Military geography: Terrain evaluation and the British Western Front 1914-1918

Authors: Doyle, P. and Bennett, M.R.

Journal: Geographical Journal

Volume: 163

Issue: 1

Pages: 1-24

ISSN: 0016-7398

DOI: 10.2307/3059682

Abstract:

The Western Front was the most important theatre of war during the 1914-1918 world conflict. In particular, the Somme-Flanders lowland was not only of great strategic importance, but was also associated in Britain and its Empire with some of the most costly battles of the war. Battlefield terrain played an important part in determining the character and outcome of many of these engagements. The Somme region consists of a rolling chalk upland, while Flanders is a clay plain composed of Palaeogene clays with occasional sand units. Within both these areas, the occurrence of low (<150 metres) hills and ridges provided the focus for many of the most famous attritional battles of the Western Front, as each side fought to gain the strategic advantage provided by the high ground. Despite a range of historical studies documenting the impact of geology on trench construction, water supply, tunnelling and the availability of aggregates, few have considered terrain as a whole in influencing the outcome of battles in the Somme-Flanders area. This paper assesses the influence and tactical importance of terrain in the British area of operations on the Western Front.

Source: Scopus

Preferred by: Matthew Bennett