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The Nivelle Offensive was a 1917 French attack on the Western Front in the First World War. Promised as the assault that would end the war within 48 hours, with casualties expected of around 10,000 men, it failed on both counts.[8] It was a three-stage plan:
The high levels of casualties rapidly caused unrest throughout the French Army, and led to a change of leadership of the French Army.
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When Robert Nivelle took over from Joseph Joffre as French Commander-in-Chief in December 1916 after the costly fighting at Verdun and the Somme, he argued that a massive onslaught on German lines would bring French victory in 48 hours.[9] 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.[10]
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 Roye and Reims. Its main focus was a massive assault on the German positions along the Chemin des Dames ridge, in the Second Battle of the Aisne, and an eventual linkup with other Allied forces. 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.[10]
The offensive started with a massive artillery bombardment. Following the bombardment, French infantry and tanks advanced on the German defenses. The unprotected infantry suffered heavy casualties and French tanks were shot to pieces before they could have any effect. The French infantry managed to overpower the first line of trenches in fierce fighting but were then stopped on the plateau by intense fire from the new portable MG 08/15 machine-guns emplaced in unusually large numbers. Despite the huge losses, some gains were made mostly by the divisions led by general Mangin. However, the offensive was scaled back over the next two weeks. Progress was slow but by May 5, a 4 kilometer stretch of the German defensive line had been captured. A final French assault was launched after May 5 but failed after four days of indecisive fighting, causing the offensive to be abandoned in disarray.[10]
The offensive achieved very little in the way of territorial gain, nowhere near the 48-hour breakthrough envisaged. The French admitted to having suffered 96,000 casualties, but the true figure may have been twice as great;[4] nearly 120,000 were suffered in the first five days.[1] Most of the new French Schneider tanks were destroyed by artillery fire. The Germans admitted a loss of 163,000, but this almost certainly includes the 20,780 German prisoners claimed by the French.[11] Meanwhile, British and Russian forces, in their attempts to link up with the French, had also lost heavily, with 160,000 British and 5,183 Russian casualties. In the aftermath of its end on 9 May 1917, Nivelle was sacked, ending his career.
The French had predicted 10,000 casualties, and as a result, French medical support collapsed. The massive losses sparked 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 weapons.