Professional Documents
Culture Documents
H A IG’S EN EMY
OUP CORRECTED PROOF – FINAL, 19/12/17, SPi
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OUP CORRECTED PROOF – FINAL, 19/12/17, SPi
Acknowledgements
I could not have completed this book without the help and support of too
many people to list here. I am immensely grateful, first, for the encourage-
ment and support, moral and practical, that I have received from friends and
colleagues both at the University of Birmingham and within the history
community more broadly. The generosity I have encountered has been
inspiring. Nick Crowson, Elaine Fulton, Sabine Lee, and Corey Ross helped
create the space for me to research this book, and my fellow foot-soldiers in
the War Studies trenches, past and present, kindly took up the teaching slack.
Pete Gray has been a good friend and a sage mentor to whose wisdom
I owe much. Members of the Centre for War Studies, most notably John
Bourne, have offered inspiration and education in equal measure at our
seminars. I am grateful to the participants at a range of seminars and confer-
ences to whom I have presented aspects of this work over the years, for their
comments and suggestions; and to those who took part in the 2014 and
2016 British Army staff rides to the Western Front, from whom I learnt
much. I am especially grateful to Holger Afflerbach, Tony Cowan, Robert
Foley, Markus Pöhlmann, Christian Stachelbeck, and Dave Zabecki, all of
whom shared their expertise in the history of the German military with a
generosity and patience which was humbling to this novice. My students,
inevitably, have taught me the most: I thank them for that and for turning a
job into a joy.
Special thanks to Professors David French, David Stevenson, and Sir
Hew Strachan, who have been especially supportive in multiple ways, most
of them beyond the call of duty.
Without the help of archivists, not much history would get written. I am
grateful to the staffs of the following archives and libraries: in Britain, the
British Library, Imperial War Museum, London Library, National Archives, and
National Army Museum; in Germany, the Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv in
Freiburg im Breisgau, and, in Munich, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
and Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, both Abteilung IV (Kriegsarchiv) and
OUP CORRECTED PROOF – FINAL, 19/12/17, SPi
Contents
List of Illustrations ix
List of Maps xi
Maps xii
Introduction 1
PA RT I. TO WA R 1914
1. Rupprecht’s Road to War 11
2. The Battle of the Frontiers 17
3. The End of the Campaign in Lorraine 27
4. The First Battle of the Somme 35
5. To Ypres 41
PA RT II. T H E A N V I L 1915–16
6. A Difficult Winter 57
7. A Successful Spring 68
8. Further Victories 83
9. Verdun and the Road to the Somme 92
10. Early Days on the Somme 100
11. Rupprecht the General 108
viii Con t e n ts
PA RT I V. Y E A R OF DE F E ATS 1918
19. Planning the Spring Offensives 201
20. Operation MICHAEL 210
21. Operation GEORGETTE and Summer 1918 220
22. The Hundred Days 233
23. Rupprecht on the Run 247
PA RT V. CONCLUSIONS
24. Rupprecht the Field Marshal 257
25. Rupprecht and Politics 269
26. Last Words 277
List of Illustrations
List of Maps
Maps
XXXXX
BR British Army Group
XXXX
Bav Bavarian
Army
XXX
FR French
Corps
Australian and New Zealand
ANZAC Army Corps XX
Division
AUS Australian
German
CAN Canadian
Infantry
Gds Guards
Cavalry
NZ New Zealand
Ter Territorial
Railways
Canals
Sea DENMARK
GREAT
BRITAIN
RUSSIA
Atlantic NETH.
GERMANY
Ocean BEL.
FRANCE AUSTRIA–
SWITZ. HUNGARY
ROMANIA
(1916) Black Sea
AL
SERBIA
UG
ITALY BULGARIA
SPAIN
RT
(1915) MONT.
(1915)
PO
ALBANIA
OTTOMAN EMPIRE
Mediterranean Sea (1914)
GREECE
(1917)
MOROCCO ALGERIA
Me
use
Compiègne
Aisne
Rouen Soissons
Reims Verdun Metz Lorraine
Ves
ine
ise
le Champagne Morhange
Rh
Se O St
ine Château- Épernay M
Meaux ar Mihiel
Thierry ne Strasbourg
e Nancy
rn
Ma Petit Morin
Meu
Grand Mor
PARIS in Alsace
se
M
ne
os
Sei
ell
e
Epinal
ges
Troyes Freiburg
Vo s
F R A N C E
Mulhouse
Basel
Belfort
LUXEMBOURG 30 kms
30 miles N
e
ell
os
M
Sa
Thionville
rre
XXXX GERMANY
6
Rupprecht
LORRAINE
Metz
St Avold Sarreguemines
XXX
Seille
II
XXX Bav
III Morhange XXX
Bav
XXXX
XXI XXX
2 I
Castelnau Bav
Vic
BASSE
ALSACE
Dieuze Sarrebourg XXX
ine
Toul Lagarde
Rh
Nancy XXX
XV
er
Riv
(-)
XIX
Cirey Strasbourg
Lunéville
Manonviller Vezouze
Badonviller
Charmes
Mo
XXXX
sell
Me
s
e
ntain
urt
FRANCE Épinal
7
he
Heeringen
Mou
XXXX
ges
1
Vos
Dubail Colmar
Thann
Key Mulhouse
International boundary Belfort
Approximate limit of ine
HAUTE r Rh
French advance,
ALSACE Rive
evening 19 August 1914
Montbéliard Basle
Approximate line of
maximum German
advance, SWITZERLAND
s
ub
25 August 1914
Do
© BAT 2016
4. Lorraine 1914
Gommecourt brai
Arra
N Cam
s
Bapaume
Miraumont
Nord
Beaumont-
Hamel
al du
Thiepval
Rive
r So
l
na
mm
Riv
Ca
er
e
ise
tin
Avr
rO
en
e
ve
Qu
Ham Ri
St
Nesle
Roye
10 miles
Montdidier 10 km © BAT 2016
5. Somme 1914
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N XXX Forest of
Houthulst XXXX
XXIII Res
4
XX Württemberg
Ypre Canal XXX
89 Ter FR
s—C
XX Bixshcoote Poelcapelle
ines
87 Ter FR Langemarck
XX
Passchendaele
1
Boesinghe Pilckem St
XXX Julien XX Gravenstafel
XXX
Elverdinghe I 2
Zonnebeke Broodseinde
St
Jean
XXVII Res
Vlamertinghe XX XXX
XX
Poperinghe 17 FR
YPRES IV 7 Terhand
Zillebeke
Gheluvelt
XX
Dickebusch
3
Zandvoorde Gheluwe Lys
St Eloi River
MENIN
XX
XXX 2
Wytschaete
Kemmel
Cav Mount XX
Kemmel Wervicq XXX
Messines
1 Comines
V XXXX
XXX
Wulverghem
Neuve
Warneton
XXX IV 6
XX
Eglise Rupprecht
Bailleul 4 I
Ploegsteert
XXX XXX
TOURCOING
Frelinghien
III XIX
Nieppe
ROUBAIX
Armentières
Lys
er
Riv
Bois
Estaires Grenier
Laventie
LILLE
Fromelles
Aubers
Neuve
Chapelle
Festubert Seclin
Givenchy
LA Phalempin
BASSÉE
Key
3 miles British positions on 21 October 1914
3 km British positions on 23 October 1914
© BAT 2016
6. Flanders 1914
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Béthune
La
Bas
sée LA BASSÉE
Can Givenchy-lès-
al
la-Bassée
nal
Cuinchy
eule Ca
Haisnes Douvrin
Annequin
Haute D
XXXX Sailly
1 BR
N Haig
Vermelles Hulluch
Noeux-
les-Mines
Mazingarbe
Loos
Hill 70
Grenay
Bully-
les-Mines
ez
Souch
River
Aix
LENS
Lor
ett
e Angres
Spu Notre-Dame
r XXXX de Lorette XXXX
165 m
10 FR 6
d’ Urbal Rupprecht
Ablain- Givenchy-
St Nazaire en-Gohelle
Souchez
V 140 m
Carency
im
y
Vimy
La
Folie
Neuville- Farm
Farbus
Mont- St-Vaast R
River St-Eloi id
Scarp g
e Thélus
e
The
Labyrinth
Bailleul
Écurie Roclincourt
Maroeuil
Anzin
St St
Nicolas Laurent
River
Scarp
e
ARRAS
Feuchy
Danville
Tilloy
Key
Allied front lines at start of
Beaurains
Second Battle of Artois
Allied front lines by 5 miles
13 October 1915 5 km © BAT 2016
7. Artois 1915
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Gommecourt 5 miles
XXXX 5 km
Hébuterne
3
Allenby
3
Serre
N
XXXX XXX
Res XIV BAPAUME
Res XXX XXXX
Stein
Beaumont-Hamel Gd Res
Warlencourt 1
Butte de Marschall
St-Pierre-
Warlencourt Below
XXXX Divion
Le Sars
Courcelette Le Transloy
Res Gueudecourt XXX
Gough Thiepval
Martinpuich XXII
High Wood
Lesboeufs Res
Pozières Kirchbach
Res Bazentin
XXXX Wood
Delville Morval Sailly-
Ovillers Wood
Sallisel
4 Longueval Leuze
Wood St-Pierre-Vaast
La-Boisselle Trones
Wood Wood
Mametz Wood
ALBERT Montauban
Fricourt Combles
Bernafay
Mametz Wood Rancourt
Bouchavesnes XXX
Maricourt XXVII
XXXX Res
cre BEF X Fas-
An
XX bender
4 XX FR Curlu Cléry
le
To La
Rawlinson
rtil
Mt St
Quentin
Bray-sur- Frise
Feuilleres Halles
Somme
PÉRONNE
Cappy
Somme Flaucourt
XXXX Fontaine- Becquincourt
Lès-Cappy 6 FR Barleux
6 XXXX XXX
Fayolle 10 FR Belloy
Proyart XVII
Foucaucourt Estrées Fleck
Berny Villers-
XXXX Soyécourt Carbonnel
Deniécourt
10 Genermont
Micheler Vermandovillers
Som
Ablaincourt
me
Key XXXX
Pressoir
Front Line on:
1 July 1916 Lihons
Chaulnes 2
10 July 1916 Gallwitz
28 August 1916 XXX
30 September 1916 IX
Chilly Quast
31 October 1916
15 November 1916
XXXX Army boundary
XXXXX BEF/French army
boundary Nesle
© BAT 2016
8. Somme 1916
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XXX XX
N Key
6 LENS Front line: 9 April 1917
I Liéven
XXX Front line: 27 May 1917
XX I Bav
Res XXXX Army boundary
Lor XX
ette 79 Res
Méricourt
Spu 24
r The Pimple
Souchez Hill 119
XXXX XX Givenchy Drocourt
4 CAN
Hill Vimy Acheville
1 XX
145 XX
DOUAI
Horne 3 CAN
Fresnoy
XX 1 Bav Res Quiéry
XXX Farbus Arleux
2 CAN
Vi
m
XX
CAN Oppy
yR
idg
1 CAN
Bailleul pe
e
1
car
XX
X rS
XXX 3
XX
e
Marœuil
51 XX Gavrelle Riv
14 Bav
XXX 34
XX
Vitry XXXX
XVII 9
XX Athies Fampoux 6
Rœux
15 Falkenhausen
XXX XX XXX
ARRAS XX
Sailly
12 Feuchy
VI IX Res sée
XX
11
Monchy-le- en
3
erS
XXXX XX Tilloy XX Preux Riv
14
17 Res
3 XX
Guémappe
Allenby 56
Wancourt Dury
Neuville Vis
Wailly Héninel
XX
St Martin CAM
Ficheux 30 XX Fontaine BRA
XX I
l
Hendecourt
jeu
18 Res
Co
XX
XXX 220 Cagnicourt
Boyelles
er
Riencourt
Riv
21
Croisilles
VII Bullecourt
XX
Adinfer 62 elle
XX
Quéant nd
3 X iro
rH
XX XXX Ecoust 4 e
AUS Riv
Ayette X 5 Noreuil
V
Ervillers
Mory Lagnicourt
Vaulx- Boursies
Ablainzeville Vrauqcourt XXX
Morchies
XXXX I ANZAC
Beugnâtre Doignies
5
Beaumetz
Gough BAPAUME
5 miles
5 km © BAT 2016
9. Arras 1917
OUP CORRECTED PROOF – FINAL, 19/12/17, SPi
Key
N St
Forest of Houthulst
Allied Lines:
ee
nb XX Morning 31 July 1917
ee
k Evening 31 July 1917
2 Gd Res
20 September 1917
7 December 1917
Yes-
ER DE
Ypre
E X MU
Koekuit
N
PP X X IX
XX
s Ca
Bro
D
YP
enb
E
Bixschoote eek
PP
50 Res
nal
RU
RU
G
G
XXXX Steenstraat
Lizerne XX Poelcappelle
1 FR 111 Langemarck
Anthoine Het Sas
1 FR XX Stroom
St
X beek
XXX Passchendaele
ee
Pilckem
nb
5 Gds Kerselaere XX
XX
ee
Boesinghe Kitchener’s
k
Wood Gravenstafel 221
3 Gd St
XXX XX Julien
XX Tyne Cot
XIV 38
Elverdinghe 23 XX
XX
51 XX 235
Broodseinde
XXX 39
Wieltje XXXX
XVII Zonnebeke
Frezenberg
Brielen
St
XX 4
Jean 55 von Arnim
XXXX XXX
XX
XX
Potijze
Vlamertinghe 15
5 XIX 38
Westhoek Polygon
Gough XX Wood
8 Becelaere
YPRES Hooge
Zillebeke XX Sanctuary
Lake Wood XX Veldhoek
30
GRU
Zillebeke GRPPE
52 Res UPP X X YPER
X
GheluveltEW X N
XXX YTS
53 18 CH
XX AET
II Klein Herenthage XX E
Zillebeke Woods Me
24 nin
119 Roa
d
Dickebusch Shrewsbury
XX Kruiseecke
Vormezeele Forest
Dickebusch
Lake XX 22 Res
5 XXX
XXXX Zandvoorde
2 St Eloi 41
X
XX
XX
Vierstraat 19 Hollebeke
XXX 12
XX
IX
Oosttaverne 10 Bav
XX Houthem
Wytschaete XX
37
Kemmel Yp
XX re 207
s-
Mount XXXX 18 Res Ca Com
Kemmel na in
l e s
2 Garde-Dieu
Messines Gapaard COMINES
Plumer
Wulverghem XX
ys
3 AUS er L
River Douve XXX Riv
I I ANZAC GRUPPE
XX
Warneton WYTSCHAETE
Neuve Eglise Hill 63 NZ XXX
GRUPPE LILLE
2500 yds
Ploegsteert Wood © BAT 2016
2500 m
Inchy
Mœuvres Fontaine-
Notre-Dame XXXX
XX Cantaing 2
XX
XXX
56 20 LW Graincourt
um e XIII
Bapa
XX
36 Flesquières Rumilly
Marcoing
Hermies Masniéres
Havrincourt Ribécourt
XX Crèvecœur
l
na
54
d
Ca
or
XX
N
du
l
62 Trescault na
XX Ca
tin
XX en
Havrincourt 9 Res Qu
St
Wood 51 XX
XXX 6 La
IV Vacquerie
Metz-en- III XX
IV
Couture 20
XX Banteux
Gonnelieu
29
Gouzeaucourt XX
12
XXXX
XXX III Villers-
3 Gauche VII Guislain
Wood
Byng III
Epéhy Vendhuille
Key
British front 20 November 1917
British gains 20 November 1917
Lines of Hindenburg/
Siegfriedstellung position
Limit of British advance 5 miles
5 km
XXX Corps boundary © BAT 2016
XXXX 6
XX N
6 XX17
Lens Quast R Scarpe
XXXX
Vimy Douai
1
Horne 1 XXXX
XXXX
3 17
Below
e
eld
ARRAS
ch
Sensee
RS
Canal
17 XXX
X 2 XXXX
Croisilles CAMBRAI
2
Marwitz
Doullens Flesquières
XXXX Masnières
3 Bapaume
Byng Gouzeaucourt
R Ancre
Miraumont Ytres
St Q
Villers-
du N al
ord
Can
St-Pierre Guislain
uent
Vaast
Albert Wood
in Ca
2
XX
Bray XX 18 XXXX
nal
Sailly-
Laurette PÉRONNE
AMIENS 18
3 Bellenglise Hutier
XXXX Hamel
4 Villers-
XXXX Bretonneux Tertry
4 Beauvois
Rawlinson Chaulnes ST QUENTIN
RS
BEF
om
XXXXX
Rouy-
me
Moreuil
FR le-Grand
St Simon
Nesle Cr
Ham oz
at
Roye Ca
na
R Avre l
rre
R Se
ye
R No
Cantigny Montdidier
Chauny La Fère
XXXX
3 FR
Humbert Barisis XXXX
Noyon
7
Boehn
e
Key R
R Ois
Ai
let
Start line 21 March 1918 te
23 March 1918
27 March 1918
Final position 5 April 1918 25 miles
25 km
XXXX Army boundary © BAT 2016
Key XXXX
Forest of Staden
German Lines: 4
Yse
Houthulst
r-Yp
9 April 1918 Sixt von Armin
res
10 April 1918 XXXX
Can
11 April 1918
al
12 April 1918 BE
25 April 1918 Albert Steenstraat
Poelcappelle
Formations shown at time of initial assault.
Langemarck
Passchendaele
3 miles N
3 kms GIA
BEL XXX
XX F
N BE
Vlamertinghe
YPRES
Poperinghe
Hooge Becelaere
Gheluvelt
Dickebusch
Steenvoorde
Scherpenberg
Godewaersvelde
Yp
res
La Clytte
–C
Mont des Mont
Wytschaete
om
Cats Rouge Kemmel
ine
XXXX Locre Mount COMINES
sC
Mont Kemmel
an
Noir Dranoutre
2 BR
al
Messines
Plumer Wulverghem
Caëstra
Strazeel
4
HAZEBROUCK XXXX
6
Steenwerck
ARMENTIERES
Forest of Vierhouck Bac-St-
Nieppe Maur
2
Neuf-Berquin
Lys
XXXX
er
1
Riv
Estaires
Fleurbaix Bois-
Merville Grenier
St Venant
Radinghem
Fromelles
Robecq Aubers
Vieille Chapelle
Neuve Chapelle XXXX
Fournes
Locon 6
XXXX Hinges
l
na
Quast
Ca
1 BR
le
Lil
Horne
Don
Festubert
aB
Aire-L assée Ca
BÉTHUNE nal
Givenchy La
Bassée
Cuinchy
© BAT 2016
XXXX Courtrai N
Ypres Menin
2
XXXX
Hazebrouck BELGIUM
4
XXXX Roubaix
He sitio
8 Aug
Po
Armentieres
rm n
XXXX
an
9 Sept Lille Tournai
n
5
XXXX
Béthune
6 Mons
XXXX e
a rp re
Lens
XX
XX Sc mb
Sa
1 Valenciennes
30 Aug Maubeuge
Douai
XXXX Forest of
9 Sept Mormal
Arras
17
XXXX Le
Cambrai
25 Cateau
3 Aug Havrincourt
Bapaume Avesnes
XXXX
XX XXXX
XX
4 Épehy
Albert 2 Guise Oise
Péronne
Amiens
F R A N C E
Som
9 XX
18 XX St
me
Montdidier 22 Sissonne
XX
21 Aug
8 Aug Aug 9 Sept 7
XXXX
e
XXXX Aisne Aisn 1
Compiègne
XXXX
3 FR se
Oi Soissons Vesle
10 FR
Reims
Key
Wotan Line
e Épernay
Hindenburg/Siegfried Line Château- Marn
Thierry
Armistice Line 11 November
30 miles
XXXX Army boundary 30 km © BAT 2016
Introduction
C rown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria first came alive for me a few years
ago. I was working on a book about the last few months of the war on
the Western Front and had gone to Munich to explore the archives of the
Bavarian army. These somehow escaped the Second World War firebombs
which destroyed many of the Prussian records and as a result constitute one
of the best sources for information on the German army during the First
World War. On the last day of my trip, as I was idly flicking through a folder
of apparently random documents, one sheet of paper caught my eye. It was
a passport, issued by the Dutch embassy in German-occupied Brussels,
allowing the Marquis de Villalobar and his party to enter the Netherlands
on 12 November 1918. What was it doing in the personal files of Crown
Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria?
I already knew a little about Rupprecht. I knew, for instance, that he
served as one of Germany’s most senior generals between 1914 and 1918
and spent most of the war fighting against the ‘tommies’ of the British
Expeditionary Force (BEF), leading the German Sixth Army, and later an
army group of one and a half million men, in famous battles such as Ypres,
the Somme, and Passchendaele.1 It was Rupprecht’s men who launched
Germany’s last-gasp offensives in March 1918, and when they failed it was
his army group that felt much of the weight of Allied counter-attacks dur-
ing the so-called ‘Hundred Days’ campaign in August–November 1918.
Rupprecht’s closest British counterpart and most consistent enemy was
probably Sir Douglas Haig. Like Rupprecht, Haig rose to command an army
group: the BEF; and everywhere Haig and the BEF turned from October
1914 on, Rupprecht and his men were in the way. A good parallel from
the Second World War might be the mythical rivalry between Bernard
Montgomery and Erwin Rommel, although Haig and Rupprecht, who
never met and were in no sense personal rivals, would have despised any
OUP CORRECTED PROOF – FINAL, 18/12/17, SPi
2 I n t roduct ion
Dans le cours d’un voyage que nous avons fait à Breslau en 1868,
nous avons pu étudier à loisir le célèbre manuscrit des Chroniques
de Froissart conservé dans la bibliothèque de cette ville. Quoique ce
manuscrit (coté A 29 dans notre classement des mss. du premier
livre) appartienne à une famille représentée par 7 exemplaires dont
4 sont à Paris[363], cependant il offre à partir de 1340, et surtout de
1342, certains développements qui manquent dans les autres
manuscrits de la même famille. Le Froissart de Breslau, dont la
valeur réside principalement dans les belles miniatures de l’école de
Louvain qui illustrent les deux derniers volumes[364], a été exécuté ou
grossé par David Aubert pour Antoine, bâtard de Bourgogne, en[365]
1468 et 1469; par conséquent, jusqu’à ce qu’on ait retrouvé les
développements dont nous parlons dans un manuscrit plus ancien, il
y a lieu de les considérer plutôt comme l’œuvre de David Aubert et
des scribes aux gages de la maison de Bourgogne que comme celle
de Froissart. Cependant, à notre retour en France, nous nous
proposions de solliciter le prêt du ms. de Breslau auprès de la
municipalité de cette ville par l’entremise du gouvernement prussien;
malheureusement, les cruels événements de 1870 et de 1871 ne
nous ont pas permis de donner suite à ce projet. Ayant appris, d’un
autre côté, à la fin de 1868, que les variantes du ms. de Breslau
avaient été copiées au seizième siècle en marge d’un exemplaire de
l’édition de Sauvage qui fait partie de la collection plantinienne
d’Anvers, nous avions prié M. Moretus, propriétaire de cette
collection et héritier des Plantin, de vouloir bien nous autoriser à
prendre communication sur place de cet exemplaire; malgré
l’obligeante entremise de M. le baron de Witte, cette autorisation
nous a été refusée. Plus heureux que nous, M. le baron Kervyn de
Lettenhove a pu donner les variantes du ms. de Breslau, sinon
d’après l’original lui-même, au moins d’après la copie du seizième
siècle inscrite en marge du Froissart de la collection Plantin. Force
nous est donc de reproduire aujourd’hui ces variantes d’après
l’édition du savant éditeur belge (voy. t. IV, p. 479 à 508, et t. V, p.
545 à 548). Seulement, nous avons pensé qu’il importait de ne pas
confondre avec les résultats de notre propre travail des textes qui ne
nous arrivent ainsi que de troisième main; voilà pourquoi nous avons
pris le parti de les publier à part et en supplément à la fin du présent
volume de notre édition.