WI: Nivelle's Offensive (1917) isn't called off?

Would the French army mutiny on a large scale?

  • Yes

    Votes: 13 50.0%
  • No

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • It depends on what happens next

    Votes: 13 50.0%

  • Total voters
    26
In mid-April 1917, the Franco-British forces on the Western Front launched a major offensive on German positions seeking a decisive battle. It was a failure, led to minor mutinies, and probably nearly caused larger-scale mutinies that some historians claim would've crippled the military. Fortunately for the French, Robert Nivelle, the idiot who planned and pushed for this operation, was promptly sacked and sent to Africa, while the operation was called off on 9 May.

What if Nivelle had been kept in command and the French, desperate for any victory to push the Germans out and counting on American reinforcements to shore up their weaknesses, had continued with the offensive? Would there have been a large-scale mutiny, and did Germany have the ability at this point in the war to capitalize on such an event?
 
Depends what you mean by 'capitalise', I guess. Win the way they hoped for? No. But I imagine they could have dealt a harsh enough blow that the war would have been prolonged...and at that stage, no-one wanted that.

Could have allowed for an honourable peace...
 
Pretty much. This could be what breaks France, and gives the War to the Central Powers.

America had join the war in April 6, but they won't be showing in force for some time.
 

Deleted member 1487

In mid-April 1917, the Franco-British forces on the Western Front launched a major offensive on German positions seeking a decisive battle. It was a failure, led to minor mutinies, and probably nearly caused larger-scale mutinies that some historians claim would've crippled the military. Fortunately for the French, Robert Nivelle, the idiot who planned and pushed for this operation, was promptly sacked and sent to Africa, while the operation was called off on 9 May.

What if Nivelle had been kept in command and the French, desperate for any victory to push the Germans out and counting on American reinforcements to shore up their weaknesses, had continued with the offensive? Would there have been a large-scale mutiny, and did Germany have the ability at this point in the war to capitalize on such an event?
The offensive went on longer than he had pledged IOTL if they ran into trouble. Part of even launching the offensive in the first place was to get success in 48 hours or stop the attack to spare the army losses. Yet he kept going despite the heavy losses. So arguably OTL was exactly the situation described: he exceeded what the politicians approved and put the army into mutiny.
Besides that the Germans also lost heavily and if somehow the offensives went longer than they did IOTL the Germans do so even more given the British offensives and general lack of reserves as of 1917.
 
Top