Main Battles in WW1 Flashcards
The Somme DATE
1 july - 18 november 1916
The Somme AIMS
to help the french troop at verdun by diverting german attention to the somme
to obliterate german defenses
the somme PREPARATION
7 days of artillery bombardment by the british (1,732,873 shells fired, meant to obliterate german defenses, kill troops and cut any barbed wire)
the british gathered 6 times more soldiers than the germans
the somme EVENTS
soldiers told to advance at walking pace on the morning of the 1st september 1916
first day - 57,000 British casualties
the somme RESULTS
only 6 miles of ground taken by the british
1.25 million men died (total)
new tactics - creeping barrage and tanks
the somme REASONS FOR FAILURE
artillery had actually tangled (not destroyed) barbed wire and created hugecraters in which many soldiers got stuck
germans where unharmed from bombardment due to concrete dugouts
germans were mostly veterans, british soldiers were volunteers (often from the country)
inflexible generals did not change the plans despite huge losses and officers on the front line were not allowed to make decisions
the somme REASONS FOR SUCCESS
tanks were used
creeping barrage was developed
inflexible generals were ultimately replaced - commanders no longer had to refer to higher ups to change plans
aircraft was developed and used for reconaissance
give and example of a commander using inniciative (the somme)
PRIVATE EDWARDS took control and single handedly took out a German machine gun
who was the general in charge of the somme
General Douglas Haig
verdun DATE
February - December 1916
the general in charge of the battle at verdun
Erik von Falkenhayn
verdun AIMS
to break the deadlock of the war
to bleed france white and drain their resources
to cause national humiliation to france (verdun was a large part of french moral/psyche)
what is war of attrition
to drain the enemy’s resources until there is no chance of resistance
developed by german commander Falkenhayn
verdun EVENTS
infantry attack followed the barage
flame throwers were used to incinerate troops stuck inside bunkers
germans took over the french fort Doaumont (without a single shot fired)
verdun PREPARATION
21st February 1916 firing and bombardment by the germans began (heaviest artillery fire ever - 80 million shells fell and the french had little protection)
verudn RESULTS
the germans lost nearly as many men as the french
germans developed the flame thrower
700,000 total died
loss of fort douamont was important to the morale of both sides, this pushed the british to iniciate the somme and for french marshal Philippe Petain to continue efending verdun despite certain loss of life
verdun FAILURE
germans were pushed back to the start and started loosing land by July
both sides suffered huge losses
the french were fighting to save their country and for honour this pushed them to kepp going
the french could exploit their counties facilities such as trains to transport soldiers
french defenses at verdun were poor due to lack fo decisions
Falkenhayn underestimated the french because they had been beaten in the Franco-Prussian was of 1871
passchendale DATE
31 july - 6 november 1917
(third battle of ypres/ battle of mud)
passchendale PREPARATION
july 18 1917 (three days) heavy artillery barrage firing 4 million shells with 3,000 atillery guns which killed 10,000 german soldiers
passchendale EVENTS
july 31 1917 - infantry attack began (expected by the germans)
tanks got stuck
germans used mustard gas
many soldiers got stuck in mud due to the artillery along side very heavy rainfall previously
passchendale RESULTS
500,000 deaths
6 november passchendale village was captured, general Haig called it a success but was critisied
325,000 allied casualties
260,000 german casualties
passchendale FAILURES
artilleray barage - used very often in ww1 and so the germans knew to expect an infantry attack so there was no surprise
- ruined drainage thus flooding
- not all shells exploded causing threats to soldiers
rainfall - august 1917 heaviest rainfall in 30 years, craters were full of water, soldiers got trapped or drowned
- it was very hard to cross no man’s land
general haig - inflexibility of plans caused deaths
gallipoli DATE
february 1915 - 9 january 1916
gallipoli AIMS
allied powers hoped to break the deadlock by taking over the dardanelles straits connecting to russia’s main supply line (siezing it would help get resources to and from russia as well as take tukey out the war)
gallipoli EVENTS
19 february 1915 - naval attack began with long range bombardment
march 18 1915 - 18 allied battleship entered the strait (turkish fire, undetected mines sank 3 ships and severely damaged other 3)
25 april 1915 - allies launched their attack on the gallipoli peninsula
6 august 1915 - another troop landed in hopes to break the stalemate
gallipoli - when did the government authorise evacuation?
7 december 1915 - evacuation was authorised
the last troops left - 9 january 1916
gallipoli RESULTS
250,000 casualties for the allied and turkish side)
two beachheads had been established but no other land was gained and the campaign finished in evacuation
gallipoli FAILURES
harsh weather - scorching heat and freesing winter (many suffered from dysentry, typhoid, frostbite and some even froze to death)
constant swarms of flies on dead bodies - this often brought disease that quickly spread
little intelligence on the defenses of the darenelles, and little communnication between leaders
