(07-31-2014 11:30 AM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  

(07-31-2014 10:06 AM)Smaug Wrote:  19th century tactics, 20th century weapons. A big factor in the crazy casualty numbers.

Yep...but...Who could not foresee the need for a damn helmet?

Tactics of the day, especially French tactics of the day emphasized attack. If was felt that things like helmets and body armor would slow the infantry soldier down too much.

It took them a while to figure things out the new Rules of War.

Both sides were still looking for the "breakthrough" of the lines, even in 1918, that they could finally pour their cavalry through to get the final overwhelming victory. With machine guns eliminate cavalry as a "breakthrough" weapon, this war moved at the pace of the foot soldiers' feet, even when they did break through the trenches.

Germany came very near to achieving the "Lightning Victory" of the Schlieffen Plan in August of 1914. It was only when French troops stopped them on the Marne River with massed machine gun defenses that the German advance was halted.

How did those troops get to the Marne? Mechanized warfare!

Every taxis is Paris was used to move those troops to the river.

Who remembered the lesson of the Marne a month later? Not 1 single general.