Dr Rich Willis

Interests: #2ndMarne 1918: THE turning point of the Great War, Machine Gun Corps. French Xe Armée & Charles Mangin. Proud Yorkshireman. Views my own.

[Dr Rich Willis @willisRM73]

Marking yet another momentous milestone in my writing: This is the 258th & final book for me to reference. It’s a beauty to finish on. #Twitterstorians #2ndMarne.

[Dr Rich Willis @willisRM73]

@masaccio60 Nice titanium frame.

How did you get up that climb with just a double chainring? Incredible

[Dr Rich Willis @willisRM73]

Something I’ve never seen before: parent and child snail going out for a ‘glide’ together.

[Dr Rich Willis @willisRM73]

@HiraethHayseed Jacob - lots of autistic people develop a deep passion, even expertise for a particular subject (pls don’t call it a “special interest”). As long as there is balance in her life, you shouldn’t worry too much. Reading this helped switch my thinking.

[Dr Rich Willis @willisRM73]

@thebattleguide It’s an eerie place, knowing that your enemy is only a few metres away down a tunnel.

[Dr Rich Willis @willisRM73]

@RichardGlyn99 @ThePoiluProject BEF’s contribution was significant - that’s not in doubt. It was a coalition effort. The success of 1918 came out of Foch’s leadership.

[Dr Rich Willis @willisRM73]

@RichardGlyn99 @ThePoiluProject Which allowed Haig and Pétain to carry out Amiens on 8 August, at Foch’s instruction. It was a true Entente battle & coalition warfare proper, but it’s a fact that the majority of troops involved were French (something British historians seem to forget).

[Dr Rich Willis @willisRM73]

@RichardGlyn99 @ThePoiluProject Then the victory of 18 July - 2 August would not have been possible without the efforts & manpower of the AEF (plus 4 British divisions & 3 Italian). And Foch’s planning & Pétain’s execution.
This created the conditions for what followed - they unlocked the Western Front 2/

[Dr Rich Willis @willisRM73]

@YorkCityFC What an amazing thing to do for everyone. A true team effort

[Dr Rich Willis @willisRM73]

@ArifAhmedITV @YfrontFanzine @YorkCityFC This is an amazing thing to do. The young fans will remember this forever.

[Dr Rich Willis @willisRM73]

@Newbattleatwar @PaulRamsay7 Absolute mayhem. He deserves all the praise he’s getting

[Jon Rawnsley @WhiteRoseScouse]

We counted them all out. And we counted them back in again…

[York City F(C) @YorkCityFC]

WE ARE CHAMPIONSSSSSSSSSS

#YCFC 🔴🔵

[York City F(C) @YorkCityFC]

I DONT KNOW WHO SCORED WEVE SCORED I CANNOT BELIEVE IT

[Dr Rich Willis @willisRM73]

WE ARE GOING UP SAY WE ARE GOING UP

[Dr Rich Willis @willisRM73]

@jkuehn50 The problem for the US is that Trump has alienated so many of America’s traditional allies & many doubt his motives. He’s turned a pariah state into a victim.

[Dr Rich Willis @willisRM73]

@panthemanii @magdelaine_p @ThePoiluProject @medievalmlord That’s just not true.
2nd Marne 18 July = majority French.
Amiens 8 Aug = majority French.
Meuse-Argonne 26 Sept = 55% American 45% French at start.
French Army of summer 1918 was the most advanced & effective fighting force in human history.

[Dr Rich Willis @willisRM73]

@ThePoiluProject I have and I believe that without Pétain’s prompt intervention on evening of 21st march, then the BEF would have been in an existential crisis within 72 hours. The French plugged a gaping gap in British line.

[Dr Rich Willis @willisRM73]

@HistoryandMoore Congratulations. Wonderful news