The German Army, Vimy Ridge and the Elastic Defence in Depth in 1917
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The Night Operation on the Passchendaele Ridge, 2Nd December 1917
Centre for First World War Studies A Moonlight Massacre: The Night Operation on the Passchendaele Ridge, 2nd December 1917 by Michael Stephen LoCicero Thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY School of History and Cultures College of Arts & Law June 2011 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Abstract The Third Battle of Ypres was officially terminated by Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig with the opening of the Battle of Cambrai on 20 November 1917. Nevertheless, a comparatively unknown set-piece attack – the only large-scale night operation carried out on the Flanders front during the campaign – was launched twelve days later on 2 December. This thesis, a necessary corrective to published campaign narratives of what has become popularly known as „Passchendaele‟, examines the course of events from the mid-November decision to sanction further offensive activity in the vicinity of Passchendaele village to the barren operational outcome that forced British GHQ to halt the attack within ten hours of Zero. A litany of unfortunate decisions and circumstances contributed to the profitless result. -
THE WESTERN FRONT World War
INTRODUCTORY NOTES movement in their efforts to win. Also there is the opportunity to examine other aspects of life on the By 1907 Europe was divided into two armed camps Western Front which affected the life of the ordinary that involved all the major European powers, the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente. While the alliances soldier, such as living conditions, food, medical problems, army routine, discipline and humour. were meant to increase the security of each country, instead they ensured that a war that involved any of these powers would probably involve all of them. WAR PLANS Between the Anglo-French Cordiale of 1904 and the outbreak of war in 1914, there were a number of There had not been major war in Europe since 1870. Teacher's Notes crises in Morocco and the Balkans, any of which Much had changed since then. Population growth meant could have sparked a war. more men were available to be conscripted, industrial advancements meant armies could be equipped with It was the assassination of the Austrian heir to the more devastating weapons, railways meant armies could throne, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, be more easily moved and supplied. Every army had a 1914, that finally ignited the European powder keg. general staff, whose job it was to ensure their nations THE WESTERN Following the declaration of war on Serbia by Austria- army was properly equipped and organised for war and to Hungary on July 28, 1914, the Russian Government prepare plans to cover the most likely scenario. ordered its army to mobilise. -
Revolution in Real Time: the Russian Provisional Government, 1917
ODUMUNC 2020 Crisis Brief Revolution in Real Time: The Russian Provisional Government, 1917 ODU Model United Nations Society Introduction seventy-four years later. The legacy of the Russian Revolution continues to be keenly felt The Russian Revolution began on 8 March 1917 to this day. with a series of public protests in Petrograd, then the Winter Capital of Russia. These protests But could it have gone differently? Historians lasted for eight days and eventually resulted in emphasize the contingency of events. Although the collapse of the Russian monarchy, the rule of history often seems inventible afterwards, it Tsar Nicholas II. The number of killed and always was anything but certain. Changes in injured in clashes with the police and policy choices, in the outcome of events, government troops in the initial uprising in different players and different accidents, lead to Petrograd is estimated around 1,300 people. surprising outcomes. Something like the Russian Revolution was extremely likely in 1917—the The collapse of the Romanov dynasty ushered a Romanov Dynasty was unable to cope with the tumultuous and violent series of events, enormous stresses facing the country—but the culminating in the Bolshevik Party’s seizure of revolution itself could have ended very control in November 1917 and creation of the differently. Soviet Union. The revolution saw some of the most dramatic and dangerous political events the Major questions surround the Provisional world has ever known. It would affect much Government that struggled to manage the chaos more than Russia and the ethnic republics Russia after the Tsar’s abdication. -
World War I Timeline C
6.2.1 World War I Timeline c June 28, 1914 Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophia are killed by Serbian nationalists. July 26, 1914 Austria declares war on Serbia. Russia, an ally of Serbia, prepares to enter the war. July 29, 1914 Austria invades Serbia. August 1, 1914 Germany declares war on Russia. August 3, 1914 Germany declares war on France. August 4, 1914 German army invades neutral Belgium on its way to attack France. Great Britain declares war on Germany. As a colony of Britain, Canada is now at war. Prime Minister Robert Borden calls for a supreme national effort to support Britain, and offers assistance. Canadians rush to enlist in the military. August 6, 1914 Austria declares war on Russia. August 12, 1914 France and Britain declare war on Austria. October 1, 1914 The first Canadian troops leave to be trained in Britain. October – November 1914 First Battle of Ypres, France. Germany fails to reach the English Channel. 1914 – 1917 The two huge armies are deadlocked along a 600-mile front of Deadlock and growing trenches in Belgium and France. For four years, there is little change. death tolls Attack after attack fails to cross enemy lines, and the toll in human lives grows rapidly. Both sides seek help from other allies. By 1917, every continent and all the oceans of the world are involved in this war. February 1915 The first Canadian soldiers land in France to fight alongside British troops. April - May 1915 The Second Battle of Ypres. Germans use poison gas and break a hole through the long line of Allied trenches. -
"Un Coup De Baguette De L'histoire Fait Naître Un Paysage", Julien Gracq
11 novembre 2020 : Au-delà des champs de bataille La mémoire de la Grande Guerre à travers des paysages en guerre "Un coup de baguette de l'histoire fait naître un paysage", Julien Gracq. De 1914 à 1918, la Première Guerre mondiale fait rage aux quatre coins du globe. En Europe, elle oppose principalement les Alliés, la Russie, la France et le Royaume- Uni bientôt rejoints par l’Italie, à l’Allemagne et l’Autriche-Hongrie. En France, la zone des combats se concentre sur une bande de 800 km de long et d’une trentaine de kilomètres de large. Dans le monde entier, ce sont 70 millions de soldats mobilisés durant tout le conflit. Finalement, le lundi 11 novembre 1918, à 5 heures 45, l’arrêt des combats, ou armistice, est signé. Et, le même jour, à 11 heures, les hostilités sont suspendues. Les élèves de 3°3, en section internationale, se sont penchés sur le thème des paysages en guerre, ce qui les a amenés à étudier le moment où le conflit se déroule mais aussi à comprendre comment ces paysages sont devenus des lieux de mémoire. Des champs de bataille dévastés aux tranchées britanniques de la Somme vues du ciel, en passant par le cimetière de Tyne Cot à Ypres, de la « crête » de Messine en Belgique au Trou de mine de La Boisselle (appelé encore Lochnagar Crater), ils ont pu découvrir les lieux, les décrire puis réfléchir à la question de la mémoire du conflit à travers ces paysages de guerre, parfois au plus proche de l’expérience tragique des combats. -
INFORMATION to USERS the Most Advanced Technology Has Been Used to Photo Graph and Reproduce This Manuscript from the Microfilm Master
. INFORMATION TO USERS The most advanced technology has been used to photo graph and reproduce this manuscript from the microfilm master. UMI films the original text directly from the copy submitted. Thus, some dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from a computer printer. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyrighted material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are re produced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each oversize page is available as one exposure on a standard 35 mm slide or as a 17" x 23" black and white photographic print for an additional charge. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. 35 mm slides or 6"X 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. Accessing theUMI World’s Information since 1938 300 North Z eeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA Order Number 8820321 Operational art and the German command system in World War I Meyer, Bradley John, Ph.D. The Ohio State University, 1988 Copyright ©1088 by Meyer, Bradley John. All rights reserved. UMI 300 N. ZeebRd. Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 OPERATIONAL ART AND THE GERMAN COMMAND SYSTEM IN WORLD WAR I DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By Bradley J. -
Oce20801 WW1 Battle of the Somme Fact Sheet A4.Qxp
LOCAL STUDIES CENTRE FACT SHEET NUMBER 27 Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, was fought by the armies of the British and French Empires against the German Empire. It occurred between 1 July 1916 and November 1916 in France and was one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the First World War in which more than 1,000,000 men were wounded or killed. By the end of the first day, 20,000 men had been killed and another 40,000 injured. The first British tank to be used in warfare entered the battlefields of the Somme in September 1916. When the Battle of the Somme ended in November 1916 the Allies had managed to advance only five - seven miles in four months at the cost of over 420,000 British casualties, 195,000 French and 650,000 Germans. Over 500 Sunderland born soldiers were killed throughout this duration, over 170 Wearside soldiers on the first day of the battle alone. There are over 250 military cemeteries and memorials on the Somme battlefields for the many thousands of casualties who fell during this offensive. Pozieres British Cemetery 1914 - 1918 Sunderland and the Somme Sunderland affiliated units deployed in the Battle of the Somme included Durham Light Infantry (7th and 20th), 160th Brigade Royal Field Artillery and Northumberland Hussars to name but a few. These units were recruited in Sunderland and the Territorial Force units were based at the Drill Hall, which was situated near Green Terrace and the Empire Theatre in Durham Light Infantry 20th Division Sunderland city centre. -
Tour Sheets Final04-05
Great War Battlefields Study Tour Briefing Notes & Activity Sheets Students Name briefing notes one Introduction The First World War or Great War was a truly terrible conflict. Ignored for many years by schools, the advent of the National Curriculum and the GCSE system reignited interest in the period. Now, thousands of pupils across the United Kingdom study the 1914-18 era and many pupils visit the battlefield sites in Belgium and France. Redevelopment and urban spread are slowly covering up these historic sites. The Mons battlefields disappeared many years ago, very little remains on the Ypres Salient and now even the Somme sites are under the threat of redevelopment. In 25 years time it is difficult to predict how much of what you see over the next few days will remain. The consequences of the Great War are still being felt today, in particular in such trouble spots as the Middle East, Northern Ireland and Bosnia.Many commentators in 1919 believed that the so-called war to end all wars was nothing of the sort and would inevitably lead to another conflict. So it did, in 1939. You will see the impact the war had on a local and personal level. Communities such as Grimsby, Hull, Accrington, Barnsley and Bradford felt the impact of war particularly sharply as their Pals or Chums Battalions were cut to pieces in minutes during the Battle of the Somme. We will be focusing on the impact on an even smaller community, our school. We will do this not so as to glorify war or the part oldmillhillians played in it but so as to use these men’s experiences to connect with events on the Western Front. -
Canada and the BATTLE of VIMY RIDGE 9-12 April 1917 Bataille De Vimy-E.Qxp 1/2/07 11:37 AM Page 4
BRERETON GREENHOUS STEPHEN J. HARRIS JEAN MARTIN Bataille de Vimy-E.qxp 1/2/07 11:37 AM Page 2 Bataille de Vimy-E.qxp 1/2/07 11:37 AM Page 1 Bataille de Vimy-E.qxp 1/2/07 11:37 AM Page 3 BRERETON GREENHOUS STEPHEN J. HARRIS JEAN MARTIN Canada and the BATTLE OF VIMY RIDGE 9-12 April 1917 Bataille de Vimy-E.qxp 1/2/07 11:37 AM Page 4 Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Greenhous, Brereton, 1929- Stephen J. Harris, 1948- Canada and the Battle of Vimy Ridge, 9-12 April 1917 Issued also in French under title: Le Canada et la Bataille de Vimy 9-12 avril 1917. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-660-16883-9 DSS cat. no. D2-90/1992E-1 2nd ed. 2007 1.Vimy Ridge, Battle of, 1917. 2.World War, 1914-1918 — Campaigns — France. 3. Canada. Canadian Army — History — World War, 1914-1918. 4.World War, 1914-1918 — Canada. I. Harris, Stephen John. II. Canada. Dept. of National Defence. Directorate of History. III. Title. IV.Title: Canada and the Battle of Vimy Ridge, 9-12 April 1917. D545.V5G73 1997 940.4’31 C97-980068-4 Cet ouvrage a été publié simultanément en français sous le titre de : Le Canada et la Bataille de Vimy, 9-12 avril 1917 ISBN 0-660-93654-2 Project Coordinator: Serge Bernier Reproduced by Directorate of History and Heritage, National Defence Headquarters Jacket: Drawing by Stéphane Geoffrion from a painting by Kenneth Forbes, 1892-1980 Canadian Artillery in Action Original Design and Production Art Global 384 Laurier Ave.West Montréal, Québec Canada H2V 2K7 Printed and bound in Canada All rights reserved. -
THE BATTLE of FRANCE (July 19 to August 29, 1944)
THE BATTLE OF FRANCE (July 19 to August 29, 1944) N our last issue's review of the invasion battle 31. This breakthrough decided the entire cam we pointed out two remarkable facts. viz.• paign. Another wave of US troop. advanoe!l I (1) that only one major landing operation had east from Granville to Villedieu to CO-<lperate been carried out during the first six weeks, and with formatioJlB furt,her t.o the northeast ill (2) that the number of troops pumped into the protecting the left Bank of the main thruli,. comparatively narrow bridgehead was out of Several German attacks against this flank in the proportion to the area then at the disposal of the area of Tessy. VilJedieu. and Mortain. which u Allied Command. Although this seemed to indicate one time narrowed the American corridor of that General Eisenhower intended to concentrate Avranches to twenty kilometers. had to be aban. all hi' available forces for a push from this one doned, as the sout.hward advance of the Britilh bridgehead. the German High Command could not 2nd Army from the region of Caumont threatened be sure of that and had therefore to maintain con· the rear of the German divisioJlB. The fate of the siderable forces all along the far·Bung coasts of campaign in FTance was sealed: what was at stake Europe. a factor which limited the forces opposing now was no longer tbe fat.e of French territory the Normandy invaders and gave the Allies a vast but that of the German armiCl in France. -
The Evolution of British Tactical and Operational Tank Doctrine and Training in the First World War
The evolution of British tactical and operational tank doctrine and training in the First World War PHILIP RICHARD VENTHAM TD BA (Hons.) MA. Thesis submitted for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy by the University of Wolverhampton October 2016 ©Copyright P R Ventham 1 ABSTRACT Tanks were first used in action in September 1916. There had been no previous combat experience on which to base tactical and operational doctrine for the employment of this novel weapon of war. Training of crews and commanders was hampered by lack of vehicles and weapons. Time was short in which to train novice crews. Training facilities were limited. Despite mechanical limitations of the early machines and their vulnerability to adverse ground conditions, the tanks achieved moderate success in their initial actions. Advocates of the tanks, such as Fuller and Elles, worked hard to convince the sceptical of the value of the tank. Two years later, tanks had gained the support of most senior commanders. Doctrine, based on practical combat experience, had evolved both within the Tank Corps and at GHQ and higher command. Despite dramatic improvements in the design, functionality and reliability of the later marks of heavy and medium tanks, they still remained slow and vulnerable to ground conditions and enemy counter-measures. Competing demands for materiel meant there were never enough tanks to replace casualties and meet the demands of formation commanders. This thesis will argue that the somewhat patchy performance of the armoured vehicles in the final months of the war was less a product of poor doctrinal guidance and inadequate training than of an insufficiency of tanks and the difficulties of providing enough tanks in the right locations at the right time to meet the requirements of the manoeuvre battles of the ‘Hundred Days’. -
Military Tribunal, Indictments
MILITARY TRIBUNALS Case No. 12 THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA -against- WILHELM' VON LEEB, HUGO SPERRLE, GEORG KARL FRIEDRICH-WILHELM VON KUECHLER, JOHANNES BLASKOWITZ, HERMANN HOTH, HANS REINHARDT. HANS VON SALMUTH, KARL HOL LIDT, .OTTO SCHNmWIND,. KARL VON ROQUES, HERMANN REINECKE., WALTERWARLIMONT, OTTO WOEHLER;. and RUDOLF LEHMANN. Defendants OFFICE OF MILITARY GOVERNMENT FOR GERMANY (US) NORNBERG 1947 • PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/c6a171/ TABLE OF CONTENTS - Page INTRODUCTORY 1 COUNT ONE-CRIMES AGAINST PEACE 6 A Austria 'and Czechoslovakia 7 B. Poland, France and The United Kingdom 9 C. Denmark and Norway 10 D. Belgium, The Netherland.; and Luxembourg 11 E. Yugoslavia and Greece 14 F. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 17 G. The United states of America 20 . , COUNT TWO-WAR CRIMES AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY: CRIMES AGAINST ENEMY BELLIGERENTS AND PRISONERS OF WAR 21 A: The "Commissar" Order , 22 B. The "Commando" Order . 23 C, Prohibited Labor of Prisoners of Wal 24 D. Murder and III Treatment of Prisoners of War 25 . COUNT THREE-WAR CRIMES AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY: CRIMES AGAINST CIVILIANS 27 A Deportation and Enslavement of Civilians . 29 B. Plunder of Public and Private Property, Wanton Destruc tion, and Devastation not Justified by Military Necessity. 31 C. Murder, III Treatment and Persecution 'of Civilian Popu- lations . 32 COUNT FOUR-COMMON PLAN OR CONSPIRACY 39 APPENDIX A-STATEMENT OF MILITARY POSITIONS HELD BY THE DEFENDANTS AND CO-PARTICIPANTS 40 2 PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/c6a171/ INDICTMENT