Foch in Command: The Forging of a First World War General (Cambridge Military Histories)

"Ferdinand Foch ended the First World War as marshal of France and supreme commander of the Allied armies on the Western Front. Foch in command is a pioneering study of his contribution to the Allied victory. Elizabeth Greenhalgh uses contemporary notebooks, letters, and documents from previously under-studied archives to chart how the artillery officer, who had never commanded troops in battle when the war began, learned to fight the enemy, to cope with difficult colleagues and allies, and to manoeuvre through the political minefield of civil-military relations. She offers valuable insights into neglected questions: the contribution of unified command to the Allied victory; the role of a commander's general staff; and the mechanisms of command at corps and army level. She demonstrates how an energetic Foch developed war-winning strategies for a modern industrial war and how political realities contributed to his losing the peace"-- "On 7 August 1918 the president of the French Republic raised General Ferdinand Foch to the dignity of marshal of France. Foch had reached the pinnacle of his military career. Less than five months earlier, on 26 March 1918, he had been chosen by unanimous consent of the British and French military and political leaders to be generalissimo of the Allied armies on the Western Front. To undertake the terrible responsibility thrust on him Foch would be required to draw on all he had learnt as a soldier in the prewar period and to reflect on his performance as a commander since August 1914. This book is a study of Foch's command in the positions that he occupied during the war; its aim is to examine how Foch's ideas evolved as he moved along the path that led to the supreme command. As Foch himself wrote: One does what one can to apply what one knows"-- Contents......Page 10 Illustrations......Page 12 Maps......Page 14 Preface......Page 15 Abbreviations......Page 17 Introduction......Page 20 Part I From theory to practice......Page 26 1 From the Ecole de Guerre to August 1914 in Lorraine......Page 28 2 ‘He held to the last quarter hour’: with Ninth Army on the Marne......Page 42 3 Commander-in-chief’s deputy in the north, October–November 1914......Page 62 4 The end of the war of movement and reflections on 1914......Page 93 5 Second Artois, January–June 1915......Page 110 6 Third Artois, June–October 1915......Page 138 7 The scientific method: planning the Somme, 1916......Page 159 8 Fighting on the Somme, July–November 1916......Page 185 9 In disgrace: reflections on two years of command......Page 211 10 Intermezzo 1917......Page 236 Part II Supreme command......Page 282 11 At the Supreme War Council, November 1917–March 1918......Page 283 12 michael and georgette, March–April 1918......Page 314 13 blu¤cher and gneisenau, May–June 1918......Page 351 14 marneschutz–reims and Second Marne, July 1918......Page 394 15 ‘Les Boches sont dans la purée’: the Hun is really in the soup......Page 425 16 ‘Tout le monde à la bataille’......Page 460 17 Waffenstillstand, October–November 1918......Page 482 18 Losing the peace......Page 513 In conclusion: ‘Supreme command is less than people think......Page 526 Bibliography......Page 540 Index......Page 558 Contents 10 Illustrations 12 Maps 14 Preface 15 Abbreviations 17 Introduction 20 Part I From theory to practice 26 1 From the Ecole de Guerre to August 1914 in Lorraine 28 2 ‘He held to the last quarter hour’: with Ninth Army on the Marne 42 3 Commander-in-chief’s deputy in the north, October–November 1914 62 4 The end of the war of movement and reflections on 1914 93 5 Second Artois, January–June 1915 110 6 Third Artois, June–October 1915 138 7 The scientific method: planning the Somme, 1916 159 8 Fighting on the Somme, July–November 1916 185 9 In disgrace: reflections on two years of command 211 10 Intermezzo 1917 236 Part II Supreme command 282 11 At the Supreme War Council, November 1917–March 1918 283 12 michael and georgette, March–April 1918 314 13 blu¤cher and gneisenau, May–June 1918 351 14 marneschutz–reims and Second Marne, July 1918 394 15 ‘Les Boches sont dans la purée’: the Hun is really in the soup 425 16 ‘Tout le monde à la bataille’ 460 17 Waffenstillstand, October–November 1918 482 18 Losing the peace 513 In conclusion: ‘Supreme command is less than people think 526 Bibliography 540 Index 558 9780521195614 Cambridge University Press "Ferdinand Foch ended the First World War as marshal of France and supreme commander of the Allied armies on the Western Front. Foch in command is a pioneering study of his contribution to the Allied victory. Elizabeth Greenhalgh uses contemporary notebooks, letters, and documents from previously under-studied archives to chart how the artillery officer, who had never commanded troops in battle when the war began, learned to fight the enemy, to cope with difficult colleagues and allies, and to manoeuvre through the political minefield of civil-military relations. She offers valuable insights into neglected questions: the contribution of unified command to the Allied victory; the role of a commander's general staff; and the mechanisms of command at corps and army level. She demonstrates how an energetic Foch developed war-winning strategies for a modern industrial war and how political realities contributed to his losing the peace"-- Provided by publisher

Ferdinand Foch ended the First World War as Marshal of France and supreme commander of the Allied armies on the Western Front. Foch in Command is a pioneering study of his contribution to the Allied victory. Elizabeth Greenhalgh uses contemporary notebooks, letters and documents from previously under-studied archives to chart how the artillery officer, who had never commanded troops in battle when the war began, learned to fight the enemy, to cope with difficult colleagues and Allies, and to manoeuvre through the political minefield of civil-military relations. She offers valuable insights into neglected questions: the contribution of unified command to the Allied victory; the role of a commander's general staff; and the mechanisms of command at corps and army level. She demonstrates how an energetic Foch developed war-winning strategies for a modern industrial war, and how political realities contributed to his losing the peace.

"On 7 August 1918 the president of the French Republic raised General Ferdinand Foch to the dignity of marshal of France. Foch had reached the pinnacle of his military career. Less than five months earlier, on 26 March 1918, he had been chosen by unanimous consent of the British and French military and political leaders to be generalissimo of the Allied armies on the Western Front. To undertake the terrible responsibility thrust on him Foch would be required to draw on all he had learnt as a soldier in the prewar period and to reflect on his performance as a commander since August 1914. This book is a study of Foch's command in the positions that he occupied during the war; its aim is to examine how Foch's ideas evolved as he moved along the path that led to the supreme command. As Foch himself wrote: One does what one can to apply what one knows"-- Provided by publisher pt. 1. From theory to practice "He held to the last quarter hour" : with Ninth Army on the Marne Commander-in-chief's deputy in the north, October-November 1914 The end of the war of movement and reflections on 1914 Second Artois, January-June 1915 Third Artois, June-October 1915 The scientific method : planning the Somme, 1916 Fighting on the Somme, July-November 1916 In disgrace : reflections on two years of command Intermezzo 1917 pt. 2. Supreme Command At the Supreme War Council Michael and Georgette, March-April 1918 Blucher and Gneisenau, May-June 1918 Marneschutz-Reims and Second Marne, July 1918 "Les boches sont dans la purée" : the Huns are really in the soup "Tout le monde à la bataille" Waffenstillstand, October-November 1918 Losing the peace Conclusion: "Supreme Command is less than people think." This is the first study in English of the French general who led the Allies to victory in 1918. Elizabeth Greenhalgh sheds new light on how Foch grappled with the enemy, with his allies and with his political masters, and how he learned to wage modern industrial war.