IR 169: Blog 19, 30 April 2020: IR 169 and Creation of the St. Mihiel Salient, September 1914 Part 1. Introduction: The majority of English-written accounts of the St. Mihiel Salient…
When Janet and I first got into this subject matter we ran smack into what I call “conventional wisdom.” The tried and true explanation of historical facts and artifacts. The…
PEEBLES PROFILESEPISODE XIV: Alexander von Kluck…and the failure of the German Army at the Marne*** BY SPECIAL REQUEST ***Alexander Heinrich Rudolf von Kluck was born in Munster, Westphalia on May…
Training If your knowledge about training and doctrine came from the two Zuber books, my opinion is that it is best to try to flush all that out . We…
Conclusion-part twoThe overall operational plan applied in Belgium in August 1914 was at best a gambler’s gambit. As early as August 4, the OHL was considering canceling or delaying the…
Conclusion- part oneThe finest theories and most minute plans often crumble. Complex systems fall by the wayside. Parade ground formations disappear. Our splendidly trained leaders vanish. The good men which…
August 23, 1914Marwitz could have approached via Tournai–Denain to the English flank. However, a counterorder arrived from Bülow that ordered the cavalry to move in a northwestern direction instead of…
August 22, 1914All four First Army active corps were able to move on two roads each, or with one division on every route of advance. This meant a reducing of…
August 21, 1914Two German Army zeppelins were brought down over the western front: ZVIIand ZVIII. This happened very far away from the right wing. However, it seriously affected the total…
August 20, 1914Not surprisingly, the OHL realized they had insufficient cavalry on the right wing. Whentrying to screen his two armies on the far-right flank, Bülow complained vehemently about his…