Comments on: The Day of Doom: The Battle of Gravelotte/Saint-Privat http://www.historynet.com/the-day-of-doom-the-battle-of-gravelotte-saint-privat.htm?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-day-of-doom-the-battle-of-gravelotte-saint-privat From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:15:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Doug Ashcroft http://www.historynet.com/the-day-of-doom-the-battle-of-gravelotte-saint-privat.htm#comment-784715 Doug Ashcroft Fri, 16 Dec 2011 07:12:10 +0000 #comment-784715 Brilliantly and concisely written. I have argued that although General Officers had studied strategy and tactics before launching into WW1, they completely ignored the principles demonstrated at Gettysburg. That lesson showed how utterly wasteful of troops was the decision to propel them en masse across a long open field against an enemy entrenched on high ground behind stone fortifications. Nothing but the butchery of the attackers could take place and did. So, the British, completely ignoring this vital lesson launched their forces in roughly similar circumstances against the Germans at Passchendale. Slaughter of the mud clogged attackers was again the result. This was one of the most incompetent attacks of WW1. I have argued that Napoleonic Strategy dominated the thinking in WW1, hence other considerations were seen as irrelevant. My argument is set out in Tomahawk1.blogspot.com. Doug Ashcroft Brilliantly and concisely written.

I have argued that although General Officers had studied strategy and tactics before launching into WW1, they completely ignored the principles demonstrated at Gettysburg.

That lesson showed how utterly wasteful of troops was the decision to propel them en masse across a long open field against an enemy entrenched on high ground behind stone fortifications. Nothing but the butchery of the attackers could take place and did.

So, the British, completely ignoring this vital lesson launched their forces in roughly similar circumstances against the Germans at Passchendale. Slaughter of the mud clogged attackers was again the result. This was one of the most incompetent attacks of WW1.

I have argued that Napoleonic Strategy dominated the thinking in WW1, hence other considerations were seen as irrelevant. My argument is set out in Tomahawk1.blogspot.com.

Doug Ashcroft

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