Much has been written about the Battle of the Somme. From July through late November 1916, British, French and German armies fought one of the costliest battles of the 20th century. Well over a million casualties and only a few miles of ground...
A key theoretical proposition offered by Clausewitz in On War was that the defense was the stronger form of war over the offense. Members of the military, theorists, and historians have intermittently grappled with this proposition and have tended...
Historical Branch, War Plans Division, General Staff
This document details the operations of the 2d American Corps in the Somme Offensive during World War I. Items discussed include the general situation, 33d Division, the 27th and 30th Divisions, the German position, plan of operations, the attack...
Scott Martin; Randall Fogg; John Welton; Kimberly Darrough; Dayron Vargas
World War I ranks high among disasters to have afflicted mankind. Within World War I, the Battle of Verdun was the longest and most costly in life (Livesey 66). However, even with the loss of 542,000 men, the Battle of Verdun was the turning point...
This paper is a case study in the wartime evolution of tactical doctrine. Besides providing a summary of German Infantry tactics of the First World War, this study offers insight into the crucial role of leadership in facilitating doctrinal change...
Potential adversaries of the United States have learned that they cannot compete with the U.S. in a conventional war but that the U.S. is vulnerable to asymmetric or insurgent threats. It is clear that the United States must find a way to transform...
A compilation of selected documents of the records of the American Expeditionary Forces believed to be essential to a critical study of their operations during World War I.
This monograph discusses offensive indirect fire tactics and their relationship to extreme fear responses. It examines the nature and causes of a specific, immediate, and debilitating fear response called the Combat Stress Reaction (CSR)....
Ministry of National Defence, Historical Service of the Army
Without prejudging the official historical account which will be published in due time, the object of this pamphlet is to place the Belgian Army Campaign of May 1940 in its true perspective, in relation with the Allies' General plan of operations....
Thesis Statement: Trench warfare battles as a defensive and offensive measure became ineffective due to modern technology, greater reaching weapons, and equipment. Discussion: Trench warfare as a tactic had offensive and defense advantages during...
This study analyzes the scheme of maneuver of the Australian Corps at Amiens in August 1918. From this operation, it is seen that, it is possible to secure strategically and tactical surprise by careful preparations and plans and by the careful and...
Discussion of France. This section covers north central France, Brittany-Normandy, west central France, southwest France, northeast France, east and south central France, Mediterranean France, Corsica and includes a list of tables.
Looks at the operations of the 2d and 36th Divisions with the Fourth French Army in Champagne in October, 1918. The Blanc Mont operation is classed as part of the Meuse-Argonne offensive, but it's also part of a larger offensive that extended along...
The manner in which the Allied military forces of the First World War were coordinated has had an enormous influence upon subsequent alliance doctrines. The necessity for cooperative military efforts, the detailed coordination of all national...