B2) WW1 stalemate Flashcards
How long did the Belgian Army resist the Germans during the Schlieffen Plan?
2 weeks
Why did the Schlieffen Plan fail? (3)
- Underestimated Belgian resistance
- BEF slowed G down
- Russia mobilised quicker than expected
How did Germany respond to Russia’s Army mobilising?
They were forced to send 100,000 troops East.
When was the Battle of Mons?
23rd August 1914
What were the events of the Battle of Mons? (3)
- BEF landed in France and met the advancing Germans
- BEF used bolt action rifles
- surprised the Germans
What was the outcome of the Battle of Mons?
The BEF were defeated but succeeded in slowing the Germans down.
What were the events of the French attack on Alsace-Lorraine? (Plan 17)
•French heavily defeated due to outdated tactics
How many died due to Plan 17?
200,000 in 12 weeks.
When was the Battle of the Marne?
6th September 1914
What were the events of the Battle of the Marne? (1)
•Britain and France managed to push the German Army back to the River Aisne
What were the consequences of the Battle of the Marne? (1)
•Both sides dug trenches- the beginning of stalemate
What was the Race to the Sea?
Both sides tried to outflank the enemy by extending the trenches towards the sea in an attempt to get control of the ports. (1914)
What were the consequences of the Race to the Sea?
•extension of the trench system across France
What were the stages of going ‘Over the Top’? (4)
- ’barrage’- artillery bombardment of the enemy
- soldiers go over no-man’s land to try and capture enemy trenches
- defenders would fire machine guns
- if attackers succeeded it was unlikely that they would be able to hold the trenches, forced back
What was the ‘infantry charge’?
Foot soldiers
What were conditions in the trenches like?
- open to the elements (cold and wet/ muddy)
- dead bodies
- disease
- infested with rats
Which 2 diseases were common in the trenches?
Dysentery and trenchfoot.
What was artillery?
Heavy guns (caused the most casualties)
What was the ‘creeping barrage’?
More accurately fired artillery bombardment would continue while the soldiers went across no-man’s land to protect them against enemy fire.
What artillery tactic was developed later in the war?
Creeping barrage
How was artillery used at the start of the war?
Used to bombard the enemy before an infantry attack.
Did use of artillery have an impact on the stalemate?
Didn’t break deadlock because both sides had it, also it churned up the land and made it impossible to advance effectively.
What is a specific example of an artillery weapon used in the war?
“Big Bertha”- a massive German gun
What is an example of successful use of artillery?
The Battle of Vimy Ridge 1917- Allied soldiers captured German trenches using the creeping barrage tactic.
What is an example of unsuccessful use of artillery?
The Battle of the Somme 1916- 7 day artillery bombardment failed to destroy German defences.
Which side invented tanks?
Britain
What was the first tank called?
Mark 1- “Little Willie”
When were tanks first used?
During the Battle of the Somme 1916
The Battle of Flers
What were tanks like at the start of the war?
- unreliable- broke down frequently
* couldn’t release fumes, would overheat
What were tanks like at the end of the war?
They had improved but were still unreliable.
How fast was “Little Willie”?
2 mph
How fast was the Mark 4 tank?
3.7 mph
What is an example of successful use of tanks?
Battle of Cambrai 1917
What were machine guns used for?
Defence
What were machine guns like at the start of the war? (4)
- heavy
- 8-10 bullets a second
- would overheat
- easily jammed
What were machine guns like at the end of the war?
- portable, lightweight
- efficient
- used by most platoons
What is an example of the use of machine guns?
Battle of the Somme 1916- used by the Germans to kill the British as they walked across no-man’s land.
What were aircraft used for?
Reconnaissance (spying), ‘dog-fighting’ and bombing.
What were aircraft like at the start of the war? (2)
- made of wood and canvas
* fragile and basic
What were aircraft like at the end of the war?
- made of aluminium
* added machine guns to the front (synchronised firing- bullets were timed to be fired through the propellers 1915)
When was poison gas first used?
At the 2nd Battle of Ypres by the Germans 1915
How many soldiers died from gas attacks?
3000
-most feared by soldiers
Which gas was used at the start of the war?
Chlorine gas (had a colour)
How was chlorine gas used at the start of the war?
They would open a canister and let the gas blow over to the enemy trenches- ineffective, often the wind took it back to them.
What did chlorine gas do to soldiers?
Suffocated and blinded them.
Which gases were used later in the war?
Mustard gas (colourless and odourless) and Phosgene gas.
What did phosgene gas do to soldiers?
Dissolved the lungs.
How was gas used at the end of the war?
Gas shells were developed in 1916.
What protective technology was developed during the war? (3)
- steel helmets 1916
- camouflage
- gas masks 1917
What were some jobs that soldiers did in the trenches? (3)
- sentry duty
- repairing/ building trenches
- sappers- ex miners who planted shells underneath enemy trenches
What is patriotism?
Pride for your country- many soldiers felt like this.
How long were soldiers meant to spend in the trenches?
10 days per month and as little as 3 days in the front line trenches.
What were ‘Pals Battalions’?
Groups of friends/ neighbours etc. who had enlisted in the army to serve together.
How were soldiers punished?
Soldiers could be court- martialled (tried in an army court) and even executed.
How many British soldiers were executed by an army court?
3080 were sentenced but only 346 were carried out.
How was morale kept up in the trenches?
Soldiers received parcels from home and luxuries eg chocolate and cigarettes.
Who had the best rations?
Britain- the average working class soldier gained 10kg while in the army.
What are the key battles on the Western Front?
- Verdun 1916
- the Somme 1916
- Passchendale (3rd battle of Ypres) 1917
Which side started Verdun?
German offensive
When was Verdun?
February 1916
What was the aim of Verdun?
Germany wanted to weaken the French and break the deadlock
-“bleed France white”
Why didn’t the French give up at Verdun?
They were determined to keep Verdun because it was good for morale
-French army were near breaking point
“Ils ne passeront pas”
Who was the German commander at Verdun?
Falkenhyn
How long was the bombardment at the start of Verdun?
8 hours, 2 million shells
How many died at Verdun?
700,000 by July 1916 (from both sides)
What are the main events of Verdun? (4)
- German bombardment
- French were failing to recapture lost territory
- offensive at the Somme launched- German resources diverted
- French recaptured the land and pushed the Germans back Dec 1916
How were planes used at Verdun?
Used to spy on German artillery positions by the French, dog fights and to drop explosives in enemy trenches.
-both sides developed large numbers of aircraft for Verdun
What were the consequences of Verdun? (3)
- Germany failed to break through
- both sides heavily weakened
- Battle of the Somme
When was the Battle of the Somme?
1st July 1916
Who started the Battle of the Somme?
Bristish offensive
What was the purpose of the Battle of the Somme? (2)
- divert the Germans away from Verdun + relieve pressure from the French army
- targets were Thiepval and the Schwaben Redoute
How long was the artillery bombardment at the start of the Somme?
7 days, 1.5 million shells
What signified the start of the Battle of the Somme?
Detonation of Lochnagar mine at 7:28am
How many British casualties were there on the first day of the Battle of the Somme?
57,000
How many men were in the first wave in the Battle of the Somme infantry charge?
100,000
What was the purpose of the bombardment at the start of the Battle of the Somme?
To obliterate the German defences and kill all of the soldiers- believed it would make it easy for the British troops (mostly volunteers)
Why was the bombardment at the Somme unsuccessful?
The Germans were in deep concrete bunkers so nothing was destroyed.
Who was leading the British in the Battle of the Somme?
Douglas Haig
Why was the first day of the Somme so disastrous? (2)
- too much faith in artillery
* inflexible commanders
How did inflexible commanders worsen the Battle of the Somme?
General Morland watched the massacre from afar and refused to change the plan, sent out a 3rd wave of men-
“Lions led by donkeys”
How were British soldiers told to attack in the Battle of the Somme?
Told to walk across no-man’s land because the bombardment would destroy everything for them.
What improvements to tactics were made as a result of the Battle of the Somme? (2)
- creeping barrage
* have generals on the battlefield eg Lieutenant Colonel Frank Maxwell led a Somme offensive on the ground
What were the outcomes of the Battle of the Somme? (3)
- successful in the sense that it provided relief for Verdun
- failed to break through German defences
- Allies gained Thiepval, couldn’t hold Schwaben Redoute
When was the Battle of Flers?
15th September 1916
What happened in the Battle of Flers?
Tanks were used for the first time but ineffectively- were behind the troops but should’ve been in front + one broke down on the battlefield.
How many casualties were there by the end of the Battle of the Somme?
1.25 million (from both sides)
Which battle was the Battle of Flers part of?
Battle of the Somme
How were aircraft used at the Battle of the Somme?
Used to give commanders accurate information about the battle.
When was Passchendaele?
31st July 1917
What is Passchendaele also called?
3rd battle of Ypres
Who started Passchendaele?
British offensive
What were the events of Passchendaele?
- British mines detonated at Messines under German artillery positions- 10,000 killed
- bad weather hindered progress
What happened at the Battle of Cambrai?
350 tanks made good progress but were unable to hold the land without help from infantry.
Which battle was the Battle of Cambrai part of?
Passchendaele
How many allied casualties were there from Passchendaele?
250,000 -even more on the German side
When were gas shells developed?
1916
When was synchronised firing developed?
1915
When were steel helmets introduced?
1916
When were gas masks developed?
1917
When was the Gallipoli Campaign?
March 1915
Who’s idea was the Gallipoli Campaign?
Winston Churchill
What was the purpose of the Gallipoli Campaign? (3)
- to remove Turkey from the war
- open a new front to break the stalemate
- secure the Dardanelles -a warm water port to use as a supply route for Russia
Whose side was Turkey on?
Germany
What is the Dardanelles Strait?
A narrow stretch of water separating Europe and Asia.
What were the events of the Gallipoli Campaign?
- ships couldn’t advance because of heavy Turkish defences so the plan was changed
- soldiers landed on peninsula and were stuck on the beaches in awful conditions
Why did the Gallipoli Campaign fail? (3)
- lack of accurate information about the land and the Turkish defences
- boats weren’t appropriate for landings
- overconfidence in the navy
How many casualties were there at Gallipoli?
Half a million- a large proportion of which were Anzac troops
How was the Dardanelles Straits defended?
Mines all the way up the Straits in the water, guns and forts on both sides of the water.
Why was it thought that the War at Sea was going to be important?
There had been an Anglo-German naval race leading up to the so people thought there would be sea battles featuring the dreadnoughts.
What is the main feature of the War at Sea?
The British Blockade- a massive factor of the German surrender
What new technology was developed for the War at Sea?
Torpedoes- underwater missiles
What are U-boats?
German submarines
What was involved in the British Blockade?
Planted mines at Germany’s ports so that ships couldn’t enter or leave.
How did Germany respond to the British Blockade?
Unrestricted Warfare at Sea campaign
What was Germany’s Unrestricted Warfare at Sea campaign?
It said that they would target any ship they believed was helping Britain using their U-boats
When was the sinking of the Lusitania?
1915
What is the Lusitania?
A British passenger liner traveling from New York to Britain.
Why did Germany target the Lusitania?
They (rightly) suspected that America was using it to smuggle illegal weapons into Britain to help them.
How many American citizens were on the Lusitania?
128
What are Q-ships?
British decoy ships- merchant ships armed with disguised heavy guns.
What is a convoy?
Where warships escorted merchant ships.
When was the convoy system introduced?
1917
What was the effect of the convoy system?
Cut Allied shipping losses by 20%
When was the Battle of Jutland?
May 1916
Which British commanders were in charge at the Battle of Jutland?
Jellicoe and Beatty
What were the events of the Battle of Jutland?
- Germans had planned an attack on a B merchant ship
- British outnumbered the Germans
- Germans left and Britain remained in control of the North Sea for the rest of the war
- indecisive Battle
How many ships and troops did Britain lose in the battle of Jutland?
14 ships, 6000 men
How many ships did Germany lose in the Battle of Jutland?
13 ships, 2500 men
How long did it take for Russia to mobilise their army?
10 days
