Breaking Point of the French Army: The Nivelle Offensive

In early 1917, General Robert Nivelle emerged as the new commander of the French field armies. Against a backdrop of political squabbling, he prepared plans for a 'final offensive', assuring the French public that he had 'the formula' that would end the war in France's favour. The resulting offensive was poorly-conceived and hastily planned and the catastrophic losses that followed led to the outbreak of mutiny in the French army.

This presentation by Dr David Murphy discusses Robert Nivelle and his ill-starred offensive, which led to the operation burden on the Western Front shifting to the British Army for the remainder of 1917.