The origins of the Battle of Arras lay in the year before as the Battle of the Somme was drawing to a close in November of 1916. The year drew to a close with a change of political leadership in Britain with Prime Minister Asquith resigning and being replaced by David Lloyd George plus a change in miliary leadership in France. The Commander-in-Chief since the beginning of the war, General Joffre being “moved upstairs” and replaced on the Western Front by General Nivelle. In the New Year, General Haig, Commander-in-Chief of the British and Commonwealth forces was prmoted to Field Marshal.
Meanwhile in Germany the leadership had already undergone changes at the end of August 1916 with Falkenhayn being replaced by General Paul von Hindenburg who brought with him his right hand man Erich Ludendorff, newly promoted to General. They saw that the Somme battles necessitated a possible withdrawal to straighten the line if the British pressure was kept up and a new fortified position some miles further back was begun – this would eventually become the Siegfried Stellung or, to the British, the Hindenburg Line.
Arras 1917 