The French Army and the First World War

17th Oct 2024 by UName-144117

In a conflict where the French bore the largest burden on the Western Front, the English speaking historiography of the Great War is scant on books dealing with the French contribution. Naturally our focus on that conflict is predominantly Anglo-centric and consequently our knowledge is skewed to a largely nationalistic flavour, depending on the author’s allegiance within the British Commonwealth, having little regard for the contribution of other nations. Most pay only passing mention of the French Army’s fighting - rare exceptions being Selwell Tyng’s superb The Campaign of the Marne, and Alastair Horne’s acclaimed The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916. Similarly, sound English versions on the wider French contribution during the war are few and far between, among the best being Smith, Audoin-Rouseau and Becker’s France and the Great War, 1914-1918, Robert Doughty’s outstanding Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War, and Elizabeth Greenhalgh’s excellent Foch in Command: The Forging of a First World War General. All provide a welcome balance, bringing a broader perspective to the fighting that occurred during that terrible catastrophe Elizabeth Greenhalgh has established herself as a leading historian on the higher direction of the Great War and the French contribution to it - her Victory Through Coalition Britain and France during the First World War bringing a new perspective to that subject, rather than the largely British focus we have been fed for years, while her aforementioned Foch in Command provides a welcome balance to the military direction of Allied strategy and operations on the Western Front. Now she delivers another valuable contribution with The French Army and The First World War, a volume in Cambridge University Press’s ‘Armies of the Great War’ series. Like Doughty’s Pyrrhic Victory, her work is pitched at the strategic and operational levels of the conflict, but while Doughty largely confines his narrative and analysis to the military aspects, Greenhalgh paints on a wider canvas, taking us into other facets, especially the political machinations behind the scenes, and analyses of the French Army not normally addressed, such as morale, armaments, discipline, and the famous mutiny of 1917. Commencing with a study of the pre-war army, set within the fraught political tensions of the period, and the relationships with Russia, Britain and Germany, the book is divided into ten chapters. Eight address the war years 1914-1918. Whilst 1914, 1915 and 1916 are each covered in one chapter, the last two years each have two, with a penultimate chapter covering the last month of hostilities, the armistice and demobilisation. The book concludes with a wide-ranging overview of the army and associated issues during the war years, and their impact on France after the war. This is not simply another narrative primarily devoted to the French Army’s operations, but considers them against a broader background. Chronological in its narrative, Greenhalgh weaves her story around the principal offensives year by year, placing her discussion and observations in the context of the wider political issues, infighting amongst the French higher command, morale and discipline within the army, armaments, social issues and the impact of international considerations, operational results and the enormous casualties suffered at the front. Throughout, the development of new tactics, the need for new weapons and organisations to meet the challenges confronting the Army are discussed, together with an analysis and assessment of the offensives undertaken, highlighting the Army’s strengths, weaknesses, failures and achievements. Thus we are provided with a rich tapestry not only of French strategy and operations, and organisational and tactical developments, but also the influences that drove them. In doing so, Greenhalgh brings some contentious issues into perspective that are rather different from those of the perceived wisdom handed down by less well researched tomes. For example, her findings on the mutiny of 1917 are surprising, and suggest the discontent amongst the troops was not as widespread as previously thought, and their actions were motivated by other matters, rather than just simply the oft-quoted disillusionment with the Nivelle Offensive. She points out the incidents of disobedience occurred after Nivelle was replaced as CinC by Petain. Moreover, having already discussed morale, discontent and executions in 1914 and 1915, the perception of the mutiny and its subsequent executions in previous accounts, and the popular culture, appear overblown. While the main focus of operations is on the major offensives and battles on the Western Front, the ferocity of some of the lesser known actions such as the bitter and futile fighting over prominent peaks in the Vosges and sectors further north are briefly discussed, demonstrating that even in quiet sectors the fighting was brutal and costly. Nor is this study confined to the Western Front French participation in the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign, and operations in Africa, Salonika and Italy are addressed, highlighting the wider political realities when determining strategy and operational commitments. But what makes this work especially useful are the discussions of matters percolating behind the front: the inter- allied relations and considerations, the political machinations, the personalties within the French Army and their influences on events - the underlying factors that drive strategy and operations that are often forgotten or glossed over. No-where is this more evident than in the appointment of Nivelle and his ill-fated and universally condemned Offensive of 1917. While acknowledging Nivelle failed to deliver his expectations and that his tenure as CinC, was a disaster, Greenhalgh is less critical of the man than others, pointing out the difficulties he worked under, some being self imposed, but others initiated elsewhere: the political interference and pressure he experienced, the difficulties with the British CinC Haig, the open opposition to his plan within the French Army hierarchy, and being continually undermined by his subordinates, especially Petain. While his offensive did not remotely achieve what he trumpeted it would, Greenhalgh highlights it was more successful and less costly than Joffre’s earlier Champagne Offensive. The ‘disaster’ was more in the perception of the politicians than in the reality of events, being largely another costly battle achieving limited results in a long line of unfulfilled French expectations. Yet again, Greenhalgh brings a perspective to a particular subject that other authors have failed to do. Numerous tables covering diverse issues such as military rates of pay, casualties and losses during the first eighteen months of the war, shell and weapon production, military organisations, density of guns, and comparisons of artillery in 1914 and 1918 support the narrative. A major criticism of most military histories is the absence of good and detailed maps, an essential item if the reader is to easily follow the details of the narrative. This book is no exception, and while 15 maps are provided they are generally large scale providing an overview of the offensive each depicts, making it difficult to follow the detailed operational events described and which, unfortunately, detracts from an otherwise excellent book. It is hoped that in future, CUP and other publishers, will recognise the value in plentiful and good maps to support operational narratives. Overall, this is a fine, frank and comprehensive study of the army that bore the brunt of the fighting on the Western Front, particularly in the first three years of the war, the major battles it undertook, and the influences that directed its strategy and operations. Rich in information and insight, it is a welcome addition to the English language historiography of the Great War, providing a thoughtful and insightful view of the French Army’s participation and performance in the catastrophe that engulfed Europe a century ago.

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