The Western Front 1914-1916: From the Schlieffen Plan to Verdun and the Somme

The Western Front of World War I was a static line of trench systems from the North Sea to the Swiss border, with both sides employing massive artillery bombardments and attacks by tens of thousands of soldiers. The 1916 Battle of the Somme resulted in 60,000 Allied casualties, including 20,000 deaths. The United States entered the war in 1917, and by 1918 had an army of around half a million men. The World War I series recreates the battles and campaigns of the war, with photographs, maps, and text.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 14 February 2022
Publisher: Amber Books Ltd

The Western Front, which extended from the North Sea coast to the Swiss border, was characterized by a relatively static line of trench systems during the early months of World War I. In an attempt to breach the opposing lines of trenches and barbed wire entanglements, both sides launched massive artillery bombardments followed by attacks involving tens of thousands of soldiers. These battles often lasted for months, resulting in casualties measured in hundreds of thousands for both the attackers and defenders. Following the Gallipoli campaign, Australians were deployed to fight in France on the Western Front, participating in significant battles such as the Battle of the Somme. On the first day of the 1916 Battle of the Somme, 60,000 Allies were casualties, including 20,000 deaths. The primary adversaries on the Western Front were Germany to the East, facing a western alliance consisting of France and the United Kingdom, with substantial contingents from the British Empire, particularly the Dominions. The United States entered the war in 1917 and, by the summer of 1918, had amassed an army of around half a million men, which grew to a million by the time the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918.

For the majority of World War I, Allied Forces, primarily those of France and the British Empire, were entrenched in trenches on the Western Front. As the last surviving veterans of World War I pass away, and the 90th anniversary of the Armistice approaches in November 2008, it is an opportune moment to reassess this contentious war and shed new light on the conflict. The World War I series, supported by a collection of black and white, color, and previously unpublished photographs, aims to recreate the historical context of this pivotal period.

Weight: 652g
Dimension: 194 x 244 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781838861322