by Peter Hart
Fairy (destroyer) 317, 318
Falkenhayn, General Erich von 67, 89, 473
replaces Moltke 67
military career 67
personality 67
First Battle of Ypres 70
at Posen conference 90
and the two-front war 125, 197
favours peace with Russia 125, 163
conspiracies against him 125
sends reserves to Eastern Front 126, 157, 160–61
use of gas at Second Battle of Ypres 139–40
and Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes 159
and assault on Serbia 164
attitude to Eastern Front 165
decides to attack the French 198
Battle of Verdun 198, 199–200, 202, 231, 242
at the Somme 226
forced to resign 231, 247
leads army against Rumania 248
and Tyrolean Offensive 382
Falkland Islands, Battle of the (1914) 111–13
Fallahiyeh 285
Fao Fort 269
Fayolle, General Émile 222, 425
Feisal, Emir 397, 398
Fergusson, Captain James 264
Festubert, Battle of (1915) 147, 155, 186, 225, 230
Fichefeux, Lieutenant 42
Finland 303
‘fire and movement’ concepts 71
First Balkan War (1912–13) 21
First Moroccan Crisis (1905–6) 20
Firth of Firth 115, 117, 316
Fisher, Sir John
and battleship design 97
battlecruisers 97, 98, 111
dictum about speed 98, 260
and Jellicoe 103
and Churchill 111
opposition to Allied efforts 169
Flamborough Head 317
Flanders, Fourth Battle of 364
Flanders Offensive 312, 347, 351
flash spotting 331
Flers-Courcelette, Battle of (1916) 231–5
Flesquières Solent 416, 421
Fleury village 205, 206
Foch, General Ferdinand 438, 473
commands the Northern Group of Armies 69
priorities of 69
First Battle of Ypres 77
Chief of Staff, French Army 341
and Doullens conference 423–4
strikes at Soissons 443
confrontation with Haig 451, 455
gets within the German ‘command loop’ 456
and German Armistice terms 464, 465, 467
Foot, Major Richard 424
Forstner, Lt. Colonel Freiherr von 356
Fort de Loncin, Liège 36, 37
Fort de Pontisse, Liège 37
Fort Douaumont, Verdun 201–2, 208
Fort Souville, Verdun 205, 206
Fort Vaux, Verdun 203, 204, 209
Fourteen Points (1918) 464
France
enmity towards Germany x, 4, 7, 25, 27
international isolation of 1
Third Republic 4
colonialism in North Africa 5, 10, 20
aid to Russia 5, 14, 81, 84
population 17–18
does little to avoid war (1914) 27
Germany declares war on 29
German domination in northern France 126
and Salonika Campaign 189, 191
Sykes-Picot Agreement 471
Francis, Petty Officer Ernest 254–5
Franco-Prussian War (1870–71) 1, 4, 11–12, 15, 16, 34, 95, 325
Franco-Russian Alliance (1892) 4, 16
Franz Ferdinand, Archduke, assassination of (1914) vii, 23–5, 27, 471
Franz Josef, Emperor 299
Franz Josef I, Emperor 9, 25
Freikorps 470
French, General Sir John 70, 139
commands BEF 51, 59, 62–3
army career 51–2
and Anglo-French relations 52
Battle of Mons 53–4
Battle of the Marne 65–6
on Foch 69
Battle of Neuve Chapelle 130, 131, 138
Second Battle of Ypres 142
and Battle of Loos 154
failures of 155
replaced by Haig 155, 196
French Air Service 214
French Army
Army Group Reserve 425
First Army 39, 354, 425, 448
Second Army 39, 40, 69, 151, 202, 204
Third Army 41, 47, 62, 64, 425
Fourth Army 41, 47, 51, 62, 149, 151, 456
Fifth Army 41, 51, 54, 62, 63, 64, 67, 338
Sixth Army 62, 63, 65, 66, 67, 222, 338, 438
Tenth Army 69, 127, 145, 149, 150, 152, 338, 453
Armée d’Orient 191, 194
Army of Alsace 39, 40
Central Group of Armies 203–4
I Corps 51
III Corps 51
X Corps 51
XVIII Corps 51, 53
XXXIII Corps 145
Corps Expéditionnaire d’Orient (CEO)
1st Division 170
2nd Division 184
3rd Colonial Division 41, 42
45th (Algerian) Division 140
87th (Territorial) Division 140
156th Division 188
56th Light Infantry Regiment 200
296th Regiment 344
300th Infantry Regiment 47
Alpine Chasseurs 128
Reserve 35
Territorial Army 35
Territorial Army Reserve 35
rebuilding of 4, 11–12, 15
conscription 15, 17–18
chain of modern fortresses built 15
military doctrine 15
belief in power of the offensive 16–17
mobilises 29, 33, 38
size of 33–4, 59–60, 196
uniforms 34, 42, 50
weaponry 34, 206
artillery 34–5, 53, 129, 149, 202–3, 223
training 35
in Ardennes offensive 50
casualties 50, 129, 152, 155, 197, 209, 240, 328
series of major offensives (1914–15) 126–30, 133
German opinion of 198
infantry 206, 224
acts of indiscipline 342–3, 344, 345
desertions 343
tanks 344–5
at the Armistice 466
French, Captain David 173
French High Command 59, 148, 329
French Navy 18, 98
Freter, Lieutenant 238
Fricourt 222
Friedensturm (Peace Offensive) 442–3
Friedrich Wilhelm, Crown Prince 41
Frise, Somme 224
Frontiers, Battle of (1914) 32, 198, 328, 456
Battle of Liège 35–8
Alsace-Lorraine offensive 38–41
Ardennes offensive 41–50
advance through Belgium 50–51
Battle of Mons 51–7
Frost, Captain Cecil Gray 465
G
Gaba Tepe 170, 171
Galicia 243
Austrian offensives in (1915) 157
Russian withdrawal 162
Austrian units operate under German control 246
Russian troops in 247
Gallieni, General Joseph 65
Gallipoli Campaign (1915–16) 111, 147–8, 165, 167–86, 190, 229, 277, 281, 282, 288, 395, 409
Allied efforts 168–9
Gallipoli landings 170–73
S Beach 172
V Beach 172–3
W Beach 172
X Beach 172
Y Beach 172
First Battle of Krithia 173
Second Battle of Krithia 174
Third Battle of Krithia 174–5
Battle of Lone Pine 178–9
shortage of guns and shells 175–6
Churchill on the Dardanelles Committee 176–7
failed Anzac offensive 178–80
Suvla landings 180–81
A Beach 181
B Beach 180
C Beac
h 180
British lack of success 181–2
Hamilton’s direct intervention 182
failed efforts to remove Turkish snipers 182–3
largest engagement of the campaign 183–4
British defeat by the Turks 184, 185, 280, 288
evacuation 185, 280
assessment of 185
and Salonika 188
gas attacks
at Second Battle of Ypres 139–44, 186
at Verdun 205–6, 207–8
Gasson, Marine Bryan 260
Gatley, Private Jack 174–5
Gaudy, Private Georges 439
Gaulle, Lieutenant Charles de 50
Gaza 399, 400, 401, 402
fall of 403
Gaza, First Battle of (1917) 399–400
Gaza, Second Battle of (1917) 401
Geddes, Sir Eric 313, 315
Genevoix, Lieutenant Maurice 46–7, 129
Gerhardinger, Lieutenant E. 227
German Air Service 435, 469–70
Battle of the Somme 216
deadly new aircraft 237
Boelcke’s aerial tactics 237
German Army
First Army 32, 37, 50, 54, 57, 63–7, 86, 438, 442
Second Army 32, 36, 41, 51, 63–7, 86, 226, 416, 429
Third Army 32, 51, 64, 65, 442
Fourth Army 32, 70, 75, 139–40, 141, 428
Fifth Army 32, 41, 65, 199, 202, 206
Sixth Army 32, 40, 70, 75, 428
Seventh Army 32, 38, 40, 339, 438, 442
Eighth Army 19, 84, 85, 87, 158, 300, 385
Ninth Army 88, 89, 90, 248
Tenth Army 157, 158
Eleventh Army 160, 164, 165
Twelfth Army 161
Seventeenth Army 416, 425, 426, 463
Eighteenth Army 416, 421
Army of the Danube 248
I Corps 84
III Reserve Corps 70
VII Corps 38
XI Corps 89
XVII Corps 84
XXII Reserve Corps 70
XXIII Reserve Corps 70
XXVI Reserve Corps 70
XXVII Reserve Corps 70
Cavalry Corps 63
14th Brigade 36
5th Grenadier Regiment 443
12th Infantry Regiment 55–6, 57
24th Brandenburg Regiment 201
371st Infantry Regiment 429
military doctrine 3
driving force of the Central Powers ix
conscription 3
Landwehr 3, 33
Landsturm 3, 33
reorganisation of defences 327
infantry 33
artillery 33, 198, 199, 212–13
attack tactics 33
training 33, 35
in Ardennes offensive 49–50
use of chlorine gas at Second Battle of Ypres 139–44
casualties 144, 209, 240
tactical developments 154–5
offensive in East Prussia (1915) 157
successful campaigns on Eastern Front 196
stormtroopers at Verdun 200
use of phosgene gas at Verdun 205
military preparation and competence 326
Haig’s belief 351
decline in military efficiency 446
near to breaking point 446–7
Armistice terms 465
German Army, heroism and military skill 473
German Empire viii, 1, 22, 26–6, 374
German First Trench System 369
German High Command 75, 125, 148, 161, 198, 199, 228, 231, 302, 307, 308, 315, 327, 362, 374, 410, 461
German Navy
1st Scouting Force 114, 115
East Asiatic Squadron 109–10
challenge to Royal Navy’s supremacy 7, 8, 97, 102–3
in Franco-Prussian War 95
High Seas Fleet 25, 101, 102, 107, 109, 114, 116, 186, 250, 252, 253, 254, 256, 257, 258, 260, 262–4, 266, 267, 305, 309, 310, 323, 324, 325, 464, 465, 469
concept of the ‘risk fleet’ 96
dreadnought programme 97
U-boat menace 100–101
destroyers 101
British blockade on x, 101, 109, 115, 118–19, 120
‘fleet in being’ concept 102, 250
U-boat living conditions 105–6
British acquire secret naval ciphers 114
German submarine blockade 120–23
Battle of Jutland 253–67
German Second Trench System 369, 374
German-Austro-Hungarian Fourteenth Army 385, 387
Germany
French enmity x, 4, 7, 25, 27
becomes dominant power in Europe 1
Wilhelm II’s aims for 2
unification 2
education system 2–3
Weltpolitik 4
colonialism 4, 5
Russian enmity 7
relationship with Austria-Hungary 9, 15, 25, 380, 385
relationship with Italy 9
population 17–18
and Second Moroccan Crisis 21
mobilisation 29
ultimatums to Russia and France 29
declares war on Russia 29, 83
declares war on France 29
declares war on Belgium 30
Britain’s ultimatum 30–31
seeks a swift victory 80, 125
railways 84
embroiled in a two-front war 125, 197, 410
aims to knock Britain out of war by sinking shipping 307–8
US declares war on 309, 311
Italy declares war on 382
Armistice 464, 465, 466–7
Kaiser goes into exile and abdicates 464
Gerster, Lieutenant M. 217, 218
Getter river 36
Gheluvelt, Belgium 73, 75, 77, 367
Gheluvelt Plateau, Belgium 77, 356, 357, 358, 359, 360, 363
Gheluvelt-Langemarck Line 354
Ginchy 229
Gladden, Private Norman 389–90, 391–2
Glasgow (light cruiser) 110, 111, 113
Glitra (steamer) 120
Gneisenau (armoured cruiser) 110, 112, 113
Goeben (battlecruiser) 167, 168
Goltz, Field Marshal Colmar von der 281
Goltz, Lieutenant von der 375
Good Hope (armoured cruiser) 110, 111
Gorizia 380–84, 387
Gorlice-Tarnow, Battle of (1915) 161, 164
Gorlice-Tarnow sector 160
Gorringe, Lieutenant General George 268, 271, 272, 275, 282, 284–5, 290
Goschen, Sir Edward 30–31
Gough, Lieutenant General Sir Hubert 153, 210, 225, 229, 235, 337, 348, 351, 357, 358–9, 417, 421, 423, 425, 428
Gough, Private William 321
Gouraud, General Henri 175
Gouzeacourt Wood 376
Grasset, Major Alphonse 43
Gravenstafel Spur 363
Great War
as a pointless war vii
attempts to resolve the main issues of the day vii
civilian non-combatants vii
an all-embracing conflict viii
new weapons viii, ix
sweeps away the old European order viii
plans for 11–20
pre-war positions
Austria-Hungary 9
Britain 7–9
France 4–5
Germany 1–4
Italy 9–10
Russia 5–7
Turkey 10–11
Christmas Truce 79–80
Germany seeks a swift victory 80, 125
attritional fighting 80
diplomatic incidents and crises 20–23
assassination of Franz Ferdinand 23–5
ultimatums, mobilisation and declarations of war 26–31
first major Allied victory 87
Germany becomes embroiled in a two-front war 125
gas attacks 139–44, 186, 205–6, 207–8
first use of the tank 231–5
change
in the very nature of war 241
surrender negotiations 464–7
statistics of military and civilian losses 468
traumatised survivors 468
search for scapegoats 474
sows seeds for future conflicts 474
continued emotional impact 474–5
see also Eastern Front; individual battles; Sea War; Spring Offensive; Western Front
Greece
independence 10
neutral at outbreak of GW 187, 188
King Constantine favours Central Powers 187
influence in the Balkans 188
Greek Army 194
Grey, Sir Edward
proposes a Four Power Conference (1914) 28
and inevitability of British involvement in war 29–30
on the start of the GW 31
Grierson, Lieutenant General Sir James 52
Groener, General Wilhelm 462
Guillaumat, General Marie-Louis 194
Guise 58, 63
Gully Ravine, Battle of (1915) 175
Gumbinnen, Battle of (1914) 84–5
Gun Hill 273
Gurko, General Vasily 295, 296
Gurtler, Gerhard 354
H
Hacquin, Sergeant Jules 201
Hague Convention (1907) 140
Hai, Battle of the (1916) 290–91
Hai River 290
Haig, Lieutenant General Sir Douglas 244, 473
commands BEF I Corps 52, 63, 70, 75
military career 52
and Territorial Army 52
1st Battle of Ypres 75–6
Battle of Neuve Chapelle 131, 132–3, 135–6, 138, 139
relationship with Trenchard 135, 136
Battle of Aubers Ridge 146, 147
replaces Sir John French 155, 196
Battle of the Somme 209–10, 211, 224, 225, 226–7, 232, 235, 236
Flanders offensive 312
on Jellicoe 312
on concentrating resources in France 326
wants major offensive at Ypres 329, 345
and the Battle of Arras 333, 338
and Nivelle Offensive 341
and Battle of Menin Road 362
on the underlying situation on the Western Front 347
Third Battle of Ypres 357, 359, 363, 365, 366
Plumer presents his plans 360
Battle of Cambrai 369
Lloyd George loses faith in 413–14
and the German Spring Offensive 417
Doullens conference 423–4
confrontation with Foch 415, 455
Halil Pasha 291
Halim Bey 275
Hamel, Battle of (1918) 447
Hamilton, General Sir Ian
landing strategy at Gallipoli 170
Second Battle of Krithia 174
Third Battle of Krithia 175
reinforcements 176, 177
replaces Mahon with Stopford 178
Suvla operations 182
refuses to accept defeat or consider evacuation 184
replaced by Monro 184–5
Hamilton, Major Ralph 350
Hammersley, Major General Frederick 182
Hampshire 305
Handley, Company Sergeant Major John 354–5
Hanna, Battle of (1916) 281
Harrach, Count Franz von 24
