Salonika - A revisionist Approach

[MartinWills]

A little while ago I picked up a WW2 book - Engineers of Victory by Paul Kennedy - a bargain purchase, thankfully. It looks at the technical and engineering side of success in WW2. The book has, seemingly, been widely acclained in the UK and US press.

 

As part of the dialogue, the author investigates various aspects of WW2 and why difficulties turned to success.

 

One section deals with amphibious landings citing the lack of success in WW1. The Gallipoli landings were, it seems, a failure. Personally I would suggest that the landings, whiclst having their problems did finally get the forces onto land - and it was the campaign there that  was the great failing. Interestingly the author draws a few comparisons between the WW2 Dieppe Raid and the Gallipoli landings, noting that although Dieppe saw significant casualties, there were rather more casualties in the Gallipoli campaign. Apples and Pear Trees, I thought.

 

 

The suthor moves on the the Salonika campaign and proceeds to declare that at French urging an Allied army did establish a beachhead in Salonika later in 1915, adding that in the ensuing three years it never really got very far from the shoreline (hence earning the epithet, "Gardeners of Salonika") and that by spring 1916 the French, fighting for survival in Champagne, were opposed to all eastern adventures.

 

I hope it is clear why I have subtitled the thread "a revisionist approach" but the extent of this revision does rather get my gall. The Salonika campaign may have got bogged down, but it ultimately ended in Bulgarian defeat and armistice over a month ahead of the 11th November armistice with the French (and others) all playing significant parts.

 

Are there any other "revisionist" approaches people have "enjoyed"?

[Gardenerbill]

Doesn't sound like revisionist to me Martin, not like the books of Gary Sheffield for example that are well researched and fact based, this just sounds like a poorly researched personal theory.

[nigelcave]

Hmmm: I am not sure that I see points for comparison between Dieppe and the Gallipoli landings apart from they were by the sea.

 

The political situation in Salonika/Greece alone would seem to me to destroy any meaningful contrast with any WWII landing.

 

Odd, to put it mildly.

[JulianR]

I seem to remember reading the RE Corps History that the author stated the they learnt so much from Gallipoli that it helped to greatly ensure the success of the WW2 landings