Comments on: Victor of Verdun http://www.historynet.com/victor-of-verdun.htm From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Tue, 21 May 2013 16:18:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Gregory Garduno http://www.historynet.com/victor-of-verdun.htm#comment-165755 Gregory Garduno Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:19:54 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/victor-of-verdun.htm#comment-165755 Mr. Staatz hits the nail right on the head with Alistair Horne's book. However, it is not an easy read; large portions of the book are filled with slaughter on both sides by machine gun, artillery, and the barbarous flamethrower, which was just coming on line for the German army. The callousness displayed by Falkenhayn and the German command is painful to absorb. In our "enlightened" hindsight nearly a century later, it is difficult to understand how any general could send thousands of men to their doom without so much as a second thought. The idea of a purposeful battle of attrition on such a vast scale makes little sense today-but we have far more powerful weapons now that can cause massive devastation in a matter of minutes, as opposed to the months it took in 1916. Mr. Staatz hits the nail right on the head with Alistair Horne's book. However, it is not an easy read; large portions of the book are filled with slaughter on both sides by machine gun, artillery, and the barbarous flamethrower, which was just coming on line for the German army. The callousness displayed by Falkenhayn and the German command is painful to absorb. In our "enlightened" hindsight nearly a century later, it is difficult to understand how any general could send thousands of men to their doom without so much as a second thought. The idea of a purposeful battle of attrition on such a vast scale makes little sense today-but we have far more powerful weapons now that can cause massive devastation in a matter of minutes, as opposed to the months it took in 1916.

]]> By: Jerry Staatz http://www.historynet.com/victor-of-verdun.htm#comment-1417 Jerry Staatz Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:25:28 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/victor-of-verdun.htm#comment-1417 What is sad about the Battle of Verdun is that it defined French military tactics to the point that the French Army after WWI believed that the defense would always stop offensive operations. The immense casualities the French took in WWI also contributed to the idea that defense would conserve lives. It took the the German Panzers to make the French realize their error. The Price of Glory by Alstair Horne is a great book about Verdun and its effect on the French military thinking between WWI and WWII. What is sad about the Battle of Verdun is that it defined French military tactics to the point that the French Army after WWI believed that the defense would always stop offensive operations. The immense casualities the French took in WWI also contributed to the idea that defense would conserve lives. It took the the German Panzers to make the French realize their error. The Price of Glory by Alstair Horne is a great book about Verdun and its effect on the French military thinking between WWI and WWII.

]]> By: Frank X. Weiss http://www.historynet.com/victor-of-verdun.htm#comment-1086 Frank X. Weiss Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:13:28 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/victor-of-verdun.htm#comment-1086 Those who chhoose to view history as a continuous flow of interrelated events and who see World War I and World War II as the same war, with a 20 year truce or armistice interrupting it, will view Petain much as we Americans generally view Benedict Arnold. While intially brave, resolute,brilliant and resourceful, adversity eventually got the better of him and he took counsel of his fears and opted for what his counterymen now view as treason. If you coose to view each war serparately, you can postulate that in his prime, Petain was a formidable General officer, tactician, logistician and artillerist. In his old age, he was defeatist, cynical and eager to preserve his nation at the no little expense of his personal integrity, honor and historial reputation. I say have pity on him in either case. Those who chhoose to view history as a continuous flow of interrelated events and who see World War I and World War II as the same war, with a 20 year truce or armistice interrupting it, will view Petain much as we Americans generally view Benedict Arnold. While intially brave, resolute,brilliant and resourceful, adversity eventually got the better of him and he took counsel of his fears and opted for what his counterymen now view as treason. If you coose to view each war serparately, you can postulate that in his prime, Petain was a formidable General officer, tactician, logistician and artillerist. In his old age, he was defeatist, cynical and eager to preserve his nation at the no little expense of his personal integrity, honor and historial reputation. I say have pity on him in either case.

]]> By: Joseph A Cottone sr http://www.historynet.com/victor-of-verdun.htm#comment-981 Joseph A Cottone sr Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:12:39 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/victor-of-verdun.htm#comment-981 I too think that there were other forces at play during this battle, but Petain rose above all the dispair with death all around him & the possiblity of defeat at hand, he lead a staunch defense the best way he could & succeded.He was the right man in the right place at the right time. Joe Cottone sr I too think that there were other forces at play during this battle, but Petain rose above all the dispair with death all around him & the possiblity of defeat at hand, he lead a staunch defense the best way he could & succeded.He was the right man in the right place at the right time.
Joe Cottone sr

]]> By: Jerry Staatz http://www.historynet.com/victor-of-verdun.htm#comment-708 Jerry Staatz Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:28:28 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/victor-of-verdun.htm#comment-708 As far as Petain being the victor of Verdun, I feel it was in the sense that he was able to stablize the French Army at Verdun and prevent a German Victory which might have knocked the French out of WWI. As far as his later years and his conviction for cooperating with the Germans during WWII, he was an old man without a political background. He like a lot of other people felt after the Fall of France in 1940, that the Germans had won the war. He was trying to get the best terms for France in the New Order. As far as Petain being the victor of Verdun, I feel it was in the sense that he was able to stablize the French Army at Verdun and prevent a German Victory which might have knocked the French out of WWI. As far as his later years and his conviction for cooperating with the Germans during WWII, he was an old man without a political background. He like a lot of other people felt after the Fall of France in 1940, that the Germans had won the war. He was trying to get the best terms for France in the New Order.

]]> By: Chris Long http://www.historynet.com/victor-of-verdun.htm#comment-274 Chris Long Sat, 21 Jun 2008 20:24:49 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/victor-of-verdun.htm#comment-274 Verdun was an extension of the European fratricide going on; there were no 'victors'... The assumption that Petain was competent really came back to bite in WWII, didn't it ? Verdun was an extension of the European fratricide going on; there were no 'victors'…

The assumption that Petain was competent really came back to bite in WWII, didn't it ?

]]> By: Kritikon Commonplace Book » Philippe Pétain, Victor of Verdun http://www.historynet.com/victor-of-verdun.htm#comment-207 Kritikon Commonplace Book » Philippe Pétain, Victor of Verdun Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:38:10 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/victor-of-verdun.htm#comment-207 [...] Philippe Pétain, Victor of Verdun » HistoryNet - From the World’s Largest History Magazine P... Comments are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site. RSS 2.0 [...] [...] Philippe Pétain, Victor of Verdun » HistoryNet – From the World's Largest History Magazine P… Comments are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site. RSS 2.0 [...]

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