A French section of machine gunners takes position during the Second Battle of the Aisne on the Western Front in 1917. The battle was part of the&#160;Nivelle Offensive, devised by French general&#160;Robert Nivelle, and the Aisne offensive formed the main thrust of the attack. The battle was supposed to last 48 hours with casualties of 10,000 men, but dragged on for three weeks with nearly 30,000 dead. Despite achieving several key objectives, it led to mutinies among the men and ended in failure