This article details an action that could have changed the entire course of the First World War but which was not taken.
On the outbreak of war no attempt was made by the French army to strike at the crucial Thionville area of Lorraine, a target so close to the border that it was almost part of an extended Briey, even although it produced the iron and steel that provided the bulk of Germany’s armaments. In addition, no attempt was made to defend Briey or destroy it before it fell into enemy hands. Such an incomprehensible decision should have merited a flurry of high level court martials, yet no-one accepted the blame. At the post-war commission investigating the ‘catastrophe’ of Briey. [1] Joffre insisted that the Briey basin constituted a very small part of the overall defence strategy, which few could fully comprehend without all the facts at their fingertips. [2] It was a card often played in the aftermath of the war when difficult questions were raised by journalists or ex-servicemen…
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First Night History 
What at first appears to be a story about a lamentable military blunder becomes a riveting tale of collusion, and a disgraceful conspiracy of industrialists, politicians, and financiers, to secure assets that would be valuable after the war. Given the recent publicity about the centenary, this is all the more staggering, as it cost so many unnecessary lives. Shocking stuff, even after 100 years.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Shocking indeed but plus ca change, n’est pas?
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