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Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 79 of 752 of With Our Backs to the Wall: Victory and Defeat in 1918
The Chemin Des Dames was a strong natural obstacle, yet weakly held, crushable like the Portugese EF. The Germans had a full month to prepare themselves, good railways to roll in the mandatory fireworks & most importantly, the element of surprise again: after a few miscalculations, no Allied intelligence officer fully trusted his own hunch about the next strike. Somewhere North likely, from the Amiens/Paris railway?
Oct 11, 2018 02:34PM Add a comment
With Our Backs to the Wall: Victory and Defeat in 1918

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 78 of 752 of With Our Backs to the Wall: Victory and Defeat in 1918
The "boxer pattern" often attributed to Ludendorffs strategy rested on the slow siege train,a transfer of heavy guns with a shortage of horses&lorries from one promising ground to another. Taking Flanders from the British didn't work so next were the French at Chemin des Dames, given up earlier after the Battle of La Malmaison. It was a naturally strong position with 400ft cliffs & behind that the wide Ailette river
Oct 01, 2018 02:56PM Add a comment
With Our Backs to the Wall: Victory and Defeat in 1918

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 71 of 752 of With Our Backs to the Wall: Victory and Defeat in 1918
"A final British disadvantage was surprise. Alltough it's conventional to divide the German offensive into Michael & Georgette phases, for the Allies March & April were months of continuous crisis".

Surprise & stubbornness. Even after hasty daylight movement betrayed German build-up opposite the Portugese Expeditionary, 5th Army intelligence still believed the target was south of the Lys (Arras), not north of it.
Sep 25, 2018 02:25PM Add a comment
With Our Backs to the Wall: Victory and Defeat in 1918

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 143 of 721 of Bloody Victory: The Sacrifice on the Somme and the Making of the Twentieth Century
the Somme was, on both banks, very classical in its wants. The Pozières Heights were the key to the observation of the 2nd line north; the Flaucourt Plateau did the same south of the river. Indirect observation by airplane was in its infancy, but all technology worked together: aces protected the slower observer planes, who were connected by one-way wireless to a ground station, which in turn telephoned to a battery.
Sep 25, 2018 02:19PM Add a comment
Bloody Victory: The Sacrifice on the Somme and the Making of the Twentieth Century

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 11 of The Cold War
Was Churchill's communist paranoia onto something? Did Russia plan to advance up to France if no Second Front opened? Why should it accept only Eastern Germany, the part with little industry and 1/3 of the population? If it entertained hopes to gain more from the occupying Allies, the bizarre episode of the Berlin Airlift sank'em. Same with Soviet brutality and a new settlement by a new, lenient German regime.
Sep 25, 2018 02:12PM Add a comment
The Cold War

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 238 of 436 of Nothing Less Than War: A New History of America's Entry into World War I
Should he formulate a peace program, rules for restricted submarine warfare or straightforwardly condemn unrestricted submarine warfare? Wilson had difficulty striking the right tone for his Peace Note at the end of 1916. His audience was cocky. Notwithstanding the Central Powers' territorial gains following the fall of Bukarest, the Entente had turned down a German proposal for negotiations under US auspicion.
Sep 25, 2018 02:03PM Add a comment
Nothing Less Than War: A New History of America's Entry into World War I

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 7 of 272 of Passchendaele: The Untold Story
Myriad factors frictioned artillery's accuracy:

the pesky atmosperic physics of cold, heavy air vs. thin warm air. Shell imperfections, barrel wear... combined with the explosion's force expolionated minuscule differences to a miss.

On top of that, photographs transposed to maps could be 'off' by up to 150m through the angle of the camera & the map projection.

The task of a rapier was entrusted to a broadsword.
Sep 25, 2018 01:55PM Add a comment
Passchendaele: The Untold Story

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 106 of 592 of Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War
the Leapfrog to the Sea (17/9-17/10) was done in French 40x8 cars , who could switch a corps in 5-6 days. The only disharmony to the rythm of the rails was the position of the BEF on the far left, close to the Channel harbours as was their preference. The Belgian Army joined them from Antwerp. In combination with the orderly retreat of the invaders, the lines were drawn.
Sep 25, 2018 01:47PM Add a comment
Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 240 of 816 of The Path to Victory: The Mediterranean Theater in World War II
Operation Crusader (7.41) looked promising to save Tobruk. Motorised/Air build-up against the Afrikakorps had reached parity, Russia ensured it wouldn't deteriorate and secondary theaters like Syria&East Africa were calm. But Wavell&Auchinleck were "chateau" generals who learned tank vs. tank warfare against a weak Italy. Commanding a combined arms operation from the front against Rommel's 88mm was something else.
Sep 25, 2018 01:42PM Add a comment
The Path to Victory: The Mediterranean Theater in World War II

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 10 of The Cold War
Different goals against the common enemy (Nazi Germany) made A cold war inevitable between the two strongest victors. Stalin wanted - in exact order - sucrity for himself, his regime, his country and his ideology. But he still believed wrongly in a new war between USA&UK. The USA slowly woke up to the hard fact that isolationism no longer guaranteed security; UK was a little ahead, but not even fit to save its Empire
Sep 23, 2018 01:10PM Add a comment
The Cold War

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 223 of 436 of Nothing Less Than War: A New History of America's Entry into World War I
Wilson personally disliked the famous "he kept us out of the war" slogan, fully aware of the diplomatic tightrope it concealed. Since the summer, it had become clear that nobody in Europe really wanted America to arbiter a peace without reparation. Theodore N. Kaufman could've scored with the cry "Germany must Perish!" in this climate.
Sep 23, 2018 01:03PM Add a comment
Nothing Less Than War: A New History of America's Entry into World War I

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 222 of 436 of Nothing Less Than War: A New History of America's Entry into World War I
The 1916 presidental election was a close run, with very similar platforms. including a World Court or such, a stronger Navy for global post-war interests & an army that would be nurtured but save its strength at the same time. the Democrats could taut domestic legislation that improved wages: so far, neutrality held without scarcity, so it was hard to find and point blame for either Party.
Sep 23, 2018 12:59PM Add a comment
Nothing Less Than War: A New History of America's Entry into World War I

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 105 of 592 of Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War
"He who defends everything..." All this shifting to the left compromised Joffre's center&right, without the situation being "excellent". No mistake in war goes unpunished: the St.Michiel salient would feed the Verdun offensive & tease the Americans towards the Argonne forest. Meanwhile, the stand of Castelnau's 2nd army in the crucial week of 2-9/9 sealed the deal: the Germans retreated to the Aisne; dug in by 14/9.
Sep 23, 2018 12:54PM Add a comment
Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 32 of 420 of Ainsi pensait Zarathoustra
Ann Van Sevenant sharply contrasts Zoroaster's plea for balance with our postmodernism since ca. 1968 [ A generational opinion I cannot relate to ] ; she's right, tough: he can be relevant as precedent to our modern concept of Ecology & as antidote against ravenous globalism.
Sep 23, 2018 12:48PM Add a comment
Ainsi pensait Zarathoustra

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 30 of 208 of America's Deadliest Battle: Meuse-Argonne, 1918 (Modern War Studies)
Allies & War Department were convinced trench warfare would continue & send instructors overseas to teach digging. The dominance of the rifle seem to have been Pershing's input, coupled with a correlation between lack of Frejch artillery support & frontal attacks. Traffic & logistics remained bumpy, even while using separate ports (south of Loire) Lessons learned between Cantigny & Soissons remained unit-specific
Sep 23, 2018 12:42PM Add a comment
America's Deadliest Battle: Meuse-Argonne, 1918 (Modern War Studies)

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 10 of 252 of How the War Was Won (Pen & Sword Military Classics, 50)
Perhaps British infantry tactics were comparatively rigid, yet the limits of infantry-artillery communication demanded a measure of rigidity. Plus, British infatry packed more mobile firepower to flank n'destroy strongpoints than in 1915-16.
Sep 23, 2018 12:34PM Add a comment
How the War Was Won (Pen & Sword Military Classics, 50)

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 6 of 272 of Passchendaele: The Untold Story
Most of the avaliable weaponry was [still] of little use to an attacker crossing the highly deepened killing zone at a run. His rifle was inaccurate, his MG heavy, his grenade short. Only artillery could soften the trenches for him & cut the wire. But enemy guns&trenches are small targets; earth&wire can absorb a lot of force. [most] forms of observation (balloon, aircraft, man) still depended on fair weather.
Sep 23, 2018 12:31PM Add a comment
Passchendaele: The Untold Story

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 25 of 420 of Ainsi pensait Zarathoustra
Zoroaster contrasts the concepts of "Generation & Regenaration". Generation is a form of passivity, both as in Edmund Burke's "all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" as in small, everyday acts of spite or neglect that contribute to a badder world. Regeneration is an active, positive attitude. It ensures the compatibiity of the old & the new to keep the world in progress.
Sep 14, 2018 11:05PM Add a comment
Ainsi pensait Zarathoustra

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 69 of 752 of With Our Backs to the Wall: Victory and Defeat in 1918
Georgette [battle of the Lys, 7-29.4.18] was more modest in scale with a smaller frontage&less mobile troops but with artillery whose concentration mirrored the ambition of its objective: Overrun Ypres. The Portugese (1 out of 2 div) were stretched thin here. Like 1st Army, a brittle mix of teenagers, older men & Michael fugitives, they were in no condition for a tenacious defence of 3 years worth of bloody gains.
Sep 14, 2018 02:04PM Add a comment
With Our Backs to the Wall: Victory and Defeat in 1918

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 9 of 252 of How the War Was Won (Pen & Sword Military Classics, 50)
Travers identifies 5 strategies if war debated among the BEF leaders.#2:
the Easterners were in the minority as a 4th option. Lastly Travers identifies a deeper debate, where the BEF creates separates formations for new weapons ex. tanks in a "machine gun corps, heavy section" while keeping the infantry mass behind rigid barrages. The Germans focused on rejuvinating tactics..I DISAGREE...
Sep 14, 2018 01:54PM Add a comment
How the War Was Won (Pen & Sword Military Classics, 50)

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 91 of 592 of Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War
The tight control along a 700km front of 5 armies & an allied expeditionary force was a cornerstone of the Marne w/1st contact at MEAUX (5/9) Kluck responded to Galiéni's flank attack by shuffling a corps north of the Marne, opening a gap between him&Bulow. The 5th French Army widened it & the BEF dove into it.
Sep 13, 2018 09:12PM Add a comment
Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 106 of 721 of Bloody Victory: The Sacrifice on the Somme and the Making of the Twentieth Century
Haig's decision to attack such a formidable position as the Somme has subsequently been questioned but he had little better choice; after 2 years of entrenchment most of the rest of the enemy line was much the same. Still, the hybrid&inadequate attack plan that resulted from a lack of clear command responsbility between him&Rawlingson was a confusing compromise with potential for disaster.
Sep 13, 2018 09:06PM Add a comment
Bloody Victory: The Sacrifice on the Somme and the Making of the Twentieth Century

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 8 of 252 of How the War Was Won (Pen & Sword Military Classics, 50)
Travers identifies 5 strategies if war debated among the BEF leaders.
1) Abundance: very traditional, more infantry and more artillery is the answer. I wonder, is this Haig's fix? (2) Mechanical efficiency: all about tanks, mortars, gas etc. Henry Wilson & Churchill were enthousiasts. (3) Progressive traditionalistm: a mix favored by Rawlingson; I'm reminded of Pétain's maxim "Artillery conquers, infantry occupies"
Sep 13, 2018 09:01PM Add a comment
How the War Was Won (Pen & Sword Military Classics, 50)

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 5 of 272 of Passchendaele: The Untold Story
Breakthrough or attrition as gospel ?
Breakthrough or at least the capture of strategic ground such as the heights at Chemin des Dames or Vimy Ridge remained the objective as prescribed by the pre-war doctrine of the offensive; attrition was a mere excuse for failure. Again, Prior concurs w/Travers but Arthur Bryant in '42 wrote "the rate of mutual destruction had taken firm hold of the British military mind in WWI"
Sep 13, 2018 08:54PM Add a comment
Passchendaele: The Untold Story

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 90 of 592 of Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War
as August gave way to September, exhaustion reared its head. The German right wing was veering away from its planned axis of advance & skimmed of various detachments. Moltke issued as few orders as his 2 army commanders sent reports. By contrast, Joffre was constantly on the phone: retreat upon one's own lines of communication possesses this advantage
Sep 12, 2018 10:02PM Add a comment
Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 86 of 721 of Bloody Victory: The Sacrifice on the Somme and the Making of the Twentieth Century
True/False? By the end of May there had been both a change of purpose & a role reversal due to the need to relieve the pressure on the French army at Verdun. The contemplated attack was no longer the ambitious Big Push which would break the static front & win the war, but had schrunk to another limited, potentially indecisive attack whose method was attrition, alltough the respective contributions differed from 1915.
Sep 12, 2018 09:57PM Add a comment
Bloody Victory: The Sacrifice on the Somme and the Making of the Twentieth Century

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 158 of 816 of The Path to Victory: The Mediterranean Theater in World War II
The pushback against Italy, while successful, left Greece exhausted when German reinforcements entered the arena. They staged their own Dunkirk, evacuating approx 50.000 out of 56.000 effectives. Crete suddenly looked very attractive to London to protect Ploesti ...or Suez?
Sep 12, 2018 09:53PM Add a comment
The Path to Victory: The Mediterranean Theater in World War II

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 24 of 420 of Ainsi pensait Zarathoustra
Nietzsche didn't judge everyone capable of such self-improvement. unlike Zoroaster, whose "invention of the self" connects in my view to De La Montagne or the "divine spark" of American abolitionism. But hubris was a danger: who considers himself enlightened often no longer sees his own shadow. In spite of a universal message, Zoroaster didn't strive to be a religion founder or a dogmatic priest.
Sep 11, 2018 12:16PM Add a comment
Ainsi pensait Zarathoustra

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 7 of 252 of How the War Was Won (Pen & Sword Military Classics, 50)
Are meticulous burial details & records a symptom of manpower crisis ? Either way, it was great for the next generations.
Can anecdotes of odd bahaviour prove deficient leadership on corps level?
On benefits of traditional line vs column behind tank attack:
"When you walk with your girl, you go arm in arm."
"If you walk with Oscar Wilde, what position will he take, general ?"
Sep 11, 2018 12:07PM Add a comment
How the War Was Won (Pen & Sword Military Classics, 50)

Dimitri
Dimitri is on page 221 of 436 of Nothing Less Than War: A New History of America's Entry into World War I
All this economic power could force the blockade. Episodes like the Easter Rising irked more than just the German-Americans & newspapers had long memories of 1902. On the other hand US also needed imports of the Empire (rubber, tin) & would hurt its own economy without large profits from grains&arms: "With American prosperity a reality, the US had far more to gain materially by acquescence than challenge Britain.
Sep 11, 2018 11:28AM Add a comment
Nothing Less Than War: A New History of America's Entry into World War I

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