Medicine Through Time (Western Front 1) Flashcards
When did World War One begin and end?
August 1914 and ended in November 1918
How did WW1 begin?
In 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary was killed by a Serbian man. So Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia
Why did Russia get involved in WW1?
It had an alliance with Serbia
Why did Germany get involved in WW1?
It had an alliance with Austria-Hungary, so declared war on Russia
Why did Britain get involved in WW1?
Germany invaded neutral Belgium, and Britain had an agreement with both Belgium and France
When did Britain declare war on Germany?
August 4th 1914
What was the more complex trench system that was designed in 1915?
- Front Line Trench
- Support Trench
- Reserve Trench
- These trenches were connected via communication trenches
How were trenches dug?
In a zigzag pattern, to prevent the enemy from seeing and firing directly along the trench
How deep were trenches generally?
2.5 metres
What was the space in between the two lines of trenches called and what was there?
- No man’s land
- Barbed wire to slow down enemy attacks
What were dugouts?
- holes dug into the sides of trenches, where men could take cover
When was the First Battle of Ypres?
October 1914
What happened in the First Battle of Ypres?
- Germans attacked the British positions in the Belgian town of Ypres
- British lost 50,000 troops but managed to keep control of English Chanel Ports
What was Hill 60 (1915)
- A made made hill near Ypres that the Germans captured in 1914
- It’s height gave them a strategic advantage
- In 1915, the British tunnelled under the hill, placed 5 mines under it, then blew off the top to recapture it
When was the Second Battle of Ypres and what was significant about it?
April and May 1915, it was the first time the Germans used chlorine gas
When was the Battle of the Somme?
1916
What were the two new tactics the British tried in the Battle of the Somme, that increased casualties?
The creeping barrage: This was where artillery was launched from the trenches just ahead of the British infantry as it advanced forwards.
Tanks: These were unsuccessful because of their low speed and unreliability
How many British Soldiers died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme?
Around 20,000
How many lives did the Somme cost the British in total?
About 400,000 lives
When was the Battle of Arras?
1917
What happened in the Battle of Arras?
- The British linked the existing tunnels, caves and quarries at Arras to create a safe underground network, in 1916
- In 1917, 24,000 men who had been hiding attacked. The British advanced nearly 8 miles, but their progress slowed and there were nearly 160,000 British and Canadian casualties
What was a salient?
an area of a battlefield that is surrounded by the enemy on three sides, so is very vulnerable
When was the third Battle of Ypres?
1917
What happened at the third Battle of Ypres?
- Aim was for the British to break out of the Ypres Salient
- The weather turned to rain, and the ground became so waterlogged that men would drown in the mud. By the end the British had regained about 7 miles, but with about 245,000 casualties
What was significant about the Battle of Cambrai?
Cambrai saw the first large-scale use of tanks – nearly 500 were used. They could move
easily over the barbed wire and their machine guns were effective.
When was the Battle of Cambrai?
1917
What did the communication trench allow for?
Allowed men to run up and down between the lines with material and supplies without having to go over open ground.
Features of the reserve trench?
- 350 - 550 metres behind the front line
- Reserve trench was safer then the support trench so could keep extra supplies, cooks and medics
Features of the support trench?
- 60 - 90 metres behind trenches on the front line, protecting it from shell bombardment aimed at the front line
- Connected to the front line by communication trenches, so soldiers could retreat to it
What two trenches were on the front line?
- Fire trenches
- Supervision trenches
