THE BATTLE OF DELVILLE WOOD July 1916

Abstract

The Genesis of the Western Front On 28 June 1914Bosnian nationalists had assassinated the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne and caused military preparations which propelled Europe to war. In the first few weeks of war the invading German armies scored a series of rapid and inspiring successes, but by the beginning of September the French, aided by a small British Expeditionary Force, halted the enemy advance and compelled a tactical withdrawal. The front-line troops of both sides now dug themselves crude entrenchments and awaited reinforcements and fresh supplies.

Keywords

• Formation of the first South African infantry brigade
• assassinated the Archduke Franz Ferdinand
• 1st South African Infantry (Cape of Good Hope Regiment)
• 2nd South African Infantry (Natal and Orange Free State Regiment)
• 3rd South African Infantry (Transvaal and Rhodesia Regiment)
• 4th South African Infantry (South African Scottish Regiment)