Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

history > british sector of western front 1914-18 > Flashcards

british sector of western front 1914-18 Flashcards

1
Q

when was the first battle of ypres?

A

1914

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

what happened in october 1914?

A

germans attacked british positions in ypres

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

how many british troops were lost in the first battle of ypres?

A

over 50,000

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

what did britain manage to keep control of during the first battle of ypres?

A

english channel ports

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

when was hill 60?

A

1915

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

when did the germans capture hill 60?

A

december 1914

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

what was an advantage of hill 60?

A

the height of the hill

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

what did the british do at hill 60 to recapture it?

A

tunnelled under the hill and placed 5 mines

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

when was the second battle of ypres?

A

1915

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what was significant about the second battle of ypres?

A

first time germans used chlorine gas

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

when was the battle of the somme?

A

1916

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

how many british soldiers died on the first day of the battle of the somme?

A

around 20,000

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

what caused casualties during the battle of the somme?

A

creeping barrage

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

why were tanks unsuccessful during the battle of the somme?

A

low speed and unreliability

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

how many british soldiers died in total during the battle of the somme?

A

400,000

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

when was the battle of arras?

A

1917

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

what happened in april 1917 relating to the battle of arras?

A

24,000 men who had been hiding in tunnels attacked

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

how many miles did the british gain during the battle of arras?

A

8 miles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

how many british and candadian causalities were there during the battle of arras?

A

nearly 160,000

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

when was the third battle of ypres?

A

1917

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

what was britains aim for the third battle of ypres?

A

to break out of ypres salient

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

what was the ground like during the third battle of ypres?

A

it was waterlogged and men drowned in mud

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

how many miles did the british gain during the third battle of ypres?

A

7 miles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

how many british causalities were there during the third battle of ypres?

A

245,000

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

when was the battle of cambrai?

A

1917

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

what was significant about the battle of cambrai?

A

first large scale use of tanks

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

how many tanks were used at the battle of cambrai?

A

nearly 500

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

what was the order of the chain of evacuation?

A

-regimental aid posts
-dressing stations
-casualty clearing stations
-base hospitals

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

what was the role of regimental aid posts (RAP)?

A

-give immediate first aid
-aimed to get as many men as possible back fighting
-couldn’t deal with serious injuries

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

where were regimental aid posts located?

A

near frontline / communication trenches

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

what did dressing stations (ADS + MDS) deal with?

A

more serious injuries

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

where were dressing stations located?

A

abandoned buildings, bunkers or tents

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

who staffed dressing stations?

A

field ambulance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

what did casualty clearing stations (CCS) deal with?

A

critical injuries

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

where were casualty clearing stations located?

A

buildings like factors and schools (near railways)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

what was the triage system used by the casualty clearing stations?

A

-walking wounded patched up + sent to fight
-needing hospital treatment were transferred to base hospitals
-no chance of survival were made comfortable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

where were base hospitals located and why?

A

near coasts so men could be shipped to britain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

how were patients organised in base hospitals?

A

different wards according to wounds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

what happened in 1918 that threatened CCSs and what did this mean for base hospitals?

A

germans launched last-ditch offensive so surgery was carried out in base hospitals again

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

what does RAMC stand for?

A

royal army medical corps

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

what was the RAMC?

A

branch of army responsible for medical care

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

when was the RAMC founded?

A

1898

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

what does FANY stand for?

A

first aid nursing yeomanry

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

what was FANY founded?

A

1907

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

what was the FANY?

A

women’s organisation which sent volunteers to western front

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

who did FANY support and how?

A

supported medical service on front line by driving ambulances and giving emergency first aid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

when did the first 6 FANYs arrive in france?

A

october 1914

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

when did the british army allow FANYs to drive ambulances?

A

1916

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

when did thompson’s cave underground hospital begin?

A

november 1916

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
50
Q

where was the hospital in thompson’s cave located?

A

in tunnels

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
51
Q

when was the underground hospital in thompson’s cave abandoned?

A

during the battle of arras in 1917

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
52
Q

list six features of the underground hospital in thompson’s cave

A

-waiting room
-700 spaces for stretchers
-operating theatre
-rest stations for stretcher bearers
-mortuary
-electricity + piped water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
53
Q

what were horse-drawn ambulance wagons used for?

A

carry sick + wounded

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
54
Q

what were the disadvantages of horse-drawn ambulance wagons?

A

they were shaking and made injuries worse

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
55
Q

how were motorised ambulances introduced?

A

with help from public donations

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
56
Q

what were the disadvantages of motorised ambulances?

A

ground could be too muddy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
57
Q

how were wounded men taken to base hospitals on the coast?

A

by train or canal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
58
Q

what did some trains have?

A

operating theatres

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
59
Q

where were some men directly transferred to and why?

A

onto ships to be taken back to britain

60
Q

when did britain declare war on germany?

A

august 4th 1914

61
Q

who was sent to france to stop the germans advancing through belgium?

A

british expeditionary force (BEF)

62
Q

why did soldiers begin to dig small trenches?

A

to shield themselves from machine gun fire

63
Q

when stalemate developed what did both side do and why?

A

dug in to hold their ground as neither side could advance

64
Q

when was a more complex trench system developed?

A

from 1915

65
Q

what was made from the frontline trench?

A

attacks

66
Q

where was the support trench located?

A

behind frontline trench

67
Q

where was the reserve trench located?

A

behind the support trench

68
Q

where was the reserve trench located?

A

behind the support trench

69
Q

what did the communication trench do?

A

connect trenches

70
Q

what pattern were trenches dug in?

A

zigzag

71
Q

what were dugouts?

A

holes dug into sides of trenches where men could take cover

72
Q

what was no man’s land?

A

space between two lines of trenches

73
Q

why was barbed wired used in no man’s land?

A

to slow down enemy attacks

74
Q

what caused gas gangrene?

A

open wounds infected by bacteria from soil

75
Q

what were the symptoms of gas gangrene?

A

dead tissues (bacteria caused gas to build up in wound)

76
Q

what were the solutions to gas gangrene?

A

amputation

77
Q

what caused trench fever?

A

body lice

78
Q

what were the symptoms of trench fever?

A

flu / headache / aching muscles

79
Q

what were the solutions to trench fever?

A

delousing stations

80
Q

what caused trench foot?

A

standing in cold water / mud

81
Q

what were the symptoms of trench foot?

A

painful swelling of feet leading to gangrene

82
Q

what were the solutions to trench foot?

A

rubbing whale oil on feet, keeping feet dry, changing socks + amputation

83
Q

what caused gas attacks?

A

chlorine, phosgene and mustard gas

84
Q

what were the symptoms of gas attacks?

A

burning skin, internal / external blisters and death by suffocation

85
Q

what impact did gas attacks psychologically?

A

massive psychological impact (fear)

86
Q

what were the solutions to gas attacks?

A

gas masks developed in 1915

87
Q

what caused shrapnel injuries?

A

being hit by bullets / shrapnel

88
Q

what were the symptoms of shrapnel injuries?

A

pieces of metal penetrate body taking uniform, soil and dirt into body

89
Q

what were the solutions to shrapnel injuries?

A

steel brodie helmets worn to protect head

90
Q

what caused shellshock?

A

psychological damage

91
Q

what were the symptoms of shellshock?

A

-tiredness
-nightmares
-headaches
-loss of speech
-shaking
-metal breakdowns

92
Q

what was the solution to shellshock?

A

treatment back in britain

93
Q

what was shellshock misunderstood as?

A

cowardice

94
Q

who used the first antiseptic in 1865?

A

joseph lister

95
Q

what did joseph lister’s antiseptic lead to?

A

development of aseptic surgery (removing germs from operating area)

96
Q

by when did most operations use aseptic methods?

A

late 1800s

97
Q

list four examples of aseptic methods used in operations

A

-surgeons washed hands, face and arms
-rubber gloves and gown worn
-surgical instruments steam sterilised
-air was sterilised by pumping

98
Q

what was still a major problem during surgery in the late 1800s?

A

blood loss

99
Q

why did doctors attempt more complex surgeries?

A

anaesthetics and antiseptics

100
Q

who discover the first three blood groups and what were they?

A

karl landsteiner discovered type A / B / O

101
Q

when did karl landsteiner discover the first three blood groups?

A

1901

102
Q

why did karl landsteiner’s discovery make blood transfusions more successful?

A

stopped donor’s blood being rejected by recipient’s body

103
Q

what did james blundell carry out?

A

first human blood transfusion

104
Q

when did james blundell carry out the first blood transfusion?

A

1818

105
Q

what did blood transfusions involve due to blood not being able to be stored?

A

donor directly connected to recipient

106
Q

how many transfusion did blundell carry out and how many were successful?

A

10 transfusions but only 5 successful

107
Q

what did scientists know about the chemicals that could stop blood clotting when it leaves the body?

A

has side effects like convulsions

108
Q

who accidentally discovered x-rays and when?

A

wilhelm roentgen in 1895

109
Q

when did radiology departments open in british hospitals?

A

early as 1896

110
Q

what was an advantage of x-rays?

A

could look inside patient without cutting open

111
Q

list four problems with x-rays in the early 20th century

A

-didn’t fully understand risk of radiation (patients could suffer burns / hair loss)
-roentgen developed table-top machine but glass tube was fragile
-x-ray of a hand took 90 minutes
-larger x-ray machines were difficult to move

112
Q

what percentage of wounds were to the head, face and neck?

A

about 20%

113
Q

why were brain injuries fatal at the start of the war?

A

unconscious / confused patients were difficult to move through chain and doctors had little experience of neurosurgery

114
Q

what did harvey cushing develop?

A

new brain surgery techniques by observing and experimenting

115
Q

what did cushing use to remove metal fragments?

A

magnet

116
Q

why did cushing use local anaesthetic rather than general?

A

general swelled the brain

117
Q

what was the large splint designed to do?

A

keep limbs and joints still

118
Q

why did many men die from shrapnel wounds to the leg?

A

leg wasn’t kept rigid during transport leading to blood loss and infection

119
Q

who developed the splint in the 1800s?

A

hugh thomas

120
Q

how did the survival rate for leg injuries improve due to the thomas splint?

A

20% to 82%

121
Q

what were mobile x-ray units used for from the start of the war?

A

locate bullets and shrapnel

122
Q

what were the problems with mobile x-ray units?

A

-couldn’t identify all objects (e.g. clothing)
-took several minutes
-only used for an hour before they overheated

123
Q

what x-rays did base hospitals have?

A

static x-rays

124
Q

how many mobile x-ray units did the british have?

A

6

125
Q

what did richard lewisohn find in 1915?

A

adding sodium nitrate to blood stopped clotting

126
Q

what did richard weil discover in 1915?

A

blood with sodium nitrate could be stored for up to 2 days if refrigerated

127
Q

what did francis rous and james turner find in 1916?

A

adding citrate glucose solution allowed blood to be stored for up to 4 weeks

128
Q

what did an american doctor build during the battle of cambrai in 1917?

A

carrying case for bottles of donated blood

129
Q

how many soldiers were treated and survived due to the carrying case for bottles of donated blood?

A

treated 20 soldiers and 11 survived

130
Q

who developed methods of restoring and rebuilding facial features?

A

harold gilles

131
Q

where did intricate operations and recovery had to be carried out?

A

in britain

132
Q

which hospital was the main hospital for plastic surgery?

A

queen’s hospital in kent

133
Q

when did harold gilles help design queen’s hospital in kent?

A

1917

134
Q

by the end of 1917 how many operations did the queen’s hospital in kent carry out?

A

nearly 12,000

135
Q

what made aseptic surgery impossible?

A

contaminated conditions

136
Q

what caused infections in wounds?

A

shrapnel, dirt and uniform

137
Q

what made the system often struggle to cope?

A

sheer number of causalities

138
Q

who developed blood transfusions on the western front?

A

lawrence bruce robertson

139
Q

what did lawrence bruce robertson use to transfer blood from donor to patient?

A

syringe and tube

140
Q

where were blood transfusions carried out?

A

base hospitals

141
Q

in what year did blood transfusions start to be carried out in the CCS

A

1917

142
Q

who designed the portable blood transfusion kit?

A

geoffrey keynes (RAMC)

143
Q

what did debridement include as a method of dealing with infection?

A

removal of dead / infected tissue

144
Q

what was the carrel-dakin method to deal with infection?

A

using sterilised salt solution in wound through a tube

145
Q

why couldn’t antiseptics like carbonic acids be used to deal with infections?

A

they didn’t work on gas gangrene

146
Q

how did amputation work to deal with infection?

A

removing infected limbs

147
Q

how many men lost limbs by 1918?

A

240,000

history (15 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions