Germany’s Western Front: 1915 , livre ebook

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This multi-volume series in seven parts is the first English-language translation of Der Weltkrieg, the German official history of the First World War. Originally produced between 1925 and 1944 using classified archival records that were destroyed in the aftermath of the Second World War, Der Weltkrieg is the untold story of Germany’s experience on the Western front, in the words of its official historians, making it vital to the study of the war and official memory in Weimar and Nazi Germany. Although exciting new sources have recently been uncovered in former Soviet archives, this work remains the basis of future scholarship. It is essential reading for any scholar, graduate student, or enthusiast of the Great War.

This volume, the first of the series to appear in print, focuses on 1915, the first year of trench warfare. For the first time in the history of warfare, poison gas was used against French and Canadian troops at Ypres. Meanwhile, conflict raged in the German High Command over the political and military direction of the war. The year 1915 also set the stage for the bloodbath at Verdun and sealed the fate of the German Supreme Commander, Erich von Falkenhayn. This is the official version of that story.

Foreword by Hew Strachan

Co-published with the Laurier Centre for Military, Strategic and Disarmament Studies

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German studies

History

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Publié par	Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Date de parution	22 mars 2010
Nombre de lectures	1
EAN13	9781554587100
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	2 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0100€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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GERMANY S WESTERN FRONT
GERMANY S WESTERN FRONT
TRANSLATIONS FROM THE GERMAN OFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR VOLUME II
1915
M ARK O SBORNE H UMPHRIES AND J OHN M AKER, EDITORS
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program for our publishing activities.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Germany s western front : translations from the German official history of the Great War, volume II: 1915 / Mark Osborne Humphries and John Maker, editors.
Translation of : Der Weltkrieg Includes bibliographical references and index. Issued also in electronic format. ISBN 978-1-55458-051-4
1. World War, 1914-1918-Germany. 2. World War, 1914-1918-Campaigns-Western Front. I. Humphries, Mark Osborne, 1981-II. Maker, John, 1974- III. Title.
D531.W4513 2010 940.4 144 C2009-904030-1
ISBN 978-1-55458-259-4 Electronic format.
1. World War, 1914-1918-Germany. 2. World War, 1914-1918-Campaigns-Western Front. I. Humphries, Mark Osborne, 1981- II. Maker, John, 1974-III. Title.
D531.W4513 2010a 940.4 144
Cover design by Blakeley Words+Pictures using a photograph from the private collection of Anthony Langley. Text design by Catharine Bonas-Taylor.
2010 Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies and Wilfrid Laurier University Press, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
This book is printed on FSC recycled paper and is certified Ecologo. It is made from 100% post-consumer fibre, processed chlorine free, and manufactured using biogas energy.
Printed in Canada
Every reasonable effort has been made to acquire permission for copyright material used in this text, and to acknowledge all such indebtedness accurately. Any errors and omissions called to the publisher s attention will be corrected in future printings.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For an Access Copyright licence, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free to 1-800-893-5777.
CONTENTS
L IST OF M APS , S KETCHES, AND F IGURES
F OREWORD BY H EW S TRACHAN
A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I NTRODUCTION
A N OTE ON THE T RANSLATION AND S OURCES
PART I: WINTER AND SPRING
1. T HE Q UESTION OF THE W AR S C ENTRE OF G RAVITY IN J ANUARY
2. T HE W ESTERN F RONT TO THE M IDDLE OF A PRIL
Decision Making at the OHL
Operations on the Western Front to the Middle of February
The Battle of Soissons
Seventh Army
The Winter Battle in the Champagne
Fifth Army
The French and British High Commands at the Beginning of the Year
The Apex of the Winter Battle in the Champagne from the Middle of February to the Middle of March
French Intentions in the Champagne
The German Defence
Operations on the Remainder of the Western Front from the Middle of February to the Middle of March
The Battle at Neuve Chapelle
Armee-Abteilung Strantz
The OHL s Return to the Western Front
The Defensive Battles from the Middle of March to the Middle of April
Armee-Abteilung Strantz
3. T HE C HANGE IN F ALKENHAYN S P LANS
The Creation of a New GHQ Reserve
The Plan to Mount a Decisive Breakthrough Operation in the West
The Political Situation s Influence on Military Decision Making
To the Dardanelles Offensive
To the Employment of the GHQ Reserve in the East
PART II: SPRING AND SUMMER
4. T HE G ENERAL S ITUATION OF THE C ENTRAL P OWERS IN MAY
The Intervention of Italy
The Worsening of the Economic Situation and the Decision to Make Economic Warfare by Submarine
The Manpower and Ammunition Situation to the End of the Year
5. T HE W ESTERN F RONT FROM THE M IDDLE OF A PRIL TO THE B EGINNING OF AUGUST
Operations to the Start of the Spring Battle at the Beginning of May
The OHL and the Western Army in April
Fourth Army s Gas Attack by at Ypres
The Offensive Battles of Armee-Abteilungen Strantz and Gaede
The Actions of the French and British Commanders to the Beginning of May
The Beginning of the Spring Offensive in the Artois
Sixth Army s Operations, 9-14 May
General Lochow s Assumption of Command on the Main Battle Front and Operations to the Middle of June
Operations of the Remaining Armies on the Western Front from the Middle of May to the End of July
The Renewal of the Major Offensive in the Artois: Operations from 16-18 June to the End of the Spring Offensive
Reflections on the Spring Offensive in the Artois
The Reorganization of the Western Army at the Beginning of August
6. O VERVIEW OF THE M ULTI-FRONT W AR DURING THE S UMMER
The General Situation to the Beginning of August
The OHL s Peace Efforts
Shifting the War s Centre of Gravity
PART III: SUMMER AND AUTUMN
7. O VERVIEW OF THE M ILITARY S ITUATION TO THE M IDDLE OF S EPTEMBER
8. T HE W ESTERN F RONT FROM M ID-AUGUST TO THE B EGINNING OF THE A UTUMN OFFENSIVE
The Enemy s Situation and Plans in the Summer
The Situation at the OHL to 22 September
The Events on the Western Front to 22 September
In the Artois
In the Champagne
On the Remainder of the Western Front
9. T HE A UTUMN O FFENSIVE IN THE A RTOIS AND C HAMPAGNE
Preparations for the Battle, 22-24 September
In the Artois
In the Champagne
The Situation at the OHL until Noon on 25 September
25 September
The Attack in the Artois
The Attack in the Champagne
Actions of the OHL on the Afternoon of 25 September
26 September
In the Artois
In the Champagne
The Situation at the OHL
The Further Course of the Battle to the End of September
In the Artois
In the Champagne
The Situation at the OHL at the Beginning of October
The Renewal of the Offensive in October
In the Artois: Operations, 30 September-10 October
In the Artois: Operations, 11-13 October
In the Champagne: Operations, 30 September-5 October
In the Champagne: New Major Offensive Operations after 6 October
The Enemy s Situation at the End of the Offensive
Lessons Learned from the Fall Offensive
10. T HE W ESTERN F RONT TO THE E ND OF THE Y EAR
Operations of the Remaining Armies to Mid-October
The Reorganization of the Western Army
Operations from Mid-October to the End of the Year
Fourth Army
Sixth, Second, and Seventh Armies
Third Army
Fifth Army
Armee-Abteilung Strantz
Armee-Abteilung Falkenhausen
Armee-Abteilung Gaede
The Entente s Situation in the West at the End of the Year
The Situation at the OHL in November and December
11. T HE C ENTRAL P OWERS S ITUATION AT THE E ND OF 1915
APPENDICES
A PPENDIX 1 Comparison of German, British, and French Artillery in the Spring Battles in the Artois
A PPENDIX 2 Comparioson of German, British, and French Artillery in the Autumn Battles in the Champagne and Artois
A PPENDIX 3 Comparison of German Forces at War s Beginning and the End of 1915
A PPENDIX 4 Overview of German Powder and Munitions Production from War s Beginning to the End of 1915
A PPENDIX 5 Falkenhayn s Standing Orders for the Defence in the West, 1914
S ELECTED B IBLIOGRAPHY
I NDEX
LIST OF MAPS, SKETCHES, AND FIGURES
All maps and sketches have been translated and redrawn by Mark Humphries from the original German maps and sketches provided with Der Weltkrieg except where noted as follows. Maps 1 and 2 are based on maps originally printed in Frank M. McMurry, The Geography of the Great War (New York: Macmillan Co., 1919), figures 17 and 15. Maps 1, 2, and 3 and Sketches 11 and 20 have been adapted from larger fold-out maps from Der Weltkrieg . Sketch 9 is adapted from a map in Rudolf Hanslian-Bergendorff, Der Chemische Krieg (Berlin: E.S. Mittler Sohn, 1925), as well as from a larger fold-out map in Der Weltkrieg , Volume VIII.
Map 1. The Western Front, 1915
Map 2. The Eastern Front, May 1915
Map 3. The Balkans and Middle East at the End of 1915
Sketch 1. The Battle at Soissons, 12-14 January 1915
Sketch 2. The Battle on the Chemin des Dames, 25-26 January 1915
Sketch 3. The Winter Battle in Champagne: The Situation at the Beginning of the Battle, 24 December 1914
Sketch 4. XVI Corps Battle in the Argonne, January-April 1915
Sketch 5. The Winter Battle in Champagne: The Situation between Perthes and Beaus jour Farm on 24 February 1915
Sketch 6. The Winter Battle in Champagne: The Situation on 11 March 1915

Sketch 8. The Battle at Neuve Chapelle: The Situation on 10 March
Sketch 9. Fourth Army s Gas Attack at Ypres: The German Advance between 22 April and 24 May 1915
Sketch 10. The Offensive Battles of Armee-Abteilung Strantz, 24 April to 7 May
Sketch 11. The Spring Battle in Artois: The Situation on 9 May
Sketch 12. The Spring Battle in Artois: The Initial Objectives of the Enemy s Attacks
Sketch 13. The Spring Battle in Artois: The British Attack on 9 May
Sketch 14. The Spring Battle in Artois: The German Positions between Angres and St. Laurent on 12 May
Sketch 15. The Spring Battle in Artois: The Situation of Sixth Army on 15 May
Sketch 16. The Spring Battle in Artois: The Artillery Dispositions in Mid-May
Sketch 17. The Spring Battle in Artois: The Situation o