This research is about innovation. Using the example of the British Army, which underwent great changes during the First World War, I focus on the role of soldiers and civilian in its process of adaptation to the new tools of warfare. Innovation was not a process forced from the top of the Army or produced solely by officers. Change came from a complex interaction between soldiers, army institutions, and civilians at home. Technology was the topic of this interaction: soldiers used technology to lobby for change and improve their effectiveness on the battlefield, civilians used it to help and participate to the war, while institutions transformed their own structures to adapt to the fast-paced changes, providing a common place to absorb and redistribute innovation. I try to break the common narrative that portrays the inventor producing a weapon, a committee of the army adopting it, and the weapon changing warfare. Ideas surfaced from a complex environment that looked for solutions in a constant dialogue between the experience of the battlefield, the personal competencies of soldiers and civilians, and the necessities of the British Army to simplify, streamline, and standardize. / History

Airpower developed significantly during the First World War while leaders adapted to integrate it into the constantly evolving combined arms system. First World War airpower is often viewed as insignificant in relation to the wider conflict. This generally stems from the perception that airplanes fought in a parallel air war or failed to achieve "decisive" air-to-ground results. These conceptions oversimplify the impact of pursuit and bomber aviation and ignore the monumental role of aerial observation and overall battlefield integration. The true impact of airpower during the war is revealed through the lens of combined arms operations rather than through the examination of airpower as a singular weapon. This study utilizes a layered approach analyzing the ideas, organization, planning, and battlefield execution to assess the integration of airpower into the combined arms systems for the French, British, and American forces on the Western Front in 1918. Each of these armies led an Allied force in a critical battle during the summer of 1918: the Second Battle of the Marne, the Battle of Amiens, and the Battle of Saint-Mihiel. This study chronologically flows through these three battles and reveals that the air element emerged as increasingly synthesized into the modern combined arms systems of 1918.

No / The First World War (1914-18) was a period of dramatic and rapid change for both staff and patients in asylums across the UK. Many British asylums were requisitioned by the army from 1915 for use as wartime hospitals, leading to mass evacuation of over 10,000 patients. Using contemporary resources, this article will review the impact of this and other significant changes that took place in wartime, which included variations in working practices, staff shortages, food rationing and a significant rise in the asylum death rate. Contributing factors will be considered with analysis and discussion of eye-witness, historical, documentary, parliamentary and meteorological evidence.

Pendant la Première Guerre mondiale, les puissances occidentales étaient obligées d’utiliser toutes leurs ressources afin de vaincre. Dans les colonies allemandes, les troupes coloniales, la Schutztruppe, la plupart étant des Africains noirs, avaient la responsabilité de défendre les colonies contre tout envahisseur. Pour sa part, la France craignait, depuis la fin de la guerre franco-allemande, l’écart démographique vis-à-vis de l’Allemagne. Elle a finalement pris la décision de renforcer ses troupes par des soldats africains, les Tirailleurs sénégalais étant les plus nombreux. Ce mémoire vise à analyser et à comparer le recrutement et le déploiement dans les deux cas, particulièrement l’idéologie qui soutenait ce recrutement, les relations entre Africains et Européens pendant la guerre, la contribution des Africains à l’effort de guerre, ainsi que les conséquences de la visibilité accrue des Africains dans la société européenne. En général, nous pouvons remarquer d’importantes ressemblances entre les deux cas, en particulier le fait que l’utilisation de troupes coloniales a eu pour fonction de justifier leurs politiques coloniales et de condamner celles de leur adversaire. / During World War I, the Western powers were forced to deploy every resource available to prevail. In the German colonies, the defence was conducted by the Schutztruppe, the protectorate forces composed mainly by black Africans. France, for her part, feared the demographic imbalance with Germany and so decided to reinforce her forces with African troops, the Tirailleurs Sénégalais being the most numerous. The present thesis aims to analyze and compare the recruitment and deployment of both countries, particularly the ideology that buttressed each case, the relations between Africans and Europeans during the war, the contribution of Africans to the war effort, as well as the implications of the increased visibility of Africans in European society. Overall, it is possible to observe remarkable similarities between France and Germany, particularly the fact that their utilization of colonial troops served to justify their own colonial policies and to demonize the opponent’s.

François Gervais né à Blois en 1885, reçu bachelier en lettres et philosophie, commença très tôt des études musicales, obtenant, dès 1905, le second prix de violoncelle au Conservatoire de Paris. Entré en 1913 à l’orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux dirigé alors par Paul Paray, il était en tournée aux Pays bas quand il apprit la déclaration de la guerre. F. Gervais fut d’abord mobilisé au 313ème régiment d’infanterie, puis au 329ème jusqu’à la fin de la guerre. Malgré le fait qu’il soit parti au front sans instrument, il se distingue comme musicien jusqu’à la fin de l’année 1914. Mais au printemps de l’année 1915, F. Gervais qui souffre de l’absence de pratique instrumentale réclame auprès de ses supérieurs la permission de réaliser un violoncelle. L’instrument, fabriqué à partir des rares matériaux collectés, s’avère de qualité étonnante sur le plan acoustique. Néanmoins, il a été conçu pour obvier à toute avarie due à la vie de soldat, peu sédentaire et exposée aux intempéries. Pendant les périodes de repos à l’arrière, F. Gervais anime les troupes (concerts, revues et spectacles) et ne tarde pas à gagner l’estime de ses camarades et de ses supérieurs. Le plaisir de la pratique musicale quasi quotidienne retrouvé, F. Gervais, seul ou en formation avec d’autres camarades musiciens, jouera tout au long de la guerre, pour la détente des soldats entre deux montées en ligne. Démobilisé, il rentre au foyer avec ses souvenirs et son violoncelle. Survivant de cette guerre, il réintègre l’orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux dont il sera violoncelle solo en 1920. Il enseignera, par la suite comme professeur indépendant, (P. Tortelier sera son élève) et dans ses dernières années, il sera professeur au Conservatoire de Tours. Après sa mort en 1956, sa fille aînée Françoise Gervais conservera pieusement à son domicile, documents et violoncelle avant d’en faire don en 1999 à l’Historial de la Grande Guerre de Péronne (80) ... / François Gervais was born in Blois in 1885. High school graduated in literature and philosophy he early started musical studies and obtained in 1905 the second prize of cello at the Conservatoire of Paris. In 1913 he joined the ochestra of the Concerts Lamoureux directed by Paul Paray. He was on tour in Netherlands when he heard the declaration of war. F. Gervais was first mobilized at the 313th infantry regiment then at the 329th till the end of the war. Above the fact that he went to the front without instrument, he’s distinguished as musician till the end of the year 1914. But in the spring of 1915, F. Gervais who’s suffering of the absence of music pratical, demand to his superiors the permission to build a cello. The instrument carried out with few collected material, reveals it’s surprising acoustic quality. Nevertheless, it’s been designed to obviate all damages caused by soldier’s living, quite sedentary and exposed to bad weather. During rest time behind the lines, F. Gervais entertains the troups (concerts, revues and shows) and rise in his friends and superiors’s estimation. The pleasure of pratical music regained nearly dayly, F. Gervais alone or in group with others musicians buddies, will play all during the war for the soldier’s relax between two moves to first line. Demobilized, he goes back home with his memories and his cello. Survivor of this war, he returns to the orchestra of Concerts Lamoureux and will become soloist cello in 1920. Later on, he will teach as independant professor (P. Tortelier will be his student) and in his last years, he will be professor at the conservatoire of Tours. After his death in 1956, his elder daughter Françoise Gervais will piousely keep at her domicile, the documents and the cello before to do a donation in 1999 to the french great war museum : l’Historial de la Grande Guerre de Péronne (80) ...

Ma recherche vise, d’une part, à appréhender le phénomène de la publication des correspondances des « poilus » (les soldats français de la Première Guerre mondiale) et d’autre part, à déterminer leur rôle dans la mémoire collective de la Grande Guerre. Précédé d’un bilan historiographique, mon travail se divise en trois chapitres autour de trois thèmes principaux, la correspondance, l’édition et la mémoire. Le premier chapitre met en contexte la production des lettres et identifie les facteurs l’influençant. Le deuxième chapitre se penche sur les buts éditoriaux des publications de correspondances et sur leur transformation au fil des époques. Finalement, le dernier chapitre analyse la place de ces publications dans le cadre de la commémoration de la Grande Guerre. La recherche va au-delà de l’analyse des lettres et s’intéresse davantage aux desseins éditoriaux des recueils. Les sources utilisées sont des ouvrages collectifs publiant des lettres de poilus, édités entre 1922 (La dernière lettre) et 2006 (Paroles de Verdun). / My research aims to address the phenomenon of the publication of the “poilus” correspondences (French soldiers of the First World War) and to determine their role in the collective memory of the Great War. Preceded by a historiographic review, my work is divided into three chapters around three main themes, correspondences, publishing and memory. The first chapter puts into context the production of letters and identifies the factors influencing it. The second chapter considers the leading goals of publishing correspondences and their transformation over time. Finally, the last chapter analyzes the need for these publications for commemoration of the Great War. Research goes beyond the analysis of letters and focuses on the leading intentions of the editions. The sources used are anthologies of the “poilus” letters, published between 1922 (La dernière lettre) and 2006 (Paroles de Verdun).

Pendant la Première Guerre mondiale, les puissances occidentales étaient obligées d’utiliser toutes leurs ressources afin de vaincre. Dans les colonies allemandes, les troupes coloniales, la Schutztruppe, la plupart étant des Africains noirs, avaient la responsabilité de défendre les colonies contre tout envahisseur. Pour sa part, la France craignait, depuis la fin de la guerre franco-allemande, l’écart démographique vis-à-vis de l’Allemagne. Elle a finalement pris la décision de renforcer ses troupes par des soldats africains, les Tirailleurs sénégalais étant les plus nombreux. Ce mémoire vise à analyser et à comparer le recrutement et le déploiement dans les deux cas, particulièrement l’idéologie qui soutenait ce recrutement, les relations entre Africains et Européens pendant la guerre, la contribution des Africains à l’effort de guerre, ainsi que les conséquences de la visibilité accrue des Africains dans la société européenne. En général, nous pouvons remarquer d’importantes ressemblances entre les deux cas, en particulier le fait que l’utilisation de troupes coloniales a eu pour fonction de justifier leurs politiques coloniales et de condamner celles de leur adversaire. / During World War I, the Western powers were forced to deploy every resource available to prevail. In the German colonies, the defence was conducted by the Schutztruppe, the protectorate forces composed mainly by black Africans. France, for her part, feared the demographic imbalance with Germany and so decided to reinforce her forces with African troops, the Tirailleurs Sénégalais being the most numerous. The present thesis aims to analyze and compare the recruitment and deployment of both countries, particularly the ideology that buttressed each case, the relations between Africans and Europeans during the war, the contribution of Africans to the war effort, as well as the implications of the increased visibility of Africans in European society. Overall, it is possible to observe remarkable similarities between France and Germany, particularly the fact that their utilization of colonial troops served to justify their own colonial policies and to demonize the opponent’s.

The topic of the submitted diploma thesis originates from the methodological concept of both historical anthropology and history of mentality as well as everyday life history. The aim of the thesis is the attempt to find a reply to the question what death meant in the lives of soldiers, in what ways they were coping with fear, pain, suffering, in what ways they perceived violence - the inevitable part of their wartime world. The topic of the thesis itself is a complex view of dying and death of Czechoslovak legionaries on the Russian frontline during the First World War, processed mainly on the basis of analysis of historic resources, stored in both the Central Military Archive and Historical Military Archive and on study of ego-documents (correspondence, diaries and personal records of particular participants of the war). In the first part the variety of forms of death have been analysed: death at the battlefront, death in field hospitals, voluntary death or death as a punishment. The second part deals with feelings and mood of fighting men in relation to death, how they accepted it and were able to cope with it, it analyses stress factors, which soldiers had to face and it studies possibilities of defence against the stress of war and death. The third part brings closer the facts concerning...

Cette thèse retrace les sentiments de soldats français et d’anciens combattants de la Grande Guerre en regard des soldats allemands. Elle se fonde sur des sources orales – témoignages oraux et vidéos –, manuscrites – correspondance, dossiers du contrôle postal –, imprimées – journaux des tranchées, presse nationale, régionale, notices communales, témoignages publiés. L’objectif est de classifier, graduer et évaluer la présence ou non de haine sur un échantillon représentatif des corps, métiers, grades, statuts, origines sociales et géographiques dans l’armée française.Les thématiques abordées inscrivent cette recherche à la confluence de deux champs historiographiques, celui de l’histoire culturelle et de l’histoire militaire, ainsi qu’à l’interface de la psychologie sociale.Il s’agit tout d’abord de présenter la part de l’assimilation culturelle notamment via la presse et la satire, d’étudier l’influence supposée ou réelle de l’éducation scolaire et familiale, sur l’état d’esprit des mobilisés et appelés au moment du départ à la guerre. Ensuite, au travers du conflit, les sentiments des soldats à l’égard de l’ennemi, empreints de fiel et d’animosité au moment des attaques, des prises de prisonniers, de la connaissance des exactions, peuvent se mouvoir par un processus d’identification, de prise en considération ou même de respect pour celui qui partage le même quotidien, et fluctuer tout au long de la belligérance. Ce caractère évolutif peut dénoter une certaine ambigüité et reflète surtout la part d’incertitude, inhérente à l’appréciation des sentiments humains. / This thesis traces back the feelings of French soldiers and First World War veterans towards German soldiers. It is based on oral sources- oral testimonies and videos-, handwritten sources - mail, postal censorship files – and printed sources – trench diaries, national and regional press, municipal records, published testimonies.The aim is to classify, rank, and evaluate the existence of Hate on a representative cohort of corps, occupations, positions, status, social and geographical backgrounds within the French Army.The tackled themes set at the confluence of two distinct historiographic fields, cultural History and military History, are in the meantime interfacing with social psychology.First, the work presents the part of cultural assimilation, mainly via press and satire. It studies the real or assumed influence of schooling or family education on the state of mind of the mobilised men or the conscripts at the time of war departure.Then, throughout the conflict, the feelings towards the Enemy, sometimes appalled and reviled during the attacks, the capture of prisoners, the awareness of exactions, are possibly changing by an identification process, a growing consideration or even respect towards the one who shares the same everyday life, and thus fluctuate all along the war.That evolution may reveal some ambiguity and particularly reflect the part of uncertainty inherent to any human feelings appreciation.

The main task of my thesis was to do research work on the British impact on the Argentine economy during the period 1880 to 1916. The research work was focused on the economic aspects and, in particular, on the export policy of the country that, at the given period of time, was one of the most significant centres of primary products manufacturing. The objective of my research work was to discover the reasons for Argentina's economic achievements in the context of British interests in the area of Río de la Plata. For a better understanding of the chosen topic, I subdivided my thesis into eight time-related chapters that besides the country's export and the income from this trade also addressed the urban development, the industrial achievements as well as the country's infrastructure. The work also considers the Britain's dominant impact, not only on Argentina's economy, but also on the country's politics. Great emphasis was also placed on other important events that took place during the defined period that effected Argentina both during the phases of the country's economic prosperity and the phases of recession. Key words: Argentina, economy, Great Britain, 19th century, the First World War