The Great War -WW1
Mutiny Among the French
In the spring of 1917, after the failure of Nivelle's futile offensive in Champagne, the French Army was rapidly reaching the end of its tether. For many units, leave had all but ceased and desertions had more than doubled. Petain wrote gloomily 'Hopelessness and pessimism spread... swamping as it did the mood of artificial enthusiasm whipped up from above..'
In May 1917 isolated acts of protest and indiscipline flared into open mutiny. By the end of the month it was estimated that only two of the 12 divisions in Champagne could be relied upon - and none of those between Paris and Soissons. By the end of May over 55 separate mutinies had swept through the French Army. The men who had not left their posts held the line but refused to attack. To cover their ally, the British were forced to continue their offensive at Arras, originally launched on the 9th of April as a diversionary measure in support of Nivelle's attack. The British 'diversion' eventually cost them 158'000 casualties. Astonishingly, the Germans remained unaware of the crisis gripping the French Army. The task of restoring order was given to Petain, who employed a mixture of brute force and concessions. He restricted the death penalty to the worst offenders, of whom 55 faced the firing squad, although many more were summarily executed. He also formed disciplinary companies for those found guilty of mutiny, assigning them the most hazardous of duties.
Petain also improved communications between headquarters and the men at the front, as well as increasing pay and enhancing conditions for his troops. Above all, Petain put into practice his theory of wearing down the enemy with limited, inexpensive attacks. This package of measures hauled the Army back from the brink of disintegration and prepared it for the German offensives in 1918.