Joffre, Petain and Nivelle | 26 Mar 1916
French elbows As the Battle of Verdun continues going nowhere, General Joffre attempts to make the best of a bad job. He’s still extremely put Continue reading Joffre, Petain and Nivelle | 26 Mar 1916
French elbows As the Battle of Verdun continues going nowhere, General Joffre attempts to make the best of a bad job. He’s still extremely put Continue reading Joffre, Petain and Nivelle | 26 Mar 1916
Africa With another clear victory at the Battle of Kahe under his belt, General Smuts now turns his attention to a command reorganisation. All the Continue reading Handeni | Kondoa | 23 Mar 1916
Mesopotamia Robert Palmer has something positive to report at last. He’s moving! I write while humming Here Comes The Sun. Sun at last; first fine Continue reading Hanna chokepoint | Dubail | 19 Jan 1916
Spicer-Simson Let us now return to Africa and Lake Tanganyika. It’s been a miserable, spartan Christmas for Spicer-Simson and the men of his ridiculous expedition. Continue reading Spicer-Simson | Somme | Dec 26 1915
Same as yesterday; but this time, let’s take Gallipoli first. Suvla Bay The bungling continues unabated. General Stopford blithely describes the battalions thrown against Scimitar Continue reading Water at Suvla Bay | 11 Aug 1915
Once again we have a couple of miscellaneous events to sweep up before returning the hell that they call Suvla Bay. Defence of Verdun General Continue reading Tekke Tepe | 9 Aug 1915
Today we have a little French strategy, a lot of Italian failure, and another dose of the horrors of war from Kenneth Best. First Isonzo Continue reading First Isonzo | Jun 24 1915
A number of places to look at today; Amara, London, New Delhi, Chantilly, Gallipoli and Mazingarbe, where Louis Barthas has formed a connection with two Continue reading Breakthrough and rupture | 30 May 1915
The French face up to failure at the Battle of Woevre, the Ottomans come on strongly at Shaiba, and a young German private called Auguste Continue reading Langemarck | Auguste Jaeger | 13 Apr 1915
A look at what “taking over the Ypres salient” actually entails, the French try again for a breakthrough at the Battle of Woevre, and the Continue reading Return to Ypres | Woevre | 12 Apr 1915
It’s a busy day. Mesopotamia! Africa! Champagne! Landships! Diplomacy! St Mihiel! Off we go! Friendly Feldwebel The Friendly Feldwebel comes out of the line again, Continue reading Shaiba | 10 Apr 1915
The French achieve something they’ve been trying to do for about six months. A new British commander arrives in Mesopotamia. Sir Ian Hamilton continues worrying Continue reading Capture of Les Eparges | 09 Apr 1915
On the Western Front, General Joffre is shuffling his cards again, and brings First Artois to an effective close. I’m also having a look at Continue reading Field Punishment | 05 Jan 1915
We’re now finishing the opening skirmishes and tipping headlong into the first major battles. In two days’ time, there’ll be heavy fighting on the Eastern Continue reading Battles of the Frontiers | 21 Aug 1914
Battle of Lorraine Plan XVII, and the war on the Western Front, begins in earnest today. Two French armies are rumbling into action. 1st Army Continue reading Soixante-quinze | 14 Aug 1914