Paper 1 - British sector of the western front

Question 1

What was the First Battle of Ypres and when did it happen?

Answer 1

1914
Germans launched an attack on the BEF. British held on to Ypres but suffered losses of 50,000 men.
Still controlled the English Channel ports.

Question 2

What did they use the mines at Hill 60 for?

Answer 2

Germans captured the man-made hill south-east of Ypres in 1914. The height of the hill gave them a strategic advantage in the area. The British used a method of tunnelling into and under the hill. Five mines were placed in the tunnels. When they exploded they blew the top of Hill 60 and the British took control

Question 3

What was the Second Battle of Ypres and when did it happen?

Answer 3

1915
Sequence of battles over a month
Germans used chlorine gas for the first time. The British lost 59,000 men and the Germans moved 2 miles closer to Ypres

Question 4

What was the Battle of Somme and when did it happen?

Answer 4

1916
Fought in Northern France, was one of the bloodiest battles during WW1
Battle began on 1 July 1916 and ended 140 days later by the end more than a million soldiers from both sides had lost their lives
The first day was a disaster for the British. British forces on 1 July 1916 suffered 57,470 casualties including 19,240 deaths. This made it the bloodiest day in the whole history

Question 5

What was the Third Battle of Ypres and when did it happen?

Answer 5

1917
British aimed to break out of the Ypres Salient. They launched their main attack on 31 July at Passchendaele. Army advanced 2 miles before weather turned and ground became waterlogged. By November the BEF had gained 7 miles with the cost of 245,000 men

Question 6

What was the Battle of Arras and when did it happen?

Answer 6

1917
24,000 men who had been hiding in tunnels near the German Trenches attacked. After 3 months only 8 miles had been gained at the loss of 160,000 men

Question 7

What was the Battle of Cambrai and when did it happen?

Answer 7

1917

First large scale use of tanks. The tanks were able to move across the barbed wire easily

Question 8

How many casualties were there during WW1?

Answer 8

2.7 million

Question 9

How many people were killed or taken prisoner?

Answer 9

700,000

Question 10

What were some problems with communication?

Answer 10

• constant shelling left the landscapes full of craters which led to problems transporting wounded soldiers away from the front line
• Fighting took place on farmland which meant feritliser was placed on the land which added to the risk of infection
• horse drawn wagons were used instead of motor ambulances. They couldn’t cope with the large number of casualties. Wounded soldiers would be shaken about in the wagons often making their injuries worse. In the later stages of the war, canal and railways were used to transport soldiers to the Base hospitals.

Question 11

What were some features of The Trench system?

Answer 11

2.5 metres deep
in a zig-zag pattern which contained dugouts for men to take cover
sandbags to offer protection and keep walls in place
fire step
duckboards
elbow rest
barbed wire to provide a final defence

Question 12

What was the front line trench?

Answer 12

where attacks were made from

Question 13

What was the command trench?

Answer 13

10-20 metres behind the firing line

Question 14

What was the support trench?

Answer 14

80 metres behind the front line trench where troops could retreat to if they cam under enemy fire

Question 15

What was the reserve trench?

Answer 15

100 metres behind the support trench and was where reserve troops were stationed

Question 16

What was the communication trench?

Answer 16

used to send messages

Question 17

Why was it difficult to move men through the trench system?

Answer 17

contained equipment and men. Stretcher bearers also found it difficult to move around the corners and to safely collect the wounded

Question 18

When was Chlorine gas first used, what did it cause and how did they prevent inhalation?

Answer 18

German first used in 1915
led to death by suffocation
in July 1915 every British soldier was given a gas mask before this handkerchiefs with urine on was held up to prevent the gas getting into the lungs

Question 19

When was Phosgene gas first used what did it cause?

Answer 19

First used by German in 1915
Worked quicker than Chlorine but had similar effects
Could kill a person who had been exposed to the gas within two days

Question 20

When was Mustard gas first used what did it cause?

Answer 20

First used by Germans in 1917
An odourless gas that worked within 12 hours
Cause blisters and could burn through clothing

Question 21

What is the cause of trench fever?

Answer 21

Transmitted by body lice

Question 22

What are some symptoms of trench fever?

Answer 22

flu like symptoms
high temperature
headaches
shivering
aching muscles

Question 23

What are the treatments and prevention of trench fever?

Answer 23

treatments - some drugs were used such as salvarsan but they didn’t work. Passing an electric current through the affected area was used to some success
prevention - by 1918 the cause was known. clothes were disinfected using repellent gel. delousing stations were set up

Question 24

What was the impact of trench fever?

Answer 24

half a million men on the western front were affected

Question 25

What is the cause of trench foot?

Answer 25

soldiers stood in the waterlogged trenches which caused painful swellings

Question 26

What are some symptoms of trench foot?

Answer 26

tight boots added to the problem as blood flow was restricted. Gangrene would set in

Question 27

What are the treatments and prevention of trench foot?

Answer 27

treatment - soldiers were advised to clean and dry their feet. in some cases they would amputate
prevention - changing socks regularly and keeping feet dry

Question 28

What was the impact of trench foot?

Answer 28

during the winter 1914-15 over 20,000 allied men were affected

Question 29

What is the cause of shell shock?

Answer 29

stressful condition of war

loud explosions of bombs

Question 30

What are some symptoms of shell shock?

Answer 30

tiredness
nightmares
headaches
shaking
mental breakdown

Question 31

What are the treatments and prevention of shell shock?

Answer 31

condition not well understood

towards the end shell shock was treated

Question 32

What was the impact of shell shock?

Answer 32

80,000 British troops experienced shell shock

Question 33

What was some weapons used in the war and why was they used?

Answer 33

Rifle - cartridge case meant that rapid fire could be used. bullets pointed so they drove deeper into the body.
Machine Guns - new development first used in during the war. 500 rounds could be fired each minute
Artillery - Canons grew bigger and more powerful as the war progressed. could send 900kg shells
Shrapnel - in a case study of 200,000 men it was discovered that it was responsible fore 58% of wounds

Question 34

What was the chain of evacuation and what were there features?

Answer 34

Regimental Aid Post (RAP) - located within 200m of the frontline in communication trenches. Regimental Medical officer and stretcher bearers were present who could give immediate first aid
Advanced dressing station - located 400m from RAP had 10 medical officers and stretcher bearers. Nurses were present after 1915
Medical Dressing Station - Located further half a mile from ADS. Those working here belonged to the field ambulance which could deal with 150 men sometimes more
Casualty Clearing stations - gradually becam places were operations would take place instead of base hospitals. Patients were divided so doctors could become experts in a certain field
Base Hospitals - Located near French and Belgium border

Question 35

What was the Thomas Splint?

Answer 35

Used from 1916 which stopped two joints moving and increased survival rate

Question 36

What was brain surgery used for?

Answer 36

Harvey Crushing developed new techniques by experimenting by using a magnet to remove metal from the brain

Question 37

Where did Plastic surgery take place?

Answer 37

Harold Gillies developed new techniques in facial reconstruction