Just Finished Reading: Amiens 1918 by Gregory Blaxland (FP: 1968)

Everyone knew it was coming. With the collapse of the Eastern Front due to the Russian Revolution whole armies of German soldiers where making their way across central Europe to reinforce the Western Front. But this was not simply a shoring up of German defences – the Americans were coming and the clock was ticking loudly. If German could not act soon it would be only a matter of time before the power of the emergent US military would crush them. They needed to attack – now. The Allied forces knew this and they had a pretty good idea where the hammer would fall. Aerial reconnaissance and the testimony of captured soldiers made that very clear. So the British, their colonial allies and the French reinforced their front lines, dug their defences deeper and started to prepare a mobile reserve force available quickly to respond to any potential breakthrough. Then, as preparations continued, all hell broke loose.

It was like nothing ever seen before. In a war used to massive bombardments this one surprised everyone with its ferocity. Also as soon as it had begun it was over and as dazed Allied soldiers began to wonder why the shelling had stopped the enemy were amongst them. Using new tactics and light weapons German Stormtroopers made their way through the weakest points in the defences, cut communication lines and isolated pockets of resistance before moving on, cutting deeper into the Allied lines. Mobile warfare, it seemed, has returned to France after years of stalemate. As much as the Allies prepared they had not prepared for this. In the first hours of the attack entire Allied units were annihilated where they stood and the rest fell back – only to be outflanked and forced to fall back again and again. Every heroic stand only slowed the enemy momentum but never stopped it. Counter attacks were repulsed, headquarters overrun, phone lines cut, and fuel depots destroyed minutes before the enemy arrived. It was chaos. The German plan was to drive the British to the coast to protect their precious ports and to force the French to protect their beloved Paris. If they managed to do so the Allies would be split and the tantalising possibility of victory rather than a negotiated peace could almost be seen – shimmering in the near distance.

Orders were issued – not another yard given to the enemy. It was tried and it failed or was ignored and the retreat continued. The Germans meanwhile were frustrated. Although unheard of progress had been made and thousands of Allied soldiers killed or captured the Allied lines had not broken. Wherever the German forces pushed Allied soldiers were ahead of them. In limited numbers in makeshift defences but they were there nevertheless and after weeks of relentless fighting both sides were exhausted. But this is what the Allies also knew – that they did not need to defeat the German onslaught, they just needed to survive it. If it failed then the war was won in this year – 1918 – not the following year as most of the Allies expected. Slowly at first and then with mounting realisation the German advance slowed and stopped. Attacks elsewhere were initially equally successful but quickly stopped too. Finally it was over.

But the new status quo could not be allowed to last for long. The British alongside their Australian, Canadian and South African allies counterattacked and push the weary German forces back and back again. Tanks in ever increasing numbers were thrown into the fight and greatly assisted in attack after attack despite increasing loses. Even the first tank vs tank battle took place – a clear sign of things to come. But once the German forces began falling back they never moved forward again. In a matter of weeks they were back at their starting lines and retreating further towards home and Fatherland. The end of the war was now only a matter of time.

Coincidentally, because I don’t actually plan my reading this well, it was the 100 anniversary of Amiens just recently. It was a pivotal stand which helped turn the war from defeat into victory. After Amiens the Germans only moved back – not forward. Told with real verve and passion this was an exciting blow by blow account of how the Allies survived a massive onslaught which could have possibly ended the war in Germany’s favour in 1918 producing a potentially very different world. More on this time and the consequences of WW1 to come.