 Following the defeat, the Chief of the German General Staff, Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, ordered the "Oberste Heeresleitung" ("OHL", Supreme Army Command) to conduct a court of enquiry into the defensive collapse of the Arras sector.The court concluded that the 6th Army headquarters had disregarded frontline commander reports, noting a possible imminent attack and as a result, reserve units were kept too far back to execute a timely and effective counterattack.The court concluded that 6th Army commander General Ludwig von Falkenhausen failed to apply an elastic defence properly as espoused by German defensive doctrine of the time.