Worst military mistakes.

[Meothar]

Utterly false. In late 1917, the Germans had won the Ukraine Breadbasket, so their food situation was stable. Verdun had no effect on the German Army, as a matter of fact the Germans did win Verdun. They reduced the French to a few fortifications while they took all the Strategically vital ground and accomplished their objectives.

I suggest reading Myth of the Great War by John Mosier and follow it up with the sources he provides.

The book you mention is not unchallenged because of the onesided position the author takes. And sources in wartime are always filled with propaganda.

Verdun was not a victory for Germany but an offensive that failed to reach the goal (Verdun) and was repelled. In the end, both sides have lost an equal number of soldiers and no advantage. Without intervention of the USA, Germany would perhaps been able to delay the end of the war until 1920 or such, but no chance for winning.
But I think it's not the right place to discuss this. WW1 was one big military mistake.

[Cbvani]

WW1 was one big military mistake.

From a military perspective, yes. The tech on the western front was such that a well established defense was nearly impenetrable.
Also on a diplomatic level. But then, war is the failure of diplomacy.

[Chris1959]

It seems strange that most people see WW1 as a "static" war and this was the cause of the "heavy" casualties sustained by combatants when some of the highest loss rate were during the periods of intense manouvres at the start and end of the war, The Battles of Lorraine, Grand Couronne, Michael Offensive etc.
WW1 is probably a period whose history will be greatly re-written in the future as generations become more detatched from the setimentality of "1914 when the world as it should be ended and the world as it is began".

[machinor]

Without intervention of the USA, Germany would perhaps been able to delay the end of the war until 1920 or such, but no chance for winning.
But I think it's not the right place to discuss this. WW1 was one big military mistake.

I don't think so. In 1917/18 the British gained one decisive military advantage over the Germans: tanks. The British already had them in mass production while the Germans were still only having a handful prototypes of useless designs. The ability to literally just roll through and over enemy lines is a major turning point in military doctrine. This experience led the German military to focus their attention on tank warfare much more intensively in the decades between the World Wars than the Allies, thus enabling Nazi-Germany to effectively blitz all of western Europe, not with better tanks but with a better understanding of the possibilities and necessities of tank warfare.

[AntiTank]

I don't think so. In 1917/18 the British gained one decisive military advantage over the Germans: tanks. The British already had them in mass production while the Germans were still only having a handful prototypes of useless designs. The ability to literally just roll through and over enemy lines is a major turning point in military doctrine. This experience led the German military to focus their attention on tank warfare much more intensively in the decades between the World Wars than the Allies, thus enabling Nazi-Germany to effectively blitz all of western Europe, not with better tanks but with a better understanding of the possibilities and necessities of tank warfare.

Tanks were utterly useless in WW1, they had no suspension system, regular bullets produced by the Germans were able to penetrate the hull, and most broke down before even reaching the starting line.

They made great propaganda tools, but had little impact on the fighting.

[AntiTank]

The book you mention is not unchallenged because of the onesided position the author takes. And sources in wartime are always filled with propaganda.

Verdun was not a victory for Germany but an offensive that failed to reach the goal (Verdun) and was repelled. In the end, both sides have lost an equal number of soldiers and no advantage. Without intervention of the USA, Germany would perhaps been able to delay the end of the war until 1920 or such, but no chance for winning.
But I think it's not the right place to discuss this. WW1 was one big military mistake.

I suggest you look at a terrain map of Verdun from that time and then say that with a straight face.

Also I suggest looking closely at German Casulities by region and you'll find that the German Casulities reports that they printed came from all fronts. End result, the Allies thought they were doing better than they were.

The reality was different, Germany was wining the war of Attrition.

Also I suggest actually reading the Sources provide by Mosier.

[AntiTank]

Hey, check this out. John Mosier was an American as well! Coincidence..?

Irrelevant, address his points or concede. Same as you address my points. This is about ideals, not who we are. I don't ask who you are and I really don't care as it is irrelevant to the subject matter at hand.

[Barry Soteiro]

Well, it's true that France has never won a war in 200 years.

Coming from our Dutch-Algerian resident this is pretty funny. Dutch never conquered anything since 400 years. And Algeria ? Do these guys have even an army ?

[Tollheit]

Utterly false. In late 1917, the Germans had won the Ukraine Breadbasket, so their food situation was stable.

Hunger continued all through 1917, 1918 and even beyond. German mortality during the influenza epidemic of 1918 was 250% greater than in Great Britain, thanks to malnutrition. A stable diet of turnips and tree bark.

[Hax]

Coming from our Dutch-Algerian resident this is pretty funny. Dutch never conquered anything since 400 years. And Algeria ? Do these guys have even an army ?

Dutch: In-do-ne-si-a. Don't forget the Dutch controlled it for almost 250 years. Hey, guess what, we still own a part of Saint Martin, or Sint Maarten in Dutch. Look for the Netherlands Antilles while you're at it.

Algeria: Look for the Algerian-Morocco war. Oh, and the resistance vs the French? ;)

Also:

Coming from our Dutch-Algerian resident this is pretty funny. Dutch never conquered anything since 400 years. And Algeria ? Do these guys have even an army ?

Coming from a guy who actually suggested, what was it again, "those blue celtiberian guys" over at the EB2 forum, this is pretty funny. Not to mention "Ptolemaic Felt Cataphracts"..?

But seriously, let's not get into nationalist bashing here. Please.

[Spendios]

Well, it's true that France has never won a war in 200 years.

But seriously, let's not get into nationalist bashing here. Please.

Funny

Algeria: Look for the Algerian-Morocco war.Oh, and the resistance vs the French? ;)

?

[Hax]

Funny

Yeah, isn't it vaguely hypocritical?

Anyways, I apologize for the statement concerning the French.

[Meothar]

I suggest you look at a terrain map of Verdun from that time and then say that with a straight face.

Also I suggest looking closely at German Casulities by region and you'll find that the German Casulities reports that they printed came from all fronts. End result, the Allies thought they were doing better than they were.

The reality was different, Germany was wining the war of Attrition.

Also I suggest actually reading the Sources provide by Mosier.

The library of the local university doesn't have that book, so I just have to follow the argumentation of others refering to Mosier (is he your single source?). And they seem to criticise his sources, although I don't know if they have done better research.

Verdun itself was not conquered by the German army, just some forts in front of it.
Casualties are always hard to estimate because both sides tend to understate their own and exaggerate those of the enemy.

However, I won't say you are completely wrong with your opinion, I am no expert for WW1 or history in general, just criticising the "German army was uber and only beaten by nearly divine Americans" (figuratively spoken) point.

[Foot]

This is so off course. This thread has had its time, but french-bashing and generally having nothing to do with our mod has forced me to close it. I'm sure your discussion will be welcome in the backroom however.

Foot