France: Defending the Nation
from One War, Many Perspectives: 1914–1918 Hosted by Podlatino
France began the war seeking to regain the initiative, but soon had to defend Paris and fight for four years on its own soil. This chapter follows the defeats of 1914, the Battle of the Marne, trench warfare, and the defense of Verdun. It also examines occupation in the north, women’s wartime labor, colonial mobilization, shortages, and the strain placed on families. After the failed Nivelle Offensive, the 1917 mutinies exposed a profound military crisis. In 1918, France survived Germany’s final offensives and achieved a victory overshadowed by immense human losses and widespread material destruction.
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