The Conduct of British Generals in World War One In 1914 the First World War, or the Great War, broke out in Europe. It involved the two main alliances of Europe at the time; one alliance was the triple entente with Germany, Austro-Hungary and Serbia, the other alliance, the triple alliances, had Britain, France and Russia creating a ring of steel around Germany. This war of attrition was to take the lives of 8.5 million combatants and would change the way warfare was conducted and portrayed forever, it would involve 65 million men from 30 countries around the globe and Russia and America would emerge as the two great superpowers of the 20th century. After the war there would be great criticism of the allied generals, the British and French generals came under particular fire from their countries leaders. The British prime minister of the time famously said "Haig is brilliant up to the top of his army boots", when he was commenting on the British general Sir Douglas Haig. Another famous quote came from two defeated German offices, one is supposed to have said "The British fight like lions" where his colleague replied "yes, but they are led by donkeys" Since then historians have argued whether this was an accurate interpretation of the conduct of British generals. The main abuse that the generals suffered was brought on by the tactics that they employed during the First World War, many people believe that the reason that there was such high allied losses was the lack of imagination in the plans of attack and that, even when the goal was nearly impossible, more and more men were thrown in to the equation until some gain was made. ... ... middle of paper ... ...out in the first battle of Ypres. The Generals themselves were inexperienced in this type of warfare as well, they had been used to battling armies in the colonies that didn't use guns so cavalry regiments were still needed and artillery was less useful, but now it was the other way round and cavalry regiment had to be used in support and artillery played a much more important factor, many of the Generals were reluctant to use cavalry less as well because many of them were ex-cavalry officers so this may have affected their thinking as well. I think that Haig and the other Generals adapted as quickly as they could have considering what type of warfare they had been used to and what type of warfare they expected so the title 'donkeys' is an unfair interpretation of the conduct of British Generals in World War One.
of that what Haig did was infact what he was supposed to do at the
All Quiet On The Western Front and Gallipoli are two stories independent of each other that chronicle the experiences of two separate young men in the same war. Paul Baumer, a nineteen-year old German soldier, narrates the story of All Quiet On The Western Front. This tragic story begins with Baumer in training camp and concludes with his untimely death. Archy, an eighteen-year old Australian athlete, is the main character in Gallipoli. Gallipoli, a peninsula in Turkey, becomes the background for another account of a young life wasted. Although these two young men are from opposing forces of the war and lived on opposite sides of the equator, they are alike in every way else.
The Role of the Royal Marines During World War One The Royal Marines were formed in 1664. They were formed as part of the Navy to keep order on board the men-of-war, to provide the Navy with a raiding force but mainly to deal with the Dutch, who were the combatant in 1664. The Marines have always been a flexible force, fighting on land and on sea, a skill which has made them one of the most advanced forces of modern warfare, a weapon in their own right. This essay looks at the role that the Royal Marines played during and surrounding World War One. Prior to the outbreak of World War One, the last action that the Marines had seen was during the Boer war of 1898 - 1901 however the use of the Corps came under huge criticism as assault infantry for they were "expensive products . . .
...did not exist.” However, when this information arrived the next morning, Haig told Rawlinson that “The enemy has undoubtedly been severely shaken and our correct course, therefore, is to press him hard with the least possible delay” . This military strategy was one which led, as Terraine argued, to long-term success. Primary source German Order of the Day from General Von Bulow on 3 July stated “the decisive issue of the war depends on… our victory on the Somme. We must win this battle…” . Furthermore, Haig’s strategy is shown to be perceptive and correct when we consider Ludendorff’s, German Chief of Staff, thoughts: “We were completely exhausted on the Western Front… If the war lasted our defeat seemed inevitable... I cannot see as I look back how the German G.H.Q. could have mastered the situation if the Allies had continued their blows as they did in 1916.”
World War II was a critical period for America, not to mention the world as well. Throughout all the fighting and bloodshed, Americans returned home successful. Over 700,000 soldiers were disabled after the war, thankful for their lives. All the success and happiness of this country wouldn’t have been possible if not for the bravery, courage, and strategies of our U.S. Generals. They provided the smarts, the morale, and motivation for our soldiers, navy, and airforce to come out victorious and recognized as the best in world history. The five major generals (George Marshall, Dwight Eisenhower, George Patton, Omar Bradley, and Douglas MacArthur) shall never be forgotten as the best generals America has ever had.
World War 1 was the First World War and it happened in Europe it lasted from July 28, 1914, to November 11, 1918.Many people died and many people were let traumatized, over fifteen million people killed and twenty million wounded. The assassinations made Europe mad because they didn't know who did it and began to fight. Europeans wanted a balanced power, Alliances started to form. Some causes of the World War one include Militarism, Imperialism, Alliance system. There were many causes of World War 1 and one of the causes was Militarism.
World War 1 started when Archduke and Archduchess were killed while on a visit in Serbia. The Austro-Hungarian government blamed Serbia for there deaths. They sent Serbia an ultimatum. An ultimatum is a demand by one government to another to accept its terms or face war. Austria-Hungary wanted Serbia to 1) put down all hatred against them. 2) Punish all those involved in the assassination plot. 3) Allow Austro-Hungarian officials into Serbia to help crush the Black Hand. The Serbs agreed to all the terms but the last one. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 6 1914. Russia, who was an ally of Serbia, started to mobilize its troops. France was Russia’s ally started to mobilize its forces too. Germany felt threatened by France and Russia so they ask them to stop mobilizing. When they didn’t Germany declared war on Russia on Aug 1, 1914 and on France the next day. Germany was planning on attacking France through Belgium that was a neutral nation. Britain had promised Belgium that they would protect them if they were ever invaded. So when Belgium was invaded, Britain declared was on Germany. Canada was part of the British Empire they were automatically at war. At first everyone wanted to go to war. They thought it would be over in a few months. Since the country was making so many supplies for the war everyone had jobs and money. People were going out and buying brand new cars and houses. They were buying things that they never would have bought before the war. Since most of the men were fighting, the women had to do the jobs that the men usually did. They even gained the night to vote with the wartime elections act. Without World War 1 it may taken women a lot long to gain the right to vote. The war came to an end th...
Before the Great War, the continent of Europe was in a state of peace. Many countries did not have conflict building up between each other. Then unexpectedly, Great tensions arose, imperialism, alliances, and militarism. These all led up to the eruption of WWI.
In 1914, there were many things that placed Europe at the brink if war. Nationalism, militarism, imperialism, social darwinism, and Jingoes where five of the main forces that were pushing Europe to the brink of war. Another main force was the development of Alliance systems. These ideas and systems threatened the balance of power which could then cause a major war to break out. In Europe at the time, there were many ideas which were causing friction. Nationalism, which was the desire for a country was causing friction because people in old empires sought to be free. The leaders of these people would not be happy and a war would definitely break out. If they became free they would also need to take land from someone else and this again may cause a war and usually did. Another idea which was contributing to the shifts of power in Europe was Militarism.
World War 1...what is it? Normally when you think about it you must be wondering how on earth am I still alive! World War 1 was also known as The Great War that took place from 1914-1918 within most parts of Europe. Within this informative essay I will be talking about the features, the results, the end, and how World War 1 changed the lives of the Europeans.
What triggered WWI to occur was the killing of Archduke Francis, a heir of Austria and Hungary, on June 28, 1914 who was killed by a Serbian nationalist. The nature of this war was between countries for the acquiring colonies, territories, and resources.The invasion of Serbia was another caused for the war to break out, and at the same time of the invasion Germany invaded Belgium, Luxembourg and France. There were a number of new alliances formed which later cited conflict to spread around the world. Austria and Hungary invasion of Bosnia caused indignation in many European nations. At the time, Europe was divided into countries that had strategic political and military confederation.
World War I, also referred to as the Great War, was global conflict among the greatest Western powers and beyond. From 1914-1918, this turf war swept across rivaling nations, intensifying oppositions and battling until victory was declared. World War I was immediately triggered by the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, however several long-term causes also contributed. The growing development of militarism, the eruption of powerful alliances, as well as the spread of imperialism, and a deepening sense of nationalism, significantly promoted to the outbreak of the Great War.
In conclusion, Militarism, Imperialism, Nationalism, Alliances, and Assassinations all contributed to cause the World War 1 in 1914. World War 1 was four long and terrible years, which took millions of people lives. In addition, many soldiers died while fighting along the Western and Eastern Fronts. One month after Archduke Franz was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia in 1914. The World War 1 wouldn’t had happened with the three main and most important cause which are, militarism, imperialism, and
Historian Ian Ousby, the author of several historical pieces on European history, clearly demonstrated the brutality and conflict of the great war. He paints the pictures of decrepit soldiers fighting a war of attrition in one of the deadliest and largest battles of World War 1.He also gives an insight into the prideful nationalism that was behind the war in the first place. Ousby begins by giving us peeks into the French and German society and how each side hated each other. He goes even further to state the French were mostly to blame for the horrible battle. Ousby blames the nationalistic countries for the brutal conflict pushing that each should be put to blame for the battle of Verdun.
The First World War, also known as the Great War, began in about 1914 and went on until 1918. This brutal war was an extremely bloody time for Europe and the soldiers that fought in it. These men spent their days in trenches holding down bases and taking in attacks from all sides. The soldier's only free time was consumed with writing letters to those on the home front. The letters they wrote contain heart breaking stories of how their days were spent and the terrible signs of war. The War consumed them and many of them let out all their true feelings of war in their letters to loved ones. In The First World War: A brief History With Documents we can find some of these letters that help us understand what the First World War might have been like for these young and desperate soldiers.