Part 4/13:
Meanwhile, on the Allied side, the third battle of Artois ended on November 4, following the second battle of Champagne which concluded on November 6. These offensives were tremendously destructive, with French casualties reaching around 145,000 and British forces suffering about 60,000 deaths. In total, over 250,000 Allied soldiers fell in these operations, securing only a few kilometers of ground—an indication of the limited strategic payoff relative to the bloodshed. The relentless artillery fire, with millions of shells expended, exhausted the French army’s reserves, underscoring the incongruity between the sacrifices made and the modest territorial advances achieved.