The First World War (2003) – S1, Ep6 – Breaking the Deadlock

Breaking the Deadlock

Attrition; “lions led by donkeys”, the slaughter only ceasing for a brief truce one Christmas – old, mistaken views of the war on the Western Front. In fact there was constant tactical evolutions; hundreds of generals died in action; some men adopted a system of “Live and Let Live”, with countless informal local truces. The Germans tried new ideas at Verdun: 750,000 French and Germans died with little gain.

After terrible failure on the Somme the British used tanks at Cambrai, but the Germans clawed back lost ground. Victory on the Western Front would go to the side …