Transportation and Logistics

Moving millions of men and supplies required transportation revolution. France's railway network, already extensive, underwent massive expansion. New lines reached the front, while narrow-gauge railways created webs connecting trenches to supply depots.

Motor transport supplemented railways. The army possessed 6,000 vehicles in 1914 but operated 70,000 by 1918. The "Sacred Way" to Verdun demonstrated motor transport's importance—3,000 trucks daily maintained the fortress's defense. French manufacturers developed specialized vehicles: ambulances, mobile kitchens, repair workshops.

Horse transport, though overshadowed by motors, remained essential. France mobilized 1.8 million horses and mules. Veterinary services, vastly expanded, treated wounded animals with dedication equaling human medicine. The army developed specialized horse gas masks, though their effectiveness remained questionable.

Logistics became science. Mathematical models optimized supply routes. Standardization—from ammunition to rations—simplified distribution. The Direction de l'Arrière coordinated movement with precision unimaginable prewar. By 1918, French logistics supported not only French forces but American armies lacking their own systems.