Interesting Dan Snows Views on WW1

[JamesM]

Found this on the BBC news website.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25776836

He does make some valid arguments.

[fvianello]

Nice fresh point of view on some WWI aspects

[gradenko2k]

While he does have a good point about how tactics did evolve over time, it didn't really change anything in the long run: Innovations in technology and tactics allowed for penetrations, but were still unable to produce breakthroughs, because the latter was an operational problem (and a rather intractable one at that) in the Western Front.

[Capt. Harlock]

Innovations in technology and tactics allowed for penetrations, but were still unable to produce breakthroughs, because the latter was an operational problem (and a rather intractable one at that) in the Western Front.

I would argue that there was in fact a breakthrough on the Western Front in the last month of the war. By the time of the armistice, the Germany army was doomed. It had been driven out of the prepared defenses, and had no chance of halting the Allied assault. Nor could it retreat in any kind of decent order; the remaining transport corridors were too narrow and already crowded with refugees.

A victory parade down the streets of Berlin might have been a little expensive, but would have put paid to the story that the Getman soldiers were undefeated but "stabbed in the back". This in turn might well have saved countless lives later on.

[histgamer]

It might have prevented the we were never defeated excuse but I doubt it would have dampened the we were stabbed in the back narrative.

[gradenko2k]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock
I would argue that there was in fact a breakthrough on the Western Front in the last month of the war. By the time of the armistice, the Germany army was doomed. It had been driven out of the prepared defenses, and had no chance of halting the Allied assault. Nor could it retreat in any kind of decent order; the remaining transport corridors were too narrow and already crowded with refugees.

Isn't that kind of the point though? The breakthrough came when the Germans ran out of reserves and lost operational mobility from the "transport corridors" getting choked with refugees.

[Alchenar]

ORIGINAL: flanyboy

It might have prevented the we were never defeated excuse but I doubt it would have dampened the we were stabbed in the back narrative.

It's difficult to make predictions on these terms because the whole reason Hindenburg initiated the surrender/armistice when he did and in the way that he did was to set up the stab-in-the-back narrative. If instead Hindenburg decides to try and fight all the way back to Berlin then obviously he isn't thinking about doing that.

On the other hand, it's probably also worth pointing out that being utterly crushed didn't stop the Lost Causers from starting to whitewash and romanticise the CSA the day the US civil war stopped.

[operating]

For those interested in WW 1: CTGW is a game that might satisfy your appetite to slog it out on a grand scale, also due out soon is the game's new 1.60 patch, the current 1.60 beta patch is a huge game improvement from when CTGW was first released.

[flibby]

Dan Snow is related to one 'General Snow', widely aknowledged as one of the most incompetent leaders in the BEF.

[redcoffe]

the most incompetent leaders in the BEF.