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Notes and References

1 Deficiences in Preparation: August 1914

I . For the principles of British strategy and military operations see C. Barnett,Britain and Her Army, 1509-1970: A Military, Political and Social Survey(London, 1970) and D. French, The British Way in Warfare, 1688-2000(London, 1990).

2. See P.M. Kennedy, The Rise ofthe Anglo-German Antagonism. 1860-1914(London, 1980).

3. G. Monger, The End of Isolation: .British Foreign Policy, 1900-1907(London, 1963); K.M. Wilson, 'The Dissimulation of the Balance of Power'and 'The Invention of Germany', in The Policy of the Entente: Essays onthe Determinants ofBritish Foreign Policy, 1904-1914 (Cambridge, 1985),pp. 59-84 and 100-20; P.M. Kennedy, The Rise and Fall of the GreatPowers: Economic Change and Military Conflict from 1500 to 2000(London, 1988), pp. 182-256 passim.

4. Barnett,op. cit., p. 298; J .E. Helmreich, Belgium and Europe: A Study inSmall Power Diplomacy (The Hague , 1976), pp. 146-53; D.H. Thomas, TheGuaranteeofBelgian Independence and Neutrality in European Diplomacy,1830s-1930s (Kingston, Rhode Island, 1983), pp. 273-304.

5. E.M. Spiers, Haldane: an Army Reformer (Edinburgh, 1980).6. For the strategic geography of Belgium see Thomas, op. cit., pp. 3-6. For

German and French strategy in relation to Belgium see G. Ritter, TheSchlieffen Plan: Critique ofa Myth (London, 1958); and S.R. Williamson,The Politics of Grand Strategy: Britain and France Prepare for War,1904-1914 (Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1969), pp. 210-13.

7. 'Report of the Sub-Committee on the Military Requirements of the Empire(Europe)' (24 July 1909), Cabinet Office: Committee of Imperial DefenceAd-hoc Sub-Committees of Enquiry; Proceedings and Memoranda, PublicRecord Office (PRO), Kew, London, (CAB 16): CAB 16/5.

8. For the history of British strategic planning see J. Gooch, The Plans ofWar, c.1900-16 (London, 1974); M. Howard, The ContinentalCommitment (London, 1972); J. McDermott, 'The Revolution in BritishMilitary Planning from the Boer War to the Moroccan Crisis ', in P.M.Kennedy (ed .), The War Plans of the Great Powers, 1880-1914 (London,1979), pp. 99-117; N. d'Ornbrain, War Machinery and High Policy:Defence Administration in Peacetime Britain, 1902-14 (Oxford, 1973);N.W. Summerton, 'The Development of British Military Planning for aWar Against Germany, 1904-14' (unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University ofLondon, 2 vols, 1970); J.E. Tyler, The British Army and the Continent,1904-14 (London, 1938); Williamson, op. cit.

9. The deficiencies of British military preparations are analysed in more detailin W.J. Philpott, 'British Military Strategy on the Western Front:Independence or Alliance, 1904-19 18' (unpublished D.Phil. thesis,University of Oxford, 1991), pp. 5-77.

166

Notes and References 167

10. lbid., pp. 11-6S passim.11. W.J . Philpott, 'The Strategic Ideas of Sir John French', The Journal of

Strategic Studies, XII (1989), pp. 4S8-78; K.M. Wilson, 'The War Office,Churchill and the Belgian Option: August to December 1911', Bulletin ofthe Institute ofHistorical Research, L (1977), pp. 218-28; Esher journal (4Oct. 1911), Viscount Esher papers, Churchill College , Cambridge, ESHR2/12.

12. Williamson, The Politics of Grand Strategy, pp. 168-9; Summerton, 'TheDevelopment of British Military Planning', ii 366-430; 'The MilitaryAspects of the Continental Problem', memorandum by the General Staff (ISAug. 1911), Cabinet Office: Committee of Imperial Defence MiscellaneousMemoranda, PRO (CAB 4): CAB 4/3/130B .

13. Wilson awaits an adequate biography. Maj.-Gen. Sir C.E. Callwell, FieldMarshal Sir Henry Wilson : His Life and Diaries (2 vols, London, 1927) andB. Collier, Brasshat: A Biography ofField-Marshal Henry Wilson (London,1961) both rely uncritically on Wilson's private diaries , while B. Ash, TheLost Dictator: Field-Marshal Sir Henry Wilson (London, 1968) argues spuriously that Wilson was above politics.

14. Committee of Imperial Defence, 'Minutes of the 114th meeting'(23 Aug. 1911), Cabinet Office : Committee of Imperial Defence Minutes,PRO (CAB 2): CAB 212; D'Ombrain, War Machinery and High Policy , pp.100-7; Callwell, op. cit., i 86-IS6 passim.

IS. Asquith to the King (IS Nov. 1911), Earl of Oxford and Asquith papers,Bodleian Library, Oxford, file 6; D'Ombrain, op. cit., pp. 106-7.

16. Wilson diary (31 Aug. 1911 passim), Wilson to Nicholson (31 Aug. 1911)and 'Appreciation of the Political and Military Situation in Europe' , byWilson (20 Sept. 1911), Field-Marshal Sir Henry Wilson Papers, ImperialWar Museum, London (73/1) , HHW 2170/12 and 3/6/6; Wilson to Churchill(29 Aug . 1911), in Wilson, 'The War Office, Churchill and the BelgianOption' , p. 219.

17. 'Records of a Strategic Wargame, 1905' , War Office: Reports andMiscellaneous Papers, PRO (WO 33): WO 33/364; Williamson, ThePolitics ofGrand Strategy, p. 47.

18. 'The Military Aspects of the Continental Problem', memorandum by theGeneral Staff (1S Aug. 1911) , CAB 4/3/130B; Committee of ImperialDefence, 'minutes of the I 14th meeting' (23 Aug. 1911), CAB 212; Wilsondiary (23 Aug.-13 Sept. 1911 passim); Callwell, Sir Henry Wilson, i 86-lS6passim.

19. Esher journal (6 Sept. 1911), in M.V. and O. Brett (eds), Journals andLetters of Reginald. Viscount Esher (4 vols, London , 1934-38), iii S8;Williamson,op. cit., p. 188.

20. 'Notes of Conferences held at Whitehall Gardens' (19 Dec. 1905 and 6, 12and 19 Jan. 1906), CAB 2/1 ; 'The Assistance to be Given by Great Britainto France if She is Attacked by Germany', note by French (S Jan. 1909),CAB 16/S; Philpott, 'The Strategic Ideas of French', passim .

21. Lt.-Col. Barnardiston to Grierson (14 Feb., 30 and 31 Mar. 1906), in G.P.Gooch and H. Temperley (eds), British Documents on the Origins of theWar, /898-/9/4, vol. 3: The Testing of the Entente , /904--6 (London,1928), pp. 190-2 and 197-9; Sir G.T.M. Bridges, Alarms and Excursions

168 Notes and References

(London, 1938), p. 62; Helmreich, Belgium and Europe, pp. 162-3;Summerton, 'The Development of British Military Planning' , i 131 and137-41 and ii 512-5; Philpott, 'British Military Strategy' , pp. 28-9 and63-4.

22. Minutes of the first meeting of the 'Sub-committee on theMilitary Requirements of the Empire (Europe)' (3 Dec. 1908),CAB 16/5.

23. 'Secretary's Notes of a War Council Held at 10 Downing Street, 5 August1914' , Cabinet Office: Cabinet Papers , 1915-16, PRO (CAB 42):CAB 42/1/2; Wilson, The Policy ofthe Entente , pp. 129-33.

24. WilIiamson, The Politics ofGrand Strategy , pp. 312-6.25. /bid., pp. 64-81 .26. /bid., pp. 178-81 .27. Wilson, the Policy of the Entente, pp. 122-4.28. WilIiamson,op. cit., p. 222.29. Committee of Imperial Defence, 'Minutes of the 114th meeting'

(23 Aug. 1911), CAB 2/2.30. Williamson, op. cit., p. 316.31. 'Notes of Conferences held at Whitehall Gardens' (19 Dec. 1905 and 6, 12

and 19 Jan. 1906), CAB 2/1; C. a C. Repington, The First World War(2 vols, London, 1920), i 6-12; Philpott, 'The Strategic Ideas of French' ,pp.462-3.

32. Asquith to Venetia Stanley (I and 2 Aug. 1914), in M. and E. Brock (eds),H.H. Asquith: Letters to Venetia Stanley , pp. 139-40 and 145-7; Asquith tothe King (28 July and 2 Aug. 1914), Asquith papers, file 7; W.S. Churchill,The World Crisis, /9/J-/8 (6 vols, London, 1923-31), i 201-2.

33. Asquith to the King (30 July 1914), Asquith papers, file 7.34. Wilson, The Policy of the Entente, pp. 135-47 .35. Asquith to Venetia Stanley (2 Aug. 1914), Brock, op. cit., pp. 145-7 ; H.H.

Asquith, Earl of Oxford and Asquith, The Genesis of the War (London,1923), p. 209.

36. Viscount Grey of Fallodon, Twenty-Five Years, /892-/9/6 (2 vols, London,1925), i 319.

37. For the political and strategical background to Britain's entry into the warsee Wilson, op. cit., pp. 135-47 and M. Brock, 'Britain Enters the War', inR.J.W. Evans and H. Pogge von Strandmann (eds), The Coming of the FirstWorld War (Oxford, 1988), pp. 145-78.

38. C. Hazlehurst, Politicians at War, July /9/4 to May /9/5: A Prologue tothe Triumph ofLloyd George (London, 1971), pp. 113-14.

39. Asquith to Venetia Stanley (2 Aug. 1914), Brock op. cit ., pp. 145-7 .40. King Albert 1 to the entente governments (4 Aug. 1914), in

M.-R. Thielemans and E. Vandewoude (eds), Le Roi Albert au Travers deses Lettres Inedites, /882-/9/6 (Brussels, 1982), p. 507.

41. R.A. Prete, 'French Strategic Planning and the Deployment of the BEF inFrance in 1914' , Canadian Journal of History, XXIV (1989), pp. 42-62:p.53.

42. 'Secretary's Notes of a War Council' (5 Aug. 1914), CAB 42/1/2.43. Asquith to Venetia Stanley (6 Aug. 1914), Brock, op. cit. , pp. 158-9 .


44. 'Report on the Opening of the War' by Committee of Imperial DefenceHistorical Section (I Nov. 19I4), Cabinet Office: Miscellaneous Records,PRO (CAB I): CAB 1/10/30, p. 8.

45. See for example, Wilson diary (17 and 25 Nov. 1912).46. Ibid. (5 Aug. 1914).47. 'Secretary' s Notes of a War Council ' (5 Aug. 1914),CAB 42/112.48. Philpott , 'British Military Strategy' , pp. 39-42 and 58-62.49. 'Secretary's Notes of a War Council' (5 Aug. 1914),CAB 42/112.50. Hamilton to French (13 Aug. 1919), Field-Marshal Earl French of Ypres

papers, Imperial War Museum, London (75/46), 75/46111.51. 'Secretary' s Notes of a War Council' (5 Aug. 1914), CAB 42/112; 'Report

on the Opening of the War' by Committee of Imperial Defence HistoricalSection (1 Nov. 1914), CAB 1/10/30, p. 9.

52. Philpott, 'Strategic Ideas of French', pp. 470-2.53. 'Secretary's Notes of a War Council' (5 Aug. 1914),CAB 42/112.54. Ibid.55. Callwell, Sir Henry Wilson , i 159.56. 'Secretary's Notes of a War Council Held at 10 Downing Street, 6 August

1914' , CAB 42/113.57. Ibid.; Wilson diary (6 Aug. 1914).58. Panouse to Messimy (10 Aug. 1914), Cabinet du Ministre de la Guerre

(CMG), Archives de l 'Armee de Terre (AAT), Vincennes (5N): 5N125.59. Prete, 'French Strategic Planning' , pp. 44, 53 and 57-8 .60. Wilson diary (12 Aug. 1914).61. Huguet to Joffre (13 Aug. 1914), CMG, AAT, 5N125.62. Wilson diary (12 Aug. 1914); Huguet to Joffre, op. cit; Prete, 'French

Strategic Planning ', pp. 59-61 ; Philpott, 'The Strategic Ideas of French',pp.472-3.

63. Williamson, The Politics ofGrand Strategy, p. 226.64. Committee of Imperial Defence, 'Minutes of the II 4th meeting'

(23 Aug. 1911), CAB 2/2.65. Prete, op. cit., p. 44.66. Ash, The Lost Dictator, p. 73.67. Ritter, The Schlieffen Plan, pp. 57-63 .68. For French planning see Marshal J. Joffre, The Memoirs of Marshal Joffre,

trans . T. Bentley Mott (2 vols, London, 1932), i 1-112; D. Porch, TheMarch to the Marne: The French Army, 1871-1914 (Cambridge, 1981),pp.213-31 ; Prete, 'French Strategic Planning' , pp. 42-9; Williamson, op. cit.,pp.205-26.

69. Prete,op. cit., pp. 50-62; R.A. Prete, 'The War of Movement on the WesternFront, August-November 1914: A Study of Coalition Warfare' (unpublishedPh.D. thesis, University of Alberta, Canada, 1979), viii-x and pp. 109-143.

70. Panouse to Messimy (10 Aug. 1914) and Huguet to Joffre (13 Aug. 1914),CMG, AAT, 5N125.

71. Wilson, The Policy of the Entente, pp. 135-47; Brock, 'Britain Enters theWar', pp. 145-178 passim .

72. Wilson diary (7 Apr. 1912).73. Prete, 'French Strategic Planning', pp. 60-2.


2 Differences in the Field: Mons and the Marne, August-September1914

1. Hobhouse diary (25 Aug. 1914), E. David (ed.), Inside Asquith's Cabinet:From the Diaries ofCharles Hobhouse (London, 1977), p. 184.

2. Esher journal (20 and 21 Aug. 1914), ESHR 2/13.3. Note by Murray [of interview with Kitchener] (14 Aug. 1914), quoted in

G.H. Cassar, Kitchener: Architect ofVictory (London, 1977), p. 231.4. 'The War, August 1914 to 31st May 1915', Note by the Secretary of State

for War, War Office records: Kitchener (Creedy) papers, PRO (WO 159):WO 159/3/40.

5. Brig-Gen. Sir J. Edmonds (ed.), Official History of the Great War: MilitaryOperations, France and Belgium (14 vols, London, 1922-48), [hereaftercited Official History], 1914 (3rd edn, 1933), appendix 8, i 499-500.

6. General A. Huguet, Britain and the War: A French Indictment, trans.Captain H. Cotton Minchin (London, 1928), p. 44.

7. 'Journaux de Campagne de Commandant Galet', in Collection des PapiersLesaffre (collection 161), Archives Generales du Royaume, Brussels[hereafter cited Galet journal], files 12, 17 and 18.

8. Brig.-Gen. E.L. Spears , Liaison, 1914: A Narrative of the Great Retreat(London, 1930), p. 42.

9. Ibid., pp. 53-64; Joffre, Memoirs, i 158-61.10. 'Note for Commander-in-Chief of British Forces' (16 Aug. 1914),jonds

Joffre-Foch, Archives de l 'Armee de Terre, Vincennes (14N): 14N16;Joffre, Memoirs, i 161-5.

11. Spears, op. cit., p. 76; Field-Marshal Viscount French of Ypres , 1914(London, 1919),pp. 35-6.

12. Edmonds, Official History: 1914, i 499-500.13. French to Kitchener (telegram and letter, 17 Aug. 1914), Personal

Collections: Field-Marshal Earl Kitchener of Khartoum papers, PRO (PRO30/57): PRO 30/57/4912and 4.

14. French to Kitchener (22 Aug. 1914), ibid., PRO 30/57/49/6 .15. Wilson diary (16-21 Aug. 1914).16. Kitchener to French (telegrams, 19 and 22 Aug. 1914), French to Kitchener

(telegram, 22 Aug. 1914) and War Office to GHQ (telegram, 20 Aug. and 2telegrams, 21 Aug. 1914), 'European War, Secret Telegrams, series A, vol.I' (WO 33/713): WO 33/713/23, 39,41,48,51 ,53 and 57.

17. Wilson diary (20 Aug. 1914).18. French to Kitchener (17 Aug. 1914), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/49/4;

Spears, Liaison, pp. 163-4 .19. Spears, op. cit., pp. 136-7.20. Ibid., pp. 9 J and 123.21. Prete, 'The War of Movement ' , p. 73.22. Lt.-Gen, E.J. Galet, Albert King of the Belgians in the Great War, trans.

Maj.-Gen. Sir E. Swinton (London, 1931), pp. 147-8.23. Joffre has been poorly served by biographers . Useful insight into his charac

ter can be found in D. Lloyd George, War Memoirs (2nd edn, 2 vols,London, 1938), i 868-72; Porch , The March to the Marne, pp. 172-3;Spears, Liaison, pp. 21-3.


24. Prete, op. cit ., p. 12.25. R.A . Prete, 'Joffre and the Question of Allied Supreme Command' ,

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Western Society for FrenchHistory , XVI (1989), pp. 329-38: p. 329.

26. Prete, 'The War of Movement' , pp. 45 and 71-2; Prete, 'French StrategicPlanning' , p. 46; Galet journal, file 17.

27. King Albert to the entente governments (4 Aug. 1914), Thielemans andVandewoude, Roi ALbert... Lettres lnedites , p. 507.

28. Joffre, Memoirs, i 41, 54-5 and 64.29. Poincare to King Albert (9 Aug. 1914), Collection des Papiers Charles de

Broqueville (collection 73) , Archives Generales du Royaume, Brussels,73/514.

30. Galet journal, files 18, 19 and 21; Joffre to Collon, in Lt.-Gen. De Selliersde Moranville, Contribution a I'Histoi re de La Guerre Mondiale, 19/4-18(Brussels, 1933) , pp. 230-1; War Office to GHQ (2 telegrams, 19 Aug.1914), WO 331713/29 and 30; Joffre, Memoirs, i 142.

31. Galet, Albert in the Great War, pp. 88 and 148-51.32. Galetjournal, file 18.33. Galet, ALbert in the Great War, p. 92.34. For pre-war Belgian planning and its limitations see ibid., pp. 1-24. For the

principles of Belgium's wartime strategy see de Selliers de Moranville, op.cit., p. 232 .

35. Galet journal, file 17.36. Ibid., file 21.37. Galet journal, file 18; King Albert to Poincare (II Aug. 1914), Joffre

papers, Archives de l'Armee de Terre, Vincennes (lK268): IK268/1/9.38. Galer journal, file 21.39. Genie to Messimy (10 Aug. 1914), CMG, AAT, 5N125.40. Aldebert to De Selliers de Moranville (19 Aug. 1914), Galet journ al, file

21.41. De Selliers de Moranville to Aldebert (19 Aug. 1914), ibid.42. Spears, Liaison, p. 99.43. Galet journal, file 17.44. For Sir John French's pre-war career and personality see R. Holmes, The

LittLe FieLdMarshaL: Sir John French (London, 1981); Philpott, 'StrategicIdeas of French' .

45. Prete, 'The War of Movement' , p. 150.46. French to Kitchener (25 Aug. 1914), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/49/8;

Major G.S . Clive diary (25 Aug . 1914), Maj.-Gen. Sir G. Sidney Clivepapers, Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London.

47. G.H . Cassar, The Tragedy of Sir John French (London, 1985), pp.93-5,104-6 and 126; French, 19/4, p. 36 passim; R. Holmes, op. cit., pp. 208-18;Prete,op. cit., pp. 150-8 and 165-72; Spears, Liaison, p. 73 passim.

48. Cassar, op. cit., p. 113.49. Prete,op. cit., pp. 178-9.50. Joffre , Memoirs, i 161.51. Prete , op. cit., p. 161 and 179.52. French to Kitchener (telegram, 24 Aug. 1914), Kitchener (Creedy) papers,

WO 159/13 .


53. French , 1914, pp. 155-6; Philpott, 'Strategic Ideas of French', pp. 470-2.54. Committee of Imperial Defence 'minutes of the 114th meeting'

(23 Aug 191I) , CAB 2/2.55. French to Kitchener (25 Aug . 1914), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/49/8.56. Ibid. ; Esher journal (21 Aug . 1914) , ESHR 2113; Kitchener to French

(telegram, 26 Aug. 1914), WO 331713/91.57. French to Kitchener (telegram, 24 Aug . 1914), Kitchener papers, PRO

30/57/4917;Esher journal (21 and 25 Aug. 1914), ESHR 2/13.58. Clive diary (29 Aug. 1914).59. French diary (25 Aug. 1914).60. Joffre , Memoirs, i 183; Prete, 'The War of Movement', pp. 184-5.61. Joffre, op. cit ., i 194-6; Cassar, Tragedy ofFrench, pp. 126-7.62. French to Kitchener (telegram, 27 Aug. 1914, French's italics), Kitchener

(Creedy) papers , WO 159113.63. Ibid.; French, 1914, p. 86.64. Huguet to Joffre (27 Aug. 1914), Joffre papers, AAT, I K268/1/25; Joffre ,

Memoirs, i 199-200.65. Baird diary (30 Aug. 1914), enclosed with Baird to Bonar Law (21 Sept.

1914), Andrew Bonar Law papers, House of Lords Record Office , London,34/6/60; Joffre, op. cit., i 199 passim. ; French, op. cit., pp. 86-94; Prete ,'The War of Movement', pp. 200-22.

66. Prete, op. cit., pp. 222-4.67 . French to Kitchener (25 and 31 Aug . 1914), Kitchener papers, PRO

30/57/49/8 and 13; French diary (26 Aug. 1914); Haig diary (26 and 27Aug . 1914), Field-Marshal Earl Haig of Bemersyde papers (accession3155) , National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh: extensive extracts fromHaig 's diaries have been published in R. Blake (ed.), The Private Papers ofSir Douglas Haig (London, 1952); Wilson diary (31 Aug . 1914).

68. Baird diary (26 Aug. 1914), enclosed with Baird to Bonar Law(21 Sept. 1914), Bonar Law papers, 34/6/60; Cassar, Tragedy of French,pp.122-4.

69. French to Kitchener (30 Aug. 1914), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/49/12;French diary (30 Aug. 1914).

70. French diary (30 and 31 Aug . 1914); Baird diary (31 Aug . 1914), enclosedwith Baird to Bonar Law (21 Sept. 1914), Bonar Law papers, 34/6/60;Joffre, Memoirs, i 213-14, 217 and 223; Prete, 'The War of Movement',pp. 230 and 245-6.

71. Prete, op. cit., pp. 238-41.72. Baird diary, op. cit.; Prete , op. cit ., p. 227 passim.73. French to Kitchener (telegram, 31 Aug. 1914), Kitchener papers, PRO

30/57/49112.74. Esher journal (21 and 25 Aug. 1914) , ESHR 2/13 ; Kitchener to French

(telegrams, 25 and 26 Aug. 1914), WO 331713/81 and 91; Hobhouse diary(25 and 26 Aug. 1914), David, Inside Asquith's Cabinet, pp. 184-5.

75. Hobhouse diary (31 Aug . and I Sept. 1914), David , op. cit., pp. 185-7;Cassar, Tragedy of French, pp. 131-4; D. French, British Strategy and WarAims, 1914-1916 (London , 1986), pp. 26 and 35.

76. Prete, 'The War of Movement', pp. 74 and 93-4.77. D. French, op. cit., pp. 23-4.


78. Kitchener to French (2 telegrams. 26 Aug. 1914) and French to Kitchener(telegram. 26 Aug. 1914). WO 33/713/91. 95 and 102.

79. -Cassar, op. cit .• pp. 130-1.80. Asquith to Venetia Stanley (31 Aug. 1914). Brock. Letters to Venetia

Stanley , p. 209.81. Baird diary (I Sept. 1914), enclosed with Baird to Bonar Law

(21 Sept. 1914). Bonar Law papers , 34/6/60.82. Cassar. op. cit•. pp. 131-4.83. Ibid.• pp. 135-8; French. 1914. pp. 99-101; Prete, 'The War of Movement' ,

pp.265-70.84. Kitchener to Grey (I Sept. 1914). quoted in Cassar. op. cit.• p. 137.85. Asquith to Venetia Stanley (3 Sept. 1914), Brock, op. cit.• p. 217.86. Note by French for Millerand (I Sept. 1914), in Joffre, Memoirs, i 230.87. Prete. op. cit .• p. 308.88. Millerand to Joffre (I Sept. 1914), in Joffre . op. cit .• i 229-30; Prete,

op. cit., pp. 258-65 has exaggerated the effectiveness of Millerand's intervention .

89. Joffre to Millerand (2 Sept. 1914), Official History, 1914, appendix 23. i530-1 ; Joffre. op. cit., i 231.

90. Joffre,op. cit .• i 231-2; Joffre to French (2 Sept. 1914), in French, 1914,pp.97-8.

91. French to Joffre (3 Sept. 1914), in French, op. cit.• pp. 98-9 .92. French to Kitchener (4 Sept. 1914). Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/49/18.93. French. 1914. p. 93.94. See for example Joffre 's 'Special Instruction No.4' (I Sept. 1914). Official

History. 1914. appendix 23, i 531-2.95. 'General Joffre 's Instructions for the Battle of the Marne' (4 Sept. 1914).

ibid., appendix 30, i 543.96. Joffre. Memoirs, i 229 and 231.97. Kitchener to French (telegram, 5 Sept. 1914), WO 33/713/214; Prete. 'The

War of Movement', p. 301.98. French to Kitchener (25 and 30 Aug. 1914). Kitchener papers. PRO

30/57/49/8 and 12.99. French diary (4 and 5 Sept. 1914).

100. French to Kitchener (30 Aug. 1914), Kitchener papers. PRO 30/57/49/12.101. French to Kitchener (7 Sept. 1914). Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/49/19;

French, 1914, p. 113.102. French diary (4 and 5 Sept. 1914); French to Kitchener (7 Sept. 1914),

Kitchener papers. PRO 30/57/49119; French, 1914. pp. 107-10; Cassar.Tragedy of French, pp. 141-2; Prete. op. cit., pp. 296-304.

103. Joffre, op. cit .• i 247-50.104. Huguet. Britain and the War, pp. 107-8.105. Frenchop. cit.• pp. 122-3. 131-2 and 135-6; Cassar. op. cit., pp. 145-9.106. Official History , 1914. i 347-56.107. 'Situation of the Belgian Army. 2 Sept. 1914'. War Office Records: War of

1914-18, PRO (WO 32): WO 3215561;Galet. Albert in the Great War, pp.136-8 and 170-1 .

108. French, 1914 . p. 113.109. French to Kitchener (25 Aug. 1914). Kitchener papers. PRO 30/57/49/8.


110. Prete , 'The War of Movement', pp. 66-9, 73 and 516; Prete, 'FrenchStrategic Planning' p. 47 passim .

111. Prete, 'The War of Movement' , pp. 74 and 102-4.112. For the difficulties faced by Britain ' s policy makers as a result of close

alliance see French, British Strategy and War Aims, pp. xi-xiv.

3 The Failure of Coordination: The Siege of Antwerp and the FirstBattle of Ypres

1. Joffre, Memoirs, i 282 and 287-99.2. Churchill, The World Crisis, i 331 (Churchill' s italics).3. Asquith to Venetia Stanley (24 Aug . 1914), Brock , Letters to Venetia

Stanley, p. 191; Churchill to Jellicoe (telegram, 24 Aug. 1914), M. Gilbert,Winston S. Churchill: Vol. 11/, 19l4-1916. Companion (2 vols, London,1972), i 51.

4. Esher journal (19-21 Aug . 1914), ESHR 2/13; Asquith to Venetia Stanley(19 Aug. 1914), Brock, op. cit., p. 179.

5. Churchill to Kitchener (28 Aug. 1914), Gilbert, op. cit., i 64; Asquith to theKing (29 Aug. 1914), Asquith papers , box 7.

6. Churchill to Aston (telegram, 25 Aug. 1914), Gilbert, op. cit., i 54; Asquithto the King (26 Aug. 1914), Asquith papers , box 7; Maj .-Gen. Sir G. Aston,Secret Service (London, 1930), pp. 66-77.

7. Asquith to the King, ibid.; Esher journal (26 Aug.-6 Sept. 1914, passim),ESHR 2/13.

8. Churchill to Aston, op. cit. ; French to Kitchener (telegram, 26 Aug. 1914),WO 33/7 I 3/102 ; Prete, 'The War of Movement', pp. 197-9.

9. Hobhouse diary (25 Aug. and 7 Sept. 1914) , David, Inside Asquith'sCabinet, pp. 184 and 188; Asquith to Venetia Stanley (26 Aug . 1914),Brock, op. cit., p. 197; Kitchener to French (telegram, 27 Aug. 1914), WO33/713/103 ; Asquith to the King (8 Sept. 1914), Asquith papers , box 7.

10. Official History, 1914, i 232 and n. 4.11. Galet, Albert in the Great War, pp. 163 and 182-5.12. Asquith to King George V, op. cit.13. Ibid.; 'Situation of Belgian Army, 2 Sept. 1914', WO 32/5561 ; Kitchenerto

Grey (7 Sept. 1914), Churchill to Grey (7 Sept. 1914) and Churchill toAsquith, Grey and Kitchener (7 Sept. 1914), Gilbert, Churchill Companion:l1l, i 97-99; Ga1et, op. cit., pp. 155-6 and 159-62; Prete, op. cit., pp. 336-7.

14. Cambon to Delcasse (24 and 25 Aug. 1914), CMG, AAT, 5N125 .15. Asquith to Venetia Stanley (19 Sept. 1914), Brock, Letters to Venetia

Stanley, p. 247 and idem. (21 Sept. 1914), Gilbert, op. cit., i 126; Asquith tothe King (22 Sept. 1914), Asquith papers, box 7; Churchill, The WorldCrisis, i 320-1.

16. French to Kitchener (14 Sept. 1914), WO 33/713/335; Asquith to VenetiaStanley (14 Sept. 1914), Brock, op. cit., p. 235 and n. 1; Cassar, Tragedy ofFrench, p. 151.

17. 'Report of the Sub-committee on the Military Requirements of the Empire(Europe)' (24 July 1909), CAB 16/5; McDermott, 'The Revolution in


British Military Thinking', p. 109; Philpott, 'Strategic Ideas of French',pp.460-1.

18. Galet , Albert in the Great War , pp. 156-7.19. Churchill to Grey (7 Sept. 1914, Churchill's emphasis), Gilbert, op. cit., i

97.20. King Albert to the entente governments (4 Aug. 1914), Thielemans and

Vandewoude, Roi Albert... Lettres Inedites, p. 507; Galet journal, file 27;'Situation of the Belgian Army, 2 Sept. 1914', WO 3215561 ; Galet, op. cit .,pp. 155-63 and 188.

21. Asquith to Venetia Stanley (19 Sept. 1914), Brock, op. cit., p. 247; Joffre,Memoirs, i 290; Prete, 'The War of Movement', pp. 337-8 .

22. Galet journal, file 32; Galet, op. cit., pp. 195-9; Joffre, op. cit., p. 290.23. French diary (27 Sept. 1914); French, 1914, pp. 163-4.24. Wilson diary (24 and 25 Sept. 1914).25. French to Kitchener (24 Sept. 1914), Kitchenerpapers, PRO30/57/49/28.26. Churchill, The World Cris is, i 281; French, op. cit ., p. 164.27. French diary (27 Sept. 1914).28. French to Joffre (29 Sept. 1914), French, 1914, pp. 164-6.29. Asquith to Venetia Stanley (29 Sept. 1914), Brock, Letters to Venetia

Stanley, p. 256.30. Prete, 'The War of Movement', pp. 323-5 .31. Wilson diary (27 and 28 Sept. 1914).32. French to Kitchener (telegrams, 28 and 29 Sept. 1914) and Kitchener to

French (telegram, 29 Sept. 1914), WO 33/713/515, 531 and536.33. Prete, op. cit., pp. 340-50.34. Joffre to French (30 Sept. 1914), French, 1914, pp. 166-70.35. French to Joffre (30 Sept. 1914), ibid ., pp. 170-2.36. Galet, Albert in the Great War, p. 206; A. Klobukowski, Souvenirs de

Belgique (Brussels , 1928), pp. 182-3.37. Galet, ibid.38. Ibid. , p. 208.39. Asquith to Venetia Stanley (I Oct. 1914),Brock, Letters to Venetia Stanley ,

p.258.40. Ibid. ; Foreign Office to Bertie (telegram, 11.30, I Oct. 1914), 'Report and

Correspondence Regarding Defence and Fall of Antwerp' (WO 3215086):WO 32/5086/3.

41. Bertie to Foreign Office (telegram, 30 Sept. 1914), WO 3215086/2.42. Millerand to Joffre (telegram , 30 Sept. 1914) and Joffre to Millerand (3

telegrams, [?], 10.40 and 10.45, I Oct. 1914), CMG, AAT, 5N18.43. Joffre to Millerand, (4 telegrams , 12.00, 18.00, 18.10 and 18.15,2 Oct.

1914), CMG, AAT, 5N18; Klobukowski, op. cit ., p. 189.44. Joffre, Memoirs, i 305-6; Prete, 'The War of Movement', pp. 353-4 and

368-70.45. Millerand to Joffre (telegrams, 30 Sept. and I Oct. 1914), CMG, AAT,

5N18.46. Bertie to Foreign Office (telegrams, 15.40, I Oct. and 0.55,3 Oct. 1914),

WO 3215086/6and 23.47. Dallas to War Office (telephone message, 20.00, I Oct. 1914), WO

3215086/8.


48. Millerand to Joffre, (telegram, I Oct. 1914), CMG, AAT, 5N 18.49. Galet, Albert in the Great War, pp. 213-4.50. Dallas to War Office (telegram, 2.00, 2 Oct. 1914), WO 3215086/11.51. Kitchener to Dallas (telegram, 13.30, 2 Oct. 1914), WO 32/5086/14.52. Bertie to Foreign Office, (telegrams, 14.10, 2 Oct. and 0.55, 3 Oct. 1914),

WO 3215086/16 and 23.53. Villiers to Foreign Office (telegram, 20.20, 2 Oct. 1914), WO 3215086/20.54. Foreign Office to Villiers (telegram, 0.45, 3 Oct. 1914), WO 32/5086/21;

Churchill, The World Crisis, i 338-40.55. Churchill to Kitchener (telegram, 21.45, 3 Oct. 1914), WO 3215086/38;

Churchill,op. cit. , i 343-15.56. Kitchener to Churchill (telegram, 2.20, 4 Oct. 1914), WO 3215086/42.57. Bertie to Foreign Office (telegram, 0.55, 3 Oct. 1914), WO 32/5086/23;

Galet, Albert in the Great War, pp. 214-15.58. Kitchener to Bertie (telegrams, 9.40 and 16.30, 3 Oct. and 2.10, 4 Oct.

1914), Bertie to Foreign Office (telegram, 0.55, 3 Oct. 1914) and Bertie toKitchener (telegrams, 14.10, 19.30 and midnight, 3 Oct. 1914), WO3215086/23,26, 29, 32, 35, 39 and 41.

59. Kitchener to Churchill (telegram, 16.30,4 Oct. 1914), WO 32/5086/49.60. Kitchener's instructions to Rawlinson (5 Oct. 1914), WO 32/5086/70.61. French to Kitchener (telegrams, 22 and 23 Sept. 1914), WO 33/713/463 and

471; Hobhousediary (24 Sept. 1914), David, Inside Asquith's Cabinet, p. 192;Bertieto ForeignOffice (telegram, 14.10,2 Oct. 1914),WO 3215086/16.

62. Kitchener to Dallas (telegram, 9.30, 4 Oct. 1914), WO 32/5086/44.63. Kitchener to Dallas (telegram, 14.15, 3·0ct. 1914), Churchill to Kitchener

(telegram, 17.50, 3 Oct. 1914) and Dallas to Kitchener (telegram, 17.30,4 Oct. 1914), WO 3215086/30, 33 and 53.

64. Kitchener to French (telegram, 11.39,3 Oct. 1914), WO 32/5086/27.65. Kitchener to French (telegram, 13.39,2 Oct. 1914), WO 3215086/15.66. French, 1914, pp. 175-7 .67. French to Kitchener (telegrams, 17.55 and 19.40, 2 Oct. 1914), WO

3215086/18 and 19.68. Kitchener to French (telegrams, 11.39 and 20.50, 3 Oct. and 12.30,4 Oct

1914), WO 32/5086/27, 37 and 47; Churchill to French (3 Oct 1914),French papers, 75/46/11.

69. French to Kitchener (telegram, 19.20,3 Oct. 1914), WO 3215086/34.70. French to Kitchener (telegram, 4 Oct. 1914), WO 33/713/605; French,

op. cit., pp. 184-5.71. Wilson diary (2 and 3 Oct. 1914); French, op. cit. , pp. 185-6.72. Klobukowski to Delcasse (telegram, 4 Oct. 1914), Joffre papers, AAT,

IK268/l/48; Klobukowski, Souvenirs de Belgique, p. 192.73. Joffre to French ([4] Oct. 1914), French, op. cit., pp. 186-90.74. French to Joffre ([5] Oct. 1914), ibid., pp. 190-2.75. Prete, 'The War of Movement' , pp. 355-61.76. French to Kitchener (telegram, 6 Oct. 1914), WO 33/713/642. In French,

op. cit., pp. 182-3, the telegram is rendered; 'So far as I am able to have anobject apart from the general French view of the situation, I place the reliefof Antwerp as of first importance .. .' .

77. Frenchdiary (6 Oct. 1914).


78. French to Joffre (30 Sept. 1914) and Joffre to French (I Oct. 1914), French,1914, pp. 170-4.

79. 1bid., pp. 177-8 ; Cassar , Kitchener, pp. 245-{i.80. Bertie to Kitchener (telegram, 21.15, 5 Oct. 1914), WO 32/5086/69; 'Projet

du Note du Gouvernement aLord Kitchener' (5 Oct. 1914), Joffre papers,AAT, IK26811/50; Joffre to Huguet (8 Oct. 1914), French, op. cit., p. 178.

81. Kitchener to Rawlinson (telegram, 8.00, 7 Oct. 1914), WO 32/5086/80.82. Kitchener to French (telegram, 14.00,7 Oct. 1914), WO 32/5086/86; idem.

(2 telegrams, 7 Oct. 1914) and French to Kitchener (telegram, 7 Oct. 1914),WO 331713/646,647 and 658.

83. Kitchener to French (telegrams, 6 and 7 Oct. 1914), WO 331713/644 and646.

84. Rawlinson to Kitchener (7 Oct. 1914), WO 331713/653.85. Kitchener to French (telegrams, 3 and 8 Oct. 1914) and Kitchener to

Williams (telegram, 3 Oct. 1914), WO 331713/587, 592 and 665.86. Williams to Kitchener (telegram, 4 Oct. 1914), WO 331713/599.87. Kitchener to French (telegram, 8 Oct. 1914),WO 331713/660.88. Kitchener to French (11 Oct. 1914), French papers, 75/46/11; Joffre ,

Memoirs, i 305-{i; Galet, Albert in the Great War, p. 231.89. Millerand to GQG (telegram, 0.15, 7 Oct. 1914) and Joffre to Millerand (3

telegrams, 11.55 and [?], 7 Oct. and 13.45, 8 Oct. 1914), CMG, AAT,5N18; Prete, 'The War of Movement', pp. 374-{j.

90. Joffre to Millerand (telegram, 10.19,8 Oct. 1914) and Millerand to GQGforwarding Bertie to Delcasse (13.35, 8 Oct. 1914), CMG, AAT, 5N18.

91. Kitchener to Bridges (telegram, 8 Oct. 1914) and Kitchener to French(telegram, 8 Oct. 1914), WO 331713/666and 667; Official History, 1914, ii57-{i7.

92. Galet,op. cit ., pp. 237-9.93. See for example, Maj.-Gen. Sir F. Maurice, The Life of General Lord

Rawlinson ofTrent (London, 1928), pp. 106-7.94. Joffre , Memoirs , i 294-5; Marshal F. Foch, The Memoirs of Marshal Foch,

trans. T. Bentley Mott (London, 1931), pp. I25-{i.95. Millerand to GQG (telegram, 9 Oct. 1914) and Joffre to Millerand

(telegram, II Oct. 1914), CMG, AAT, 5N18; Joffre, Memoirs, i 309.96. Prete, 'The War of Movement', pp. 393-4 and 461.97. Kitchener to French (10 and II Oct. 1914), French papers, 75/46/11 ;

Cassar, Kitchener, p. 248.98. Joffre, op. cit. , p. 306.99. Ibid.

100. Kitchener to French (II Oct. 1914), French papers, 75/46111.101. Klobukowski , Souvenirs de Belgique, p. 189passim.102. See numerous telegrams passed between Kitchener and French in WO

3215086and WO 331713.103. Joffre, Memoirs , i 305; Prete, 'The War of Movement' , p. 363.104. Cassar, Kitchener, p. 248.105. Esher journal (18 Oct. 1915), ESHR 2115.106. See for example Lloyd George to Churchill (29 Jan. 1915), Gilbert,

Churchill Companion: Ill, i 472; Kitchener to Esher (22 Feb. 1915),Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/59/22.


107. Kitchener to French (11 Oct. 1914), French papers, 75/46/11.108. See Chapter 5. W.J. Philpott, 'Kitchener and the 29th Division: A Study in

Anglo-French Strategic Relations , 1914-15' , The Journal of StrategicStudies, XVI (1993), pp. 375-407 .

109. Cabinet resolution (4 Oct. 1914), WO 3215086/40.110. Joffre to Millerand (telegrams, 10.19,8,9 and 10 Oct. 1914), CMG,

AAT, 5N18; Cabinet resolution (9 Oct. 1914), WO 32150861113; Kitchener to French (10 and II Oct. 1914), French papers,75/46/11.

Ill. Churchill, The World Crisis, i 360-4; Churchill to Kitchener(14 Oct. 1914), Gilbert, Churchill Companion : 1/1, i 190.

112. French, 1914, pp. 155-7 and 214-6; Philpott, 'Strategic Ideas of French',p.473.

113. Asquith to Venetia Stanley (10 Oct. 1914), Brock, Letters to VenetiaStanley, p. 271.

114. French diary (7 Oct. 1914).115. Ibid. (8 Oct. 1914); Cassar, Tragedy ofFrench, pp. 156-7.116. French diary (7 and 9 Oct. 1914).117. French, 1914, pp. 199-205; Cassar, op. cit., pp. 157,;.,9.118. Cassar,op . cit., p. 157.119. French, op. cit., pp. 220-1.120. French diary (19 Oct. 1914); French, op. cit., pp. 225-6; Cassar, op. cit.,

pp. 161-2.121. Wilson diary (20 Oct. 1914).122. Cassar,op . cit., pp. 159-62.123. lbid., p. 157 passim .124. Churchill to French (11 Oct. 1914), Churchill, The World Crisis, i 368.125. French, 1914, p. 224.126. lbid., p. 303.127. Ibid., p. 226.128. French diary (19 and 20 Oct. 1914).129. Wilson diary (17 and 19 Oct. 1914).130. French to Churchill (25 Oct. 1914, French's italics) , Gilbert, Churchill

Companion: 1/1, i 218-9.131. French, op. cit., p. 215; Philpott, 'Strategic Ideas of French', pp. 473-4.132. Foch to Joffre (13 Oct. 1914), quoted in Prete, 'The War of Movement',

p.408.133. Ibid., pp. 411-12 and 421-2.134. This idea was foreshadowed before the war in ' [The Strategical Aspects of

a) Channel Tunnel', memorandum by French (9 July 1914), Cabinet Office:Committeeof Imperial Defence Home Defence Memoranda, PRO (CAB 3):CAB 3/2177A.

135. Wilson diary (14 Oct. 1914 passim .); Cassar, Tragedy of French, p. 164;Prete,op. cit., pp. 412-14.

136. Foch, Memoirs , p. 144passim .; Prete, op. cit., pp. 417-18.137. Prete, op. cit., p. 442.138. See for example Cassar, op. cit., pp. 172-4.139. Kitchener to French (27 Aug. 1914), WO 33nI3/103.

Notes and References

4 Discordant Strategies: December 1914-January 1915

179

I. Prete, 'The War of Movement', pp. 502-5.2. French , British Strategy and War Aims, pp. 35-6.3. Prete, op. cit ., p. 510; Philpott, 'Kitchener and the 29th Division', pp.

375-89.4. Official History, 1915, i 66-9; French to Kitchener (28 Dec. 1914),

Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/49/60; Joffre, Memoirs , ii 327-8;G. Pedroncini, 'Trois Marechaux , Trois Strategies?' , Guerres Mondiales etConfl its Contemporains, 145 (1987), pp. 45-62: pp. 51-2.

5. See for example Hobhouse diary (7 Sept. 1914), David, Inside Asquith 'sCabinet, pp. 188-9.

6. French, 1914, pp. 100 and 177-8; Cassar, Kitchener, pp. 236-40 and 245-6.7. Maj.-Gen. Sir C.E . Callwell, Experiences of a Dug-Out , 1914-1918

(London , 1920), pp. 72-3.8. Callwell, op. cit ., pp. 47-85 passim.; Cassar, op. cit ., p. 170 passim.;

K. Neilson, 'Kitchener: A Reputation Refurbished?' , Canadian Journal ofHistory, XV (1980), pp. 207-27 passim ; Philpott, 'Kitchener and the 29thDivision', pp. 375-402 passim. See also Lord Esher, The Tragedy of LordKitchener (London , 1921); T. Royle, The Kitchener Enigma (London,1985).

9. French, British Strategy and War Aims, p. 25.10. Foch, Memoirs, p. 184 (Foch purports to be quoting Kitchener 's exact

words) ; Cassar , op. cit., p. 249.11 . See Chapter 3.12. See for example, questions from Long and answers by Wilson

(20 Nov. 1914), Viscount Long papers, British Library, London, BL add.mss. 62418, fol, 64.

13. Philpott, op. cit., pp. 379-80.14. Asquith to the King (22 Oct. 1914), Asquith papers, box 7; Churchill to

French (26 Oct. 1914), French papers, 75/46/11; idem. (15 Nov. 1914) andChurchill to Fisher (19 Nov. 1914), Gilbert, Churchill Companion: lll, i265 and 269; Asquith to Venetia Stanley (21 and 23 Oct. 1914), Brock,Letters to Venetia Stanley , pp. 281 and 283.

15. See for example Churchill to Kitchener (17 Dec. 1914) and Asquith toChurchill (18 Dec. 1914), Gilbert, op. cit., i 311-12 and 313.

16. French, 1914, pp. 2-3 and 69-70; G.H. Cassar, Asquith as War Leader(London, 1994), pp. 51-4 and Kitchener, pp. 261-3; Lloyd George, WarMemoirs, i 133-42 and 227-60 passim; T. Ben Moshe, 'Churchill'sStrategic Conception during the First World War', The Journal of StrategicStudies, XII (1989) , pp. 5-21 : pp. 5-9 .

17. Churchill to French (26 Oct. 1914), French papers, 75/46/11.18. See Chapter 3.19. French, op. cit., pp. 302-5.20. Churchill to French (22 Nov. 1914), French papers, 75/46/11; idem.

(29 Nov. 1914), Gilbert, op. cit., i 282-3.21. French to Churchill (29 Nov. 1914), Gilbert, op. cit., i 282.22. Wilson diary (8 and 10 Dec. 1914).


23. French diary (7 Dec. 1914); French, 1914, p. 305.24. Churchill to French (8 Dec. 1914), Gilbert, op. cit., i 298.25. Prete, 'The War of Movement', pp. 429, 454-5 and 477-9.26. French to Kitchener (15 Nov. 1914), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/49/46;

Esher journal (22 Dec. 1914), ESHR 2/13.27. Joffre to Foch (9 Nov. 1914), Joffre papers, AAT, lK268/2/9.28. Note on conditions for a general offensive, by Joffre (29 Nov. 1914),fonds

Joffre-Foch, AAT, 14N16.29. French diary (1, 4 and 5 Dec. 1914); K. Neilson, Strategy and Supply: The

Anglo-Russian Alliance, 1914-1917 (London, 1984), p. 51.30. Grey to Bertie (9 Dec. 1914), French, 1914, pp. 305-7; Millerand to Joffre

(9 Dec. 1914), CMG, AAT, 5N18.31. Joffre to Foch (10 Dec. 1914), fonds Joffre-Foch, AAT, 14N16; French,

1914, p. 307.32. Wilson diary (11 Dec. 1914).33. French to Kitchener (10 Dec. 1914), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/49/54.34. Churchill to French (13, 14 and 17 Dec. 1914), Gilbert, Churchill

Companion: Ill, i 307, 309 and 312; Wilson diary (12 Dec. 1914); French,1914, p. 307.

35. French to Kitchener (7 Dec. 1914), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/49/53.36. Wilson diary (5, 8 and 10 Dec. 1914); French diary (8 Dec. 1914).37. French diary (8-18 Dec. 1914); Wilson diary (12-17 Dec, 1914); French,

op. cit., pp. 322-5; Huguet, Britain and the War, pp. 155-63; OfficialHistory, 1915, i 16-20.

38. Wilson diary (16 Dec. 1914).39. Haig diary (29 Dec. 1914).40. Churchill to Asquith (17 Dec. 1914) and Churchill to Kitchener

(17 Dec. 1914), Gilbert, op. cit., i 311-12.41. Hobhouse diary (4 Dec. 1914), David, Inside Asquith's Cabinet, p.208;

Asquith to Venetia Stanley (18 Dec. 1914), Brock, Letters to VenetiaStanley, p. 329.

42. 'Secret' report on visit to GHQ, by Long (16 Dec. 1914), Long to 'My DearCol.' [Repington] (1 Jan. 1915) and Repington to Long(2 Jan. 1915), Long papers, BL add. mss. 62418, fols 69-73 and 62419, fols1-3 and 4-8.

43. Guest to Churchill (19 Dec. 1914), Gilbert, op. cit., i 316.44. Asquith to Venetia Stanley (20 Dec. 1914),Brock, op. cit., p. 331; French to

Kitchener (28 Dec. 1914), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/49/60; Cassar,Kitchener, p. 263; French, 1914, pp. 334-6 and 340-1; Neilson,'Kitchener', pp. 209-11.

45. Churchill to Kitchener (21 Dec. 1914), Gilbert, op. cit., p. 325.46. Asquith to Venetia Stanley (22 Dec. 1914), Brock, op. cit., p. 336.47. French,op. cit., p. 342.48. French diary (27 Dec. 1914); French to Kitchener (28 Dec. 1914), Kitchener

papers, PRO 30/57/49/60; Haig diary (29 Dec. 1914); French, 1914, p. 342.49. Joffre to Foch (19, 21 and 22 Dec. 1914) and 'GQG study on the front north

ofYpres' (21 Dec. 1914),fonds Joffre-Foch, AAT, 14N16.50. Haig diary (29 Dec. 1914).


51. A small War Council had been set up at the end of November. Its membership comprised Asquith, Kitchener, Churchill, Grey, David Lloyd George(Chancellor of the Exchequer), Lord Crewe (Secretary of State for India),and Arthur Balfour (as unionist representative), advised by Lord Fisher(First Sea Lord), General Sir James Wolfe-Murray (CIGS), and Lt.-Col.Maurice Hankey (Secretary to the War Council). Lord Hankey, TheSupreme Command, 1914-18 (2 vols, London, 1961),i 237;French, BritishStrategy and War Aims, p. 63.

52. Churchill to French (I Jan. 1915), Gilbert, Churchill Companion: ll1, i 358.53. 'Boxing Day Memorandum', by Hankey, in Hankey, op. cit., i 244-50;

'Suggestions as to the Military Position', memorandum by Lloyd George(I Jan. 1915), CAB 42/1/8; Churchill to Asquith (29 Dec. 1914),Balfour toHankey (2 Jan. 1915) and Fisher to Churchill (3 Jan. 1915), Gilbert, op. cit.,i 343-5, 363-4 and 367-8.

54. Asquith to Venetia Stanley (30 Dec. 1914), Brock, Letters to VenetiaStanley , pp. 345-6.

55. Kitchener to Churchill (2 letters, 2 Jan. 1915), Gilbert, op. cit., i 360-1 ;Neilson, Strategy and Supply, p. 57 passim.

56. 'Relative Strengths of the Opposing Forces on Either Side of the EuropeanTheatre of War', memorandum by French (3 Jan. 1915), CAB 42/1/9:French diary (2-6 Jan. 1915). See also 'Expansion of the British Army inthe Field', memorandum by French (4 Jan. 1915), Kitchener (Creedy)papers, WO 159/317.

57. 'Secret' report on visit to GHQ, by Long (16 Dec. 1914),Long papers, BLadd. mss. 62418, fols 69-73.

58. Kitchener to French (2 Jan. 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/50/64.59. Philpott , 'Kitchener and the 29th Division' , pp. 380-93.60. French diary (3 Jan. 1915).61. French, 1914, p. 333; Cassar, Tragedy of French, pp. 191-3 and 198. See

also 'French's Troubles' (Dec. 1914) and 'Memorandum on RelationsBetween Kitchener and French (no date)', Personal Collections: ViscountMidleton papers, PRO (PRO 30/67): PRO 30/67/25.

62. 'Memorandum prepared in answer to Lord Kitchener's private letter to SirJohn French dated 2.1.15 on the subject of employment of British troopselsewhere than in the present theatre', Kitchener papers,PRO 30/57/50/65.

63. See also Esher journal (5 Jan. 1915), ESHR 2/13.64. 'Memorandum prepared in answer to Lord Kitchener's private letter.. . ' .

Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/50/65.65. See for example Kitchener to French (telegram, 16 Dec. 1914) and French

to Kitchener (telegram, 17 Dec. 1914), WO 331713/1408 and 1414.66. Philpott, 'Kitchener and the 29th Division', p. 377.67. 'Notes on the Situation of the Allied Forces in Flanders at the Beginning of

1915', by Rawlinson (29 Dec. 1914),. Kitchener (Creedy) papers, WO159/3/1; Rawlinson to Kitchener (3 Jan. 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO30/57/51/11.

68. 'Secret' report on visit to GHQ (16 Dec. 1914) and Long to 'My dear Col.'[Repington] (I Jan. 1915), Long papers, BL add. mss. 62418, fols 69-73and 62419, fols 1-3 .


69. 'An Appreciation' (Jan. 1915), Kitchener (Creedy) papers, WO 159/3/2.Internal evidence suggests that this paper was prepared in response toSir John French's second memorandum.

70. French to Churchill (4 Jan. 1915), Gilbert, Churchill Companion: lI/, i375-6 .

71. Ibid.72. Ibid; French diary (4 Jan. 1915); Asquith to Venetia Stanley (6 Jan. 1915),

Brock, Letters to Venetia Stanley, p. 362; Cassar, Tragedy of French, pp.198-9.

73. 'Secret' report on visit to GHQ (16 Dec. 1914), Long to Bonar Law (23Dec. 1914), Long to Fitzgerald (24 Dec. 1914 and 4 Jan. 1915) and memorandum by Long for Sir John French (4 Jan. 1915), Long papers, BL add.mss. 62404, fols 65-8 ,62418, fols 69-73 and 77-80 and 62419, fols 9-13and 14-19.

74. 'Secretary 's notes of a meeting of a War Council held at 10 DowningStreet' (7 Jan. 1915), CAB 42/1/1 1.

75. Churchill to French (5 Jan. 1915, not sent), Gilbert, op. cit., i 379.76. 'Secretary's notes of a War Council' (8 Jan. 1915), CAB 42/1/12; Philpott,

'Kitchener and the 29th Division' , pp. 384-5 .77. Kitchener to French (9 Jan. 1915), appended to 'Secretary 's notes of a War

Council', ibid.; 'Report of War Council's considerations of John French'smemorandum' (9 Jan 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/50/68; Philpott,'Kitchener and the 29th Division', p. 385.

78. French diary (9 Jan. 1915).79. G. Cassar, The French and the Dardanelles : A Study of Failure in the

Conduct of War (London, 1971), pp. 35-40.80. Esher journal (8 Jan. 1915), ESHR 2/13.81. GOO study of the front north of Ypres (21 Dec. 1914),fonds Joffre-Foch,

AAT, 14N16; Joffre to Millerand (12 and 15 Jan. 1915), CMG, AAT,5N132.

82. Esher journal (11 Jan. 1915), ESHR 2/13.83. R. Williams, 'Lord Kitchener and the Battle of Loos: French Politics and

British Strategy in the Summer of 1915' , in L. Freedman, P. Hayes andR. O'Neill (eds), War, Strategy and International Politics (Oxford, 1992),pp. 117-32: p. 122.

84. French diary (12 Jan. 1915).85. Fisher to Churchill (9 Jan. 1915) and Churchill to French (11 Jan. 1915),

Gilbert, Churchill Companion: 1I/, i 399-400 and 401-2; R. Prior,Churchill's 'World Crisis' as History (London, 1983), p. 55.

86. Churchill to French (8 and 11 Jan. 1915) and French to Churchill(9 Jan. 1915), Gilbert, op. cit., i 396-7, 398-9 and 401-2; Asquith toVenetia Stanley (11 Jan. 1915), Brock, Letters 10 Venetia Stanley,pp.369-70.

87. Wilson diary (12Jan. 1915).88. 'Secretary's notes of a War Council' (13 Jan. 1915), CAB 42/1/16.89. Wilsondiary (18 and 19 Jan. 1915).90. 'Secretary's notes of a War Council' (13 Jan. 1915), CAB 42/1/16.91. Ibid.; 'Appreciation of the Situation, 20th January 1915', by Rawlinson

(23 Jan. 1915), Kitchener (Creedy) papers, WO 159/3/12.

183Notes and References

92. French diary (14 Jan. 1915).93. Ibid. (17 Jan. 1915); Wilson diary (17 Jan. 1915).94. Wilson diary (19 Jan. 1915); French diary (19 and 20 Jan. 1915).95. French diary (21 Jan. 1915).96. French to Churchill (23 Jan. 1915), Gilbert, Churchill Companion: 111, i

444-5.97. Official History, 1915, i 15.98. Memorandum by Major Clive (10 Jan. 1915) and Joffre to French (19 Jan.

1915), War Office: GHQ Correspondence and Papers, PRO (WO 158);'General Joffre Correspondence, January-December 1915' (WO 158/13):WO 158/13/1 and 2.

99. Joffre to Millerand (15 Jan. 1915), CMG, AAT, 5N132.100. Esher Journal (21 and 22 Jan. 1915), ESHR 2/13; Memorandum by Lord

Esher (22 Jan. 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30157/57/50.101. 'Secretary 's notes of a War Council' (11.30,28 Jan. 1915),CAB 42/1126.102. 'Secretary' s notes of a War Council' (18.30,28 Jan. 1915), CAB 42/1128;

Philpott, 'British Military Strategy' , pp. 194-6.103. As evident from 'Secretary' s notes of a War Council' (7,8 , 13 and 28 Jan.

1915), CAB 42/1111,12,16,26 and 28.104. Philpott, 'Kitchener and the 29th Division', pp. 376-8.105. Esher journal (29 Jan. 1915), ESHR 2/13.106. Prior, Churchill 's 'World Crisis ' as History, pp. 43 and 48-50.107. Philpott, 'Strategic Ideas of French' , p. 474.108. Esher journal (22 and 23 Jan. 1915), ESHR 2/13; Memorandum by Lord

Esher (22 Jan. 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30157/57/50; 'Secretary 'snotes of a War Council' (18.30, 28 Jan. 1915), CAB 42/1128; Philpott,'Kitchener and the 29th Division' , pp. 386-7.

109. 'General Staff notes regarding operations between Ypres and the coast'(15 Mar. 1915) and 'General Staff notes on lines of advance from the frontCUINCHY-YPRES' (18 Mar. 1915), 'General Staff Notes on Operations,file I' (WO 158/17): WO 158/17/3 and 5.

5 Politics and Grand Strategy

1. Limitations of space do not allow a full examination of the political, economic, diplomatic and strategic background to the campaignon the westernfront, which can be found in: Cassar, Asquith as War Leader; French,British Strategy and War Aims ; P. Guinn, British Strategy and Politics,1914-1918 (Oxford, 1965); Hankey, The Supreme Command; J.C. King,Generals and Politicians: Conflict Between France's High Command,Parliament and Government, 1914-18 (Berkeley, California, 1951);Neilson, Strategy and Supply.

2. French, op. cit., xii; Philpott, 'Kitchener and the 29th Division' , pp. 375-6 .3. See for example the analysis in Chapter 4 of 'Relative Strengths of the

Opposing Forces on Either Side of the European Theatre of War', memorandum by Sir John French (3 Jan. 1915), CAB 42/119 and 'Memorandumprepared in answer to Lord Kitchener's private letter to Sir John French


dated 2.1.15 on the subject of employment of British troops elsewhere thanin the present theatre' , Kitchener papers, PRO 30157/50/65.

4. Ideas evident in the best known expositions of the 'easterners" creed,Hankey's 'Box ing Day Memorandum', Hankey, op. cit., i 244-51, andLloyd George's memorandum 'Suggestions as to the Military Position'(I Jan. 1915), CAB 42/118.

5. French, op. cit. , pp. 72-4; Royle, The Kitchener Enigma , pp. 313-14;Cassar, The French and the Dardanelles , pp. 39-40; Neilson, Strategy andSupply, pp. 8-11 and 49 passim.

6. Esher to Kitchener (2 Dec. 1914), Brett, journals and Letters, iii 200.7. Repington to Long (2 Jan. 1915), Long papers, BL add. mss. 62404, fols

4-8.8. See for example, Cassar, op, cit., pp. 47-60.9. Churchill, The World Crisis , ii 21-2.

10. Esher journal (24 Dec. 1914 and 8 Jan. 1915), ESHR 2113; 'Secretary' s notesofa War Council' (11.30,28 Jan. 1915),CAB 4211126.

II . Philpott, 'Kitchener and the 29th Division', passim.12. Asquith to Venetia Stanley (21 Jan. 1915), Brock, Letters to Venetia

Stanley, p. 389.13. Esher journal, (21-4 Jan. 1915), ESHR 2113; Neilson, Strategy and Supply,

pp.62-3.14. Esher journal, ibid.; 'Sub-committee of the War Council minutes' (16.00, 28

Jan 1915), CAB 4211/27.15. See for example Lloyd George to Churchill (29 Jan. 1915), Gilbert,

Churchill Companion: Ill, i 472.16. 'Sub-committee of the War Council minutes' (16.00, 28 Jan 1915) and

'Secretary's notes of a War Council' (11.30 and 18.30, 28 Jan. 1915), CAB4211/26, 27 and 28.

17. 'Memorandum on Lloyd George 's and Bertie's meeting with the Presidentof the Republic on 3rd February', Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor papers,House of Lords Record Office, London, C3/6/2; Lloyd George to Grey (7Feb. 1915), Lloyd George, War Memoirs, i 242-5 and idem, i 240-1;R. Poincare, The Memoirs of Raymond Poincare, 1915, trans. G. Arthur(London, 1930),pp. 26-30.

18. 'Secretary's notes of a War Council' (9 Feb. 1915), CAB 4211133; Neilson,'Kitchener' , pp. 214-17; Philpott, 'Kitchener and the 29th Division', p. 388.

19. 'Memorandum on Lloyd George's and Bertie's meeting with the Presidentof the Republic on 3rd February' , Lloyd George papers, C3/6/2; LloydGeorge,op. cit., i 241.

20. P.-M. de la Gorce, The French Army: A Political-Military History (London,1963), pp. 104-11; A. Horne, The French Army and Politics, 1870-1970(London,1984),pp.36-8.

21. 'Memorandum on Lloyd George's and Bertie's meeting with the Presidentof the Republic on 3rd February', Lloyd George papers, C3/6/2.

22. On Joffre and Millerand 's relationship see M.M. Farrar, PrincipledPragmatist: The Political Career of Alexandre Millerand(New York, 1991), pp. 136-7, 172-3 and 179-80.

23. French, British Strategy and War Aims , pp. 66-74; Guinn, British Strategyand Politics, pp. 48-54.


24. Joffre to French (16 Feb. 1915), WO 158/13/4.25. De la Gorce, op. cit., p. 110.26. Cassar, Asquith as War Leader, p. 66.27. See Chapter 4.28. 'Secretary's notes of a War Council' (18.30,28 Jan. 1915),CAB42/1/28.29. Esher to Kitchener (13, 15 and 18 Feb. 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO

30/57/59/18, 19 and 20.30. Notes of a conversation between de Broqueville and Kitchener

(16 Feb. 1915), de Broqueville papers, file 391; de Broquevilleto Kitchener(23 Feb. 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/57/15.

31. Esher journal (22 and 29 Jan. 1915), ESHR 2/13; French diary(29 and 30 Jan. 1915); Churchill to Kitchener (31 Jan. 1915), Gilbert,Churchill Companion: III, i 475-6; Wilson diary (1 Feb. 1915); Neilson,Strategy and Supply, p. 58 passim.

32. 'Secretary 's notes of a War Council' (9 Feb. 1915), CAB 42/1/33.33. French diary (18 Feb. 1915); French to Joffre (2 letters, 18Feb. 1915), WO

158/13/5 and 6; Philpott, 'Kitchener and the 29th Division', pp. 388-9 .34. Joffre to French (19 Feb. 1915) and French to Joffre (23 Feb. 1915), WO

158/13/7 and 8; French diary (21 and 23 Feb. 1915); Joffre to Millerand (28Feb. 1915), CMG, AAT, 5N132.

35. Esher to Kitchener (21 and 27 Feb. 1915) and Kitchener to Esher (22 Feb.1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/59/21, 22 and 25.

36. Millerand to Kitchener (2 Mar. 1915), enclosing Joffre to Millerand(I Mar.1915), Kitchener to Millerand (4 Mar. 1915) and French to Kitchener (7Mar 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/57/19, 64 and 65 and PRO30/57/50/77; 'Secretary' s notes of a War Council' (10 Mar. 1915), CAB42/2/5 ; Neilson , Strategy and Supply, pp. 70-1; Philpott, op. cit., pp.389-92.

37. Joffre to French (7 Mar. 1915), WO 158/13/12;French diary (8 and 9 Mar.1915). A convenient excuse, for in actual fact the French lacked sufficientstocks of artillery ammunition to mount the attack. Joffre to Foch (7 Mar.1915), Clemenceau papers, Archives de l'Armee de Terre, Vincennes (6N):6N165.

38. See Chapter 6.39. Cassar, The French and the Dardanelles, p. 81. See also General Sir Henry

Rawlinson diary (15 Jan. 1915), Field-Marshal Lord Rawlinson of Trentpapers, Churchill College, Cambridge [hereafter cited RWLN]: RWLN1/1-12; Wilson diary (3 Feb. 1915).

40. Cassar,op. cit., pp. 72-85.41. French diary (16 Mar. 1915); Joffre to French (24 Mar. 1915), WO

158/13/14.42. Rawlinson to Kitchener (23 Mar. 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO

30/57/51/17.43. Esher journal (5, II and 18 Mar. 1915), ESHR 2/14; Col. Panouse to

Millerand (II Mar. 1915), 'Military Attache's Reports, England', Archivesde l'Armee de Terre, Vincennes (7N): 7N1253; Grey to Kitchener (12 Mar.1915), De Fleuriau to Grey (14 Mar. 1915), Nicholson to Grey (15 Mar.1915) and Kitchener to Asquith (no date), Kitchener papers, PRO30/57/77/25,26 and 27 and PRO 30/57/81/8.


44. French diary (23 Mar. 1915); Philpott, 'Kitchener and the 29th Division',pp.394-5.

45. See for example Hamilton diary (14 and 15 Mar. 1915), Gen. SirI. Hamilton, Gallipoli Diary (2 vols, London, 1920), i 4-5 and 9.

46. Esher to Kitchener (21 Feb. 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/59/21;Esher journal (5 and 18 Mar. 1915), ESHR 2/14.

47. Pedroncini, 'Trois Marechaux, Trois Strategies', pp. 51-2.48. Neilson, 'Kitchener' , pp. 207 and 223-6.49. D. French, 'The Meaning of Attrition', English Historical Review, Clll

(1988),pp. 385-405: pp.387-93.50. Hamilton diary, op. cit.51. Ibid.52. Cassar, Kitchener, pp. 311-19.53. Royle, The Kitchener Enigma, p. 323.54. Esherjournal(l Apr.1915),ESHR2/14.55. Esher to Kitchener (28 Feb. 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/59/26;

French diary (25 Mar. 1915).56. 'Henry Wilson's report on a meeting at Chantilly on 29th March 1915'

(30 Mar. 1915), Kitchener (Creedy) papers, WO 159/7/5; Cassar, op. cit.,pp.324-5.

57. French diary (29 Mar. 1915).58. French diary (31 Mar. 1915).59. Kitchener to Asquith (14 Apr. 1915), Asquith papers, box 14, fol. 25.60. French diary (6 May 1915).61. Cassar, Asquith as War Leader, pp. 91-8.62. French diary (12-18 May 1915 passim); Esher journal (14 and 21 May

1915), ESHR 2/14; 'The Question of Men', enclosed with Repington toLloyd George (20 May 1915), Lloyd George papers, DI8/6/2.

63. Cassar, op. cit., pp. 102-3 .64. Esher journal (21 May 1915), ESHR 2/14; 'Reasons for the offensive in

Flanders' , memorandum by Kitchener (12 June 1915), Kitchener papers,PRO 30/57/58/4; 'An Appreciation of the Military Situation in the Future' ,memorandum by Kitchener (26 June 1915), Kitchener (Creedy) papers, WO159/4/6;Cassar, Kitchener, pp. 372-4; Neilson, Strategy and Supply, p. 89.

65. French, British Strategy and War Aims, pp. 103-5; Philpott, 'Kitchener andthe 29th Division', pp. 396-8.

66. See for example Esher journal (II June 1915), ESHR 2/14.67. Joffre to Kitchener (27 May 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/57/24;

'Notes for discussion with General Joffre ' (no date), 'Private note toBrigadier-General Yarde-Buller' (29 May 1915) and unsigned minute toAsquith (29 May 1915), Kitchener (Creedy) papers, WO 159/7/11, IIA andliB.

68. 'Notes of meetings held at the War Office' (8 and 9 June 1915), Kitchener(Creedy) papers, WO 159/7/14 and 14B; Compte rendu of talk withKitchener, by Col. Renouard (11 June. 1915), Clemenceau papers, AAT,6N165.

69. French to Kitchener (II June 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/50/98.70. 'The Military Situation in France and Belgium', memorandum by French

(23 June 1915), Field-Marshal Sir William Robertson papers, Liddell Hart


Centre for Military Archives, King's College London, U512; Joffre toMillerand (24 June 1915), CMG, AAT, 5N132.

71. The War Council was renamed the Dardanelles Committee followingAsquith's government reshuffle in May 1915. For British fears aboutFrance's commitment to the war in 1915 see Williams, 'Kitchener and theBattle of Loos' , passim.

72. 'An Appreciation of the Military Situation in the Future', memorandum byKitchener (26 June 1915), Kitchener (Creedy) papers, WO 159/4/6;Wilsondiary (1 and 2 July 1915); French , 'The Meaning of Attrition', p. 395;Neilson, 'Kitchener', p. 219; Williams, op. cit., pp. 118-19.

73. 'Appreciation of the Military Situation', ibid. For Kitchener's dilemma overthe deployment of British troops see Wilson diary (30 June 1915).

74. Asquith to the King (22 June 1915), Asquith papers, box 8.75. Cassar , Asquith as War Leader, pp. 116-17.76. Esher journal (2 July 1915), ESHR 2/14.77. Cabinet minute (2 July 1915), enclosed with Balfour to Asquith

(2 July 1915), Asquith papers, box 14, foJ. 77B.78. Philpott, 'Kitchener and the 29th Division', p. 398.79. French diary (19 June 1915 passim).80. 'Proces- VerbaLof a meeting at Chantilly' , in French diary (24 June 1915).81. 'Precis of a conversation with officers of the Cabinet du Ministre de La

Guerre, Paris' (3 July 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/58/12.82. French to Winifred Bennett (7 July 1915), French papers, 75/46/1; Esher to

Hankey (7 July 1915), Lord Hankey papers, Churchill College, Cambridge[hereafter HNKY), HNKY 417; Williams, 'Kitchener and the Battle ofLoos', p.127.

83. Clive diary (6 July 1915), typescript copy, Cabinet Office: CorrespondenceUsed in the Compilation of the Official History, PRO (CAB 45): CAB451201; ' Note on the arrival of British divisions in France, dictated byKitchener (6 July 1915) Clemenceau papers, AAT, 6N165.

84. French diary (6 July 1915)' ; Le Roy Lewis to Hankey (14 July 1915),HNKY 417; King Albert diary (7 July 1915), M.-R. Thielemans (ed.), ALbertler: Carnets et Correspondance de Guerre, 1914-1918 (Paris and Louvainla Neuve, 1991), pp. 209-10; Poincare, Memoirs, 1915, pp. 158-9; Cassar,Kitchener, pp. 381-2; French, British Strategy and War Aims, p. 107;Neilson , Strategy and SuppLy, p. 95.

85. Cassar, op. cit., p. 388; Neilson, op. cit., pp. 95-6 and 'Kitchener',pp. 221-2; Guinn, British Strategy and Politics , p. 95.

86. Wilson diary (30 July 1915).87. Kitchener to Asquith (17 Aug. 1915) and Kitchener to Joffre

(20 Aug. 1915), Kitchener (Creedy) papers, WO 159n124 and 25; Wilsondiary (16 and 17 Aug. 1915); Cassar, Kitchener, pp. 387-8; Neilson,'Kitchener', pp. 221-3; Williams, op. cit., pp. 127-9 .

88. Asquith to the King (20 Aug. 1915), Asquith papers, box 8.89. 'Paper Lord K[itchener) ordered to be prepared' (22 Dec. 1915), General Sir

Archibald Murray papers, Imperial War Museum, London (collection79/48), 79/48/2/36.

90. Philpott, 'Kitchener and the 29th Division' , p. 401.91. Esher journal (23 Jan. 1915), ESHR 2/13.


92. DJ. Dutton, 'France, England and the Politics of the Salonika Campaign.1915-1918 ' (unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of London. 1975).

93. Guinn, British Strategy and Politics. p. 101 passim; Hankey, The SupremeCommand, ii 447-8.

94. French. British Strategy and War Aims . pp. 159-60; Guinn, op. cit.•pp.107-1O.

95. Hankey diary (12 Oct. and 16 Dec. 1915), HNKY l/I-.Q.96. Cassar. Asquith as War Leader, pp. 121-44 passim.97. Charteris diary (31 Jan. 1916). in Brig.-Gen. J. Charteris, At G.H.Q.

(London, 1931), p. 134.98. King, Generals and Politicians, pp. 82-4.99. ' Note by Lord Esher of a conversation with General Gallieni '

(27 Oct. 1915). CAB 42/4/19; Kitchener to Esher (2 Nov. 1915), ESHR 4/5;Rawlinson diary (3 Nov. 1915); 'Minutes of the War Committee' (15 Nov.1915). CAB 42/5/12.

100. Wilson diary (12 Nov. 1915).101. Wilson diary (23 and 24 Oct., 3 and 7 Nov. 1915); Esher to Lord

Stamfordham (29 Oct. 1915) and Esher journal (31 Oct., 5 and 7 Nov.1915). Brett. Letters and Journals . iii 272 passim; Esher to Hankey (25 Oct.and 3 Nov. 1915) and Note by Esher (5 Nov. 1915), HNKY 4/7.

102. Kitchener to Asquith (5 Nov. 1915), PRO 30/57/76/76; Minutes of theDardanellesCommittee (30 Oct. 1915). CAB 4214120; Hankey diary (17 Nov.1915); Esherjournal (18 and 23 Nov. 1915), ESHR 2115; 'Draft Arrangementsfor Co-ordinatingthe Action of the Allies with Regard to the War' . memorandum by Hankey (20 Nov. 1915), CAB 4215/19; copy and attached notes inJoffre papers, AAT, IK268/3/43.

103. They were in conflict over the direction of operations at Salonika, not on thewestern front. 'Considerations of the Relations between the HigherCommand and the Governments of England and France' (no date). Wilsonpapers, box 19; Minutes of the War Committee (15 and 16 Nov. 1915),CAB 42/5/12 and 14; King, Generals and Politicians, pp. 83-.Q.

104. Joffre, Memoirs, i 366; Prete, 'Joffre and the Question of Allied SupremeCommand' . p. 333.

105. 'Memorandum for the Meeting of Representatives of the Allied Armies'(25 Nov. 1915), CAB 42/5/12; Prete, op. cit., pp. 333-4.

106. 'Note by the Secretary [Hankey]' (5 Jan. 1916) and 'Regles Proposees'(29 Dec. 1915), CAB 42/712; Clive diary (6 Jan. 1916).

107. See for example Esher to Stamfordham (25 Jan. 1916), ESHR 2115; Haigdiary (29 Mar. 1916); 'Proces-Yerbal of Allied Conference, Paris' (26-28Mar. 1916) and 'Proceedings of a Conference held at 10 Downing Street'(9 June 1916), Cabinet Office: Allied (War) Conferences . PRO (CAB 28.microfilm copies): CAB 28/1.

108. 'General Staff Conference at Chantilly' (6 Dec. 1915), conclusion I, WarOffice: Directorate of Military Operations and Intelligence Papers , PRO(WO 106): WO 106/1454.

109. French. 'The Meaning of Attrition', pp. 397-9.I10. See Chapter 7.Ill. Cassar, Asquith as War Leader, pp. 147-.Q9 passim; French, British Strategy

and War Aims, pp. 158-76 passim .


112. Rawlinson diary (29 Mar. 1916).113. 'A Paper by the General Staff on the Future Conduct of the War'

(16 Dec. 1915) and note by Robertson on this paper (23 Dec. 1915),Robertson papers, 1/15/10 and 1/613.

114. Memorandum by Balfour (27 Dec. 1915), annexed to minutes of the WarCommittee (13 Jan. 1916), CAB 4217/5; Minutes of the War Committee(28 Dec. 1915), CAB 4216/14.

115. Minutes of the War Committee (28 Dec. 1915), ibid.116. Minutes of the War Committee (13 Jan. 1916), CAB 4217/5.117. Hankey diary (28 Dec. 1915).118. 'The Question of Offensive Operations on the Western Front' , note by

Robertson (I Jan. 1916), CAB 4217/1 ; Memorandum by Balfour (27 Dec.1915), CAB 4217/5.

119. Charteris diary (9 Feb. 1916), Charteris, At G.H.Q., p. 137.120. Hankey diary (18 and 21 Jan. 1916); Note by Balfour (25 Jan. 1916), CAB

42/7/12; R.F. Mackay, Balfour: Intellectual Statesman (Oxford, 1985),pp.281-9.

121. Minutes of the War Committee (13 Jan. 1916), CAB 4217/5; French, BritishStrategy and War Aims, p. 175.

122. Minutes of the War Committee (13 Jan., 3 and 22 Feb. 1916),CAB 4217/5,4218/1 and 4219/3; D. Woodward, Lloyd George and the Generals (Newark,Delaware, 1983), pp. 84-7.

123. See Chapter 7.124. Hankey diary (7 Apr. 1916); Minutes of the War Committee (7 Apr. 1916),

CAB 42/12/5; 'Preparation de l'Offensive General', reports by Commandant Lambert (8 and 10 Apr. 1916), de Broqueville papers, 73/526.

125. Minutes of the War Committee (30 May 1916),CAB 42/14/12.126. Hankey diary (2 May 1916).127. See Chapter 8.128. Esher to Robertson (5 Dec. 1916) and Esherto Haig (15 and 29 Dec. 1916),

Brett, Letters and Journals, iv 72-5 and 78-9.129. Cassar, Asquith as War Leader, pp. 204-5; Hankey, The Supreme

Command, ii 561-2; Guinn, British Strategy and Politics, pp. 165-9 ;Neilson, Strategy and Supply , pp. 160-2; Field-Marshal Sir W. Robertson,Soldiers and Statesmen, 1914-1918 (2 vols, London, 1926), ii 192-3.

130. Guinn, op. cit., pp. 210-11; De la Gorce, The French Army, pp. 115-18;King, Generals and Politicians , pp. 89-139 passim; D. Dutton, 'The Fall ofGeneral Joffre: An Episode in the Politico-Military Struggle in WartimeFrance', Journal ofStrategic Studies, 1(1978), pp. 338-51.

13LEsher to Milner (2 Jan. 1917), Brett, op. cit., iv 80.132. Guinn,op. cit., pp. 155-78. The best account of the struggle between Lloyd

George and the high command is in Woodward, Lloyd George and theGenerals.

133. Robertson , Soldiers and Statesmen, ii 86.134. Lloyd George, War Memoirs, i 536-75 and 817-37; Hankey, The Supreme

Command, ii 554-62 and 594-8; Robertson, op. cit., ii 84-6 and 193-4;Woodward,op. cit. , p. 108 passim.

135. Kiggell to Haig (10 Jan. 1917), Haig papers, file 110; 'Note on FutureMilitary Policy', by Robertson (2 Jan. 1917), CAB 1/22/7.


136. Hankey, op. cit., ii 601-11; Lloyd George, op. cit., i 849-59. LloydGeorge 's later assertion, ibid ., i 860-7, that national rivalries and xenophobia contributed to the rejection of an Italian offensive throws an interestinglight on the nature of the alliance and strategic decis ion making .

137. Lloyd George, op. cit., i 851-2 and 877.138. Brig.-Gen. E.L. Spears , Prelude to Victory (London, 1939), pp.41-6, and

introduction by Churchill , pp. 12-13; Hankey, op. cit., ii 614; Lloyd Georgepasses over the details of his conversion in his War Memoirs. Nivelle's planand the background to this conference are discussed in Chapter 8.

139. Haigdiary(16Jan.1917).140. Lloyd George , op. cit., i 883-4.141. Spears,op. cit., pp. 278-80.142. lbid. , p. 32.143. Ibid., pp. 334-54; King, Generals and Politicians, pp. 150-9.144. King, op. cit., pp. 163-8.145. Woodward, Lloyd George and the Generals, pp. 155-6.146. King, op. cit., pp. 170-6; Pedroncini, 'Trois Marechaux, Trois Strategies?' ,

pp.53-4.147. See chapter 8.148. 'The General and Military Situation and Particularly That on the Western

Front', memorandum by General Smuts (29 April 1917), Cabinet Office:Cabinet Memoranda, PRO (CAB 24, microfilm copies) : CAB24/1I/GT598; Woodward, op. cit ., pp. 155 and 160-3.

149. Lloyd George , War Memoirs, i 922.150. Woodward ,op. cit., p. 160.151. Esher journal (2 May 1917) and Esher to Lloyd George (25 Apr. 1917),

ESHR 2/19.152. Haig diary (21 Apr. 1917); Haig to Robertson (19 Apr. 1917) and Robertson

to Haig (telegram, 24 Apr. 1917), Haig papers, file 112.153. Clive diary (4 May 1917); Woodward, op. cit. , pp. 163-4. See Chapter 8.154. Esher to Robertson (II May 1917), ESHR 2/19.155. Esher journal (II May 1917), ESHR 2/19.156. Haig diary (18 May 1917); 'Record of Amiens Conference' (18 May 1917),

'Correspondence with General Petain, May 1917-0ct. 1918' (WO 158/48):WO 158/48/8.

157. 'Proces-verbal of a meeting between Robertson and Foch at Abbeville'(8 June 1917), Clemenceau papers , AAT, 6N68.

158. Esher to Robertson (6 June 1917) and Esher to Haig (9 June 1917), ESHR2/19.

159. Note by Hankey on French manpower (16 June 1917) , Lloyd Georgepapers, F23/1/12 .

160. Neilson, Strategy and Supply , pp. 261-5.161. War Cabinet minutes (8 June 1917), Cabinet Office : Cabinet Minutes, PRO

(CAB 23, microfilm copies): CAB 23/3/159; Woodward, Lloyd George andthe Generals, p. 164 passim.

162. See Chapter 8.163. Guinn, British Strategy and Politics, pp. 243-54; Hankey, The Supreme

Command, ii 670-97; Lloyd George, War Memo irs, ii 1379-89; Neilson,Strategy and Supply, pp. 271-81; Woodward, op. cit., pp. 169-98.


164. Woodward,op. cit ., p. 193.165. Hankey,op. cit., ii 711-23; Guinn, British Strategy and Politics, pp. 261-7.166. 'Scheme of Organisation of a Supreme War Council' (7 Nov. 1917), in

Lloyd George, War Memoirs, ii 1439-40.167. Hankey diary (18 Oct. 1916).168. See Chapter 9.

6 Relations in the Field

1. P. Magnus, Kitchener: Portrait ofan Imperialist (London, 1958),p. 279.2. Esher journal (9 Mar. 1915), ESHR 2/14.3. Spears, Liaison, pp. 73-80.4. See Chapter 2.5. Maj.-Gen. Sir. C.E. Callwell, Stray Recollections (2 vols, London, 1923), ii

283-4. See for example Haig diary (28 Mar. 1916).6. See for example King Albert diary (12, 14 and 25 May 1915 and 20 Jan.

1916), Thielemans, Albert Ier: Carnets et Correspondance, pp. 194, 197-8and 244.

7. 'Summary of Operations on the Western Front: Operations of 1917', appendix, 'Notes by General Kiggell' , Haig papers, file 213a, pp.41-2.

8. Prete, 'The War of Movement' , p. 502 passim .9. See Chapter 4.

10. 'Possibilities for a Future Attack' , memorandum by Robertson(18 June 1915), WO 158/17/28.

II. Spears, Liaison, pp. 340-1.12. Prete, op. cit., p. 105 passim.13. lbid., pp. 87-9.14. Spears, op. cit., passim.15. Prete,op. cit ., pp. 87-8 and 473-6.16. Panouse to Millerand (2 Feb. 1915), AAT, 7N1253; Esherjournal (22 Mar.

1915), ESHR 2/14. For the circumstances of Murray's replacement seePrete,op. cit., pp. 477-92.

17. Wilson diary (29 and 31 Jan. 1915); Wilson to Lady Wilson (31 Jan. 1915),Callwell, Henry Wilson, i 204.

18. Wilson diary (20 Feb. 1915 passim).19. 'Report on visit to France and Belgium', by Lt.-Commander Wedgewood,

enclosed with Wedgewood to Brig.-Gen. Seely (8 Oct. 1915), ViscountMottistone papers, Nuffield College, Oxford, file 3, fols 15-20. Ash, TheLost Dictator, pp. 178-81, makes an excellent assessment of Wilson'spower in the new post.

20. Panouse to Millerand (2 Feb. 1915), AAT, 7N1253.21. Haig diary (26 Jan 1915); Wilson diary (8,18 and 23 Feb. 1915).22. Wilson diary (2 and 6 May 1915).23. See for example Robertson to Haig (5 Jan. 1916), Robertsonpapers, 1/22/8.24. Wilson diary (23 Mar., 23 Aug. and 26 Dec. 1915); Clive diary

(26 Aug. 1915); Esher, Tragedy ofKitchener, pp. 56-7 .25. Clive diary (29 July and 30 Aug. 1915).


26. Ibid. (I and 20 Sept. 1915); Wilson diary (16 and 22 Sept. 1915).27. Wilson diary (8 and 26 Dec. 1915); Haig diary (12 and 14 Dec. 1915).28. See for example Esher journal (22 Dec. 1914), ESHR 2/13; Wilson diary

(7 May 1915); Rawlinson diary (12 June 1915).29. 'Report on visit to France and Belgium', by Wedge wood (Oct. 1915),

Mottistone papers, file 3, fol. 17; Robertson to Stamfordham (undated,summer 1915), Robertson papers, 1/12/3.

30. French diary (7 Mar. 1915).31. Ibid. (8 Mar. 1915).32. French to Winifred Bennett (8 Mar. 1915), French papers, 75/46/1.33. Wilson diary (25 and 27 Apr. 1915).34. French diary (24 and 25 Apr. 1915).35. French to Kitchener (2 May 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/50/87 .

French's opinion of his 'terrible' allies is expressed more candidly in Frenchto Winifred Bennett (23, 27, 28 and 29 Apr. 1915), French papers, 75/46/1.

36. Rawlinson diary (12 and 24 June 1915).37. French to Joffre (2 letters, 18 Feb. 1915) and Joffre to French (7 Mar. 1915),

WO 158/13/5,6 and 12; Joffre to Millerand (28 Feb., I and 7 Mar. 1915),CMG, AAT, 5N132; Wilson diary (18 Feb. 1915 passim).

38. French diary (2 June 1915, French's italics).39. Prete, 'Joffre and the Question of Allied Supreme Command', pp. 331-3.40. Millerand to Kitchener (2 Mar. 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/57/64.41. Prete, op. cit., p. 331.42. Esher Journal (II Mar. 1915), ESHR 2/14.43. Esher to French (3 and 12 Apr. 1915),Esher journal (4 Apr. 1915)and memo

randum by Esher (12 Apr. 1915), Brett, Letters and Journals, iii 226-30;Delcasse to Cambon (29 Mar. 1915),fonds Buat, Archives de l'Armee deTerre, Vincennes (6N): 6N29; Cambon to Delcasse (31 Mar. 1915),Clemenceau papers, AAT, 6N165.

44. Esher journal (I Apr. 1915), ESHR 2/14.45. 'Unity of Command' , note by Lord Esher (12 May 1915), ESHR 16/12.46. Joffre to Millerand (24 June 1915), CMG, AAT, 5N132.47. 'Precis of a conversation with officers of the Cabinet du Ministre de La

Guerre, Paris' (3 July 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/58/12.48. Joffre to Millerand (30 July 1915), CMG, AAT, 5N132.49. Ibid.50. Esher to Hankey (4 July 1915), HNKY 417 ; Delcasse to Cambon

(II Aug. 1915), CMG, AAT, 5N132.51. Wilson diary (16, 17 and 30 Aug. 1915); Kitchener to [Joffre]

(20 Aug. 1915), Kitchener (Creedy) papers, WO 159/7/25; Millerand toJoffre (26 Aug. 1915), Clemenceau papers, AAT, 6N165.

52. Philpott, 'Kitchener and the 29th Division', p. 392.53. Wilson diary (20 Sept. 1915).54. Haig diary (17 Oct. 1915).55. Haig diary (3 Dec. 1915). There is no evidence that Haig was ever informed

of the formula agreed between Kitchener and Joffre.56. Wilson diary (26 Dec. 1915); Joffre, Memoirs, ii 416-17.57. Haig diary (I and 7 Jan., 28 Mar. and 23 Oct. 1916); Esher journal (15 Apr.

1916),ESHR 2/15.


58. See for example Wilson diary (12 Sept. 1916 and 15 and 18 Mar. 1917);Clive diary (5 July 1916, 10 Jan., 27 Apr., 8 July, 30 Nov. and 6 Dec.1917).

59. 'Report on visit to France and Belgium', by Wedgewood (Oct. 1915),Mottistone papers, file 3, fol, 17; Wilson diary (21 Dec. 1915).

60. Haig diary (23 Dec. 1915); Clive diary (23 Dec. 1915); Haig to Robertson(25 Dec. 1915), Robertson papers, 1/22/2.

61. Esher journal (6 May and 19 June 1916), ESHR 2/15 and 2/16; Esher toSassoon (5 Feb. 1916), ESHR 4/6; King Albert diary (22 Apr. 1916),Thielemans, Albert ler: Carnets et Correspondance , p. 263.

62. Wilson diary (12 May 1916).63. Huguet to Joffre (17 Dec. 1915), Clemenceau papers, AAT, 6N165.64. Wilson diary (31 Dec. 1915).65. See for example Haig diary (6 and 31 Aug. 1915); Wilson diary

(29 Sept. 1915).66. Haig to Robertson (3 Jan. 1916), Robertson papers, 1/22/2.67. Haig diary (17 Dec. 1915).68. ' Notes for e.G.S. on taking over more French line' (21 Dec. 1915), Haig

papers, file 104; Haig to Lady Haig (23 Feb. 1916), ibid., file 156.69. 'Memorandum for the Meeting of Representatives of the Allied Armies'

(25 Nov. 1915), CAB 42/5/12.70. Haig diary (23 Oct. 1916); 'Note on Relations with French Commander-in

Chief, 1916-17', by Haig (Nov. 1919), Haig papers, file 215k.71. Joffre journal (24 June 1916), G. Pedroncini (ed.), Journal de Marche de

Joffre , 1916-1919 (Vincennes, 1990), p. 24.72. 'Le Gouvernement Francais et Ie Parlement', report by Commandant

Lambert (21 May 1916), de Broqueville papers, file 526.73. Charteris diary (1 Jan. 1916), Charteris, At G.H.Q., p. 129.74. Esher to Robertson (2 Feb. 1917), ESHR 2/18.75. Haig diary (20 Dec. 1916).76. Clive diary (28 Dec. 1916); Esher journal (I Jan. 1917), ESHR 2/17; Esher

to Robertson, op. cit.; Haig diary (16 Feb. 1917);Spears, Prelude to Victory,pp. 61 and 65-71.

77. Esher journal (30 Jan. 1917), ESHR 2/18. See Chapter 8.78. Haig diary (23 Oct. 1916); Haig to the King (28 Feb. 1917),Blake, Private

Papers, pp. 203-5; Esher journal (13 Jan. 1917) and Esher to Haig (13 Jan.1917), ESHR 2/17; Spears, op. cit., pp. III and 540.

79. For the French attitude before the Calais conference see Esher to Robertson(22 Jan. and 9 Feb. 1917) and Esher journal (12 Feb. 1917), ESHR 2/17and 2/18.

80. Haig diary (26 and 27 Feb. 1917); Haig to the King (28 Feb. 1917), Blake,op. cit., pp. 203-5.

81. Haig diary (12 Mar. 1917).82. Ibid. (27 Feb. 1917).83. Wilson diary (13 Mar. 1917).84. Haig to Curzon (2 Mar. 1917), Haig papers, file 124.85. Haig diary (27 and 28 Feb. and 7 Mar. 1917, Haig's italics).86. Haig to Lady Haig (3 Mar. 1917), Blake, op. cit., pp. 206-7. Haig received

conflicting accounts of Nivelle's role in preparing the Calais agreement. See


Esher to Haig (I Mar. 1917) and Lord Derby to Haig (3 Mar. 1917), ibid.,pp.206-8.

87. Robertson to Haig (8 Mar. 1917), enclosing secret letter from the Frenchembassy (7 Mar. 1917), Memorandum by Haig (II Mar. 1917) and 'Accordbetween Haig and Nivelle on Application of Calais Convention' (13 Mar.1917), 'Correspondence, Commander-in-Chief with CIGS and Secretary ofState for War, Nov. 1916-Mar. 1917' (WO 158/22):WO 158/22/152,158 and160; Haig diary (12-14 Mar. 1917).

88. Memorandum by Haig (II Mar. 1917), ibid.; Wilson diary (13 and 15 Mar.1917); Esher to Robertson (14 Mar. 1917), ESHR 2/18; Haig diary (23 and24 Mar. 1917).

89. Haig diary (18 May 1917).90. See for example ibid . (7 June and 7 Sept. 1917).91. Ibid. (26 May 1917).92. Ibid. ( I Nov. 1917 and 12 Feb. 1918).93. Ibid. (I Nov. 1917 and 2 Feb. 1918).94. See Chapter 9.95. Clive diary (25 and 26 Nov., 3 and 18 Dec. 1917).96. Haig diary (21 Dec. 1917).97. Esher journal (28 Nov. 1917), ESHR 2/20.98. Clive diary (26 and 27 Dec. 1917); Haig diary (26 Dec. 1917 and 19 Jan.

1918).99. Haig diary (12 and 13 Jan. 1917); Charteris diary (21 Feb. 1918), Charteris,

At G.H.Q., p. 286.100. General Sir John Du Cane, Marshal Foch (privately printed, 1920), Imperial

War Museum, London (71/48/1), pp. 85-6.101. Haig diary (17 Dec. 1917).102. Robertson to Haig (5 Jan. 1916), Robertson papers, 1/22/8.103. Prete, 'The War of Movement ', pp. 516-18.104. Joffre to French (5 Aug. 1915), WO 158/13/25; Prete, op. cit., pp. 503-4.105. Joffre to Foch (12 May 1915), Clemenceau papers, AAT, 6N165.106. French diary (28 May 1915); Haig diary (30 May 1915).107. French diary (23 June 1915); Proces-Yerbal of a meeting with Joffre at

Chantilly (24 June 1915), enclosed in French diary, vol. L, p. 94.108. 'Note for Foch' (7 July 1915), Clemenceau papers, AAT, 6N165; Haig

diary (9, 21 and 22 July 1915); French diary (20-28 July 1915 passim);Clive diary (25-29 July 1915 passim).

109. Memorandum by Robertson (20 July 1915), WO 158/17/34.110. Wilson diary (26-28 July 1915).III. Haig diary (28 July 1915); French diary (28 and 29 July 1915).112. French to Joffre (29 July 1915), WO 158/13/23 ; French diary

(29 July 1915).113. Clive diary (29 July 1915).114. Ibid. (30 July 1915); 'Notes of a conversation with General Joffre', by Clive

(30 July 1915) and Joffre to French (5 Aug. 1915), WO 158/13/24 and 25.115. Rawlinson diary (14 Aug. 1915).116. Clive diary (30 July 1915); 'Notes of a conversation with General Joffre' ,

op. cit.117. French diary (7 Aug. 1915). See also Haig diary (7 Aug. 1915).


118. Wilson diary (12 and 13 Aug. 1915); Joffre to French (13 Aug. 1915), WO158/13/31.

119. Wilson diary (14, 16 and 18 Aug. 1915); Kitchener to [Joffre](20 Aug. 1915), WO 159/7/25; French diary (22 Aug. 1915).

120. Clive diary (28 Aug. 1915).121. Charteris diary (7, 21 and 25 Sept. 1915),Charteris, At G.H.Q., pp, 107 and

111-12; Holmes, The Little Field-Marshal, p. 302.122. Wilson diary (7 Apr. 1915); 'Possibilities for a Future Attack' , memoran

dum by Robertson (18 June 1915), WO 158/17/28.123. Joffre journal (3 and 4 July 1916), Pedroncini, Journal de Marche,

pp. 36-8; Haig diary (3 July 1916); Clive Diary (3-5 July 1916); 'Notesof an interview between Joffre and Haig on 3rd July 1916'(4 July 1916), 'Correspondence with General Joffre, July-Dec. 1916' (WO158/15): WO 158/15/126; Wilson diary (5 July 1916);Esherjournal (7 July1916), ESHR 2/16.

124. Joffre to Haig (11, 25 and 28 Aug. 1916) and Haig to Joffre (16 and27 Aug. 1916), WO 158/15/129, 130, 133, 134 and 134a; Clive diary(22 Aug. 1916 passim); Wilson diary (12 Sept. 1916).

125. Haig to Robertson (8 July 1916), Haig papers, file 107; 'Summary ofOperations on the Western Front, 1916-18: Operations of 1916,Part II: TheWorking Out of the Details for the 1916 Campaign' , pp. 19-20, Haigpapers, file 213a.

126. See for example Wilson diary (2 June, 5, 12 and 28 July and 12 Sept. 1916).127. Joffre to Haig (1 Nov. 1916), WO 158/15/153.128. Clive diary (23 July, 18,24 and 28 Sept., and 12 and 30 Nov. 1917); Haig

diary (18 May, 7 June and 16-.19 Nov. 1917).129. 'Memorandum prepared in answer to Lord Kitchener's private letter to Sir

John French dated 2.1.1915 on the subject of employmentof British troopselsewhere than in the present theatre' and French to Kitchener (11 June1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/50/65 and 98; 'Appreciation of theSituation' by Charteris (20 Jan 1915) and French to Kitchener (19 Oct.1915), Kitchener (Creedy) papers, WO 159/3/12 and 159/4/22; Rawlinsondiary (3 July 1915); Wilson diary (11 Mar. 1917).

130. French to Kitchener (11 June 1915), ibid.; 'General Staff Note on theGeneral Military Situation' (3 Aug. 1915), Kitchener (Creedy) papers, WO159/4/9.

131. A. Horne, The Price ofGlory : Verdun 1916 (London, 1962), pp.46-9.132. Robertson to Kitchener (4 July 1915), Robertson papers, U13/28; French to

Kitchener (19 Oct. 1915), Kitchener (Creedy) papers, WO 159/4/22.133. French diary (12 May 1915); Col. Le Roy Lewis to Brig.-Gen. Callwell

(1 June 1915) and Callwell to Wilson (2, 4, 7 and 10 June 1915), Wilsonpapers, HHW 2/75/41, 42, 43 and 44.

134. Wilson diary (24 and 25 Apr. 1915); 'A note on the General Situation',memorandum by Churchill (1 June' 1915), Gilbert, Churchill Companion :11I, ii 977-83.

135. Philpott, 'British Military Strategy', pp. 289-92.136. Asquith to the King (22 June 1915) and 'Note prepared after visit to Sir

John French' (June 1915), Asquith papers, box 8 and box 27, fol. 266;Kitchener to French (22 June 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/50/105.


137. 'Possibility of a German Attack in the Ypres Area' (2 Jan. 1915) and memorandum by Robertson (25 June 1915), WO 158/17/2 and 31; French toKitchener (11 June 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/50/98; 'Defensivearrangements', memorandum by the General Staff ([26] June 1915) andRobertson to Kitchener (4 July 1915), Robertson papers, 1/5/4 and 1/13/28;French diary (1 and 9 July 1915).

138. French diary (1 July 1915); 'Line of Action as Regards French ChannelPorts in Certain Eventualities' (5 July 1915), WO 32/5591.

139. 'Kitchener's Instructions to Haig' (28 Dec. 1915), Blake, Private Papers,pp.12O-I.

140. Haig diary (29 June 1915, Haig's italics), a volte-face from idem(26 June 1915).

141. Haig diary (19-25 Feb. 1916 passim); Haig to Joffre (20 Feb. 1916),'Correspondence with General Joffre, Dec. 1915-June 1916' (WO 158/14):WO 158/14/87.

142. Haig diary (28 Feb. and 2 Mar. 1917); Haig to Robertson (3 Mar. 1917) and'Review of the Present Situation on the Western Front with SpecialReference to the German Withdrawal on the ANCRE ', memorandum byHaig (2 Mar. 1917), WO 158/22/140; Spears, Prelude to Victory, pp. 131-2.

143. Philpott, op. cit., pp. 289-92.144. 'Retention by the French of the Outlying Section of the Allies' Line

Between Dixmude and Ypres', memorandum by Lord Lansdowne (20 June1915), Kitchener (Creedy) papers, WO 159/7/13; Haig to Joffre (22 May1916), WO 158/14/114.

145. Haig diary (21 May 1916); Haig to Joffre (22 May 1916) and Joffre to Haig(25 May 1916), WO 158/14/114 and 115; Maj.-Gen. Butler to des Vallieres(28 May 1916), Haig papers, file 106.

146. 'Note on British and French Reliefs and Frontages' by Maj.-Gen. Davidson(2 May 1917), Haig papers, file 113; Haig diary (5 and 10 May 1917);'Record of Amiens Conference' (18 May 1917), WO 158/48/8.

147. Wilson diary (7, 8 and 25 Dec. 1914); French diary (27 Dec. 1914); Joffre,Memoirs, ii 331.

148. GQG study of the front north of Ypres (21 Dec. 1914) and Joffre to Foch(22 Dec. 1914), Fonds Joffre-Foch, AAT, 14N16; Memorandum by Clive(10 Jan. 1915) and Joffre to French (19 Jan . 1915), WO 158/13/1 and 2;Joffre to Millerand (15 Jan ., 28 Feb. and 1 Mar. 1915), CMG, AAT, 5N132;French diary (17 and 21 Jan. 1915).

149. French diary (18 Feb. 1915 passim); Wilson diary (18 Feb. 1915 passim)Joffre to Millerand (1 Mar. 1915), ibid; Joffre, Memoirs, ii 346-8.

150. Official History, 1915, i 158 and ii 85-7.151. 'Report on visit to France and Belgium', by Wedgewood (Oct. 1915),

Mottistone papers, file 3, fols 15-20; Joffre, Memoirs , ii 331.152. Robertson to Callwell (31 May 1915), Robertson papers, 1/8/23; Wilson

diary (9 June 1915); French to Kitchener (11 June 1915), WO 158/21/2;Robertson's notes on Joffre's proposals for reliefs (15 Aug. 1915), enclosedwith Joffre to French (13 Aug. 1915), WO 158/13/31 ; Minutes of theDardanelles Committee (17 Oct. 1915), CAB 42/4/17; Official History,1915, i 28 and ii 85.

153. Esher journal (25 May and 19 June 1915), ESHR 2/14.


154. Joffre to Millerand (27 May 1915),fonds Joffre-Foch, AAT, 14NlO;Le RoyLewis to Call well (1 June 1915) and Callwell to Wilson (2 and 4 June1915), Wilson papers, box 18; 'An appreciation of the Military Situation inthe Future', by Kitchener (26 June 1915), Kitchener (Creedy) papers, WO159/4/6; 'Precis of conversation with officers of the Cabinet du Ministre dela Guerre, Paris ' (3 July 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/58/12.

155. French diary (12 May 1915).156. Esher journal (27 June 1915), ESHR 2/14.157. Clive diary (11 July 1915); Esher journal (15 July 1915), ESHR 2/14.158. Joffre, Memoirs, ii 416.159. Haig diary (14 Feb. 1916).160. Esher journal (10 Sept. 1916), ESHR 2/16; Haig diary (31 Oct. 1916); Haig

to Joffre (6, 10 and 18 Nov. 1916) and Joffre to Haig (1 and 13 Nov. 1916),WO 158/15/153, 154, 157, 160 and 162; Official History, 1916, ii 528-30.

161. Outlines of the negotiations involved can be found in 'Extension of theBritish Line' , memorandum by Hankey (22 April 1918), Lloyd Georgepapers, F23/2/31 ; 'Notes on Relief, 1917-18' and 'Relief of French in1918' , memoranda by Lawrence, General Sir Herbert A. Lawrence papers,National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh (accession 3678); Lloyd George,War Memoirs, ii 1653-67; Hankey, The Supreme Command, ii 747-55 .

162. 'Note on the distribution of the front in the west', by 3rd bureau(operations),GQG (20 June 1917), 'Dossier Special I: Extension du Front Brittanique',Conseil Superieur de Guerre , Archives de l'Armee de Terre, Vincennes(1N-4N), 4N28. See also a study of the general plan of the coalition and thewar policy of France (25 July 1917), Clemenceau papers, AAT, 6N270.

163. Lloyd George, op. cit., ii 1656-7.164. Clive diary (18 July 1917).165. Haig diary (26 Sept. 1917); Memorandum by Haig for Robertson (8 Oct.

1917), 'Correspondence, CIGS with Commander-in-Chief, June-Dec . 1917'(WO 158/24): WO 158/24/276.

166. 'Notes on conversation with Petain' , by Clive (8 Oct. 1917), 'Reports fromGeneral Clive, Mar. 1917-Jan. 1919' (WO 158/43): WO 158/43/20.

167. Haig diary (18 Oct.-17 Dec. 1917 passim); Haig to Robertson(19 Oct. 1917), WO 158/24/286 ; Robertson to Haig (telegram, 1 Nov.1917), Haig papers, file 119. For the negotiations see correspondencebetween Haig and Petain (19 Oct.-18 Dec. 1917), WO 158/48/27-39.

168. 'Etude sur I'Extension du Front Brittanique' , by 3rd bureau, GQG(2 papers, 14 Dec. 1917), Conseil Superieur de Guerre, AAT,4N28; LloydGeorge to Robertson (15 Dec. 1917), Robertson to Lloyd George (21 Dec.1917), Clemenceau to Lloyd George (telegram, 17 Dec. 1917), LloydGeorge to Clemenceau (17 Dec. 1917) and Cozens-Hardy to Lloyd George(19 Dec. 1917), Lloyd George papers, F44/3/39 and 43, F50/1/27 andF51/417l ; Haig diary (19 Dec. 1917); Clive diary (20 and 21 Dec. 1917);'Note sur I' Extension du Front Brittanique' , by Commandant Herscher (20Dec. 1917), Clemenceau papers, AAT, 6N270.

169. 'Memorandum on the Question of the Extension of the British Front' , byHaig (17 Dec. 1917), WO 158/24/321.

170. 'Joint note no. 10', by the military representatives of the SWC(10 Jan 1918), Cabinet Office: Supreme War Council, 1917-19, PRO (CAB


25): CAB 25/120; Wilson to Haig (II Jan. 1918), Haig papers, file 123.Studies on this question by the French, British and Italian sections of theSupreme War Council, and other relevant papers , can be found in 'DossierSpecial I: Extension du Front Brittanique', Conseil Superieur de Guerre ,AAT,4N28.

171. Haig diary (14,19,24 and 29 Jan . 1918).172. Proces-verbal of the SWC, 3rd session, 5th meeting (2 Feb . 1918), CAB

25/120; Haig diary (2 Feb. 1918); 'Extension of the British Line ', memorandum by Hankey (22 April 1918) , Lloyd George papers, F23/2131; LloydGeorge , War Memoirs, ii 1662-5.

173. Esher to Kitchener (20 June 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/59/53.

7 The Ascendancy of French Strategy: The Somme Offensive

I. 'General Staff Conference at Chantilly' (6 Dec. 1915), conclusion 1, WO106/1454; Prete, 'Joffre and the Question of Allied Supreme Command',pp.333-4.

2. 'General Staff Conference', Ibid.; Joffre, Memoirs, ii 414-15.3. 'Memorandum on the Conduct of the War', by Robertson (5 Nov. 1915)

and 'Memorandum for the Meeting of Representatives of the AlIied Armieson 25th November 1915 ', by GQG (Nov . 1915), CAB 42/5/6 and 12;'General Staff Note on the Next Offensive' (14 Dec. 1915), 'General StaffNotes on Operations, file 2, Oct.-Dec. 1915' (WO 158/18) : WO 158/18/56;Joffre,op. cit., ii 409-13; French, British Strategy and War Aims, pp. 161-2.

4. 'General Staff Note on the Situation ', by Robertson (2 Dec. 1915), WO158/18/53 .

5. Memorandum by GQG, op. cit.; Joffre, op. cit., ii 461-2.6. French diary (6 Dec. 1915).7. 'General Staff Conference at Chantilly' (6 Dec. 1915), WO 106/1454.8. See K. Simpson , 'The Reputation of Sir Douglas Haig', in BJ. Bond (ed .),

The First World War and British Military History (Oxford, 1991), pp.141-62. The most valuable assessment of Haig's career remains J. Terraine,Douglas Haig: The Educated Soldier (London, 1963). Recent works whichdevelop or challenge Terraine's view include T. Travers, The Killing Ground:The British Anny, the Western Front and the Emergence ofModem Warfare(London, 1987); G.J. De Groot, Douglas Haig, 186/-1928 (London, 1988);D. Winter, Haig's Command: A Reassessment (London, 1991).

9. Winter ,op. cit., pp. 28-34.10. Ibid., pp. 11-27; Terra ine, op. cit., pp. 51-5; Travers, op. cit., pp. 101-4.11. See chapter 6.12. Terraine, op. cit., pp. 183-5.13. Callwell , Experiences ofa Dug-Out , pp. 136-7.14. Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon, The Dover Patrol (2 vols, London, 1919), i 4.15. Ibid., j 14-20 and 63.16. Fitzgerald diary (I Sept. 1915), Brinsley Fitzgerald papers, Imperial War

Museum , London (PP/MCR/I18, microfilm copies); Wilson diary (22 Oct.1915).


17. Churchill to French (11 Jan. 1915), Gilbert, Churchill Companion: JIJ, i401-2.

18. 'Project for Combined Naval and Military Operations on the Belgian Coastwith a View to Preventing the Enemy Using Ostend as a Submarine Base' ,memorandum by Murray (12 Nov. 1915), WO 158/21/21. See also note byMurray for Kitchener (15 Nov. 1915), WO 158/21/22; 'A Paper by theGeneral Staff on the Future Conduct of the War' (16 Dec. 1915), Robertsonpapers, 1/15/1O.

19. A printed copy of the memorandum is at Robertson papers,1/9/25.20. 'Minute by Asquith (15 Nov. 1915) on Project for Combined... Operations

on the Belgian Coast', WO 158/21/22.21. French diary (21 Nov. 1915).22. French to Murray (20 Nov. 1915), WO 158/21/23.23. Haig diary (21 Nov. 1915).24. Ibid. (15 Dec. 1915).25. Ibid. (26 Dec. 1915).26. 'General Staff Note on the Next Offensive' (14 Dec. 1915), WO 158/18/56.27. Haig diary (22 Dec. 1915).28. Joffre, Memoirs, ii 461-2.29. Joffre to Haig (25 Dec. 1915), WO 158/14/74;Joffre, Memoirs, ii 461-2.30. Joffre, ibid.31. Haig diary (17 Dec. 1915); Joffre to Haig, op. cit.32. Haig diary, ibid.; 'Notes for C.G.S. on taking over more French line', by

Haig (21 Dec. 1915), Haig papers, file 104; 'Operations on the WesternFront , 1916, part II: The Working Out of the Details for the 1916Campaign' , pp. 10-11, Haig papers, file 213a.

33. Haig diary, ibid.34. Haig to Joffre (31 Dec. 1915), WO 158/14/75.35. 'Notes on taking over more French line' (21 Dec. 1915).36. Haig diary (29 Dec. 1915).37. Haig to Robertson (3 Jan. 1916), Robertson papers, 1/22/6.38. Haig diary (28 Dec. 1915 and 4 Jan. 1916).39. Ibid. (7,8and 14 Jan. 1916).40. Des Vallieres to Joffre (10 Jan. 1916), Joffre papers, AAT, IK268/3/39.41. Haigdiary(14Jan.1916).42. Winter, Haig 's Command, pp. 50-1.43. Haig diary (14 Jan. 1916, Haig's italics); De Groot, Douglas Haig, p. 225.44. 'Some Thoughts on the Future', memorandum by Haig(7) (14 Jan. 1916),

Haig papers, file 104.45. Haig diary (1 Jan. 1916).46. Des Vallieres to Joffre (10 and 16 Jan. 1916), Joffre papers, AAT,

1K268/3/39 and 46.47. 'Questions to discuss with the British Commander-in-Chief', note by 3rd

bureau, GQG (17 Jan. 1916), Joffre papers, AAT, IK268/3/47.48. 'Precis of an interview between Commandant Gemmeau and Haig' (18 Jan.

1916), Joffre papers, AAT, lK268/3/48 .49. 'Note by 3rd bureau' , GQG (19 Jan. 1916), Joffre papers, AAT, 1K268/3/51.50. Haig diary (14 Jan. 1916).


51. Haig to Kitchener (19 Jan. 1916), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/53/18;Joffre, Memoirs, ii 462.

52. Des Vallieres to Joffre (19 Jan. 1916), Joffre papers, AAT, lK26813/50.53. 'Notes of an Interview with General Joffre at St. Orner' (20 Jan. 1916), Haig

papers, file 213d.54. Joffre to Haig (23 Jan. 1916), WO 158/14/81.55. Note by Haig for CGS (25 Jan. 1916), Haig papers, file 104; Haig diary

(28 Jan. 1916).56. Robertson to Haig (28 Jan. 1916), Haig papers, file 104.57. Haig diary (28 Jan. 1916); Robertson to Haig, op. cit.58. Robertson to Haig, ibid.59. Haig diary (2 Feb. 1916).60. HaigtoJoffre(l Feb. 1916), WO 158/14/82.61. 'Plans for Future Operations' , memorandum by Haig (10 Feb. 1916), Haig

papers, file 104.62. Joffre to Haig (6 Feb. 1916), WO 158/14/83.63. Des Vallieres to Joffre (5 Feb. 1916), Joffre papers, AAT, IK268/3/59.64. Haig diary (I 1 and 12 Feb. 1916).65. 'Note sur la conduite des operations en 1916 sur Ie front occidental', by

GQG (10 Feb. 1916), WO 158/14/85; Haig diary (I I Feb. 1916).66. Haig diary, ibid.67. Haig diary (7 Feb. 1916); King Albert diary (7 Feb. 1916), Thielemans,

ALbert ler: Carnets et Correspondance , pp. 59, 77-9 and 248-9;Thielemans and Vandewoude, Roi ALbert.. . Lettres lnedites, pp. 121-2 and647.

68. Haig diary, ibid.69. 'Note sur la conduite des operations.. . ' , by GQG (10 Feb. 1916), WO

158/14/85.70. 'Memorandum on GQG note of 10 February 1916' (12 Feb. 1916), WO

I58/42185b.71. Haig diary (14 Jan. and 14 Feb. 1916).72. Ibid. (14 Feb. 1916); Joffre, Memoirs, ii 417-9; 'Operations on the Western

front' , 1916, part II: The Working Out of the Details for the 1916Campaign', pp. 15-16, Haig papers, file 213a.

73. Joffre, op. cit., ii 466.74. Winter, Haig 's Command, pp. 51-3.75. Joffre to Haig (22 Feb. 1916), WO 158/14/90.76. Haig diary (19 and 20 Feb. 1916); Haig to Joffre (20 Feb. 1916), WO

158/14/87; Rawlinson diary (21 Feb. 1916).77. Haig to Joffre (25 Feb. 1916), WO 158/14/91.78. Haig to Robertson (23 Feb. 1916), WO 158/21/38.79. Haig diary (28 Feb. and 8 Mar. 1916); Haig to Lady Haig (15 Mar. 1916),

Haig papers, file 156; Joffre, Memoirs, ii 463.80. Haig diary (20 Feb. 1916); Haig to Esher (22 Feb. 1916), ESHR 4/6.81. Robertson to Haig (6 Mar. 1916), quoted in Haig diary (8 Mar. 1916).82. Haig Diary (24 Feb. 1916); Haig to Leo Rothschild (24 Feb. 1916), Haig

papers, file 214a.83. Haigdiary(5Mar.1916).


84. Haig to Joffre (6 Mar. 1916), WO 158/14/101; Rawlinson diary(14 Mar. 1916); Charteris diary (14 Mar. 1916), Charteris, At G.H.Q.,p. 141; 'Operations on the Western Front, 1916, part 11: The Working out ofthe Details of the 1916 Campaign' , pp. 16-18, Haig papers, file 213a.

85. Haig diary (15 Mar. 1916).86. Rawlinson diary (18 and 21 Feb. 1916).87. Haig diary (16 Feb. 1916).88. 'Note on the Landing at Ostend by Lt-Gen. Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston'

(24 Feb. 1916), Haig papers, file 106. See also note by Bacon (no date),ibid.

89. Haig diary (25 Feb. 1916).90. A detailed account of naval planning for a 'Great Landing' is to be found in

Bacon, The Dover Patrol, i 209-22.91. Haig diary (18 Apr. 1916).92. 'Project for Operations in Flanders and Belgium' (5 Mar. 1916), Davidson

to Kiggell (31 Mar. 1916) and 'Notes by Kiggell', 'General Staff Notes onOperations , 1916' (WO 158/19): WO 158/19/77 and 79; Winter, Haig 'sCommand, p. 52.

93. Haig diary (12 June 1916); 'Precis of a conference between theCommander-in-Chief and the Vice-Admiral, Dover' (12 June 1916), Haigpapers, file 106; Bacon, The Dover Patrol, i 264-5.

94. See Map 3.95. Haig diary (29 Mar. 1916).96. Ibid. (23 Apr. 1916).97. Haig to Robertson (28 Apr. 1916), Robertson papers, 1/22/32.98. Haig diary (2 May 1916).99. Ibid. (4 May 1916).

100. Haig to Kitchener (5 May 1916), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/53/28; Haigto Joffre (8 May 1916), WO 158/14/110; Rawlinson diary (10 May 1916).

101. Haig diary (6 May 1916); Robertson to Kiggell (13 May 1916), Haigpapers, file 106.

102. Joffre to Haig (14 May 1916), WO 158/14/111 ; 'Somrnaire de la Discussionentre General Maurice et General Joffre' (15 May 1916), 'La Direction de laGuerre Europeenne', annexe 115,fonds Joffre-Foch, AAT, 14NIO; Joffre,Memoirs, ii 467-8.

103. For the confusion over the nature of the coming offensive and Frenchgovernment equivocation over it see two notes by Esher of conversationswith Briand and Poincare (23 May 1916), Lloyd George papers, D25/1I1.

104. Haig diary (20 May 1916, Haig's italics).105. Esher journal (24 May 1916), ESHR 2/16.106. Haig diary (24 May 1916); Haig to Kiggell (24 May 1916), Lieutenant

General Sir Launcelot Kiggell papers, Liddell Hart Centre for MilitaryArchives, King's College, London, 11/3; Joffre, Memoirs, ii 466.

107. Esher journal (19 May 1916), ESHR 2/16; Robertson to Esher(19 May 1916), ESHR 4/6.

108. Haig diary (25 May 1916, Haig's italics).109. Ibid. (26 May 1916); Esher journal (I June 1916), ESHR 2/16; Joffre,

Memoirs, ii 467-8.


110. Haig diary (31 May 1916); Haig to Robertson (1 June 1916), WO158121/66.

Ill. 'Minutes of the War Committee' (30 May 1916), CAB 42/14/12.112. Haig diary (13 June 1916).113. Ibid . (31 May and 13 June 1916) ; Haig to Joffre (13 June 1916), WO

158/14/123.114. Haig to Robertson (3 June 1916), Robertson papers , 1122/47.115. Haig diary (17 June 1916); des Vallieres to Col. Renouard (18 June 1916),

Clemenceau papers, AAT, 6N165.116. Haig diary (27 May 1916).117. Haig diary (29 May and 5 June 1916); Haig to Kiggell (9 June 1916),

Kiggell papers , 11I5 ; 'Important Points Requiring Decision when theProbable Tendency of the Operations Becomes Sufficiently Clear ', generalstaff note (26 June 1916), WO 158/19188; Official History, /9/6, i 32.

118. Esher journal (28 May 1916), ESHR 2/16.119. Haig diary (9 and 10 June 1916); Haig to Bertie (5 June 1916), Haig papers,

file 214c.120. Charteris diary (I May 1916), Charteris, At G.H.Q., p. 143.121. Rawlinson diary (18 June 1916); Winter, Haig's Command, pp. 52-3.122. Winter, op. cit., pp. 53-5.123. 'Notes of interview with Joffre on 3rd July 1916' (4 July 1916), WO

158/15/126. See Chapter 6.124. Official History, /916, i 33; Winter, op. cit., pp. 62-3.125. Travers , The Killing Ground, p. 190.126. Winter, op. cit., p. 62.127. As implied ibid., p. 49.128. Lt.-Col. J.H. Boraston (ed.) , Sir Douglas Haig's Despatches (London,

1920), p. 20.129. Robertson to Haig (29 July 1916), Robertson papers, 1122/61; Official

History, /9/6, i 319.130. Winter, op. cit., p. 48.131. Official History, /9/6, i vi.132. /bid., i 32; J. Terraine, unpublished article (1975) , Haig papers, file 347/58;

Winter, op. cit., pp. 49-53.133. Travers , op. cit ., pp. 129 and 137.134. Charteris diary (30 June 1916), Charteris, At G.H.Q., p. 151; Official

History, /9/6, i 31.135. Esher journal (24 May 1916), ESHR 2/16.136. 'Operations on the Western Front, 1916, part III: The Results Obtained by

the Somme Battle of 1916' ,p. 24, Haig papers, file 213a.

8 The Northern Flank Strategy

I. Esher journal (13 Aug. 1914), ESHR 2/13; French, British Strategy and WarAims, p. 25.

2. Official History , /9/7, i 18-19; 'Conference at Chantilly, November 1916',notes by Kiggell (no date), Kiggell papers, V1I2; Joffre to Haig (1 Nov.


1916) and Haig to Joffre (6 Nov. 1917), WO 158/15/153 and 154; 'Notesfor a meeting with Haig on 29 November' (28 Nov. 1916), Joffre papers,AAT, IK268/4/14B ; Haig diary (29 Nov. 1917).

3. 'Combined Strategy in Connection with Submarines ' , note by the FirstSea Lord and the Chief of the Admiralty War Staff (16 Nov. 1916), CAB24/2/G97; 'The Navy, the Army and the Belgian Coast', note by Balfour(19 Nov. 1916) , CAB 42/24/12; Guinn, British Strategy and Politics,pp.I72-3.

4. 'Minutes of the War Committee' (20 Nov. 1916). CAB 42/24/13.5. 'Draft of Letter from Prime Minister to C.LG.S.' (21 Nov. 1916), CAB

42/25/14.6. 'Memorandum to Army Commanders on Winter Policy' (18 Nov. 1916),

Haig papers, file 109.7. 'Precis of a meeting held in C.I .G.S.'S room' (23 Nov. 1916), WO

158/22/100.8. Robertson to Joffre (I Dec. 1917), WO 158/22/100.9. Joffre to Haig (8 Dec. 1916), enclosing 'Etude d'une OPERATION de

DEBARQUEMENT dans la Region d'OSTEND' (7 Dec. 1916), WO158/15/168 ; Haig diary (10 Dec. 1916); Official History, 1917, i 21.

10. Haig diary , ibid.; Haig to Kiggell (10 Dec. 1916), Kiggell papers , 11/8;'Notes of a meeting at the War Office' (12 Dec. 1916), WO 158/22/106;Official History, 1917, i 22.

II. Haig diary (15 Dec. 1916).12. Ibid . (14,18 and 19 Dec. 1916).13. Haig to Joffre (18 Dec. 1916), WO 158/15/170.14. Spears, Prelude to Victory, pp. 31-2.15. Nivelle to Haig (21 Dec. 1916 and 2 Jan. 1917), 'Correspondence, General

Nivelle , Dec. 1916-Apr. 1917' (WO 158/37): WO 158/37/2 and 7; OfficialHistory, 1917, i 37-8.

16. Spears,op. cit. , pp. 41-6.17. Nivelle to Haig (21 Dec. 1916), WO 158/3712.18. Haig diary (27 Dec. 1916).19. Rawlinson diary (29 Dec. 1916).20. Haig diary (23 Dec. 1916); Official History, 1917, i 42; Terraine, Douglas

Haig, p. 255.21. Haig to Nivelle (6 Jan. 1917), WO 158/37/8.22. Nivelle to Haig (II Jan. 1917), WO 158/37/12.23. Haig diary (13 Jan . 1917); Terraine, op. cit., pp. 257-8.24. Kiggell's notes on Nivelle's letter of 11 January 1917 (12 Jan. 1917), WO

158/37/12.25. Robertson to Haig (10 Jan. 1917), Haig papers, file 110; Spears, Prelude to

Victory , pp. 43-5.26. 'London Convention of 16th January 1917', Official History, 1917; appen-

dices , appendix VIII, i 16-17.27. Haig diary (18 Jan. 1917).28. Haig to Nivelle (26 Jan. 1917), WO 158/37/15.29. Spears, op. cit., pp. 65-71 , recollecting an interview with Nivelle on

19 January 1917.30. Ibid ., p. 131; Winter, Haig 's Command, p. 79.


31. 'Chantilly Conference, November 1916, and subsequent developments',notes by Kiggell (no date), Kiggell papers, VII3. See Chapter 6.

32. Lloyd George, War Memoirs, i 883-4.33. Clive diary (10 Jan. 1917); Haig diary (15 Jan . 1917) ; 'Chantilly

Conference, November 1916, and subsequent developments' , notes byKiggell (no date) , Kiggell papers, VI/3.

34. 'Operations on the Western Front, 1917, Part I: The Appointment ofGeneral Nivelle and the French Offensive in Champagne' , p. 27 , Haigpapers, file 213a.

35. G.A.B. Dewar and Lt.-Col. J.H. Boraston, Sir Douglas Haig's Command,1915-18 (2 vols, London, 1922), i 218 ; Terraine, Douglas Haig, p. 251;T. Wilson, The Myriad Faces ofWar (Cambridge, 1986), p. 442.

36. Robertson to Spears (22 July and 14 Nov. 1932), Maj .-Gen. Sir EdwardSpears [formerly Spiers] papers, Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives,King's College, London, 2/3/96 and 97.

37. Haig diary (22 Jan . 1917) .38. War Cabinet Minute (9 Feb . 1917), CAB 23/1.39. Derby to Haig (11 Feb. 1917), Haig papers, file 110.40 . 'Formation of a Special Sub-Section Under Colonel Macmullen', by

Davidson (8 Jan. 1917), WO 158/39.41. Haig diary (25 Jan . 1917) .42. Esher journal (26 Jan. 1917), ESHR 2/l8.43 . ' Kiggell to Second Army' (6 Jan . 1917) and 'Plan of Operations proposed

on the Second Army Front in accordance with the instructions contained inG.H.Q . letter of 6th January 1917', by Plumer (30 Jan. 1917), 'GeneralOffensive Operations Comprising Northern and Southern Armies', WO158/38 .

44 . ' Summary of the Proposed Northern Operations in Chronological Order',memorandum by Operations Section, General Staff, GHQ (14 Feb. 1917),Official History, 1917, appendix VII, ii 410-16. See Map 3.

45 . Rawlinson diary (10 and 25 Feb . 1917) . On the former occasion Nivelleindicated that success or failure would be apparent within 10 days ; on thelatter, within 24 hours.

46 . See Chapter 6.47. Haigdiary (28 Feb. 1917) .48 . Rawlinson diary (10 Mar. 1917).49 . Nivelle to Haig (9 Mar. 1917), WO 158/37/24.50 . 'Notes on Nivelle's letters; 4th letter ', enclosed with memorandum by Haig

for Robertson (II Mar. 1917), Haig papers, file Ill.51. Memorandum by Haig (11 Mar. 1917), WO 158122/l60; 'Chantilly

Conference, November 1916 , and subsequent developments ', notes byKiggell (no date), Kiggell papers, VI/3 .

52 . Haig to Nivelle (25 Mar . 1917) , WO 158/37/34.53. Haig to Nivelle (I Apr. 1917), WO 158/37/38.54. Haig diary (20 Mar. 1917) .55. Ibid.; 'Notes for a Meeting of the War Cabinet', by Haig (14 Mar. 1917),

Haig papers, file II I .56. Wilson to Haig (telephone message, 19 Mar. 1917), Haig papers, file Ill.57 . Haig to Nivelle (21 Mar. 1917), WO 158/37/33.


58. Hankey diary (26 and 27 Mar. 1917).59. Haig to Robertson (8 Apr. 1917), Blake, Private Papers, pp. 215-16 .60. 'Notes for a meeting with General Nivelle, Tuesday 24th April, at Amiens'

(23 Apr. 1917), Haig papers, file 112; Haig diary (24 Apr. 1917).61. Haig to Robertson (29 Apr. 1917, Haig's italics), Blake, op. cit., p. 222.62. Haig diary (29 and 30 Apr. 1917).63. Ibid . (21 Apr. 1917); Robertson to Haig (telegram, 24 Apr. 1917),

'Correspondence, Commander-in-Chief and C.I.G.S., Mar.-May 1917'(WO 158/23): WO 158/23/203.

64. Robertson to Haig (telegram, 25 Apr. 1917) and Haig to Robertson(telegram, 25 Apr. 1917), WO 158/23/204 and 205; Haig diary(29 Apr. 1917); Pedroncin i, 'Trois Marechaux, Trois Strategies?' , pp. 52-5.

65. Haig to Robertson (29 Apr. 1917), Blake, op. cit., p. 222.66. Haig diary (26 and 27 Apr. 1917).67. 'The Present Situation and Future Plans', memorandum by Haig

(I May 1917), WO 158/23/216; Haig to Robertson (telegram, 30 Apr.1917), WO 158/23/215.

68. Haig diary (I May 1917).69. 'The General Military Situation and Particularly That on the Western

Front ', memorandum by Smuts (29 Apr. 1917), CAB 24/1I/GT598.70. 'Operations on the Western Front' , memorandum by Robertson

(30 Apr. 1917), CAB 24/1I/GT599; Panouse to Painleve (2 May 1917),Clemenceau papers , AAT, 6N68; Robertson, Soldiers and Statesmen , ii226-8.

71. Robertson to Esher (19 Apr. 1917), ESHR 4/8.72 . War Cabinet minutes (I May 1917), CAB 23/13/128a; Lloyd George, War

Memoirs , i 922. See also Panouse to Painleve (2 May 1917), Clemenceaupapers, AAT, 6N68.

73. Statement by Robertson to the inter-allied conference (4 May 1917), LloydGeorge, op. cit., i 925-6.

74. Clive diary (4 May 1917).75. Haig diary (4 and 6 May 1917); Esher journal (6 May 1917), ESHR 2/19.76. Haig diary (4 May 1917); Lloyd George, op. cit., i 926-7.77. Woodward , Lloyd George and the Generals, pp. 163-4.78. Esherto Robertson (II May 1917), ESHR 2/19.79. Haig to Robertson (29 Apr. 1917), Blake, Private Papers, p. 222; Haig

diary (14 May 1917).80. 'Plan of operations to be undertaken north of the River LYS after the

capture of the MESSINES ridge' (18 May 1917), WO 158/48/8.81. Haig to 'The Commander-in-Chief of the French Armies' (5 May 1917),

WO 158/48/2.82. Robertson to Esher (28 Apr. 1917), Robertson papers, U34/27.83. Haig diary (10 May 1917).84. 'Record of Amiens Conference' (18 May 1917), WO 158/48/8.85. Clive diary (19 May 1917).86. Haig diary (18 May 1917).87. Robertson to Haig (telegrams, 14 and 16 May 1917), WO 158/23/227 and

232.88. 'Record of Amiens Conference' (18 May 1917), WO 158/48/8.


89. Haig diary (3 May 1917).90. Petain to Haig (23 May 1917), WO 158/48/12.9 I. Wilson diary (20 May 1917); Wilson to Haig (20 May 1917), Haig papers,

file 113; C. Barnett, The Swordbearers : Supreme Command in the FirstWorld War (Bloomington, Indiana, 1975), pp. 198-9 and 236.

92. See for example Haig diary (25 Jan . 1917); King Albert journal(3 Feb. 1917), Thielemans, Albert ler: Carnets et Correspondance ,pp.298-9.

93. Haig diary (25 May 1917).94. Haig diary (7 June 1917); 'Convention between PETAIN, HAIG and

RUQUOY' (7 June 1917), WO 158/48/17.95. Petain to Haig (23 May 1917), WO 158/48/12.96. Wilson to Haig (20 May 1917), Haig papers, file 113; Clive diary (26 May

1917).97. Haig diary (26 May 1917).98. Clive diary (3 June 1917).99. Haig diary (2 June 1917); 'Resume of interview between DEBENEY and

HAIG' (2 June 1917), Lt.-Col. Sir Reginald Benson papers, Liddell HartCentre for Military Archives, King's College, London, B1/107.

100. Haig to Petain (6 June 1917), WO 158/48/15.101. Haig diary (2 June 1917, Haig's italics) .102. Spiers to Maurice (14 June 1917), Spears papers, 1/13/1.103. Haig diary (2 June 1917).104. Haig diary (14 June 1917).105. 'Memorandum and Sketch by e.G.S. on the Front as the Advance

Progresses' (May 1917), Haig papers, file 113.106. Travers, The Killing Ground, pp. 95-7.107. Haig diary (14 June 1917).108. Official History, 1917, ii 126-32; Terraine, Douglas Haig, 338-40.109. Official History, 1917, ii 106-11 ; Rawlinson diary (7 May 1917 passim).110. 'Scheme for Dissemination of Information' (18-23 May 1917), Benson

papers, B1/104/1.111. 'The Present Situation and Future Plans' , memorandum by Haig

(12 June 1917), Cabinet Office: Cabinet Committees, PRO (CAB 27);'Cabinet Committee on War Policy, 1917' (CAB 27/6-8): CAB 27171WP3.

112. Haig to Robertson ['Operations to Secure Belgian Coast'] (17 June 1917),CAB 27171WP9.

113. Lloyd George, War Memoirs, ii 1272-7.114. 'Note by C.I.G.S. on Prime Minister's Memorandum Regarding Future

Military Policy' (23 June 1917), CAB 27171WP19.115. Lloyd George, op. cit., ii 1276, quoting from a memorandum by Haig for his

army commanders.116. 'War Policy Committee: Minutes of the 9th Meeting' (19 June 1917), CAB

27/6; Milner to Paulton (8 June 1917) and Sir H. Thornton diary (19 June1917), Viscount Milner papers, Bodleian Library, Oxford, box 354, fols117-19 and box 23/1.

117. Lloyd George, op. cit., ii 1280.118. Ibid., i 1249.


119. It resulted no doubt from the navy's tendency in official papers to refer tothe ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge as 'submarine bases'.

120. Guinn, British Strategy and Politics , pp. 225-9 and 236-8; Wilson, TheMyriad Faces of War, pp. 427-38; Hankey, The Supreme Command, ii639-51.

121. 'The Present Situation and Future Plans' (12 June 1917), CAB 27171WP3.Haig's reference in this paper to the 'failure ' of the submarine campaignwas, however, somewhat premature, as an annotation by Milner on his copyof this document testifies, Milner papers, box AE I, fol. 48.

122. Haig to Robertson (17 June 1917), CAB 27I71WP9.123. 'Combined Strategy in Connection with Submarines', note by the First Sea

Lord and the Chief of the Admiralty War Staff (16 Nov. 1916), CAB2412/G97.

124. Memorandum by Bacon on the position on the Belgian coast (6 July 1917),'Coastal File no. I' (WO 158/36): WO 158/36/59; 'Remarks on theOccupation of the North Coast of Belgium by the Germans' (18 June 1917)and 'Possible Destruction of Ostend and Zeebruggeby the Navy' , memorandaby Jellicoe (18 June 1917), CAB 27nIWPI0 and WPll; Thornton diary (19June 1917), Milner papers, box 23/1; 'War Policy Committee: Minutes of 9thMeeting' (20 June 1917), CAB 27/6; Bacon, The Dover Patrol, i 180 and223-8; Guinn, op. cit., pp. 243-6; Lloyd George, War Memoirs, ii 1279.

125. Haig diary (15 June 1917).126. Haig to Robertson (17 June 1917), CAB 27nlWP9.127. 'War Policy Committee : Minutes of the 8th Meeting' (11.00,20 June 1917),

CAB 27/6. Trenchard argued directly from 'Notes on Prevention of AirRaids Against England' , by Haig (16 June 1917), CAB 2717.

128. Clive diary (15 Oct 1917).129. 'The Present Situation and Future Plans' (12 June 1917), CAB 27n1WP3.130. Lloyd George, War Memoirs, ii 1261-70.131. Robertson to Haig (13 July 1917), Haig papers, file 115. See for example

Minutes of the War Cabinet (8 June 1917), CAB 23116/l59a; 'War PolicyCommittee: Minutes of the 1st Meeting' (II June 1917), CAB 27/6;Thornton diary (11 June 1917), Milner papers, box 23/1; Spears to GeneralAzan (28 Mar. 1931), Spears papers, 2/3/3; D. French, 'Who Knew Whatand When? The French Army Mutinies and the British Decision to Launchthe Third battle of Ypres', in Freedman, Hayes and O'Neill, War, Strategyand International Politics, pp. 133-53: pp. 140-51.

132. Thornton diary (21 June 1917), Milner papers, box 23/1.133. Haig diary (9 June 1917).134. 'The Present Situation and Future Plans' (12 June 1917),CAB 27n1WP3.135. Wilson to Haig (20 May 1917), Haig papers, file 113; French, op. cit., pp.

143-4.136. Notes by Haig (22 July 1917), Blake, Private Papers, pp. 246-7 and idem,

pp. 53-6; French, op. cit ., pp. 146-8.137. 'Note by C.I.G.S . .. ' (23 June 1917), CAB 27n1WP19 : War Policy

Committee: Minutes of 11th Meeting (25 June 1917), CAB 27/6.138. Haig diary (28 June 1917); Wilson diary (28 June 1917).139. Haig diary, quoting Petain (I July 1917) and idem (2 and 16July 1917).


140. These details can be found in J. Terraine, The Road to Passchendaele(London, 1977),pp. 129-76.

141. Guinn, British Strategy and Politics, p. 251.142. 'War Policy Committee: Minutes of the 10th Meeting' (21 June 1917), CAB

27/6.143. Haig diary (22 July 1917).144. Haig diary (I July 1917 passim); Terraine, Douglas Haig, pp.339-40;

Official History, 1917, ii 132-3.145. Haig diary (25 July 1917).146. Official History, 1917, ii 358-9.147. Haig to Robertson (22 July 1917), WO 158/24/255.148. This view originated from Lloyd George , War Memoirs , ii 1315-18.149. Haig despatch (25 Dec. 1917), Boraston, Sir Douglas Haig's Despatches,

p. 133; Dewar and Boraston, Sir Douglas Haig's Command, i 369 and 378-9.150. See the account of the battle in Terraine, Douglas Haig, pp. 346-74.151. Winter, Haig 's Command, p. 88.152. Haig despatch, op. cit., p. 135.153. Haig to Robertson (15 Nov. 1917), Haig papers, file 119.154. Official History, 1917, ii 359-60.155. Haig despatch, op. cit., p. 133.156. Official History, 1917, ii 360-3.157. Terraine,op. cit., p. 372.158. Winter, Haig's Command, p. 110.159. Official History, 1917, ii 366-7; Dewar and Boraston, op. cit., i 25.160. De Groot, Douglas Haig, pp. 342-3. However, it is evident that at the time

there was a real fear that the French army was on the verge of coIlapse,French, 'Who Knew What and When?' , passim .

161. Dewar and Boraston, op. cit. , i 21-23.162. Haig diary (9 Nov. 1917), and Blake, Private Papers , pp. 53-6.163. Official History, 1917, ii xvi-xviii. See also Azan to Spears (10 Apr. 1931),

Spears papers, 2/314; Terraine, Road to Passchendaele, p. 342.164. Clive diary (7 Dec. 1917).

9 The Coordination of Allied Strategy

1. Wilson diary (5 Nov. 1917).2. Robertson to Haig (9 Aug. 1917), Blake, Private Papers, pp. 251-2; Wilson

diary (23 Aug. and 5 Oct. 1917); Lloyd George to Robertson (27 Oct.1917), Lloyd George papers, F44/3/28.

3. 'Secretary' s Notes of a Conversation at Chequers Court ' (14 Oct. 1917),Lloyd George papers, F23/1/24; Spiers to Maurice (17 and 25 Oct. 1917)and Spiers to Derby (25 Oct. 1917), Spears papers, 1/13/1 and 1/17.

4. Haig diary (14 Jan. 1918).5. Esher Journal (5 Nov. 1917), ESHR 2/20; Haig to Robertson (12 Nov.

1917), Robertson papers, 1/23/65; Haig to Lady Haig (5 Feb. 1918), Blake,op. cit., pp. 282-3 .

6. 'Note sur la Creation Eventuelle d'un Generalissimo de la Coalition ', byGQG (30 Oct. 1917), Haig papers, file 118; Haig diary (I Nov. 1917); Haigto Robertson (telegram, 4 Nov. 1917), WO 158/24/293.


7. Derby to Lloyd George (31 Oct. 1917) and Curzon to Lloyd George(18 Nov. 1917), Lloyd George papers, F14/4n5 and FI1I8118; Spiers toMaurice (2 Dec. 1917 and 3 Feb. 1918), Spears papers, 111311 and 1113/2;Woodward, Lloyd George and the Generals, p. 221 passim.

8. Bertie to Lloyd George (14 Nov. 1917), Lloyd George papers, F5114/55;Spiers to Derby (12 Nov. 1917), Spears papers, 1117.

9. Spiers to Derby (23 Nov. 1917), Spears papers, 1117; Esher journal (I Dec.1917) and Esher to Lloyd George (3, 5 and 12 Dec. 1917), ESHR 2/20;Spiers to Maurice (telegram, 29 Nov. 1917), Spears papers, 1/10.

10. Panouse to Foch (11 Dec. 1917), CMG, AAT, 5N125; Milner to LloydGeorge (no date), enclosing Wilson to Milner (14 Jan. 1918), LloydGeorge papers, F38/3/2 ; Wilson diary (14 Jan. 1918).

11. Esher to Hankey (20 Nov. 1917), HNKY 4/9; Bertie to Lloyd George(9 Dec. 1917), Lloyd George papers, F5114/64.

12. Wilson diary (3 Dec. 1917); Spiers to Maurice (18 Dec. 1917), Spearspapers, 1/13/1.

13. C.R.M.F. Cruttwell , The Role of British Strategy in the Great War(Cambridge, 1936), p. 79. See for example Spiers' account of the firstmeeting of the SWC in Spiers to Maurice (2 Dec. 1917), Spears papers,1113/1.

14. Haig to Lady Haig (5 Feb. 1918), Blake, Private Papers, p. 283.15. Notes by Clive of a conversation with Anthoine (6 Feb. 1918), Clive's

private notebook, CAB 45/201/6. See Chapter 6.16. 'Notes on Relief, 1917-18', Lawrence papers.17. 'Notes on Conversation with Petain (unofficial)' (2 Oct. 1917), Notes by

Clive (8 Oct. 1917), Clive to Kiggell (26 Dec. 1917) and 'Summary ofIntentions of French Command' (6 Dec. 1917), 'Reports fromGeneralClive,Mar. 1917-Jan. 1919' (WO 158/43): WO 158/43/20,21,25 and 30; 'Note surIe Plan de Campagne de 1918', by GQG (17 Oct. 1918),WO 158/48/25; Haigdiary (26 Dec. 1917).

18. Haig to Robertson (13 Aug. and 17 Sept. 1917), Robertson papers,1/23/44 and 52 and idem (8 Oct. 1917), WO 158/24/276. See alsomemoranda by fourth army staff (23 Sept. 1917) and Rawlinson ([2]Oct. 1917) on reasons for continuing the Flanders offensive in 1918,RWLN 1/9.

19. Haig to Petain (19 Oct. 1917), WO 158/48/27.20. Robertson, Soldiers and Statesmen , ii 264-72 ; Lloyd George, War Memoirs,

ii 1423-34.21. Haig diary (26 Jan. and 1 Feb. 1918); Hankey diary (l Feb. 1918); 'Joint

Note no. 12', by the military representatives of the SWC(21 Jan. 1918), CAB 25/120.

22. Haig to Robertson (15 Nov. 1917), Blake, Private Papers, pp. 267-8; Hankeydiary (6 Dec. 1917); Haig diary (27 and 31 Jan. 1918).

23. Robertson to Haig (6 Dec. 1917), Blake, op. cit., pp. 270-1; Rawlinsondiary (7 Dec. 1917);Thornton diary (29 Dec. 1917),Milnerpapers,box 23/1.

24. Haig diary (9 Jan. 1918).25. Ibid. (7 Jan. 1918).26. Wilson to Milner (14 Jan. 1918), Lloyd George papers, F38/3/2; Foch,

Memoirs , pp. 272-7; Capt. P. Wright, At the Supreme War Council(London,1921),pp.55-7.


27. Notes of a conversation with Anthoine (6 Feb. 1918), Clive's private notebook, CAB 45120116; Haig diary (2.15,17 and 18 Feb. 1918).

28. Haig to Lady Haig (5 Feb. 1918). Blake, Private Papers, pp. 282-3; Haigdiary (12 Feb. 1918); Foch to Petain (15 Feb. 1918), Conseil Superieur deGuerre, AAT, INI2.

29. Clive diary (8 Feb. 1918); Haig diary (18 and 25 Feb. 1918).30. Haig diary (12 Feb. 1918).31. Ibid. (24 Feb. 1918).32. Haig diary (24 Feb. 1918). See also 'Report of Clemenceau's conversation

with Lord Milner and Lord Robert Cecil' (24 Dec. 1917), Spears papers,1/13/1.

33. Wright, At the Supreme War Council. pp. 82-3 .34. 'Notes on the Present Situation' (18 Jan. 1918), Haig papers, file 123; Haig

diary (12 and 16 Feb. and 2 Mar. 1918).35. B. Pitt. 1918: The Last Act (London. 1962), pp. 41-4 and 75-93; J. Terraine,

To Win a War: 1918, The Year of Victory (London. 1986), pp. 38-9 and60-2.

36. See Chapter 6.37. Haig to Clemenceau and Foch (25 Mar. 1918). Haig papers, file 124; Haig

diary (22 and 23 Mar. 1918); ' 1st conference, Doullens, 26th March 1918',General Sir A. Montgomery-Massingberd papers, Liddell Hart Centre forMilitary Archives, King's College, London. file 63; Wright, At the SupremeWar Council, pp. 110-14.

38. Haig to Petain (22 Mar. 1918) and'Proces- Verbaux of conferences at Durybetween Haig and Petain' (16.00, 23 and 23.00. 24 Mar. 1918), WO158/48/51 .52 and 53; Haig diary (24 Mar. 1918); Pitt, op. cit., p. 94.

39. '2nd Conference, Doullens, 26th March 1918' , Montgomery-Massingberdpapers, file 63; Foch, Memoirs. pp. 291-2; Pitt, op. cit ., p. 95; B. LiddellHart, Foch: The Man ofOrleans (London, 1931). pp. 267-70.

40. Haig diary (24 Mar. 1918).41. Winter, Haig 's Command, pp. 184-6, argues. against earlier narratives

based on Haig's personal record of these events. that it was Haig who wasabandoning cooperation with his allies. Haig's record may be considered anaccurate view of his feelings at the time. Haig and Petain share the guilt forabandoning cooperation, each blaming the other for the breakdown in military relations. See 'Milner's Memorandum on Doullens', Milner papers, box46, fols 17-27; Foch, Memoirs. pp. 291-3.

42. Haig diary (23 Mar. 1918); Haig to Clemenceau and Foch (25 Mar. 1918),Haig papers, file 124.

43. '2nd and 3rd Conferences, Doullens, 26th March 1918', Montgomery-Massingberd papers, file 63.

44. Haig diary (25 Mar. 1918).45. Foch, Memoirs. pp. 292-3.46 . Ibid., pp. 293-7; Wilson diary (24 and 25 Mar. 1918); 'Milner' s

Memorandum on Doullens' (27 Mar. 1918). Milner papers, box 46. fols17-27.

47. Wilson diary (25 and 26 Mar. 1918); Haig diary (25 and 26 Mar. 1918);Foch Memoirs, pp. 297-300; 'Milner's Memorandum on Doullens'


(27 Mar. 1918); '3rd Conference, Doullens, 26th March 1918',Montgomery-Massingberd papers. file 63; Liddell Hart, Foch, pp. 275-8 .

48. Haig diary (26 and 29 Mar. 1918); 'Milner's Memorandum on Doullens'(27 Mar. 1918).

49. Winter. Haig's Command. p. 188.50. Wilson diary (3 Apr. 1918); Haig diary (3 Apr. 1918); Foch, Memoirs , pp.

312-4; Lloyd George. War Memoirs. ii 1743-50; Liddell Hart, Foch, pp.284-8.

51. Cambon to Clemenceau (telegram, 13 Apr. 1918), Lloyd George toClemenceau (telegram . 12 Apr. 1918) and Clemenceau to Lloyd George(telegram, 14 Apr. 1918). Lloyd George papers. F50/2l27, 29 and 30;Liddell Hart, op. cit., pp. 294-5.

52. Clemenceau to Lloyd George (7 Apr. 1918). Lloyd George papers,F50/2/24; Foch. Memoirs, p. 317.

53. Lt.-Gen. Sir J.P. Du Cane. Marshal Foch (privately printed, 1920). ImperialWar Museum, London, 71/48/1.

54. Seefor example Clive diary (13 and 14 July 1918).55. Rawlinson diary (8 Apr. 1918); Clive diary (10 Apr. 1918); Hankey diary

(12 and 30 Apr. 1918). HNKY 1/3.56. Clive diary (3, 5 and 6 June 1918).57. Esher journal (12 Apr. 1918), ESHR 2/21.58. Haig diary (27 Apr. and 2 May 1918); Hankey diary (2 May 1918), HNKY

1/3; Liddell Hart, Foch. p. 303.59. Haig diary (4 June 1918); Clive diary (6 June 1918).60. Clive diary (5 June 1918).61. Haig diary (7 June 1918); 'Instructions of the Secretary of State for War to

the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief. British Armies in France'(21 June 1918), Official History. 1918, appendix ix, iii 351-2.

62. Haig diary (30 Mar. 1918); Clive diary (31 Mar. 1918 passim) ; Foch,Memoirs, pp. 302-3; Liddell Hart. Foch, pp. 292-3 .

63. Foch,op. cit .• 384-6; Pitt, 1918, pp. 167-8.64. Foch,op. cit .• pp. 317-18; Du Cane, Marshal Foch, pp. 5-7.65. Du Cane, op. cit., pp. 85-6.66. See for example Clive diary (13-15 ,17 and 25 July 1918).67. Haig diary (9. 10 and 14 Apr. 1918); Esher journal (12 Apr. 1918), ESHR

2/21 ; Du Cane. op. cit., pp. 5-7.68. For example when French intervention in the battle of the Lys was under

consideration. Haig diary (6 Apr. 1918passim) .69. Haig diary (7 June 1918).70. See for example Hankey diary (13 May and 14 July).71. King, Generals and Politicians. pp. 220-4.72. Maj.-Gen. Sir G. Aston. The Biography of the Late Marshal Foch (London,

[1929]), pp. 227-8; Dewar and Boraston, Haig's Command, ii 150-2;Terraine, Haig , pp. 424-8.

73. Pitt. 1918. pp. 143-8.74. Pitt,op. cit., pp. 123-30 and 152-3.75. Esher journal (15 June 1918), ESHR 2/21.76. Foch, Memoirs. pp. 423-4.


77. Foch to Petain (23 July 1918), Official History, 1918, appendix XII, iii357-8; Aston, Foch, pp. 246-8 and 252.

78. Foch, Memoirs , pp. 425-30, 441-4 and 451; Official History , 1918, v570-3 .

79. Foch, Memoirs, pp. 429-32.80. Milner to Lloyd George (17 Sept. 1918), Lloyd George papers, F38/4117.

See for example Foch, Memoirs, pp. 442-7 and 458-65; Haig diary (14 and29 Aug. 1918).

81. Foch, Memoirs, p. 428.82. See chapter 8.83. Admiral Keyes to Admiral Beatty (13 Oct. 1918), P.G. Halpern (ed.), The

Keyes Papers, vol. 1, 1914-1918 (Navy Records Society, cxvii, 1972), pp.511-14; Foch, Memoirs , pp. 470 passim; Official History, 1918, v 57-92and 269-93; 'Campagne Beige du 1918', Lesaffre papers, file 37, part 5.

84. Aston, Foch, p. 227.85. Rawlinson diary (21 Aug. 1918).

10 Conclusion

I. See for example Esher, Tragedy ofKitchener , pp. 132-6; Hankey, SupremeCommand, passim; 'Diplomacy by Conference', speech by Hankey (nodate), Cabinet Office: Registered Files, PRO (CAB 21): CAB 21/736;Philpott, 'Kitchener and the 29th Division', pp. 401-2.

2. Bond, The First World War and British Military History, passim .3. Cassar, The French and the Dardanelles; French, British Strategy and War

Aims; Neilson, Strategy and Supply and 'Kitchener' ; Philpott, op. cit.Winter, Haig's Command, takes this re-evaluation to the opposite extreme.

4. Robertson to Stamfordham (I Oct. 1915), Robertson papers,1I1215.5. Esher to Kitchener (20 June 1915), Kitchener papers, PRO 30/57/59/53.6. 'Secretary's Notes of a Conversation at Chequers Court' (14 Oct. 1917),

Lloyd George papers, F23/1124.7. B.J. Bond, France and Belgium, 1939-40 (London, 1975), pp.16-33

passim.

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Peacetime Britain, 1902-/4 (Oxford, 1973) .Brig-Gen. Sir J. Edmonds (ed.), Official History of the Great War: Military

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Sir E. Swinton (London, 1931).1. Gooch, The Plans afWar, c.1900-16 (London, 1974).P. Guinn , British Strategy and Politics, 1914-1918 (Oxford, 1965).C. Hazlehurst, Politicians at War, July 1914-May 19/5: A Prologue to the

Triumph ofLloyd George (London, 1971).J.E. Helmreich, Belgium and Europe: A Study in Small Power Diplomacy (The

Hague, 1976).R. Holmes, The Little Field-Marshal: Sir John French (London, 1981).A. Horne, The Price ofGlory: Verdun 1916 (London, 1962) .__ The French Army and Politics, /870-1970 (London, 1984).M. Howard , The Continental Commitment (London, 1972) .General Huguet, Britain and the War: A French Indictment, trans. Capt. H. Cotton

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Index

Admiralty, the 33,40,58,64and coastal offensive 53-4, 114,

129-31,144-5Aisne, river 23,29,31-3,34,41,86,

88,110,129,131,135Albert I, King of the Belgians

relations with Joffre 18-19,21 ,34in 1914 campaign 19-21during siege of Antwerp 34-44

passimmeets Haig: Feb. 1916 119-20;

May 1917 139in 1918 offensive 159

Amiens 22, 35as possible concentration area for

the BEF 8-9, 10, 12strategic importance of 106in 1918 154-5

Anglo-French conferencesAmiens: May 1917 89-90,138;

Oct. 1917 110Beauvais, Apr. 1918 156Boulogne, Sept. 1917 110Calais: July 1915 78-9,104; Feb.

1917 101Chantilly: Mar. 1915 76,98: Dec.

1915 82-3,84,112-13,125;Nov.1916 86,87,129-30

Doullens, Mar. 1918-155, 160Dunkirk, Nov. 1914 52-3,72London: Jan. 1917 88,131 ,132;

Mar.1917 102Paris: Feb. 1915 71; Nov. 1916

86,87; May 1917 89,90.137-8. 141

Rapallo, Nov. 1917 91Rome, Jan. 1917 87

Anglo-French relationspoor communication 13,40,44-5,

56,62,70military coordination 13, 18, 20-2,

24,29,44-6,49,54-5,69,74,77,83,91-5 passim, 128, 155,161-2

strategicdifferences 14,29-30,36,45,49-50,51-2,55,66,68-81passim, 141 , 153-4, 163-4

during siege of Antwerp 36-46passim

politicalcoordination 69-70,71 ,78-9,81-3,89,91-2,150,162

linguisticdifficulties 94, 96-7militaryliaison 95-6,99, 102during Sommeoffensive 100,

104-5in the field 103-11 passimand the Belgiananny 107-8

Anthoine,Gen. 102,139,146,147Antwerp 12,31,47,48,49,53,55,

63,69,73.164as possibledestination for the BEF

9Belgianarmy's retirement to

19-20,29strategicimportance of 32-4siege of, Oct. 1914 34-46 passim

Arras 35,58,74,88,104,129,135,141

relief of French anny at 109, 115,119-21

Battleof, Apr. 1917 135-6Asquith,HerbertHenry 35,59,61,

62,77,85,87,100.129-30pre-war strategic thought 4and continental intervention 8,

10at WalmerCastlemeeting,Dec.

1914 56-7and strategy 58,69 ,86, 114and militaryorganisation 81-2

Aston,Brig.-Gen. 32-3, 37AubersRidge, battleof, May 1915

77

Bacon, Vice-Admiral Sir Reginald145

and Flandersoffensive 113-16,123,130-1 ,133,136

219

220 Index

Balfour, Arthur 50,69,87and strategy in 1916 83-5

Bapaume 126, 128, 129Belgian Army

in 1914 16, 19-21,29,49and cooperation with the French

army 19-20,29,34during siege of Antwerp 32-43

passimand cooperation with the British

army 34,54,59,117,119-20and cooperation in 1917offensive

130-1,133-4,139in 1918offensive 159

Belgium 26, 50, 54, 164neutrality of 2,5,6German violation of 2, 5, 7pre-war strategic policy 6, 20relations with Great Britain 6, 32appeal for assistance, Aug. 1914 8,

9,19,20,32strategy 20-1government 38, 43

Bellaigue, Col. de 102Berthelot, Gen. 95Boesinghe 108, 122Bonar Law, Andrew · 144,146Boulogne 31, 32, 37, 42, 49Briand, Aristide 82,85,86,8, 119,

124and strategy in 1915 69

British Army see Great Britain,Army.

British Expeditionary Force (BEF)33,4,55,74,77-8,106,107,115

pre-war plans for deployment 5,8concentration at Maubeuge 5, 10,

15despatch to the continent 7-10

passimexposed position on left flank 13,

17,35in retreat from Mons 22-3,24-7,

29,94in battle of the Marne 28-9move to the northern flank 34-6,

40-1,46-7,55-6,57-8,64in firstbattle of Ypres 47-9

Broqueville, Charles de 38Bruges 47-8, 140, 143Brussels 35, 47, 49Bulgaria 80, 87

Calais 31,159Calais agreement 101-2, 107, 132,

134-5, 137, 151, 155-6Cambrai, battle of, Nov. 1917 95,

106, 110, 152Caporetto, battle of, 1917 91,149Champagne 51,58,80,140,154,

157Channel ports 25-6,29,50,61,64,

110, 163strategic importance of 12-14,

31-4,46,53,60,83-4,106-7German threat to, 1914 22,32,

46as objective of British strategy

53-4,113-14,129-30,145-3in 1918 151-2,154-5,156-7

Chantilly 58,70, 115Charteris, Brig.-Gen. Sir John 100,

148ChemindesDames 131,158Churchill, Winston 8, 36, 43, 48, 55,

56,59,61,65pre-war strategic thought 4, 11and defence of Channel ports 31-3visits Sir John French: Sept. 1914

34-5; Dec. 1914 54during siege of Antwerp 38,40-1,

44and Zeebrugge offensive 53-4,57,

58,62,63-4personality 53-4relations with Kitchener 54and strategy in 1915 58,69and Dardanelles campaign 62, 64,

71Clemenceau, Georges

meets Haig, May 1916 124and Supreme War Council 151and unity of command 151,153,

155Clive, Brig-Gen. Sir Sidney 149

liaison with GQG 95-6, 99Curzon, Lord 146

Index 221

Dallas, Col. 37-8, 40, 44Dardanelles campaign 54, 62, 64, 66,

69,70,71,74-81 passim, 83, 85,98

Dardanelles Committee see GreatBritain, Dardanelles Committee

Debeney, Gen. 139,145Dixmude 131, 133Douglas, Gen . Sir Charles 8Dover patrol 114Dunkirk 12,31, 37,43,143,159

Entente Cordiale, 1904 1, 3Esher, Lord 62-3,69,72,89,94,

101,111,128,133,138,161Executive War Board see Supreme

War Council

Festubert, battle of, May 1915 107Fisher, Admiral Lord 58Flanders offensive 35,47,86,88,

89-90,113-14,126,128,163,1641916 plan 115-16,1231917 plan 129-31,133-4, iao-r,

143results of, 1917 147-9in 1918 strategy 152September 1918 159

Foch, Gen . Ferdinand 47,52, 55, 56,91,100, 105

coordinates allied armies in 191444,48-9

as Chief of Staff 88, 151as generalissimo 93,102, 155-60,

164-5at Supreme War Council 153principles of offensive strategy

158-9French Army

reserves 72-3mutiny, May 1917 86,89,139impact of battle of Verdun on 86,

123-5support in 1917 Flanders offensive

90, 136-9, 145-6, 147, 148, 164amalgame with the British army

101Groupe des Armees du Nord 114,

156

morale 127, 139-40, 145-6, 148-9Armies: First 139. 147; Fifth 16,

17-18,22,23-4,28; Sixth23,24,27,28,159; Eighth55; Tenth 115,119-21

General Staff: joint staff talks 4, 6;pre-war planning (Plan XVII)6, 11; and deployment of BEF10, 12; and employment ofBEF 11-12,16-17; views ofthe British army 13,49,94;Grand Quarrier General(GQG) 16, 17,20,23,40,47,57,80,87,93,99,105,106,124-5 (staff at 16, 95-6, 102;control of operations 48, 51,98-100, 115-16; strategicpolicy 51-2,83,112-13,17,119-20; and extension ofBritish line 51-2,107-11,119-21 ,131); principles ofstrategy 35-6, 103-4,158-60,164

morale 63, 80, 89-90politics and civil-military relations

18,71-2,86-7; during siege ofAntwerp 37; strategy (191562,69,71; 1916 82,119,124-5; 1917 87-9);replacement of (General Joffre86, 87; General Nivelle 88,136-7)

relations with Germany 2French, Field-Marshal Sir John 32,37,

43,46,50,71,73,79,82,94,107pre-war strategic thought 3, 5-6, 7,

11,22,41,66at 5 Aug. 1914 war council 8-9and concentration of BEF in France

8-10instructions as Commander-in-Chief

15-16,17,22,24,25,26,29meets Joffre: 16 Aug. 1914 16-17;

26 Aug. 1914 23; 27 Aug.1914 23,57-8; Oct. 191442; Dec. 1914 57-8

relations with: Joffre 18-19 ,21-28passim, 74,95-9,104-5;Kitchener 45,52-3,60,77,99

222 Index

French, Sir John - continuedpersonality of 21during retreat from Mons 21-7

passim,45relations with the French 21-9

passim,54,60,97,99,163meets Kitchener: Sept. 1914 26;

Mar.1915 75meets Millerand, Sept. 1914 26-7during battle of the Marne 27-9and redeployment of the BEF to the

northern flank 34-6,41-2,46-7,48,55-6,57-8

during first battle of Ypres 47-9and Zeebrugge offensive 54-65

passimand December 1914 offensive

55-6at Walmer Castle meeting, Dec.

1914 56-7strategy: 1915 58-67 passim, 68,

72,77-8,80; 1916 114; 191791

and extension of the British line108-9

Galet, Commandant 20Gallieni, Gen. 82German Army

violation of Belgium 2, 5, 7in Belgium, 1914 16-17,32-3,34,

47in battle of the Marne 28-9threatens Channel ports 31-2,

46-9withdrawal to Hindenburg line, Mar.

1917 89,134-5casualties in Flanders offensive

148morale 148, 152offensive, March 1918 154-5,

162German military policy 106

pre-war 11naval policy 31,53, 144-5in 1914 campaign 501917bombing campaign 145

Ghent 38,47Gough, Gen. Hubert 136,141

Great Britain, Armypre-war 2subordination to French command

12, 151line of retreat 22, '25-6, 27extension of line 56, 58, 62-3,

72-3,115military role in 1917 86,129,137amalgame with the French army

101morale 148manpower 152Armies: First 115, 116; Second

116, 133, 135, 159; Third115, 116; Fourth 123; Fifth136, 154

Army corps: I 47-8, 64; II 47; III47; IV 47; Cavalry 47

Divisions: 6th 32; 7th 37,40,41,42,43,53; 3rd cavalry 40,42;Royal Naval Division 40;27th 54; 29th 59,62,71 ,73,74,98, 122; Canadian 59,62

Great Britain, Dardanelles Committee81

strategy in 1915 78-9Great Britain, foreign policy

'splendid isolation' 1-2,93entente with France 1,3, 13guarantee of Belgian neutrality in

2-3, 7relations with Belgium 6decision for war, Aug. 1914 7-8,

12-13Great Britain, General Headquarters

(GHQ) 17,23,24,25,45,56,59,60,64,66-7,80,85,93,98,103, 108, 109, 124, 132, 158

strategy : 1916 82-3,112-13,116-17,120,123; 1917 87,133-5

and military authority in 191789-90,102

staff at 95-6,99, 102-3, 157and Loos offensive 104-5defensive strategy 107, 156-7and extension of British line

109-10

Index 223

Great Britain, General Staffand pre-war planning 4-12 passim,

163French staff talks 4, 6, 121905 wargame 5Belgian staff talks 6, 19reorganisation in 1915 81-2

Great Britain, government policyin 1914 retreat 22-3,25-6,30,32and Anglo-French alliance 26, 30,

31,44,78-9,80,161during siege of Antwerp 34-46

passimand redeployment of BEF to the

northern flank 34and military independence 46,51,

62,78-9, 163-4creation of coalition government,

May 1915 77reorganisation of the General Staff

81-2and unity of command 99-100,

155-7, 162line of retreat of the British army

107, 154Great Britain, strategy

principles of continental strategy1,12-13,164

pre-war 3-9, 12-13,33' with Belgium' plan 3-4,6' with France' plan 3-4, 6, 8-9, 10,

12commitment to France in 12, 62-3,

76-8,80-1,84-5,88,140,163-4

paradox of independence or alliance13-14,29-30,40-1,44,50,53,55,66,73-4,79,80,107,125,127, 163

on Channel coast 32-4,53-4outside Europe 69,70,76-7,80-1in: 1915 70-81 passim; 1916

82-5 passim; 1917 86-91passim

attrition 76,83,85-6,87,89-90,112, 127, 135, 136-7, 148, 150

defensive 107, 154-6Great Britain, War Cabinet 87,110,

135, 140, 147

and 1917Flanders offensive 90,133,136-7,163-4

War Policy Committee of 90-1,141-6

and 1918strategy 152Great Britain, War Committee 81-2

and strategy in 1916 83-5,118,124-5

and coastal offensive 114, 129-30Great Britain, War Council 69,98

and Zeebrugge offensive 54,57,58-66 passim, 70

and strategy in 1915 59,62,72,73,76-7

meetings in Jan. 1915 62,63-4,65,66,68

Grey, Sir Edward 9,38Grierson, Maj.-Gen. Sir James 5Guise , battle of, Aug. 1914 24

Haig, Field-Marshal Sir Douglas47-8,91,96,103,159,164

at 5 Aug. 1914war council 9and Flanders offensive 67,89-90,

115-16,122-3,126-149passim, 152-3

appointment as Commander-in-Chief 82

instructions from Kitchener 99-100strategy : 1916 113-14,116-21,

124-8; 1917 86,88,89-90,129-30; 1918 152-3

relations with: Joffre 100, 105-6,115, 126;Nivelle 100-2, 134;Petain 102,151,153-5; Foch156-8, 160

and cooperation with the French100, 107, 121,124-5, 147, 163

and Loos offensive 104extension of British line 107-10,

115,120-1,152-3meets Joffre : Dec. 1915 115; Jan.

1916 117-8; Feb. 1916 120;May 1916 124-5; July 1916105;Nov. 1916 129

meets King Albert: Feb. 1916119-20; May 1917 139

meets Clemenceau , May 1916 124and Nivelle offensive 131-3

224 Index

Haig, Sir Douglas- continuedpersonality 133andFrench morale, 1917 139-40,

145-6, 148-9at War Policy Committee 141-6and Supreme War Council 150-1,

153defensivestrategy 152-5

Haldane,Lord 4, 8Hamilton, Gen. Sir Ian 54,77,80-1

at 5 Aug. 1914war council 9Hankey,Lt.-Col. Maurice 58,85,91Huguet, Col.

Frenchmilitary attache 9, 10liaisonofficer with GHQ 28, 95-6,

97,99Hindenburg line, German withdrawal

to,Mar.1917 89,134-5Holland 8,63,76,140,146Hunter-Weston, Lt.-Gen. Sir Aylmer

123

Invasion, fear of 46, 53, 60, 77, 83-4Italy 75, 149, 150, 152

in 1916strategy 87,89,91in 1917strategy 112, 117, 127

Jellicoe, Admiral Sir John 130, 145,146

Joffre,Gen. Joseph 56,60,61,62,63,67,84,139,151,164

pre-war planning 6, 11, 19and deploymentof the BEF 10-12in battle of the frontiers 16,

18-21meetsSir John French: 16 Aug.

1914 16-17; 26 Aug. 191423; 27 Aug. 1914 23; Oct.1914' 42; Dec. 1914 57-8

personality and reputation 18relationswith allies 18-30 passim,

43-5 ,95relationswith French government

18,71-2,82,86relationswith Sir John French

18-19,21-8 passim, 74, 95-9,104-5

and Belgian army 19-21,34,37,43-4,58

policy towards British army 19,27,30,35,53,58,65,73-4,78,97-8, 108-9, 113

during battle of the Marne 23-8during 'race to the sea' 31-3,

49-50during siege of Antwerp 34-46

passimand redeployment of the BEF to the

northern flank 35-6,41-2,55,57-8,64

strategic policy: 1915 51-2,65,68,70-2,74,76,77-80; 1916114-15, 117-18, 120-2, 126-7;1917 86,88,106,129

at conference at: Dunkirk, Nov.1914 52-3; Chantilly, Mar.1915 76; Calais, July 191579

and northern flank strategy 55,57,64-5 ,66,146

and unity of command 74, 79,98-9

meets Kitchener, Aug. 1915 80replacement by Nivelle 86,87,

131relations with Haig 100, 105-6,

115, 126meets Haig: Dec. 1915 115; Jan

1916 117-18; Feb. 1916120; May 1916 124-5; July1916 105; Nov. 1916 129

and coastal offensive, 1917 130

Kiggell, Lt.-Gen. Sir Lancelot 94,103, 106, 123

relations with the French 99and 1917strategy 132-3

Kitchener, Field-Marshal Lord 23,27-8,35,84,87,93,97,100,105,107, 129

and pre-war planning 5views of French army 5,15and Anglo-French alliance 5, 10,

38,40-1,52-3,63,65,70-81passim, 84, 163

and concentration of BEF 10instructions to Sir John French

15-16,17,22,24,25,26,29

Index 225

and military policy 15,46,50,61 ,63-4, 72-81 passim

visits Paris, Sept. 1914 26during siege of Antwerp 37-46

passimrelations with: Sir John French 45,

52-3, 60, 77, 99; Churchill 54relations with the French 45-6

52-3,74-6,91,99 'personality 52at conference at: Dunkirk, Nov.

1914 52-3; Chantilly, Mar.1915 76; Calais, July 191579

and Zeebrugge plan 54, 57, 63-4,65-6, 146

at Walmer Castle meeting, Dec.1914 56-7

and position of Russia 57,58-9,71,76,77,80

and strategy: 1915 59-61, 70-81passim; 1916 84-5

meets Millerand: Jan. 1915 62-3,65,66, 70-1 ; Aug. 1915 80

meets Joffre, Aug. 1915 80and unity of command 98-9

Klobukowski, Antony 38, 44

La Bassee 57,64Laguiche, Gen. de 102Lanrezac, Gen. 16,22,28,94Lawrence, Maj.-Gen. Herbert 103Le Cateau, battle of, Aug. 1914 23,24Le Havre 22-3 , 27, 43Liege 20Lille 37,41,47,49,72,73,140, 159Lloyd George, David 110,138, 141

and strategy: 1915 58,63,64,69,71; 1916 83-5; 1917 86-91135,137; 1918 152 '

and the French 84becomes Prime Minister 86relations with Haig and Robertson

88-91at War Policy Committee 90,144,

145-6and unity of command 101and French morale 145-6and Supreme War Council 150

LondonTreaty of, 1839 2Pact of, Sept. 1914 51

Loos 116battle of, Sept. 1915 80, 99, 104-5,

140Lyautey, Gen. 87,89Lys, river 133, 158

Malmaison 139,149Marne, river 27,32, 106, 158

battle of, Sept. 1914 18,27-9,31 ,47,50

Maubeuge 5, 10, 15Mediterranean Agreements, 1912 7Menin 47Messinesridge 56, 116, 133, 135,

138, 139, 150battle of, June 1917 140

Meuse, river 5,16,17,19,33,36,50Millerand, Alexandre 72,74,98

meets Sir John French, Sept. 191426-7

during siege of Antwerp 37meets Kitchener: Jan. 1915 62-3,

65,66, 70-1 ; Aug. 1915 80strategicpolicy, 1915 68,71and 29th division 73at Chantillyconference, Mar. 1915

76Milner,Lord 144,146Mons, retreat from, 1914 23,25,29,

32,50,94,97Murray,Gen. Sir Archibald 10,15,

55,95,113as ClGS 82,83,114

Namur 16, 19,20Neutrality, Belgian see Belgium,

neutralityofNeuveChapelle,battleof, Mar. 1915

67, 74Nicholson,Gen. SirWilliam 4Nieuport 55,61,133,138Nivelle, Gen. Robert 137,139,155

appointment as Commander-inChief 86-7

1917offensiveplan 87-8,131

226 Index

Nivelle, Gen. Robert - continueddismissal 88, 138relations with Haig 100-2and Flanders offensive 132,

134-5,138Nivelle offensive, Apr. 1917 86,88,

89,101,135-6

Oise, river 110, 129, 131, 150Ostend 32,33,37,38,40,42,43,48,

54,59 , 114, 144, 159plan for landing at 115-6, 123objective of 1917Flanders offensive

129-30, 143

Painleve, Paul 89, 110, 136, 150-1Paris 22,23,27,31,50,91,110,124,

154strategic importance of 106-7

Passchendaele ridge 141,143,150,159

battle of, 1917 90, 106, 147-9, 164Pau, Gen. 43, 44Pelle, Gen. 95Peronne 126, 128Petain, Gen. Philippe

appointment as Commander-inChief 88,136-7

strategy: 1917 89-90,136-8; 1918152-4

relations with: Haig 102,151,153-5; Foch 157

and extension of British line 108,110, 152

and Flanders offensive 138-9,145-6, 148

and Supreme War Council 150-1,153

Poincare, Raymond 24-5Plumer, Gen . Sir Herbert 116, 123,

126, 130, 133, 134-5, 140

'Race to the sea', 1914 31,33,50Rawlinson, Lt.-Gen . Sir Henry

commands Antwerp relief force40-6 passim

Commander of IV army corps 47and strategy in 1915 62,74

Commander of fourth army 121-3,126

role in 1917offensive 131-2,133Ribot , Alexandre 89,136Robertson, Gen . Sir William 100,

101, 103, 107, 110, 115, 129-30,138, 143, 161

as CIGS 82and strategy: 1916 83-5 ,118,

124-5; 1917 87-8,89,132-3,137, 144, 146; 1918 152

as CGS, GHQ 95-6relations with the French 96, 121,

137dismissal 151

Roulers 122-3, 130, 133, 143, 159Royal Marines 32-3, 38Royal Navy 54, 159Russia 57,150

pre-war position 2in allied strategy: 1915 59-60,69,

71,76,77,79-80; 1916 84,85, 112, 117-18, 120, 127;1917 88-9,90

collapse of, 1917 149, 152-3

St Nazaire 27St Quentin 23, 138Salonika 69,91

planned expedition to, Feb . 191570-2

expedition to, Oct. 1915 80-5passim

Sambre, river 16Scheidt, river 140Schlieffen plan IISerbia 69,70-1,80Shipping situation, 1917 89,133Smuts, Gen . Jan 137,146Somme, battle of, 1916 83,86,87,

91,133, 135, 140, 141, 144, 148Anglo-French relations during

100,104-5planning 113-28 passimconduct 126-7German casualties in 127

Somme, river 129Sordet, Gen. 19,20,24

Index 227

Supreme War Council (SWC) 82,156, 160, 165

establishment of, 1917 91, 150-1scheme for allied general reserve

102, 153extension of British line l Hl-Ll ,

152-3Executive War Board (EWB) 151,

153

Thourout 123, 130, 133, 143, 159Trenchard, Maj.-Gen. Hugh 145,

146Turkey 76,87,152

United States 89,91, 136, 150, 152Army 157, 160

Unity of command 93, 100, 162, 164pre-war consideration 6-7deficiencies of in 1914 16, 18-22

passim, 24, 29, 44consideration of in 1915 74,79,

98-9in: 1917 101-2; 1918 150-1,

153, 155-60

Vallieres, Col. des 99, 102, 116-17,119

Verdun 87,88, 106battle of, 1916 85-6,120-2,

124-5,127-8,131,141Villiers, Sir Francis 38, 44Vimy 129,131Viviani, Rene 71,80,82

strategy in 1915 69

Walmer Castle meeting, Dec. 191456-7

War Cabinet see Great Britain, WarCabinet

War Committee see Great Britain,War Committee

War Council see GreatBritain, WarCouncil

Weygand, Gen. 151Wilson, General Sir Henry 23, 24,

56,99,100,150,156and pre-war planning 4-5, II, 12at 5 Aug. 1914war council 8and concentrationof BEF in France

10and German advancein 1914 17and redeploymentof the BEF to the

northern flank 35and first battle of Ypres 47-8as sub-chief of staff 55,95and strategy: 1915 80; 1917 91and Zeebruggeplan 89as Anglo-French liaisonofficer

95-6asCIGS 151

Wolfe-Murray,Gen. Sir James 82

Ypres 47,58, 106,108, 119, 135,137, 143, 159

battle of: first, 1914 48-9,53,55;second,I915 97,107; third,1917 147-8

relief of French troopsat 63, 64,73-4 ,76,97-8

plan for offensive from 113,115-16,123,130

Yser, river 49, 130

Zeebrugge 32,40,48,54,144,159Zeebrugge offensiveplan, 1914-15

54-5 , 57-66 passim, 70, 72,114, 146, 164

as objective of 1917 strategy129-30, 143