Attaque à outrance (French: Attack to excess) was the expression of a military philosophy common to many armies in the period before and during the earlier parts of World War I.
A French bayonet charge in 1913.
This philosophy was a response to the increasing weight of defensive firepower that accrued to armies in the nineteenth century, as a result of several technological innovations, notably breech-loading rifled guns, machine guns, and light field artillery firing high-explosive shells. It held that the victor would be the side with the strongest will, courage, and dash/energy (élan), and that every attack must therefore be pushed to the limit.[1] The lethality of artillery, combined with the lack of mobility of infantry, as well as the subsequent development of trench warfare, rendered this tactic extremely costly and usually ineffective.
The philosophy is particularly associated with the French, due to its adoption by Noël de Castelnau in the First Battle of Champagne (1914), and by Robert Nivelle in the Nivelle offensive (1917). Joseph Joffre, French chief of general staff from 1911 on, had originally adopted the doctrine for the French military and purged the army of 'defensively-minded' commanders.[2] However, all sides launched large, costly and futile frontal offensives in this style: the British at the Battle of the Somme (1916), the Germans in the First Battle of Ypres (1914), the Russians in the Brusilov offensive (1916), and so on.
The origins of this doctrine are traced back to the increasingly militarized 'Warrior Culture' that most European nations developed during the 19th century, where the ideal citizen was the soldier employed by his homeland. This predisposed officers and soldiers towards narrow ideals focusing on blind courage in the face of war's adversity.[3]
Jack Snyder: The Ideology of the Offensive: Military Decision Making and the Disasters of 1914. Cornell University Press, Ithaca 1984. ISBN0-8014-8244-5. Cornell Paperbacks 1989, ISBN978-0801482441.
Frenchedit
Dimitry Queloz (2006), De la manœuvre napoléonienne à l'offensive à outrance. La tactique générale de l'armée française – 1871–1914. Paris, Éditions Économica, 2009 (564 p.), ISBN978-2-7178-5685-9 (dissertation, University of Neuchâtel)
Jean-Claude Delhez (2013), Douze mythes de l'année 1914, Paris, Economica, coll. « Mystères de guerre » (no 2), 2013, 140 p. (ISBN978-2-7178-6594-3)
Jean-Marc Marril (2014), L’offensive à outrance : une doctrine unanimement partagée par les grandes puissances militaires en 1914 (The all-out offensive: A doctrine shared unanimously by the great military powers in 1914), Revue historique des armées, no 274, 2014 (online)
Referencesedit
^The Philosophy of Trench Warfare on the Western Front in the Great War 19 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine – Payne, David, from westernfront.com, retrieved Monday 29 May 2006
^First World War – Willmott, H.P., Dorling Kindersley, 2003, Page 52
attaque, outrance, french, attack, excess, expression, military, philosophy, common, many, armies, period, before, during, earlier, parts, world, french, bayonet, charge, 1913, this, philosophy, response, increasing, weight, defensive, firepower, that, accrued. Attaque a outrance French Attack to excess was the expression of a military philosophy common to many armies in the period before and during the earlier parts of World War I A French bayonet charge in 1913 This philosophy was a response to the increasing weight of defensive firepower that accrued to armies in the nineteenth century as a result of several technological innovations notably breech loading rifled guns machine guns and light field artillery firing high explosive shells It held that the victor would be the side with the strongest will courage and dash energy elan and that every attack must therefore be pushed to the limit 1 The lethality of artillery combined with the lack of mobility of infantry as well as the subsequent development of trench warfare rendered this tactic extremely costly and usually ineffective The philosophy is particularly associated with the French due to its adoption by Noel de Castelnau in the First Battle of Champagne 1914 and by Robert Nivelle in the Nivelle offensive 1917 Joseph Joffre French chief of general staff from 1911 on had originally adopted the doctrine for the French military and purged the army of defensively minded commanders 2 However all sides launched large costly and futile frontal offensives in this style the British at the Battle of the Somme 1916 the Germans in the First Battle of Ypres 1914 the Russians in the Brusilov offensive 1916 and so on The origins of this doctrine are traced back to the increasingly militarized Warrior Culture that most European nations developed during the 19th century where the ideal citizen was the soldier employed by his homeland This predisposed officers and soldiers towards narrow ideals focusing on blind courage in the face of war s adversity 3 Contents 1 See also 2 Further reading 2 1 English 2 2 French 3 ReferencesSee also editCult of the offensive Human wave attackFurther reading editEnglish edit Douglas Porch The March to the Marne The French Army 1871 1914 Cambridge University Press 2003 ISBN 0 521 54592 7 Jack Snyder The Ideology of the Offensive Military Decision Making and the Disasters of 1914 Cornell University Press Ithaca 1984 ISBN 0 8014 8244 5 Cornell Paperbacks 1989 ISBN 978 0801482441 French edit Dimitry Queloz 2006 De la manœuvre napoleonienne a l offensive a outrance La tactique generale de l armee francaise 1871 1914 Paris Editions Economica 2009 564 p ISBN 978 2 7178 5685 9 dissertation University of Neuchatel Jean Claude Delhez 2013 Douze mythes de l annee 1914 Paris Economica coll Mysteres de guerre no 2 2013 140 p ISBN 978 2 7178 6594 3 Jean Marc Marril 2014 L offensive a outrance une doctrine unanimement partagee par les grandes puissances militaires en 1914 The all out offensive A doctrine shared unanimously by the great military powers in 1914 Revue historique des armees no 274 2014 online References edit The Philosophy of Trench Warfare on the Western Front in the Great War Archived 19 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine Payne David from westernfront com retrieved Monday 29 May 2006 First World War Willmott H P Dorling Kindersley 2003 Page 52 A History of Warfare Keegan John Vintage Thursday 1 November 1994 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Attaque a outrance amp oldid 1090919542, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
