Victory 1918: The definitive history of the end of the Great War

by Alan Warwick Palmer

Almost a century after the battles of the First World War ended, their consequences remain imprinted on the political maps of Europe and much of the Middle East.

Did events justify Lloyd George's claim in 1914 that the Kaiser could fall `by knocking away the props'; isolating Germany by defeating her partners?

When Italy joined the Allies who was propping up whom?

Were sideshows in the Balkans, Iraq and Palestine integral to the war's general strategy, or were they simply old imperial rivalries resumed by other means?

A hundred years on, that moment in November 1918 when the fighting ceased on the Western Front is still remembered across nations: that symbolic eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

'Victory 1918' examines the background to the Allied triumph and its aftermath. Might the Armistice in the forest of Compiegne have come sooner? Did American intervention have won the war and compromised the peace? How near did Germany come to denouncing the Armistice and resuming fighting in 1919?

But 'Victory 1918' is not only concerned with what happened in France and Flanders. There were four armistices that autumn. The Great War was a global conflict, with battlefronts on three continents. Retracing the path to Compiegne through the four-year struggle allows the reader to consider if a broader strategic vision might have brought an earlier victory.

'Victory 1918' is a masterful survey of one of history's great turning points, and offers a fresh interpretation of the war which, more than any other, determined the character of the twentieth century.

ALAN PALMER was Head of the History Department at Highgate School from 1953 to 1969, when he gave up his post to concentrate on historical writing and research. He has written some thirty narrative histories, historical reference books or biographies. In 1980 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Genres: History, World War I, Military History, Military Fiction, Nonfiction

473 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 31, 1998

About the author

Author also writes under Alan Palmer

Alan Palmer was Head of the History Department at Highgate School from 1953 to 1969, when he gave up his post to concentrate on historical writing and research.

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a book called, VICTORY 1918, it covers much more from the early days 1914 to the Peace conference.. If you are looking for details about the fighting in Salonika, Bulgaria, and against the Turks this is your book. There is even some material on the the fighting in Italy. In fact, the fighting on the Western Front and in Russia is given much less attention than in most WWI books.

There is some material also on the naval aspects, and the personalities of the war. It's not all that long a book, but it covers a great deal, including much that is usually skimmed in other books. Unfortunately, it does tend to drag in places, and there are no maps.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Readers of this slim volume won't learn much about the causes of The Great War. Nor will they learn about its opening battles. Instead Palmer provides exactly what the title promises; an understanding of the circumstances that resulted in the victory of the Allies and their US Associate.

I was interested when I initially browsed its pages because I noted coverage of the Mesopotamian, Jerusalem, Austro-Italian, and Salonika Fronts. I was not disappointed to the extent that these regions are covered. Note, however, that Gallipoli, the German/Austria-Hungarian fighting with Russia, the Russian Revolution, the campaigns in Africa, and Japan's role are only mentioned in asides; after all they didn't directly contribute to the victory. Circumstances associated with the US entry are covered at some length: Ludendorff wrote in his memoirs that, "America...became the decisive power in the war."

Palmer does a fine job of describing the reasons why nearly two months, with heavy casualties, slipped away before the Armistice. He also surveys the different treaty settlements.

I found the book easy to read, entertaining, and informative.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Palmer's "Victory 1918"--unusually for a book covering World War I--spent little of its time on the Western front of mud and trenches. Instead, Palmer focused on the ancillary theaters of the war, showing both how each of them was fought and brought to conclusion, but also how, in a remarkable feat of synchrony (intended or not) most of these minor-major theaters were won around the same time, providing the encirclement and consequent pressure that forced the Germans to capitulate from what otherwise wouldn't have been a totally unwinnable situation in France.

The book rarely flagged, and was engaging throughout. The round-robin tour of the theaters caused a modicum of confusion, but otherwise the large cast of characters and strategies was conveyed about as well as one could wish.

Recommended for those who want a more total view of the Great War, rather than the lip service that is traditionally paid to non Western Front theaters.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Victory 1918"" is an excellent history of the First World War, although it is a bit misleading as a title. Initially I thought this book would focus on the last year of the war, but instead I was pleasantly surprised -- Alan Palmer offers an engaging history of the entire conflict, with a special emphasis on the secondary fronts in the Balkans and the Middle East. Well written and highly readable, I recommend this work for anyone interested in the Great War.

[Allan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alan Palmer connects all the theatres of operation in W.W.I in a fashion I have not encountered in any of my previous readings. He deftly shows how the shooting might have stopped in 1918 but the after effects just keep on coming.

[Andy Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a very readable and well researched account of the complex strands of what was truly a world war. It gives a good analysis of the conflicting national interests and stances, and the political and military personalities involved. And also shows how the decisions made at the end of the war laid the seeds of the Second World War and the continuing turmoil in the Middle East. Would strongly recommend it to anyone who wants an accessible wide but detailed history of the background to the horror and human tragedy of the War.

[Charles Shenk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overwhelmed with too much information - wished more data about how the settlements for peace were provided. However, it did provide why there are still wars are still breaking out throughout the world due to decisions made at the end of World War I. Still world leaders continue to make decisions that are helpful for their success only not necessarily for benefit of others such as climate change, nationalism and racism.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding! Perhaps the Best general overview of The Great War I have read

[Tommy Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed. Many people to keep track of. Not as good as the guns of august.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Must Read !

If you want to know about how WW1 affected current events in the Middle East, Eastern and Western Europe this book is invaluable. Keep the book
handy as a reference.
Palmer leaves no detail out as he maneuvers between each theatre of war..
More than just covering battles the author devotes as much attention to the diplomatic process so crucial to understanding the Mid East.
Highly readable but can get bogged down with more detail than necessary.

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice to get details rarely covered in more conventional histories of The Great War.

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book; Good Read

[Lewis Noles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book.

[Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at some of the less public theaters of the war; particularly in the middle east.