Nivelle offensive

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The Nivelle offensive was a 1917 Allied attack on the Western Front in World War I. The operation was a costly failure.

When Robert Nivelle took over from Joseph Joffre as French Commander-in-Chief in December 1916, he argued that a massive onslaught on German lines would bring French victory in 48 hours. The plan was put into action on 16 April 1917 after support from France's Prime Minister, despite strong disapproval from other high-ranking officials.

The Nivelle offensive was a huge and costly undertaking, involving around 1.2 million troops and 7,000 artillery pieces on a broad front between Royle and Reims. Its main focus was a massive assault on the German positions along the Aisne river, in the Second Battle of the Aisne. From the start the plan, which had been in development since December 1916, was plagued by delays and information leaks. By the time it went into action in April 1917, the plans were well known to the German army, who took appropriate defensive measures as a result.

The offensive achieved very little in the way of territorial gain, nowhere near the 48-hour breakthrough envisaged. In the aftermath of its end on 9 May 1917, Nivelle was sacked, ending his career. There were over 187,000 French casualties alone, sparking widespread mutiny in the French army, including one famous incident where as the offensive was winding down the French 2nd division arrived on the battlefield, drunk and without weaponry.