The Great War Flashcards
What was the Black Hand?
A secret military society formed on 9th May 1911. It is said to be one of the starting factors of WW1 as one of its members Gavrilo Princip assassinated the Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Name three diseases that broke out in the trenches
Malaria, trench foot and trench fever
What were the vermin like in WW1?
Rats were as big as cats and ate the corpses and left over food in trenches and no man’s land. Lice were constantly infesting the soldiers, and a soldier had to get rid of them by running a lit candle over the seams of his jacket that created a ‘pop-pop-pop’ sound.
Why was WW1 fought in trenches?
It was the most efficient way at the time to protect themselves against new weaponry e.g machine guns and improved artillery
Name the front of the trench
Parapet
What was the device that soldiers used to scope out the enemies from their trenches called?
Wooden periscope
What type of food did soldiers receive in WW1?
Billy beef, bread and biscuits
Are five duties soldiers did in trenches
Refilled sandbags, repaired barbed wire, dug out trenches, patrolled, gave out rations
How did WW1 end?
On November 11th 1918 Germany formally surrendered, and on June 28th 1919 the Allied Nations signed the Treaty of Versailles
What gases were used in WW1?
Chlorine and mustard gas
Name four dangers in the trenches
Malnutrition, disease, muddy conditions and gases used in attacks (mustard & chlorine)
Give four facts about the Schlieffen plan
- The plan was devised by Alfred von Schlieffen
- It took nine years to devise (1897- 1905)
- The plan imagined a huge blow on Paris to take out France quickly so they wouldn’t have to fight on two fronts
- It was Germany’s only plan
Give four main points as to how the Great War started
The assassination of Prince Franz Ferdinand, militarism, the French-German hostility and the Balkans war 1912-13
Name the back of the trench
Parados
The top trench was called the …..
Front line
Each compartment in the trench was known as a …….
Fire bay
The mud and water collected at the bottom of the trench was called the …..
Sump
The soldiers slept in ……
Dug outs
Name three types of trench
The front line trench, the reserve trench and communication trench
Why were trenches zig zagged ?
So that if the trench was attacked the enemy couldn’t just shoot straight down the trench and kill everyone
What happened in Christmas 1914
There was a temporary ceasefire, and men played football and exchanged gifts
Why did the Schlieffen plan backfire?
Because Russia mobilised their army quicker than expected, and had invaded Germany within 10 days. This meant Germany had to quickly switch troops away from Western Europe to hold up the Russian invasion
What were the RFC?
The eyes of the British army that took photographs and took part in dog fights
What were block houses?
Where machine guns were kept
How was trench foot treated?
By whale oil
Who signed the treaty of Versailles?
Wilson - USA
Clemenceau - France
Lloyd George - UK
