infamous Medieval Mercenaries, The Arctic Fox: The Life of Admiral Sir Francis Leopold McClintock, and Ireland and the Crimean War.

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