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“A new crisis is now asserting itself… actions must succeed each other at brief intervals, so as to embarrass the enemy in the utilisation of his reserves” – Ferdinand Foch, on the Hundred Days Offensive
One of the most tragic facts of World War I is that towards the final months leading up to the armistice and peace, the Western Front saw some of the bloodiest fighting of the conflict.
In the aftermath of the failed German Spring Offensive, the Allies were ready to launch the knockout blow. Applying the costly lessons learnt from previous disastrous campaigns, British and French armies utilised creeping barrages, backed up with swift infantry advances and support from nimble tanks.
In Part I of his two-part series on the Hundred Days Offensive, Professor William Philpott reveals the generalship behind this campaign, and how its opening weeks set the stage for victory.