THE GREAT WAR 15 : We are Betrayed, Sold, Lost (French soldier) [Main Title]

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  • Title: THE GREAT WAR 15 : We are Betrayed, Sold, Lost (French soldier) [Main Title]
  • Film Number: IWM 1065-15
  • Other titles: WE ARE BETRAYED, SOLD, LOST (French soldier) [Alternative Title]
  • Summary: The French Army on the Western Front, from the Nivelle Offensive to the end of the mutinies, 1917.
  • Description: January 1917 was one of the coldest winters in living memory. So far the French Army had lost 1,300,000 casualties, "nearly one life for every minute of the war" and was demoralised. General Robert Nivelle promised a breakthrough to win the war within 48 hours by a return to the offensive doctrines of 1914. British generals and French politicians doubted that the plan would work; while both the French Army and people were worn out from the war. Nivelle prepared a great offensive along the Chemin des Dames, even employing Senegalese and Russian troops. The Germans also suffered from the winter cold. During the Somme battles of 1916 Ludendorff had ordered the building of a major defensive position up to thirty miles behind the German lines. In February 1917 the Germans fell back on this line, called the "Hindenburg Line" by the British, through fear of the coming French attack, leaving behind them a devastated area. British and French generals feared that the withdrawal would weaken the effect of the forthcoming attack, but Nivelle disagreed. First the British attacked on 9th April at Arras to set a hard shoulder for the French offensive, the Canadians capturing Vimy Ridge. Then the French attacked on 16th April. The Germans knew the time of the attack to the hour, and counter-attacked at once. The French lost 90,000 men in the first day and altogether 180,000 over three weeks. The Germans lost about 160,000 including 40,000 prisoners and were pushed back a few miles. The real blow was to French expectations. Rumours in Paris exaggerated the French loss, while in fifty four French divisions men announced that they were prepared to hold their own trenches but would not attack again. These mutinies continued into May and June. Nivelle was dismissed and replaced by General Philippe Pétain, who set about to re-establish morale. Pétain improved rest camps for the troops and increased the amount of leave; but he also made examples of some mutineers: 400 were condemned to death and at least fifty five - the official figure - shot. The French managed to keep these mutinies secret both from their allies and enemies, and all the time the line was held. But the French Army was incapable of further offensive effort - of all the Allies only the British were still capable of that. However, on 6th April the USA had declared war against Germany, providing fresh troops - "there was hope again".
  • Alternative Title: WE ARE BETRAYED, SOLD, LOST (French soldier) [Alternative Title]
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: No
  • Object_Number: IWM 1065-15
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: NON-IWM: PROJECTION PRINT ONLY - NOT FOR PRODUCTION USE
  • Featured Period: 1914-1918
  • Production Date: 1964
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Production sponsor) Imperial War Museum (Production sponsor) Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (Production sponsor) BBC (Production company) Essex, Tony (Production individual) Watkins, Gordon (Production individual) Terraine, John Alfred1921-01-152003-12-27 (Production individual) Rollins, Ed (Production individual) Manefield, Tom (Production individual) Watkins, Gordon (Production individual) Williams, John (Production individual) Jarvis, Anne (Production individual) Hipple, Rex (Production individual) Kay Film Laboratories (Production individual) Bigman, Richard (Production individual) Caravel Films (Production individual) McWatt, John (Production individual) Garland, Nicholas1935 (Production individual) Saunders, Robert (Production individual) Read, Bill (Production individual) Keene, Brian (Production individual) Callaway, Ian (Production individual) Bosworth, Pam (Production individual) Carr, Norman (Production individual) Heelas, Peter (Production individual) Toovey, Barry (Production individual) Cave, Julia (Production individual) Broadway, Anne (Production individual) Bryen, Doris (Production individual) Kersey, Jill (Production individual) Davidson, Eric (Production individual) Vigne, Jean (Production individual) Mendelsohn, Robyn (Production individual) Maloney, William (Production individual) Macloughlin, Marya (Production individual) Maros, Basil (Production individual) Virgo, Myrtle (Production individual) Descendre, Anne (Production individual) Edwards, Jeffrey (Production individual) Parry, Audrey (Production individual) Shukman, Harold (Production individual) Kuehl, Jerome (Production individual) Barrie, Alexander (Production individual) Hastings, Max Hugh Macdonald1945-12-28Researcher, BBC TV Great War series, 1963–64; Reporter, Evening Standard, 1965–67; Fellow, US World Press Inst., 1967–68; Roving Correspondent, Evening Standard, 1968–70; Reporter, BBC TV Current Affairs, 1970–73; Editor, Evening Standard Londoner’s Diary, 1976–77; Columnist, Daily Express, 1981–83; contributor, Sunday Times, 1985–86; Editor, The Daily Telegraph, 1986–95; Dir, 1989–95, Editor-in-Chief, 1990–95, The Daily Telegraph plc; Editor, The Evening Standard, 1996–2002; contributor, Daily Mail, 2002–; Contrib. Ed., Financial Times, 2009–13. As War Correspondent, covered Middle East, Indochina, Angola, India-Pakistan, Cyprus, Rhodesia and S Atlantic. Mem., Press Complaints Commn, 1991–92. Churchill Fellow, Westminster Coll., Fulton, Mo, 2011. TV documentaries: Ping-Pong in Peking, 1971; The War about Peace, 1983; Alarums and Exercursions, 1984; Cold Comfort Farm, 1985; The War in Korea (series), 1988; We Are All Green Now, 1990; Spies, in series Cold War, CNN, 1998; Hitler’s Germany, 2000; The Falklands: reluctant heroes, 2002; Winston’s War, 2003; The Falklands Legacy, 2012; The Necessary War, 2014. A Vice Pres., Game Conservancy, 1992–; President: CPRE, 2002–07; Sir Walter Scott Soc. of Edinburgh, 2012–13. Trustee: Nat. Portrait Gall., 1995–2004; Game Conservancy, 2014–. Liddell-Hart Lecture, KCL, 1994; Mountbatten Lecture, Edinburgh Univ., 2004; Leonard Stein Lectures, Oxford Univ., 2009. FRHistS 1988; FRSL 1996. Hon FKC, 2004. Hon. DLitt: Leicester, 1992; Nottingham, 2005. Journalist of the Year, British Press Awards, 1982 (cited 1973 and 1980); What The Papers Say, Granada TV: Reporter of the Year, 1982; Editor of the Year, 1988; Duke of Westminster Medal for military literature, RUSI, 2008; Literary Award for Lifetime Achievement, Chicago Pritzker Library, 2012; Friuladria Prize, Gorizia Internat. Hist. Fest., 2014 (Production individual) Liddell Hart, Basil Henry1895-10-311970-01-29 (Production individual) Terraine, John Alfred1921-01-152003-12-27 (Production individual) Barnett, Correlli Douglas (Production individual) Pitt, Barrie (Production individual) Horne, Alistair1925Trustee of the Imperial War Museum (Production individual) Bonham-Carter, Victor (Production individual) Williams, John (Production individual) Josephs, Wilfred (Production individual) BBC Northern Orchestra (Production individual) Hurst, George (Production individual) Redgrave, Michael (Sir) (Production cast) Richardson, Ralph (Sir) (Production cast) Williams, Emlyn (Production cast) Goring, Marius (Production cast) Luckman, Cyril (Production cast) Shaw, Sebastian (Production cast)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords: 01/3(4-15).6 (event) 01/3(4-15).7 (event)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: English Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 16mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 1512 ft; Running time: 45 mins
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  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    IWM 1065-15

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