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WW1 > The Early BEF > Flashcards

The Early BEF Flashcards

1
Q

BEF size in 1914

A

80,000

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2
Q

BEF size in 1917

A

3.9 million

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3
Q

Who was the original commander of the BEF?

A

Sir John French

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4
Q

Who was Sir John French replaced by?

A

Haig

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5
Q

When was Sir John French replaced?

A

December 1915

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6
Q

What did Sir John French have a reputation as

A

aggressive commander in Boer War

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7
Q

What was a limitation of Sir John French’s rule?

A

poor relations w Corps commander Dorrien

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8
Q

When was the Battle of the Mons?

A

august 1914

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9
Q

Who led the BEF at the Battle of the Mons?

A

Sir French

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10
Q

What did Sir French propose at the Battle of Mons?

A

complete withdrawal to coast

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11
Q

Who rejected Sir French’s proposal to have a complete withdrawal to the coast at the Battle of Mons?

A

Kitchener

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12
Q

BEF in comparison to Germans at Battle of Mons

A

outnumbered by germans

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13
Q

Position of French in Battle of Mons

A

offered British and Sir French little assistance

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14
Q

When was the Battle of the Somme?

A

July-November 1916

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15
Q

Where was the chosen site for joint B-F offensive?

A

River Somme

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16
Q

Why was it significant that the BEF had grown in size prior to the BoS?

A

Taken responsibility for defending more French territory

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17
Q

What was Germany’s aim for the French at the BoS?

A

get the French to “bleed to death”

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18
Q

When was the first British attack at the BoS? Who led it?

A

1st July 1916

Sir Rawlinson

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19
Q

Limitations in the first British attack at the BoS (X3)

A

200/1500 available guns fired heavy artillery for British

30% of shells failed to explode
barbed wire only cut by certain shells

German troops sheltered in deep bunkers

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20
Q

Why was the 2nd British bombardment more successful than the first at the BoS? When was it?

A

July 13-14

2/3 of guns used on more concentrated area

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21
Q

When were tanks used for the first time?

A

September 1916

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22
Q

How many tanks used in BoS?

A

49

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23
Q

Who ordered Rawlinson to include tanks in the BoS?

A

Haig

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24
Q

Why did many criticise Haig’s use of tanks in the BoS?

A

only tested and trained on months earlier

key tactic to keep them secret until more had been built was lost

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25
Q

Who devised the battle plan for the BoS?

A

Haig

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26
Q

Why were the French weakened prior to the BoS?

A

had heavy attacks by Germans at Verdun

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27
Q

Why was the attack on the Somme brought forward from August to July?

A

French demanded it

had sustained bad losses at Verdun

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28
Q

Key aim of the BoS

A

to divert German resources in Verdun to defend the Somme

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29
Q

How many British casualties day 1 of BoS?

A

57,000

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30
Q

How many British deaths BoS day 1?

A

19,000

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31
Q

How many mines were detonated by British on 1st July 1916 at BoS?

A

17

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32
Q

What were soldiers at walking pace supposed to be protected by at BoS in 1st British offensive?

A

creeping barrage

33
Q

How many total British casualties BoS?

A

420,000

34
Q

How many total French casualties BoS

A

194,000

35
Q

How many total German casualties, was this more than the British, BoS?

A

465,000

36
Q

Haig’s derogatory nickname after BoS

A

Butcher of the SOmme

37
Q

Alan Clark’s book on British WW1 Generals

A

Lions led by Donkeys

38
Q

Lloyd George’s publication which criticises Haig

A

“War Memoirs”

39
Q

What did Lloyd George’s “War Memoirs” criticise

A

actions of Haig

40
Q

X2 impacts of the BoS on German strategy

A

Ludendorff offers unrestricted submarine warfare (ultimately brings USA into war)

Expansion of war production (although undermines public support)

41
Q

When was the Battle of Passchendaele (Third Ypres)

A

July-Nov 1917

42
Q

What battle was July-Nov 1917

A

Battle of Passchendaele

43
Q

What was the aim of the BoP?

A

destroy German submarines on Belgian coast

44
Q

Who was the aim of the BoP opposed by?

A

PM Lloyd George didn’t want German submarines destroyed on Belgian coast

45
Q

Who advised that the BoP be carried out as Britains levels of shipping losses were hindering the war effort?

A

Admiral Jellicoe

46
Q

Which poet criticises leadership of generals during war, but not the war itself? Name one of his poems which does this

A

Sassoon

“The General”

47
Q

Where was Sassoon’s protests about the “political errors” of war read?

A

Out in House of Commons

Published in Times

48
Q

What was Sassoons position during war

A

Volunteered

BoS and Battle of Arras

Won Military Cross

49
Q

Reason why Sassoon’s views on war may have changed

A

death of his brother in war and experiences e.g at the Somme

50
Q

Who led the BoP?

A

General Plumer

51
Q

How long did it take the British to advance 5 miles in the BoP?

A

3-4months

52
Q

Was the BoP a success territorially?

A

Advanced, yet short of Haig’s aims

53
Q

What tactic did Britain use in BoP against German trenches?

A

detonated giant mines under German trenches

54
Q

What was created by rain at BoP?

A

Quagmire (muddy hell)

55
Q

At which battle was a notorious quagmire (muddy hell) created?

A

BoP

56
Q

Why was the quagmire at the BoP exacerbated?

A

Infantry attacks destroyed draining systems

heaviest rain for 30years

57
Q

When was there a stalemate at the BoP?

A

most ofAugust

58
Q

When did the British achieve the upper hand at the BoP?

A

during October

e.g Battle of Polygon Wood

59
Q

What were the results of the BoP?

A

+ some territorial gains
+ Passchendaele village captured by British + Canadians

  • G’s submarines not destroyed
  • German morale not collapsed
  • more British than German casualties sustained
60
Q

When was Passcendaele village captured?

A

6th November 1917

61
Q

How many BEF casualties at BoP? was this more than German casualties?

A

310,000

Yes 50,000 higher than German casualties

62
Q

Why was British success at the BoP important to the French?

A

would have improved morale of french soldiers (who had recently mutinied)

63
Q

Why was Haig criticised after BoP?

A

for continuing long-drawn attack after lost any strategic value

64
Q

Who was William Thomas?

A

dispatched for Daily Mail and Daily Mirror

65
Q

What year was the German spring offensive?

A

1918

66
Q

Why was German optimistic during their spring offensive?

A

March 1918: Russia had surrendered

Ludendorff added 0.5million more troops

Developed technique for breaking trench warfare deadlock

67
Q

When did Russia surrender?

A

March 1918

68
Q

In the 2nd offensive of Spring 1918 by the Germans what did they gain?

A

all ground lost in 1917

69
Q

Who was the German’s third offensive in their spring offensive stopped by?

A

USA after Germany had threatened Paris

70
Q

When did the USA declare war on Germany?

A

April 1917

71
Q

When was the Battle of Amiens?

A

August 1918

72
Q

Who did Haig put in charge of the Battle of Amiens?

A

Rawlison

73
Q

Comparison of British use of Lewis Guns between BoS and BoA

A

At BoS each battalion had 4

At BoA each battalion had 30

74
Q

Why was BoA a success compared to other battles in terms of timing?

A

under cover of darkness and surprise German defences taken

75
Q

How many tanks were used in BoA?

A

over 400 British tanks

76
Q

Within 4 days how many British tanks were still operational in BoA?

A

only 6

77
Q

When did the Allies break the Hindenburg line at BoA?

A

September 1918

78
Q

When did the German’s surrender?

A

11th November 1918

79
Q

What did Ludendorff refer to the British’s most successful offence at BoA as?

A

“black day” of the German army

WW1 (15 decks)

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