Note 9 — Chapter II
Reading edition
It seems to have been a sort of passion with the French to be "the first" to do everything—or was it a passion with our generals to be second? Our allies were the first at Gallipoli, first at Varna, first in the Crimea—all our attacks depended on them. They attacked first at the Alma, and when they turned the Russian right our attack was to take place. They also attacked first in the two great assaults, and our assaults were made to depend on the success of their demonstrations.