Harvest of Mars: History and War

Lions Led by Donkeys?: WWI and WWII Offensives Compared

October 09, 2022 Season 1 Episode 8
Harvest of Mars: History and War
Lions Led by Donkeys?: WWI and WWII Offensives Compared
Show Notes

“My centre is giving way, my right is retreating, excellent situation, I am attacking.”
– General Ferdinand Foch, 1914 

In the episode, we take a look at the difference in offensives during the two world wars.  It is commonly asserted that the defensive was superior in WWI, and thus the generals who ordered the attacks are often portrayed as unthinking donkeys who ordered futile attacks.  Have memories of the horrors of Verdun and Passchendaele biased postwar judgements of the WWI generals?  Are there other reasons that might explain why the combat in WWII was so markedly different than in WWI?