The Greater War Other Combatants and Other Fronts, 1914-1918

In the English-speaking world the literature of the First World War is overwhelmingly preoccupied with the efforts of the British Army on the Western Front. The Greater War breaks out of this mould by offering a broad-ranging, international approach to the conflict. Comprising of thirteen chapters written by experts on the cutting edge of historical research this collection of essays covers new aspects of the French, German, Italian and American efforts in the First World War, as well as aspects of Britain's colonial campaigns. Thematically, the chapters look at issues from tactics and operations to logistics, morale, culture and global strategy. The sheer breadth of the work makes it an indispensable text for anyone wanting to break out of the familiar ruts of Flanders' fields and gain a broader understanding of the war.

Jonathan Krause is a Lecturer in Strategic Studies at the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, UK. He has published a range of works on the First World War, including Early Trench Tactics in the French Army: the Second Battle of Artois, May-June 1915, and is the Assistant Secretary-General of the British Commission for Military History.

Introduction; Jonathan Krause

1. The Battle of the Ardennes, August 1914: France's Lost Opportunity; Simon House

2. 'Only Inaction is Disgraceful': French Operations under Joffre, 1914-1916; Jonathan Krause

3. The Influence of Industry on the Use and Development of Artillery; Alex Bostrom

4. Missed Opportunity? - The French tanks in the Nivelle Offensive; Tim Gale

5. Applying Colonial Lessons to European War: The British Expeditionary Force 1902 – 1914; Spencer Jones

6. Jan Smuts, Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck and the Great War in German East Africa; Stuart Mitchell

7. The Egyptian Expeditionary Force and the Battles for Jerusalem: Command and Tactics in the Judaean Hills, November 1917 – January 1918; Christopher Newton

8. A Picture of German Unity? Federal Contingents in the German Army, 1916 – 1917; Tony Cowan

9. Out of the Trenches: Hitler, Wagner, and German national regeneration after the Great War 1914-1918; David Hall

10. Training, morale and battlefield performance in the Italian army, 1914-1917; Vanda Wilcox

11. Seasoning the US 2nd Infantry Division; Bryon Smith

12. From the Essex to the Dresden: British Grand Strategy in the South Pacific, 1814 – 1915; Andrew Lambert

13. Attrition: How the War was Fought and Won; William Philpott