Between 1917 and 1918, a revolution in military affairs (RMA) took place which, it is contended, was more than merely that; rather it amounted to a military revolution which was the most significant development in the history of warfare to date, and remains so. It amounted to the birth of what will be termed the modern style of warfare with the advent of 'three dimensional,' artillery indirect fire as the foundation of planning at the tactical, operational and strategic levels of war. This paper contends that this military revolution had technological, tactical and, most crucially, conceptual components and that while elements of these already existed before the First World War, it took the shock of war to act as a catalyst for change. From the solution to pressing tactical problems emerged the unforeseen possibility that the new techniques of deep attack might create a new operational paradigm. This paper will investigate how this military revolution came about, how it was interpreted, developed and misunderstood in subsequent decades, and show how this experience helps us to understand something of the nature of military revolutions, change and what is required of us in our own circumstances.

Contention -- Features of the modern style of warfare -- The deficiencies of 1914 -- The problem assessed: 1915 -- The solution identified: 1916-18 -- The First World War as a military revolution -- Evolution of the modern style of warfare in the Second World War -- The strategic perspective -- The modern style of warfare and the nature of revolutions -- Annex A: the birth of the modern style of warfare -- Annex B: three dimensional firepower, the division of labor.