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Mutiny and Mud

Mutiny and Mud. The Western Front in 1917. The Nivelle Offensive. Nivelle (French Commander) believed he could break the German lines in France. His plan was to find the weakest spot in the German line and smash it with a massive attack. Germans knew it was coming.

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Mutiny and Mud

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  1. Mutiny and Mud The Western Front in 1917

  2. The Nivelle Offensive • Nivelle (French Commander) believed he could break the German lines in France. • His plan was to find the weakest spot in the German line and smash it with a massive attack.

  3. Germans knew it was coming • A French officer was captured with the plans in his pocket. • The Germans simply retreated to the new line of trenches they had built. The Hindenburg Line.

  4. Start the Nivelle Offensive • On April 9th the British attack the town of Arras to draw attention away from Nivelle’s offensive. • At first it worked, the Canadians captured Vimy Ridge.

  5. Canadian’s Attack

  6. Nivelle Fails • Nivelle finds the German Trenches empty. • Moving the forward they get caught in a trap. • The Germans used machine guns from all sides. • After 10 days, 34,000 men were dead and another 90,000 wounded

  7. Mutiny • After this big failure a mutiny began in the French army. • Thousands of deserted and set off for home. Discipline collapsed. • General Petain (Verdun), replaced Nivelle. • Petain used ruthless methods to restore discipline.

  8. Restoring order • Thousands of soldiers were court-martialled and hundreds sentenced to death. • Petain gained control of his men.

  9. British Victories • The British had to draw attention away from the French army. • They attacked a hill at Messines. (140 meters high) • The British dug tunnels underneath the hill and filled them with TNT. • June 7th, Boom. The hill is gone

  10. On to Ypres…again • General Haig decided to attack Ypres (3rd time) better know as Passhendale. • Nothing but Mud. • 400,000 British killed.

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