A Great Storm Arising: The British Army and the German March Offensive of 1918

On 21 March 1918, for the first time since August 1914, Germany launched Operation Michael a major attack against the combined Anglo-French armies on the Western Front. For both of the adversaries the offensive proved a watershed moment in their fortunes and in the outcome of the First World War. For the Germans, the cumulative effect of consecutive attacks, and excessive casualties crippled its capacity to withstand the Allied counterattack of August. For the British, the offence constituted a period of extreme crisis as the BEF came perilously close to collapse. In terms of scale, the retreat of the British armies dwarfed that of the First Army's retreat from Mons in 1914. Equally, the number of casualties on both sides testified to the ferocity of the fighting.

However, notwithstanding its losses and the withdrawal of eight army corps, the British army remained remarkably resolute and eventually, having stabilised the situation with the assistance of sufficient reserves, was able to wrest the initiative back from the enemy.

A Great Storm Arising first addresses the broad context in which the offensive took place in terms of political, economic, diplomatic and militaristic considerations. The issues of manpower and defence in depth that served to shape Britain's response to the attack are examined in detail. One chapter is devoted to the morale of the British armies during the retreat, whilst another considers the means by which news of the offensive was conveyed to the British public.

This book does not claim to be a complete chronological account of the German offensive. Rather, by focusing upon selected case studies it examines the British army's response to the transition from static to mobile/defensive warfare, given that its tactical and organisational development was inconsistent and occasionally regressive. The case studies are drawn from both Operation Michael and the Battles of the Lys and are based upon specific army corps. This approach provides a basis for comparative study.

Considering its significance in determining the outcome of the First World War, the British army's retreat and subsequent recovery were marginalised in the early historiography of the conflict. However, since John Terraine first recognised its status as one of the great dramas of the war, the German offensive has attracted the attention of a fresh generation of historians whose work is reflected in a range of literature, analysis and debate. A Great Storm Arising seeks to enhance this scholarship.