The western front Flashcards
What were the 3 rows of trenches called?
Front line trench, support trench and reserve trench
How did German trenches compare to allied ones?
German trenches were much more well designed because the Generals realised that Stalemate would probably last a long time
Why were trenches built in a zigzag pattern?
To confine a blast or enemy gunfire to one section of the trench
What was the daily routine for a trench soldier?
Guarding and repairing the trench
Very dull mostly
Playing cards
Writing
‘Stand to’ at dawn ready for a possible attack
What was the monthly routine for a trench soldier?
4 days in the front line
4 days in the support trench
8 days in the reserve trenches
They were allowed a break the rest of the time
What was the name of the humour newspaper created by British Soldiers?
The Wipers Times - after Ypres in Belgium
What happened to letters sent and received by soldiers?
They were heavily checked and censored so nothing important could be given away to the enemy or to paint the picture that they were losing to family members
What was food like?
Basic, with stew, bread and biscuits
Luxuries included bacon, jam and cheese
What conditions were common in the trenches?
Trench foot from constant wet feet and shell shock
Trenches were also infested with rats and soldiers usually had lice
What was artillery and how as it used?
Large, long range guns, which fired shells
Used to weaken the enemy before a large scale attack and destroy barbed wire
What happened with poison gas?
It was first used by Germans in 1915 against the French but soon used all round.
It could be unreliable because of wind direction but was a weapon of terror
What happened with tanks?
They were first used by the British in 1916
They spread panic as they had never been seen before.
Unreliable when first used but became increasingly more significant in deciding battles
What happened with machine guns?
They required 2 to 4 people to use but was equivalent to 100 rifles
They could fire up to 10 bullets per second
What were the infantry’s weapons?
Rifles
Bayonets
Grenades
Rarely flamethrowers
When was the battle of Verdun?
21 February - 18 December 1916
What happened at Verdun
The Germans began to bomb the German trenches
The Kaiser’s son, Prince Wilhelm, led an attack
French retreated
French commander, General Petain, wanted to cause as much damage as possible to the attackers so all French soldiers went to Verdun
Fighting only came to an end when the British attacked at the Somme so German troops had to be transferred
What were the results of the battle of Verdun?
The city of Verdun had become flattened
Huge numbers of death on either side
Neither side made significant gains
When was the battle of the Somme?
1st July - 18th November 1916
What happened at the Somme?
British launched a huge bombardment but the Germans hid and were untouched
1st July - British soldiers attacked but thousands were killed
Generals said they could walk across
Attacks continued over the next few months
What were the results of the Somme?
Pressure was relieved on the French at Verdun
Both sides had over half a million deaths
Allies gained a small piece of land
General Douglas Haig was named ‘Butcher of the Somme’ for sacrificing so many lives seemingly for nothing
When was the battle of Passchendaele?
July - November 1917
Where was the battle of Passchendaele?
Just outside the Belgian city of Ypres
What happened at Passchendaele?
Huge artillery bombardment
Extreme rain caused wet, thick mud
When the ground attack started, many soldiers drowned in the mud
What were the results of Passchendaele?
The Germans lost significantly more men
By the time the attack had been called off, 8km had been gained by the allies
