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history (ww1) > part 2 - stalemate > Flashcards

part 2 - stalemate Flashcards

1
Q

What was the Schlieffen plan designed to do?

A

It was a military plan designed in order to prevent Germany from facing a war on two fronts, against France and Russia

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2
Q

When was the Schlieffen plan created?

A

In ~1905 by General Count Alfred Von Schlieffen

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3
Q

What did the Schlieffen plan outline?

A
  • The German army would attack France first
  • They would pass through the neutral countries of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, since the French border was highly fortified
  • France would be defeated in 40 days, so that the German army could turn around and attack Russia alone
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4
Q

Why did Germany want to attack France first?

A

It was believed that Russia would take 6 weeks to mobilise, which was a lot slower than France would

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5
Q

What were the problems with the Schlieffen plan?

A
  1. If Russia mobilised in less than 6 weeks, or France resisted for the same length of time, the plan would fail
  2. The plan relied heavily on the neutral countries that the German army would pass through. If they provided more resistance than anticipated, Germany would struggle in reaching France.
  3. The plan actually made a two-fronted war MORE likely. If France did not support Russia, then the plan guaranteed that they would get involved, as they would be attacked anyways.
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6
Q

how was the Schlieffen plan changed?

A

The new general of the German army, Von Moltke, downsized the plan by reducing the number of troops involved, and removing the Netherlands

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7
Q

What was France’s original war plan called?

A

Plan 17

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8
Q

What was the idea of plan 17?

A

To invade Alsace and Lorraine, which Germany had taken from them after the Franco - Prussian war. After capturing these provinces they would advance on Berlin.

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9
Q

Why did the Schlieffen plan fail?

A

The Germans severely underestimated the Belgian force, who put up much more resistance than anticipated

Russia took only 10 days to mobilise

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10
Q

How did the Belgians slow down the German advance?

A

Using a series of huge stone fortresses

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11
Q

Who arrived to help the Belgians?

A

The BEF (British expeditionary force) were highly skilled soldiers who slowed Germany down at Mons, forcing them to abandon one of the key points of the plan - the swift capture of Paris - and instead waste their supplies fighting

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12
Q

By late August, the Germans…

A

…had reached the valley of the river Marne, within reach of the British and French

11 divisions had been moved to fight Russia on the Eastern front, severely weakening the strength of the German army

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13
Q

How many soldiers were fought and killed during the Battle of the River Marne?

A

2 million fought, 500,000 (1/4) were injured or killed

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14
Q

What happened after the Battle of the River Marne?

A

The Germans retreated, and dug trenches to defend themselves, marking the end of the war of movement

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15
Q

What was the “Race to the Sea”

A

Since neither side could advance forwards from their trenches, they tried to go around each other to outflank the opposition

Soon, the line of trenches (Western Front) stretched from the English Channel to the Swiss border, a distance of 400 miles

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16
Q

What happened on the Eastern Front at the beginning of the war?

A

The quick to mobilise Russian army marches towards Germany and AH within days of war starting

There were over 1 million Russian troops - nicknamed “the steamroller”

The Russians advanced far into German territory, but were poorly equipped and led, losing to the Germans at the battles of Tannenburg and the Massurian Lakes

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17
Q

Who did Russia see early success against?

A

Austria - Hungary

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18
Q

What plan did AH follow and how did it end up?

A

AH followed Plan R, advancing into Russian territory, but retreated when faced by the 500,000 Russian soldiers that awaited them

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19
Q

What happened as a result of the failure of Plan R?

A

AH retreated 120 miles, losing many supplies and 300,000 soldiers

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20
Q

What was the Russian advance into AH stopped by?

A

The Carpathian mountain range

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21
Q

How long was the Eastern front

A

Over 1000 miles, from the Baltic sea to the Black sea

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22
Q

What was different about the Eastern front?

A

Less fortified and more thinly manned, so there was more movement and less of a stalemate between the oppositions

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23
Q

What are some differences between German and British trenches?

A

German:
- Deeper (10m below surface) and more well-built
- More comfortable - had electricity, beds, even
wallpaper
- Were designed for the long-term

British:
- Not much effort or consideration put into their design
- Thought they would be temporary refuges
- Only a few months later did this attitude change

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24
Q

What was the main way to attack an enemy trench?

A
  1. Use artillery fire to bombard the enemy trenches and create gaps in their barbed wire
  2. Soldiers climb out of their trenches and run across No Man’s Land to the opposing trenches
  3. The soldiers jump into the enemy trenches and pick off any remaining enemies that had not been killed by the shellfire
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25
Was the original method to attack a trench effective?
No - The artillery shells hardly dented the enemy trenches, the remaining enemies could easily shoot down the approaching soldiers, and the artillery only made the barbed wire defences worse
26
What is a "war of attrition"?
An attempt to win a war by wearing down the enemy through a continuous loss of men, equipment and supplies, so that the victor is the side which has the greatest number of resources
27
What were artillery?
- Large guns used to fire bombs over long distances - Used to weaken enemy trenches before troops attacked - Shells contained explosives, gas, smoke or shrapnel - Responsible for 60% of all wounds
28
When was poison gas first used?
April 1915
29
Who first used poison gas?
Germans
30
How did the first poison gas attack play out?
- The wind carried the gas to the French front line, creating a gap in their defences - However, Germany was not ready to capitalise on this, and did not launch an attack before the effects of the gas wore off - An opportunity like this never happened again
31
What weapon was given to all soldiers?
A rifle - lightweight and accurate - could fire up to 600m - bayonet on end for close combat
32
How were flamethrowers used?
- Specially trained soldiers taught to use them - could create 15m walls of fire - deadly in small spaces
33
What were machine guns?
- invented in the 1800s - guns that fired 10 bullets per second and deadly if used effectively - needed a crew of soldiers to operate - housed in their own concrete blocks for protection
34
How were tanks used in WW1?
- Bulletproof vehicles that could cover rough terrain and crush barbed wire - Invented by the British in 1916 - Slow, often broke down - Britain and France built several thousand - Germans only built 30 as they were not convinced of their value
35
When did the Battle of Verdun start?
21st February 1916
36
When did the Battle of Verdun end?
18th December 1916
37
What was the Battle of Verdun known as?
The longest battle
38
At the Battle of Verdun, who attacked who?
A German attack against a French city
39
Why did the Germans want to attack Verdun?
Despite being the strongest and most well-defended city in France, the Germans wanted to attack it as the French were willing to do anything to protect it, running down their supplies and men
40
Overview of the Battle of Verdun
- Germans heavily shelled French defences, causing them to retreat, and it looked like Verdun would fall - The new French commander ordered every spare French soldier to Verdun to make a final stand against the Germans - "they shall not pass" holy aura - With the new support, the French push the Germans back, before a series of counterattacks from both sides causes them to remain in a stalemate - As Autumn approached, the size of the German attacks decreased as their troops were needed elsewhere - This allowed the French to push the Germans back - Eventually, the Germans called off their attacks at Verdun
41
Who was victorious at the Battle of Verdun?
Neither Germany nor France gained anything, but France saw it as a testament to their resilience
42
What were the results of the Battle of Verdun?
- No significant gains in land for either side - 315,000 French killed - 280,000 Germans killed - City of Verdun got destroyed big waste of time and human life
43
When did the Battle of the Somme begin?
1st July 1916
44
When did the Battle of the Somme end?
18th November 1916
45
What was the Battle of the Somme known as?
The largest battle
46
What was the plan at the Battle of the Somme?
The British and French wanted to coordinate a large-scale attack to break the stalemate and push the Germans back
47
Why was the River Somme selected?
It was where British and French troops met, and would relieve the pressure on the French fighting at Verdun, as the Germans would have to split their forces
48
Overview of the Battle of the Somme
- British and French artillery begin by relentlessly bombing the German trenches - However, the Germans were prepared, as spotter planes had seen the soldiers and artillery preparing days before (rodeo) - Germans sheltered behind front lines, and once the bombing has stopped, secretly moved back to their machine gun turrets - When the first waves of British troops began their advance, they expected there to be no survivors, and carried heavy equipment to repair the captured trenches - The British soldiers were swept though easily by the German machine guns, and it seemed as though the plan failed - However, Commander Haig continued to send men as he was confident of victory, and needed to relieve pressure from the French - Some gains were made, but the breakthrough that Haig wanted never happened - In November, with winter fast approaching, the attacks stopped
49
What were the results of the Battle of the Somme?
- British and French gained a small bit of land - British and French lost 620,000 soldiers - Germans lost 500,000 - British General Haig criticised for sending men to their deaths for too long and to no avail - "The Butcher of the Somme" - Others argue he succeeded in relieving pressure off the French and denting the German army
50
When did the Battle of Passchendaele begin?
July 1917
51
When did the Battle of Passchendaele end?
November 1917
52
What smaller battles occurred before the Battle of Passchendaele?
- 9th April 1917 British attacked German defences near Arras (French town) and pushed the, back several km - Canadian troops captured Vimy Ridge nearby - The advance was stopped when Germans brought up reserve troops - French attacked Germans during Nivelle Offensive but no success, leading to a failed mutiny in the French army - British attacked in Messines, where they blew up a hill, pushing Germans back
53
Overview of the Battle of Passchendaele
- Haig (already hated) was encouraged by the success at Messines to advance to the Belgian town of Ypres - America had just joined so there were lots of fresh troops and supplies available - Russia was having trouble at home so now was a good time to attack before they pulled out - Artillery did their thing again - The artillery craters + heavy rainfall earlier meant that a sea of mud was created - Troops had to carry duck boards to cross the mud or their heavy equipment would cause them to drown - British managed to eventually capture the town of Passchendaele, 8km from where they started - the battlefield got worse and worse so attacks were called off
54
what were the results of the Battle of Passchendaele?
- 400,000 troops from Britain and its Empire killed - 300,000 Germans killed - Haig lost his aura again
55
Why did Britain and France want to invade Gallipolli?
- Turkey were fighting alongside Germany, and were fighting Russia in the Caucasus mountains in 1914 - If France and Britain gained control of the Dardanelles (water passage) they could get supplies to Russia by sea to help them -This would also split Germany's soldiers even further as they would have to go to Türkiye's aid
56
When did the Gallipoli campaign begin?
19th February 1915
57
How did naval campaign at Gallipoli go?
- British and French ships attacked the forts guarding the Dardanelles - Several forts hit, and Turkish mines were cleared by minesweepers - Main naval attack launched on the 18th March - 18 battleships, along with smaller warships and minesweepers sailed into the Dardanelles, but came under heavy fire and were forced to retreat - 3 ships sank and 3 damaged severely
58
How did the land invasion at Gallipoli go?
- Churchill (head of navy) told to stop naval invasion as it was deemed that a land invasion was necessary - 70,000 troops began the invasion on the 25th April 1915 - The Turks received info ahead of the attacks and prepared - 3/5 of the landings were successful, but heavy fighting at other two - At ANZAC cove, thousands of Australian and New Zealand troops were killed as they left their boats - British, French and ANZAC troops dug trenches to protect themselves when they landed
59
When did the land invasion of Gallipoli begin?
25th April 1915
60
How was trench life in Turkey?
- sweltering in summer heat - lack of food and water supplies - 80% of troops contracted dysentery
61
How did the Gallipoli campaign end?
- British General Hamilton replaced by Munro, who ordered the soldiers to withdraw - On the 12th December, 80,000 soldiers escaped on boats without any deaths
62
What were the negative results of the Gallipoli campaign?
- General Hamilton criticised for slow decision making - Churchill resigned as leader of navy - Turkey remained in the war - Bulgaria chose to side with Germany - 200,000 allied deaths - Russia remained short of supplies
63
What were the positive results of the Gallipoli campaign?
- The campaign helped to divert Turkish attention away from AH and Germany - No troops died during the evacuation - 300,000 Turkish deaths - Some British subs broke through Dardanelles and sank Turkish warships/supply ships, damaging the Turkish war effort
64
Why was control of the seas important in WW1?
- To protect supplies moving between your allies/empire - To stop supplies reaching your enemy, using a blockade
65
What was the British naval blockade?
- In November 1914, Britain declared the North Sea, the only location where supply ships could reach Germany, a war zone - Any ships that entered would do so at their own risk, and could have their cargo confiscated by British forces
66
What effects did the naval blockade have on Germany?
- Coal, oil and steel could not get through, weakening its industrial power - Fertilisers were in short supply, causing food shortages (420,000 deaths to famine) - Lack of medicine - Decrease in morale; more people protested against war
67
What did Germany's Navy do in 1914?
- German ships sailed along the British coast and opened fire on British towns, killing civilians and damaging infrastructure - Took place at Hartlepool, Whitby and Scarborough - Damaged Germany's world reputation - Britain's navy criticised for being too complacent
68
When was the Battle of Jutland?
1916
69
What was the only major naval battle in WW1?
The Battle of Jutland
70
What was the Germans' plan at the Battle of Jutland?
- A handful of German ships would sail into the North Sea as bait - The British would sail out to attack - The rest of the German fleet, who staggered their approach 1 1/2 hours, would ambush the British navy
71
Did the German plan at the Battle of Jutland work?
No, the British decoded it, and instead of being ambushed, opened fire on the German ships, causing them to retreat twice
72
Who won the Battle of Jutland?
Neither side accomplished much Germans saw it as a victory as they sank more ships British argued they won as the Germans were forced to retreat, and did nothing to stop the naval blockade
73
What type of boat did the Germans rely on after Jutland?
Their U-boats (submarines)
74
What damage did the German U-boats cause?
Sank ~2 supply ships a day, stopping the resources from reaching Britain
75
What was introduced to stop the threat of the U-boats?
- Convoy system where supply ships would sail alongside warships as protection - Depth charges (bombs) used to attack U-boats - Aircraft used to scout for U-boats
76
What was the Lusitania?
- A British passenger liner that was carrying British + American passengers was sunk by a German U-boat in 1915 - 1000 drowned - Germans tried to justify by saying the ship contained military supplies, but people were outraged - Tensions between Germany and USA increased, and the USA cited the attack when declaring war on Germany
77
When was the Lusitania sank?
May 1915
78
What were planes like at the start of WW1?
clumsy, slow, unreliable
79
How were planes first utilised?
Used for reconnaissance
80
How did planes fight in the beginning?
Pilots would attack each other with projectiles or pistol, but had little effect
81
What was created to allow planes to attack each other more effectively?
A mechanism that allowed machine guns fitted to the planes to fire bullets between the propellor blades
82
What is it called when two planes fight?
A dogfight
83
How were airships used?
- Reconnaissance and bombing - Germans created zeppelins to bomb French, Belgian and British cities - Once planes became meta airships saw less usage as they could be shot down easily
84
What did Italy do in 1915?
After staying out of the war despite being allied with Germany and AH, Italy joined the side of the Triple Entente as they thought they could gain land from Germany and AH colonies (slimy)

history (ww1) (4 decks)

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