FWW Flashcards
Schlieffen Plan
The Schlieffen Plan was Germany’s tactical solution for avoiding a two-front war with France and Russia. Under this plan, France would be forced to a quick surrender by a German invasion in the north. The execution of the Schlieffen Plan led to Britain declaring war on Germany.
Battle of Mons
August 1914
BEF first engage German army on the Franco-German border. 1600 casualties. Britain retreats from Mons - could be seen as tactical.
Battle of Marne
September 1914
French and British forces engage the German army - major turning point as first allied victory against Germans. Stops German advance into France. Ruined the Schlieffen plan.
First battle of Ypres
Oct-Nov 1914
Takes a long time due to strong weaponry - significant loss of men and plummeting morale. Some soldiers refuse orders.
The outcome is indecisive as little ground was gained on either side but Ypres didn’t fall to the Germans - but they weren’t defeated either. Much of the BEF was lost at this point and replaced by the TA, who all quickly die as well.
From movement to attrition
A traditional war of movement was expected but due to technological advancements trench warfare became the unique feature of the FWW. After initial movement they became attritioned. The race to the sea created because each side was trying to outflank the other.
Second battle of Ypres
22nd April - 25th May 1915
German launched a second attempt to capture Ypes. Germans used 171 tones of chlorine gas,first use of gas in war, devastating and many troops died in 10 mins or were blinded. Germans didn’t have gas masks so couldn’t advance. Britain responded with issuing piss covered rags as temporary gas masks,innovation. By july 1915 every soldier had a gas mask. Gas became a key weapon for the rest of the war. 80k for allies, 35k for Germans in casualties.
Battle of Loos
September- October 1915.
Biggest british attack during 1915 and first use of gas by the allies,first major battle that Britain’s new army faced. Aim of the battle was to end the stalemate, the battle was an overall failure for the allies as they failed to gain ground at a high cost. Dug under no mans land and planted mines. British artillery bombardment before hand was insufficient due to a lack of ammunition,failed to do enough damage to Germans. Gas launched by British came back in their faces. RFC assisted, spotted key targets,also conducted the first tactical bombing in history. Out of 10k Britain’s fighting 8k sustained injury’s in 4 hours. French was heavily criticised,despite some innovations the battle was a failure and as a result john french replaced by Douglas Haigh as Commander in Chief of the BEF. In total allied casualties stood at 60k compared to 20k German casualties.
Battle of the Somme
July - November 1916
Prime aim is to save Verdun, Haigh’s first major offensive and combined allied force of almost 3 million men. It was rushed and Haigh asked for more time to prep as didn’t feel prepared. A large number of Pals Battalions died,led to them being banned after the Somme. There was significant equipment shortages and not enough officers to command the enormous volume of troops. This led to Britain promoting inexperienced men and calling vets to join the war effort. Extensive reconnaissance of the battlefield done by British, 300k photos of the battlefield. Allied forces counfucted a 7 day artillery bombardment riddled with issues - British overestimate how much damage it would do and massive underestimated of the sophistication and depth of the German trenches. The Brits used fragmentation shells which did not have the desired effect on barbed wire,explosive shells would have been better. Many failed to explode- led fuse 106 being developed. Then the British launched their attack 1st July, German barbed wire remained mainly intact. British were being slaughtered with German machine guns yet no changes to their orders. Despite the enormous losses over 1 mill from all sides, the battle achieved its primary objective despite the allied forces only advancing 6miles but it was enough. Men who survived gained valuable experience as had Haigh. Germans struggled to replace their soldiers with the same quality and quantity.
