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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Why the Western Front?


DCLI

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Why is the Western Front so named? Surely for the Allies it is the Eastern Front, just like the German's front towards the Russians etc. The Western front is what the Germans would have called it I guess. Or not?

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Why is the Western Front so named? Surely for the Allies it is the Eastern Front, just like the German's front towards the Russians etc. The Western front is what the Germans would have called it I guess. Or not?

I think it's a matter of perspective. Why would it be the Allies Eastern Front? I mean what front was more to the West from their perspective.

Paul

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As the conflict was a European wide one then the front fought by France and England would naturally be the Western Front and that fought by Russia the Eastern.

So my Scottish relatives died for nothing then Eddie! :angry:

Aye

Malcolm

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Hi everybody

My pitch is this. When looking at it from a French perspective in 1914 and as the Germans swung down threw Belgium and onto the French left (western) flank. Is it possible orders to the BEF was to hold and secure the western flank, later as stalemate and trench warfare started. that area of Belgium became known as the western front.

Only my thoughts on it Bob

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Thanks for the replies.

I tend to think a front is the way you are facing, ie 'we' were facing east. But it being Western Europe makes sense too.

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Thanks for the replies.

I tend to think a front is the way you are facing, ie 'we' were facing east. But it being Western Europe makes sense too.

I have come across French references to the Eastern Front when referring to the front from about Nancy to the Swiss border, but I can't remember where I saw them, but it was probably when researching Luxeuil les Bains which was a front line town and aerodrome where French and RNAS bombers were based in 1916-17

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Why is the Western Front so named? Surely for the Allies it is the Eastern Front, just like the German's front towards the Russians etc. The Western front is what the Germans would have called it I guess. Or not?

I think the war was viewed as a whole. There was a western front in France and an eastern front in Russia.

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