This is a CBSI in the World. I'm John Bachelor with Nick Lloyd, the author of the new book The Western Front,

the story of The Great War, 1914 to 1918, and Trench Warfare.

We go now to September 1915.

The Second Battle of Champagna.

The French go on the offensive.

And what I learned from you, Nick, and your explanation of these events.

The casualty rates are very high here. September 25th to October 6,, 1915, is that both sides, Falcon Hein, commanding the Germans

and Joffra commanding the French. Both sides have an ability to understand that you cannot break through.

That every time you think you're making a breakthrough to range behind the enemy and turn his corner.

There'll be a second and third and a fallback defense

because it's not siege.

It is not siege of combat.

What does that mean to them when they say this isn't this is an siege mentality?

I think it's a realization that they can't break through in the way that they imagine that they would.

And I think all of the commanders on all of the sides are trying to work out,

you know, how you can fight, how you can win. And most of them see Trent warfare is essentially a kind of

anomaly as a strange situation that will be that will be only be temporary

and what you need to do is you need to mass combat power in certain

key sectors and essentially drive it home as hard as you can to break that front line, that

front series of trenches and then push reinforcements. line that

front series of trenches and then push reinforcements in and through and then that will essentially

shatter trench warfare and then maneuver

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