Page 25 - History of War - Issue 01-14

The shattered Belgian city of Ypres,
which was the scene of devastating

fighting throughout the war
the disintegrating defensive line. Against all The Central Powers now faced the spectre
of a prolonged war of attrition against a
odds, the BEF held, repulsing the advance. numerically and economically superior alliance. THE FIRST BATTLE OF
Von Falkenhayn’s forces tried one last time
to achieve victory in a ferocious assault down The future looked grim, and the cost of the
success of 1914 was staggering. In the west,
the Menin Road toward Ypres on 11 November. the Germans had lost some 120,000 casualties YPRES DEMONSTRATED
Once again, the BEF teetered on the brink
of destruction before repulsing the German and the French had lost 65,000. But it was
attacks. As had the Battle of the Aisne, the the BEF that suffered the worst fate by THAT AN ENTRENCHED,
First Battle of Ypres demonstrated that an comparison. Of a force that numbered only
some 70,000 at the outset of the war, it had
entrenched, inferior force could decimate
entrenched, inferior force could decimate some 70,000 at the outset of the war, it had INFERIOR FORCE
an attacking force through effective lost a staggering 55,000 casualties. Thus the
an attacking force through effective
lost a staggering 55,000 casualties. Thus the
use of machine guns and artillery. original BEF that the Kaiser had derided as a
original BEF that the Kaiser had derided as a
use of machine guns and artillery.
As winter arrived in France, the “contemptible little army COULD DECIMATE AN
As winter arrived in France, the
“contemptible little army” had been destroyed.
war on the Western Front ground to a
war on the Western Front ground to a But it had acquitted itself admirably, and it
But it had acquitted itself admirably, and it
ATTACKING FORCE
halt. Both the Allies and the Germans
was the actions of the British that had tipped
halt. Both the Allies and the Germans was the actions of the British that had tipped
began to dig in, constructing the balance of war in favour of the Allies. w ATTACKING FORCE
the balance of war in favour of the Allies.
began to dig in, constructing
a system of trenches
THROUGH EFFECTIVE
that ran from the English
Channel in the north to THROUGH EFFECTIVE
Switzerland in the south.
USE OF MACHINE
Never again would there be
Never again would there be
an open fl ank on the Western
an open fl ank on the Western USE OF MACHINE
Front. The war of manoeuvre was
Front. The war of manoeuvre was
GUNS AND ARTILLERY
over and the war of attrition had
over and the war of attrition had GUNS AND ARTILLERY
begun. Undoubtedly, the Germans
begun. Undoubtedly, the Germans
had achieved the most success
had achieved the most success
in the west in 1914. Their forces
in the west in 1914. Their forces
were deep inside France and
were deep inside France and This feature is an edited
held the vast majority of Belgium.
held the vast majority of Belgium. extract from the book
However, the Allies had survived.
However, the Allies had survived. The Illustrated History Of
World War I by Andrew
Wiest. Published in the
UK by Amber Books, it is
A German light cavalryman, or available from both high-
hussar, from the First World War period street and online book stores
HISTORY WAR 25 25
HISTORY
of
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