French Army Mutinies (1917)

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French Army Mutinies (1917)

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The 1917 French Army mutinies were a major collapse of morale on the Western Front during WWI.

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Origins & Early Life

The 1917 French Army mutinies took place by French Army troops on the Western Front in northern France during World War I. The mutinies started just after the unsuccessful and costly Second Battle of the Aisne, the main action in the April 1917 Nivelle offensive. The new commander of the armies in France, General Robert Nivelle, had promised a decisive victory over the German Empire within 48 hours. Morale in the French Army rose to a great height, and the shock of failure soured its mood overnight. The mutinies and the associated disruptions involved, to various degrees, nearly half of the French infantry divisions stationed on the Western Front. The term "mutiny" does not precisely describe events since the soldiers remained in the trenches and were willing to defend but refused orders to attack.

Career & Major Achievements

Nivelle was sacked and replaced by General Philippe Pétain, who restored morale by talking to the men, promising no more suicidal attacks, providing rest and leave for exhausted units and moderating discipline. He held 3,400 courts-martial in which 554 mutineers were sentenced to death and 26 were executed. The catalysts for the mutinies were the extreme optimism and the dashed hopes of the Nivelle offensive; pacifism, which was stimulated by the February Revolution in Russia, the trade union movement and disappointment at the non-arrival of the American Expeditionary Forces. The French soldiers on the front had unrealistically been expecting the Americans to arrive within days of their declaration of war. More than one million French soldiers (306,000 in 1914, 334,000 in 1915, 287,000 in 1916, 121,000 in early 1917), out of a population of twenty million males of all ages, had been killed in fighting by early 1917.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The losses had weakened the French will to attack. In April 1917, General Robert Nivelle promised a war-winning decisive victory. He proposed to work closely with the British Army to break through the German Empire lines on the Western Front by a great attack against the German-occupied Chemin des Dames, a long and prominent ridge that runs east to west, just north of the Aisne River. Nivelle applied a tactic that he had used with success at the First and Second Offensive during the Battle of Verdun in October and December 1916, a creeping barrage in which the French artillery fired its shells to land just in front of the advancing infantry to keep the Germans under cover until they had been overrun. Nivelle's attack, the Second Battle of the Aisne, failed to achieve its main war-winning objective.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1914: 1914 Milestone — More than one million French soldiers (306,000 in 1914, 334,000 in 1915, 287,000 in 1916, 121,000 in early 1917), out of a population of twenty million males of all ages, had been killed in fighting by early 1917.
2. 1916: 1916 Milestone — Nivelle applied a tactic that he had used with success at the First and Second Offensive during the Battle of Verdun in October and December 1916, a creeping barrage in which the French artillery fired its shells to land just in front of the advancing infantry to keep the Germans under cover until they had been overrun.
3. 1917: 1917 Milestone — The 1917 French Army mutinies took place by French Army troops on the Western Front in northern France during World War I.

Notable Quotes by French Army Mutinies (1917)

“Tony Ashworth wrote that the mutinies were "widespread and persistent" and involved more than half the divisions in the French army.”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: French Army Mutinies (1917)

True or False: “The primary cause of the 1917 mutinies was a direct, immediate order from General Nivelle to launch an attack.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While Nivelle's offensive failure was a catalyst, the underlying causes included pacifist sentiment from Russia and general exhaustion after massive casualties.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abdullah al-Sallal — Historical peer (Born in 1917) (1917): Yemeni military officer and revolutionary who led the North Yemeni Revolution of 1962.
• Adolf von Baeyer — Historical peer (Died in 1917) (1917): Pioneering German chemist known for indigo synthesis and IUPAC nomenclature.
• Abdul-Karim Qasim — Historical peer (Born in 1914) (1914): Iraqi military officer who led the country as Prime Minister from 1958 to 1963.
• Adolph Green — Historical peer (Born in 1914) (1914): American lyricist and playwright known for his long-running, witty partnership with Betty Comden.
• A. A. K. Niazi — Historical peer (Born in 1915) (1915): Pakistani general who commanded Eastern Command during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
• Abba Eban — Historical peer (Born in 1915) (1915): Israeli diplomat, politician, and scholar of Arabic and Hebrew languages.
• Adriana Caselotti — Historical peer (Born in 1916) (1916): American actress and singer, famed for voicing Snow White in the first Disney feature.
• Ahmed Ben Bella — Historical peer (Born in 1916) (1916): Algerian revolutionary and politician who served as the first President of Algeria.

Frequently Asked Questions about French Army Mutinies (1917)