World War I Trench Warfare - Osprey Elite 078-084
Publication Year : 2002
Language : English
Volume 1: World War I Trench Warfare - 1914-16
The regular armies which marched off to war in 1914 were composed of massed riflemen, screened by cavalry and supported by artillery; their leaders expected a quick and decisive outcome, achieved by sweeping manoeuvre, bold leadership and skill at arms. Eighteen months later the whole nature of field armies and their tactics had changed utterly. In sophisticated trench systems forming a battlefield a few miles wide and 400 miles long, conscript armies sheltered from massive long-range bombardment, wielding new weapons according to new tactical doctrines. This first of two richly illustrated studies explains in detail the specifics of that extraordinary transformation, complete with ten full colour plates of uniforms and equipment.
Volume 2: World War I Trench Warfare - 1916-18
The Allied attempt to break the stalemate of trench warfare by the 'big pushes' of 1916 led to massively costly battles of attrition. The Germans responded by developing schemes of defence in depth anchored on concrete bunkers; the Allies, by sophisticated artillery tactics in support of infantry assaults, and by the introduction of the tank - at first an accident-prone novelty, but later a front-breaking weapon. On both sides the small, self-reliant, opportunistic infantry unit, with its own specialist weapons, became the basic tool of attack. This second of a fascinating two-part study of the birth of 20th century tactics is illustrated in colour and includes rare photographs.
The author
Dr Stephen Bull is the Curator of the Museum of Lancashire in Preston. Born in 1960, he graduated from the University of Wales with a BA (Hons) in history in 1981, and obtained his doctorate from University College, Swansea. For several years he worked at the National Army Museum, on a fortifications project and later in the Weapons Department. He has written numerous articles for specialist journals, including a number on the weapons and tactics of World War I.
