British “Devil of Destruction” in Romania: Norton-Griffiths’s Mission and Demolition of Oilfields in Ploiești Region in 1916

Abstract

The First World War demonstrated that the armed conflicts of the twentieth century were primarily a war of technology. However, it turned out to be technology not only directly at the front (e. g., tanks or aeroplanes), but also technology in the rear, at industrial enterprises. The fronts passed through the industrialised areas of Western and Eastern Europe. In the course of hostilities, the destruction of industrial facilities in order to prevent their use by the enemy became one of the goals of military operations. Among the latter, an operation conducted by a detachment under the command of British officer John Norton-Griffiths in the oil-producing areas of Romania stands out for the scale of its destruction. In December 1916, around Ploiesti, a combined British-French-Romanian detachment managed to destroy completely or thoroughly damage hundreds of oil rigs and wells, oil tanks, and burn down petroleum refineries. This operation remains one of the most interesting examples of both the concerted work of Entente troops to devastate territories occupied by the Central Powers and the environmental impact of modern warfare.