Tuesday, July 31, 2007
This Day in the History of Devastating Military Incompetence
On this day in 1917, the Battle of Passchendaele (Third Ypres) begins in Belgium, Brits and Colonials versus German troops, and continues until November 10. Nearly 750,000 soldiers on both sides died or were seriously wounded for the gain of mere meters of territory on the Western Front. The tactics in WWI (similarly to the American Civil War) had not evolved in light of technological changes (the machine gun and quick loading, large caliber artillery) yet the generals kept up massed charges until millions had died on the battlefield. Verdun was a heroic slaughter; the Somme a sad waste; Passchendaele was just a crime.
Labels: WWI history
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 6:41 AM 
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Moreover, those who made these same statements in 1917 had their patriotism questioned. Usually by people who had never been in combat.
# posted by 
: 4:14 PM
: 4:14 PM
No, I think the Brits or French who felt that good news for the Allies in 1917 was bad news for them were called traitors. There was little criticism of the way the war was fought until the mutinies started mid-way. Now, few historians think the war in Europe at least was well generaled.
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