Other threads today have started me thinking about how the French Army of World War One could have been a more efficient fighting force. While French soldiers fought hard during the war they weren't perhaps as well equipped as they could have been.
Of course the French Army of 1914 is famous, or maybe infamous, for going into battle wearing "le pantalon rouge", at a time when the other great powers had all shifted to low vis colours like khaki or field grey, but the French soldier was also equipped with the severly dated Lebel rifle. Neither of these things were set in stone at the time though. The French had made serious considerations of adopting a less conspicious uniform and were going to replace the Lebel with a self loading rifle. Unfortunately circumstances conspired against both these events.
But what if they didn't?
Suppose instead of the run of short lived defence ministers the French suffered from before the war they get someone who's in the job for long enough and who has the force of personality to effect real change. Say for the ten years before the war the French make real advances in modernising their army's equipment and go to war with the best weapons available to them.
For a start
this uniform is adopted in khaki, (the minister sells it as the colour of the entente, wearing it will show solidarity with Britain and Russia and will make identification between the allies easier).
Second the
Meunier Rifle goes into production and service in 1911 and by 1914 is the standard weapon of all frontline French infantrymen.
So what other advances could our hypothetical minister make between 1904 and 1914?