The Literary digest history of the world war, compiled from original and contemporary sources: American, British, French, German, and others . heGermans complete^ overran the British lines. The Britishproblem w^as one of concentrating sufficient men to cheek theoffensive, but this was a task of giant proportions. It meantthat not less than three-quarters of a million men had to berushed to the front before the Germans could be opposed byequal numbers. There were obviously two methods by which this couldbe done: by drawing immediately upon what might betermed the strategic reserve, that is, an
The Literary digest history of the world war, compiled from original and contemporary sources: American, British, French, German, and others . heGermans complete^ overran the British lines. The Britishproblem w^as one of concentrating sufficient men to cheek theoffensive, but this was a task of giant proportions. It meantthat not less than three-quarters of a million men had to berushed to the front before the Germans could be opposed byequal numbers. There were obviously two methods by which this couldbe done: by drawing immediately upon what might betermed the strategic reserve, that is, an independent mobilearmy strictly not a part of the trench system: or, by draw-ing on local reserves in depots immediately behind the latter reserve w^as in reality a part of the trench systemand it belonged to the units actually under fire. The methodwas an exceedingly dangerous one in that, by calling intoaction this reserve army all possibility of counter-effortwould have been given up, all opportunity of turning thetide of battle to advantage abandoned. It had only quick-ness to recommend it. The British adopted the second 28. 29 ON THE WESTERN FRONT method, which was the usual way, and was much more con-servative, and much safer. The wisdom of the British de-cision was shown in the fighting on the fifth and sixthdays, when the Germans were perceptibly slowing up. It was estimated that in the attacks delivered in massformation more than 400,000 out of nearly a million Ger-mans were dead, wounded, or in the hands of their hills, plains, and valleys of Picardy were red withGerman blood. About twenty-five miles represented thepoint of greatest penetration made at any one place. Itwas thought not improbable that British and French re-serves, and possibly American troops now known to hav«been assembled behind the battle-front, would soon bethrown against the weakened enemy. The Germans con-tinued their onslaught southwestward against French de-fenses in the regi
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectworldwar19141918
