War World 1 mid battle

Question 1

What did soldiers on both sides expect when the war started in 1914?

Answer 1

They expected to return home victorious

Question 2

What happened during the Christmas Truce of 1914

Answer 2

An unofficial truce began, where soldiers from both sides stopped shooting, sang carols, swapped cigarettes, and played football in No Man’s Land

Question 3

How long did the Christmas truce of 1914 last

Answer 3

It lasted two days before the shooting resumed

Question 4

When and where was poison gas first used in World War I?

Answer 4

In April 1915, at Ypres

Question 5

Which country first used poison gas, and what gas was it

Answer 5

Germany first used poison gas, with chlorine gas.

Question 6

What were the later types of poison gas used in World War I?

Answer 6

Phosgene and mustard gas

Question 7

What effects did mustard gas have on its victims

Answer 7

It temporarily blinded them, burned the skin, and poisoned their lungs

Question 8

Who had the idea for tanks, and when were they first used in combat

Answer 8

Winston Churchill had the idea, and they were first used on 15 September during the Battle of the Somme

Question 9

What were the key features of the tanks used in World War I?

Answer 9

Tanks could travel at 6 km/h, were armed with two high-powered naval guns, three machine guns, and required a crew of eight men

Question 10

How were tanks psychologically impactful during World War I?

Answer 10

Tanks were initially called “metal monsters” and caused psychological damage to the enemy

Question 11

When did tanks play a significant role in large numbers during World War I?

Answer 11

At the Battle of Cambrai in 1917

Question 12

What was the main battle of World War I on the Western Front in 1914

Answer 12

The Battle of the Marne, with both sides taking up trench positions by the end of the year

Question 13

What was the key development on the Western Front in 1915

Answer 13

The Germans launched a gas attack at Ypres, marking the first use of poison gas

Question 14

What significant battles took place on the Western Front in 1916?

Answer 14

The Battle of Verdun and the Battle of the Somme, both resulting in massive casualties

Question 15

What occurred on the Western Front in 1917?

Answer 15

The USA joined the Allies, and Canadian soldiers captured Vimy Ridge

Question 16

What were the major events of 1918 on the Western Front?

Answer 16

Russia left the war, Germany shifted troops, and Ludendorff’s final push was stopped, leading to the ceasefire on 11 November 1918

Question 17

What year did Britain introduce conscription, and how was the army made up before that

Answer 17

Conscription began in 1916; before that, the British army was made up of volunteers

Question 18

What tactic was used to pressure young men into joining the army?

Answer 18

Women gave white feathers to men not in uniform, symbolizing cowardice.

Question 19

How did women contribute to the workforce during World War I?

Answer 19

Women took on men’s jobs in arms factories and on buses and trains

Question 20

What items were rationed in Britain starting in 1915?

Answer 20

Sugar, meat, butter, fats, jam, marmalade, and tea.

Question 21

What two things were short in supply as well?

Answer 21

Coal and Potatoes

Question 22

How did the Allied blockade affect Germany and Austria during World War I?

Answer 22

It caused severe shortages, leading to near starvation by 1918.

Question 23

How did some workers and company owners benefit from the war?

Answer 23

Workers in key jobs were exempt from military service and earned good money, while owners of firms supplying armies prospered.

Question 24

What strategy did the British navy use against Germany during World War I?

Answer 24

The British navy blockaded all German ports, cutting off raw materials, machine tools, and food.

Question 25

What was the outcome of the Battle of Falkland Islands?

Answer 25

The German Pacific fleet was destroyed by the Allies.

Question 26

Why did the Kaiser scale back U-boat warfare after the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915?

Answer 26

The sinking caused anti-German sentiment in the USA, and the Kaiser feared further diplomatic fallout.

Question 27

What minor naval battles took place in 1914-1915 during World War I?

Answer 27

The battles of Heligoland, Dogger Bank, and German raids on Yarmouth, Scarborough, and Hartlepool.

Question 28

How did Germany respond after being confined to ports due to the Allied blockade?

Answer 28

Germany shifted to U-boat warfare to sink supply ships heading to Britain.

Question 29

What was the significance of the cruiser Goeben during World War I?

Answer 29

Its escape to Constantinople encouraged Turkey to join Germany in the war.

Question 30

Why did large naval battles not materialize as expected during World War I?

Answer 30

Admirals on both sides were cautious, avoiding major defeats that could lose the war.