User:Lord Milner/sandbox/The People Who Took Credit for Uniting the Western Front

Introduction
This article will trace the matter of who united the Western Front during World War I. This is quite a controversial matter, because the appointment of General Ferdinand Foch arguably won the war, and those who took credit for this are either heroes or goats.

Background
World War I was an extremely unexpected war. The last major land battle occurred nearly a century earlier, with the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. Since then, the countries of Europe had enjoyed a long period of prosperity and peace. For example, England, concerned about her overseas colonies and rule of the oceans, had reduced her army to 100,000 servicemen, all designed as firefighters in small wars. The peace was further secured by royalty intermarriage, with the Kings of England, Germany and Russia all cousins. It was believed that any strife would be resolved by these people. However, it was all an illusion, as royalty was loyal to its dependent crown. However, there were some areas of discontent. France lost her provinces of Alsace and Lorraine to Germany when it united as a country in 1870, and conflict to expel the Ottoman Empire from Europe resulted in the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913, and the rise of nationalism in the affected areas.