WESTERN FRONT STRATEGY.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 May 1918, Page 2

WESTERN FRONT STRATEGY.

NATURE OF TIIK MILITARY OPERATIONS. Professor J. P. Orossniunn, of the Auckland University, delivered a lecture on "The Strategy of tile Western Front" at the Auckland University College on Tuesday night, in the presence of a. large audience. The lecturer dealt with the general principles of strategy as illustrated in the first three years of tho war, explaining the nature of the military operations involved in outflanking and 'breaking the centre of an army, and their various effects. He then showed how these principles were applied to the conduct of the campaign by the Germans and the Allies. The retreat from Mons and Oharleroi to the Mame was rendered necessary because the Germans had turned tho Allied right, broken their centre, and threatened to outflank their left wing. But the retreat, though compulsory, was to.a laTge extent strategic, because by retiring from tho Belgian frontier Joffre was falling back on his reserves, which in accordance with Napoleon's principles of warfare, were being massed some distance behind (the line of action.

After paying a tribute to tho heroic sallantry of our Expeditionary Force, Professor Grossmann dealt at some length with the Battle of the Mame; He showed that in this instance the Allies won because, through Joffre's skilful dispositions, they were able to turn the German left, and break the German centre, while the enemy failed in tlifir attempt to break through Oastlenau's defence at Nancy, and thus outflank the Allies on their right. The speaker expressed tlhe highest admiration for the strategic genius of Joffre, and the tactical skill of his colleagues especially Foeh, who, by breaking tho German centre, was chiefly responsible for the overthrow of the enemy at the Marne. The lecturer then explained how, after the battle of tlhe Aisne, Joffre, by threatening to outflank the Germans on their left, compelled them to extend their lines northward to the sea, so that they were finally pinned down, with their whole force immobilised in a verydifficult position from whirih they could neither advance nor retreat with safety.

After describing the desperate but futile efforts of the enemy to break through the Allied lines at Ypros and elsewhere, the lecturer pointed out that the sharp salient made % the German lines forced them practically into the position of an army fighting on two fronts at once, and he showed "that from the military point of view such a position is extremely dangerous as the two wings, if driven to retire must cross each other's line of retreat. Under these conditions the policy dwpted by Joffre was to hold 'the enemy down to his entrenchments, wasting his strength by slow degrees. But in 1917, befoTO the collapse of Russia, the Allies were strong enough to attempt a combined attack upon the two wings of the great salient at once, and the lecturer explained how Nivelle, after smashing the two first German lines in his great offensive in the Champajgne. was recalled bv his Government and dismissed for sacrifichrg the French armies too recklessly. Professor Grossmann quoted from an American authority a definite statement that tho German armies were so badlv shattered by Nivelle's Gnampague offensive that orders were already issued to «iem to fall back on tho line of the Mease, thus retiring almost completely from Northern France, when, to the amazement of the enemy, political influence checked the French advance and prevented the accomplishment "of tho plan which, originally devised by Joffre was to have been carried to a triumphant issue by Nivello and Baig.. After the withdrawal of Russia from the war it was not possible for the Allies to repeat thi g effort. But the lecturer expressed Ms strong confidence i n their ultimate victory, and his implicit faith in the skill and determination of Foch, who is now carrying into effect patiently and constantly the principle of the (strategic reserve which Joffre employed so successfully in the early stage, of the war..