German Army on the Western Front 1915Author :
Hardback
Published : Thursday 19 July 2012
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Description
Jack Sheldon examines the German mindset at the close of 1914 when it became apparent that a quick victory was no longer a possibility. Both sides were temporarily exhausted in static positions from the Channel to the Swiss Border. In a reversal of roles, the French launched major offensives in Champagne and Artois, while the British Army, went on the offensive.
With the Central Powers holding the initiative throughout, 1915 was the year that largely determined the way the remainder of the war would be fought. Constantly on the offensive in the vast open spaces of the Eastern Front, the German Army stood on the strategic defensive in the West. There, with minimal ground-holding forces and thanks to skilful deployment of limited reserves of men and guns, it repulsed with bloody losses every attempt by the Western Allies to drive it from occupied France and Belgium.Shortages of weapons, equipment and ammunition forced both sides to tool up for what was clearly becoming a long war of attrition. Although the Western Front had stabilized by the end of 1914, this did not mean that tactical thinking and developments also stood still. Every Allied attempt to break the deadlock elicited a response from the German defenders, who brought the tactics of positional warfare to a high state of refinement. Trench systems increased in depth and complexity. The machine gun proved its lethality and the result for the Western Allies was one costly setback after another, with French losses reaching a staggering 1,000,000 fatalities by the end of the year.This superbly researched book provides the clearest and most comprehensive German perspective yet on this period of the War. It covers such well-known actions as Neuve Chapelle, Ypres, where gas was used on a large scale for the first time, Aubers Ridge and Loos as well as the appalling clashes in Champagne and the Argonne Forest.The latest in the Author's acclaimed series, The German Army on the Western Front, 1915 will be welcomed as essential reading by all with a close interest in the First World War.
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