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Disregarding choices at the tactical level of combat doctrine choices, did the wallie really have alternative aside from attrition battles? History and people have been pretty harsh toward high generals, calling them unfit butcher, but finding an alternative strategy is not really obvious IMO.

In 1915, there is no way to stay passive on the western front while the Russian are badly getting mauled and Joffre is kind of forced to launch his bloody offensives on Artois to relieve the pressure for its' Russian ally. Just like Haig is forced to attack at the Somme to relieve the French at Verdun. The only outright unreasonable operation would be the Nivelle + Kerensky offensive in 1917. Aside from operational considerations, at this point the American have entered the war and it’s pretty clear at this point that the Russian army and whole politico-economical system is on the verge of collapse, they just have to hold on to win the war.



In OTL, in 1915, to end this gridlock, Churchill is suggesting Gallipoli which ended in a disaster. In hindsight Lord Kitchener's plan to land in Alexandretta was the right option, but it certainly was not an obvious choice since it would only cause the fall of the Ottoman on the long run as opposed to restore connection with Russia, neutrality of Bulgaria and immediate capitulation of the Ottomans. The other major attempt to get off the western stalemate was the camp of Salonica which had mixed results as the axis was able to fix the Entente’s armies with inferior forces until 1918, that the camp absorbed considerable logistical resource, and suffered more from Malaria than actual fighting.



Personally, I can see the following options which all sound more or less terrible:

- Operation in Norway and Low Countries to accentuate the blockade, and second case attempt a pinch operation on the German, but this is a very dangerous move, not only military but politically as it could have pushed more neutral in the opposite camp and America may even stayed neutral. Certainly terrible options.

- Instead of Salonika, combined operation and landing in Adriatic to pressure Austria-Hungary, which is way weaker than Germany but also indispensable to the central empire. I am not sure of how realistic it would be.



On the political spectrum:

- Helping Russia, how much economical help did the West help them? Sending help surely would have been possible from Vladivostok (not sure about the Persian Corridor), a shell on the eastern front is surely more useful than another one among the million used in the Somme.

- Seeking help from Bulgaria instead of Greece which didn’t even share land border with the Ottomans, but there is almost nothing to promise aside from limited gain in Thracia…
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