The Battles of the FWW Flashcards
1
Q
when was the Battle of Mons
A
23rd August 1914
2
Q
outline the main details of the Battle of Mons
A
- Britain outnumbered 2:1 but stood in the face of advancing German movement
- they held their line on the Franco-German border
- set up machine guns a weapon at its zenith when used defensively as they were not mobile at this stage
- tore through German army with devastating effect
- BEF lost 1638
- Germany lost 2-5000
3
Q
why was the battle of mons known as the ‘Great Retreat’
A
- British were forced to retreat eventually
- but they hold out for the whole day only dropping back at the very last minute - shows how elite/highly trained the BEF were
- the BEF holding on this long shocked the Germans who underestimated British after Boer War
- thus despite the battle has (+) legacy due to the bravery of the BEF despite been outnumbered
4
Q
when was the Battle of Marne
A
6th-14th September 1914
5
Q
outline the main details of the battle of Marne
A
- also known as the ‘miracle of the Marne’
- a major turning point in the war
- Germany had pushed the Allies back to Paris and it appeared the Schlieffen plan would succeed
- but the Allies planned a counter offensive at Marne resulting in the halting of the German advance
- despite success it showed on how naive British generals were at start as they still did a cavalry charge - unprepared for the horrors to come
- French wanted to retreat before the battle but the BEF disregarded his command and fought for the French instead under Foch
- success due to good leadership of Foch and good training of BEF
6
Q
explain the wider impacts of the Battle of Marne on the war
A
- ruined the Schlieffen plan and prompted four years of attrition/stalemate as Germany’s only plan B was to dig in
- ignited the spark for the race to the sea
- LT - set the precedent for the scale of the war
- this set back and halting of the Germans gave the Russians chance to mobilise - Germany now fighting a two front war
- Moltke has a literal breakdown after and was sacked
- still (-)s for Britain tho - lost 10% (13,000) of army
- BEF disregarded French’s orders
- command problems under French he didn’t really have the stomach for war
7
Q
what were the lines of attrition
A
- the trenches
- the halting of the German attack at Marne saw both sides attempt to outflank the other
- series of small battles known as the race to sea as both armies fought to take the defensive position that would stop them been outflanked
- as each side moved closer to the sea the lines of attrition were drawn
- Dec 1914 - line of trench 475+ miles from Chanel to Switzerland
- they determined the way the war would be fought
- industrial war of stalemate, deadlock and production
8
Q
why was Ypres such an important place for the British to hold
A
- it sits on the Franco-Belgium border
- ‘gateway to France’
- a key salient point
- if the British didn’t protect it the Germans would have been able to push forwards into Belgium and bypassed a lot of defences down the rest of the line of attrition
- vital point of defence leading to one of Britain’s main roles in the war to be to defend this salient
9
Q
explain the reason for the race to the sea
A
- sparked by the Battle of Marne when Germans were forced to retreat and the Schlieffen plan failed
- Germany’s only option was to dig in
- been first to sea was (+)
- stops you been outflanked by the enemy
- have longer to build your trenches
- pick best and high ground as Belgium super flat
- beneficial for supply and communication important for Britain as they were the ones overseas
10
Q
why was getting high ground so important in Belgium
A
- Belgium was super flat
- better surface run off - reduce amount of mud and rain affecting a trench subsequently improving morale
- easier to fire downhill than up
- better protection from artillery bombardments
- better visuals
11
Q
discuss cavalry in the FWW
A
- becoming less useful but still seen as noble at the beginning
- more of an ancillary role after the first few months
- French and Haig waste money/food keeping the full regiment around for the full four years
- Russians only saw the reconnaissance role
- no match for barbed wire and guns
- cavalry men often ended up doing time in the trenches or helping with supply
- aircrafts are the new cool club
12
Q
when was the first battle of Ypres
A
19th October - 30th November 1914
13
Q
how many men did each side have at the first battle of Ypres
A
French and Foch had 4,400,000 combined
Germans under Von Falkenhayn had 5,400,000 men
14
Q
what was the aim of the first battle of Ypres
A
- Germans wanted to capture Ypres as it was a key point of the Northern Sector
- if the Allies lost it their defensive lines would be compromised and the Germans could push forwards into France
15
Q
discuss key points of the first battle of Ypres
A
- first major battle of the war - major part of the Flanders campaign
- epitomised the stalemate as neither side gained much ground despite huge losses and attacks due to the defensive/effective use of machine guns/artillery
- British used weaponry to devastating effect
- British SMLE rifle was so rapid the Germans were deceived into thinking British had 100s of machine guns - Britain only had 30
- morale plummeted some men refused orders due to the futility of the action
16
Q
discuss the outcome of the first battle of Ypres
A
- despite little ground gained and significant loss - Ypres did not fall - success
- allies lost 58,000 a huge chunk of the BEF - TA now had to be deployed
- Kitchener’s call for volunteers became more important
- Germans lost 47,000 men
- questions raised about whether these tactics could be justified long term
- industry yes but men not so much
17
Q
when was the second battle of Ypres
A
22nd April - 25th May 1915
18
Q
what was the strength and commander of each side at the second battle of Ypres
A
- French
- 6 British divisions and 2 French
- Albrecht of Wurttemberg
- 7 divisions
19
Q
what is key to note about the second battle of Ypres
A
- first use of Chlorine gas in the war - used by the Germans
20
Q
discuss the impact and effectiveness of the use of gas at the second battle of Ypres
A
- Britain didn’t know how to deal with it
- Germans used 171 tonnes of Chlorine Gas
- devastating - many of the troops affected died within 10 mins/where completely blinded
- Germany couldn’t make the most of it as they didn’t have gas masks themselves
- Britain responded using urine soaked cotton pads and ammonia as makeshift masks
- chemical burns, blinded, death if directly inhaled
- signals the end of gentlemanly warfare
21
Q
how quickly did the British Government react to the first use of gas at the Second Battle of Ypres
A
- battle ended in May and by the summer every single soldier had a gas mask
- they took the threat seriously
- industry good - they put their mind to it and made it happen even before DLG efficiency drive though DORA in place
22
Q
discuss the outcome of the second battle of Ypres
A
- again Ypres did not fall
- futile battle though the Germans lost less men than expected at this battle
- you would’ve expected higher than the British irrespective of the gas because its easier to attack than defend
- the defensive side usually suffers far fewer loses as allies sat protected in a trench
- demonstrates impact of gas and the Germans having higher ground as their artillery bombardment was far more accurate
- 80,000 Allied causalities, 35,000 German
23
Q
briefly describe where the war was up to by 1915
A
- Both sides realise traditional warfare like cavalry is gone
- have to reassess the war - find solution to barbed wire and machine guns to limit death
- no side has magic solution - need innovation to produce the breakthrough which takes time
- aircrafts/tanks on horizon but not strong enough to be decisive - unreliable - death traps essentially
- generals learning on the job - costly - make mistakes but because this war was new not necessarily because of their skill
24
Q
when was the Battle of Loos
A
25th September - 8th October 1915
25
Q
what was the aim of the Battle of Loos
A
- Britain had been on the defensive since the start of the war except Marne
- they felt they had to throw something back to turn the course of the war
- wanted to end the stalemate and restore movement back to the war
- win the war with this battle - push Germans out and then do a cavalry charge
26
Q
what is interesting to note about the Battle of Loos
A
- by mid 1915 a lot of the BEF were killed or wounded and TA starting to dwindle
- this was the first major battle with Kitchener’s new ‘you’re country needs you’ army
- the men had way less experience and training and some where even underage
27
Q
what tactics did French (as in the British commander) use at the Battle of Loos and where they decisive
A
- Mining - Royal Tunnelling Company - the timing was not coordinated well enough with the attack over the top but Britain identified the potential for this to be used in future battles
- Gas - when launched some blew back into the Allied trenches and didn’t have gas masks on as didn’t expect this
- RFC - spotted key targets so artillery ammunition wasn’t wasted - conducted first tactical bombing run
- artillery bombardment - insufficient due to lack of ammunition and wrong shell
- first attempt at combined arms - it was the recipe for success he just didn’t quite get it right
28
Q
what was the outcome of the Battle of Loos
A
- Britain lost
- 80% death rate
- 60,000 Allied casualties against just 26,000 German
29
Q
what was the impact of the Battle of Loos
A
- French replaced by Haig
- it became apparent that the lack of ammunition and poor organisation in general needed to be addressed
- DLG as the new Minister of Munitions sets about improving efficiency
30
Q
why was French pushed out as C-I-C and was this fair
A
- failure up until and including the battle of Loos
- Loos exposed problems in the army
- he was in a difficult position and made mistakes - but anyone would as unprecedented
- he did defend against the Schlieffen plan but became a scape goat and lost the morale of his men
- it wasn’t his fault he didn’t have the right ammunition at Loos
31
Q
when was the Battle of Verdun
A
21st February - 18th December 1916
32
Q
discuss the battle of Verdun and what it led to
A
- Relentless pressure from Germans had the French at breaking point - both sides had suffered 300,000+ casualties
- if the French defences were breached at Verdun the German forces may have been able to drive into France and encircle the British forces to the North
- French Commander Joseph Joffre requested assistance from the British in the form of a counter offensive - the Somme
- Haig was cautious and wanted to keep his forces in Belgium but French desperate so he had to assist
33
Q
why was Haig so reluctant for the British to launch a counter offensive to Verdun at the Somme
A
- only just become commander and this was going to be a large scale attack
- hasn’t as much reconnaissance for the Somme - he was more comfortable with the topography of Belgium up near Ypres
- wanted more time to train the men and get more - a lot of his soldiers are conscript and volunteers
- felt he had insufficient artillery shells
- the BEF has grown enormously meaning there was equipment shortages among the ranks and not enough officers to adequately command the volume of troops
- led to Britain promoting inexperienced men and calling old veterans out of retirement to lead
34
Q
discuss the prep for the Battle of the Somme and why the artillery bombardment was so ineffective
A
- extensive reconnaissance - over 300,000 aerial photographs taken and pinpointed the areas they felt success was most achievable
- conducted a 7 day artillery bombardment but it was riddled with issues - overestimated the damage it would do and the depth/sophistication of the German trenches
- also had the wrong shells
- fragmentation not explosive so didn’t destroy barbed wired
- fuse also poor and so shells didn’t explode- buried themselves in the mud - FUSE 106 development after battle
- they also stopped bombardment at 7 and didn’t attack till 8 giving the Germans time to prepare - creeping barrage failed not enough unity between artillery and attack
35
Q
what is the difference between fragmentation and explosive shells
A
- fragmentation - people killers - send out shrapnel
- explosive - take out weaponry, barbed wire, pill boxes, machine guns, destroy bunkers and blow up trenches
- important to use right shell and it shouldn’t really be that hard when there is only 2 to choose from!
