Nivelle arrives after Verdun, earns trust with artillery-centric plan and promise of a decisive breakthrough.

Creeping barrage idea: precise, timed artillery to unlock rapid infantry advances on a chalk-strong front.

Chemin des Dames offensive; secrecy, schedules, and weather collide with a hard terrain and stubborn defense.

Mutinies spread as troops refuse futile assaults; Nivelle is removed and Petain steps in to save the army.

Petain reshapes strategy toward morale and defense; war aim shifts from quick win to sustained resilience.