10 WWI myths debunked

MGR1 · 01-20-14, 08:27 AM

Good stuff!

Mind you, I'm an amateur historian, so none of what Dan Snow's written comes as any surprise.

I deliberately didn't do history at school because I knew we were going to get all the same old drivel. One of my school mates waxed lyrical about HMS Dreadnought after one class - I completely threw him when I informed him she was clapped out and obsolescent by 1914! You should have seen his face - talk about a mental short circuit!!

Mike.

Sailor Steve · 01-20-14, 08:59 AM

Fascinating.

Most of my knowledge of the period is quite specific, so I was unaware of much of the big picture. Thanks for sharing that.

Herr-Berbunch · 01-20-14, 09:06 AM

Looking at the stats, Eton isn't a good grounding for going to war!

fireftr18 · 01-20-14, 09:45 AM

Interesting article. Some of the things I didn't even think about. Some things were indeed against what I have been taught.

01-20-14, 10:13 AM

#5 is misleading.
Alan Clark made up the source of the quote, but the words in the quote were contemporary and in many cases perfectly accurate.

Kazuaki Shimazaki II · 01-20-14, 10:18 AM

I don't have much problem buying the other points, but I must wonder about

Quote:

9. The Versailles Treaty was extremely harsh

Why does no one even make a pipsqueak about the military stuff, which IMHO is really the harshest part of all. You can lose land (to an extent), you can lose money ... you can recover. Lose your Army, and you are at the mercy of others. What part of this is so hard to understand?

MGR1 · 01-20-14, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tribesman

#5 is misleading.
Alan Clark made up the source of the quote, but the words in the quote were contemporary and in many cases perfectly accurate.

I've read it was indeed a German remark, but about French generals in the Franco-Prussian war! Either way, it's good copy, and undoubtedly painful for Snow as his Grandfather was one of the commanders who couldn't make the transition to modern warfare.

If you want an example of a spectacularly bad WW1 general, look up Luigi Cadorna.

Twelve Battles of the Isonzo? The last being a major Italian defeat.

Mike.

Catfish · 01-20-14, 02:28 PM

And then there is german General Deimling ...

MGR1 · 01-21-14, 07:17 AM

Diemling was a subordinate commander (albeit a strange one, looking at his bio

), whilst Cadorna did more human damage as he was Italian C-in-C.

I'm still surprised that the Italian troops didn't mutiny like their French counterparts. Which brings me to the French generals - they were no great prize either!

It just goes to show that if you dig deeper, you'll find that very few senior officers in WW1 acquitted themselves well, regardless of nationality. Just singling out the British for special treatment is being disingenuous.

IMHO,

Mike.

01-20-14, 08:27 AM	#1
MGR1 Grey Wolf Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom Posts: 980 Downloads: 252 Uploads: 0	Good stuff! Mind you, I'm an amateur historian, so none of what Dan Snow's written comes as any surprise. I deliberately didn't do history at school because I knew we were going to get all the same old drivel. One of my school mates waxed lyrical about HMS Dreadnought after one class - I completely threw him when I informed him she was clapped out and obsolescent by 1914! You should have seen his face - talk about a mental short circuit!! Mike. __________________ "I am the battleship Jean Bart. This name originates from a certain 'respected' privateer... Yes? You want to know what privateers are? Hmph, they are pirates that rob openly under the banner of their country." Jean Bart from the mobile game Azur Lane.

01-20-14, 08:59 AM	#2
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Fascinating. Most of my knowledge of the period is quite specific, so I was unaware of much of the big picture. Thanks for sharing that. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

01-20-14, 09:06 AM	#3
Herr-Berbunch Kaiser Bill's batman Join Date: May 2010 Location: AN72 Posts: 13,203 Downloads: 76 Uploads: 0	Looking at the stats, Eton isn't a good grounding for going to war! __________________

01-20-14, 09:45 AM	#4
fireftr18 Ocean Warrior Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 2,528 Downloads: 77 Uploads: 0	Interesting article. Some of the things I didn't even think about. Some things were indeed against what I have been taught. __________________ Of all the forms of Martial Arts, Karaoke causes the most pain!

01-21-14, 07:17 AM	#9
MGR1 Grey Wolf Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom Posts: 980 Downloads: 252 Uploads: 0	Diemling was a subordinate commander (albeit a strange one, looking at his bio ), whilst Cadorna did more human damage as he was Italian C-in-C. I'm still surprised that the Italian troops didn't mutiny like their French counterparts. Which brings me to the French generals - they were no great prize either! It just goes to show that if you dig deeper, you'll find that very few senior officers in WW1 acquitted themselves well, regardless of nationality. Just singling out the British for special treatment is being disingenuous. IMHO, Mike. __________________ "I am the battleship Jean Bart. This name originates from a certain 'respected' privateer... Yes? You want to know what privateers are? Hmph, they are pirates that rob openly under the banner of their country." Jean Bart from the mobile game Azur Lane.

01-20-14, 10:13 AM	#5
Tribesman Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	#5 is misleading. Alan Clark made up the source of the quote, but the words in the quote were contemporary and in many cases perfectly accurate.

01-20-14, 02:28 PM	#8
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 17,799 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	And then there is german General Deimling ...

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