After The Nivelle Offensive
When the offensive ended on 9 May, 187,000 French casualties had been sustained. Although this was much less than the casualties in the Battle of Verdun, Nivelle had predicted a great success, and the country was bitterly disappointed. Petain replaced Nivelle as Commander-in-Chief on 15 May. In December Nivelle was sent to serve in Africa. He returned to France after the end of the First World War in November 1918, retiring from the military in 1921. He died on 22 March 1924.
Read more about this topic: Robert Nivelle
Famous quotes containing the word offensive:
“How much atonement is enough? The bombing must be allowed as at least part-payment: those of our young people who are concerned about the moral problem posed by the Allied air offensive should at least consider the moral problem that would have been posed if the German civilian population had not suffered at all.”
—Clive James (b. 1939)