Early Trench Tactics in the French Army: The Second Battle of Artois, May–June 1915 by Jonathan Krause (review)

an additional 85 miles of streets, 420 miles of sidewalks, 46,000 trees, 17,000 gas streetlamps, not to mention 700,000 new inhabitants in just 20 years; but Kirkland never loses sight of the “tremendous human and cultural cost” of the enterprise (2). He is an accomplished storyteller who interweaves, seemingly effortlessly, information on architecture, urban planning, politics, history, economics, and the arts, bringing to life an extensive cast of colorful characters from various walks of life. Readers will relish his animated accounts of lavish celebrations hosted by Napoléon III (the emperor’s inclination“to a sort of austerity”notwithstanding [105]); Queen Victoria’s visit to Paris; the quest for safer drinking water (before Second Empire advances, water was obtained directly from the Seine and left to sit for a day so the solids could settle); the expropriation of an astonishing 20% of the city’s population so that the grands travaux could be realized. Paris Reborn is a well-substantiated, measured treatment of a key period in French history, noteworthy above all for its ability to help us visualize the metamorphosis of the“old”Paris we will never know into the one we know and love. University of Arkansas Hope Christiansen Krause, Jonathan. Early Trench Tactics in the French Army: The Second Battle of Artois, May–June 1915. Farnham: Ashgate, 2013. ISBN 978-1-4094-5500-4. Pp. xviii + 180. £65. Krause focuses on two aspects of First World War history comparatively untreated in English-language studies: trench operations in the year 1915 (frequently dismissed in historical literature as a wasteful and stagnant year of pointless “mud and blood”), and the dominant role played by the French army and its commanders (whose part is often misleadingly left in the background in Anglophone studies) in the theory and execution of western front operations. Krause fills these two gaps in Great War historiography , overturning the general misconception surrounding 1915 as a year in which‘nothing happened,’while simultaneously demonstrating how the French army and its leaders were at the forefront of tactical innovations that would lead to later allied successes and final victory. Krause’s study is centered on a detailed analysis of “note 5779” (Conditions et buts d’une action offensive d’ensemble), the foundational tactical doctrine formulated by the French army for approaching trench warfare in early 1915, coupled with the manner in which that document’s ideas were applied during the second battle of Artois. Krause bases his arguments on a critical analysis of primary sources,mostly official army documents such as written orders,action reports, unit histories, and other records. The information provided in Krause’s study is very rich, including such minute but important points as unit frontages, ammunition allotments , and bombardment durations. By comparing and contrasting the performances of two infantry divisions participating in second Artois, and the conditions under which each of those divisions met, or failed to meet, their objectives, Krause is able to 288 FRENCH REVIEW 87.3 Reviews 289 examine the tensions between theoretical doctrine and practical battlefield experience which triggered an evolution of French trench tactics over the course of 1915 as a whole. Krause effectively makes the case that, far from being a year of stagnation, 1915 was a crucial year in the learning curve of trench warfare, and that French commanders in particular were quick to grasp that year’s lessons. The potential reader of this book should be aware that this is not a social, cultural, or political history of the First World War. Those looking for such a history should search elsewhere. However, for the reader interested in the military history of the war, this book is an excellent choice. It is tempting to oversimplify events of the Great War and embrace the standard clichés that have been reiterated decade after decade in its wake. The solid detail and analysis of Krause’s Early Trench Tactics shakes up those clichés and forces the reader to reconsider the commonly perceived‘sterility’of early trench warfare. For the specialist military historian, or for the very well read amateur, this book is highly recommended. Ohio University Christopher Coski Kuisel, Richard F. The French Way: How...