Conflict: World War I
Combatants: Allies vs. Germans
Location: Belgium
Outcome: Minor German victory
Following a heavy bombardment, German forces under General Erich Ludendorff launched a major offensive against British and French troops along the Lys River. After nearly three weeks of fighting, Ludendorff managed to create a salient in the Allied lines but did not fully breakthrough.
Points of Interest:
The Germans suffered 350,000 casualties during the Battle of Lys; Allied casualties were 305,000.
Erich Ludendorff later joined the Nazi party, supported the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923, served in the Reichstag, and ran unsuccessfully for president.
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Sources:
Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).
Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.
Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
Ellis, John, & Cox, Michael (2001). The World War I Databook. Bodmin, UK: MPG Books Ltd.
Keegan, John (2001). An Illustrated History of the First World War. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
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