World War 1 Case Study Flashcards
When did Britain declare war on Germany?
August 4th 1914 when Germany invaded France through Belgium
Why did Britain send the British Expeditionary Force to Northern France?
To try to stop the German advance but by the end of 1914 much of Belgium and Northern France had been occupied by the Germans
What happened after the initial fighting in WW1?
Both the British and Germans pulled back their forces and Trench Warfare began (most fighting on the Western Front between 1914-1918 was trench warfare) so it became a defensive war using trenches with some offensive attempts to capture enemy trenches and land
Give 4 facts about casualties in the British sector in WW1
2.7 million casualties in the British sector of the Western Front, 700,000 of these casualties were not seen by medical services as they were killed/prisoners, remaining 2 million were treated by medical services in France or England, of those treated 150,000 died from their wounds
Which 4 strategic areas did the British sector include?
Ypres, Arras, Albert, River Somme. Many of the largest battles were fought here
Identify the 4 key British battles in WW1
Ypres Salient 1914-15, The Somme 1916, Arras 1917, Cambrai 1917
What was the ‘Salient’ in Ypres?
An area under British control surrounded by Germans on 3 sides. The Germans held the high ground whilst British were in the lower, wetter areas
What happened in the First Battle of Ypres in 1914?
In autumn, Germans attacked the British positions around East and North East of Ypres. Britain kept Ypres but lost 50,000 troops
How did the Germans hold height advantage over the British in the Ypres Salient battle and how did the British respond?
They held Hill 60 south east of Ypres and in April 1915 British soldiers mined underneath the hill and blew up German defences to capture the hill
What happened in the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915?
Between April to May the second battle started. First time Germans used Chlorine Gas on the Western Front. British losses were 59,000 men and Germans moved 2 miles closer to town of Ypres
When and how did the British push back the Germans from Ypres?
British finally pulshed back the Germans in the rainy 1917 battle of Passchendaele. Costly victory with 245,000 casualties
When and what was the Battle of the Somme?
Largest British attack in WW1 which lasted July to November 1916 and aimed to take ground from Germans. There were huge casualties on both sides but especially for the British with 57,000 casualties and 20,000 dead on the first day alone
Why was the Battle of the Somme significant? 2 reasons
First use of tanks however they were not effective at that point, use of creeping barrage (artillery bombardment that moved towards the German trench as British approached it)
How did the battle of Arras go from being a success for the British to virtually stopping?
In April 1917 they advanced 8 miles into enemy territory but by May 1917 the attack virtually stopped with the Allies suffering 160,000 casualties
What was significant about the battle of Arras?
The allies (Britain, New Zealand, Canada) built over 2.5 miles of tunnels as shelter to prepare to attack the German line (a new tactic). Tunnels could shelter 25,000 men and contained accommodation, a railway, water, electrical supplies and a hospital big enough 700 beds
What happened in the battle of Cambrai 1917?
First large scale attack by the British tanks to attack over German line (over 450 tanks used however no artillery bombardment which surprised the Germans). British succeeded at first helped by tanks however Germans counter attacked after the British attack stopped and all land taken by the British was lost
When were trenches first dug and why?
By British and French Armies in Northern France in 1914 to act as a barrier to stop rapid advance of the German army
What were trenches like at first? 2 points
Temporary and built quickly using sandbags and shovels in existing ditches, needed to be constantly repaired due to weather and constant bombing
How did trenches develop as the war went on? 4 points
Became part of the ‘stalemate’ used to defend and launch attacks, became more compex with bunkers/drainage/hospitals/accommodation, became more dangerous with machine guns/concrete bunkers/barbed wire as defences, new weapons such as tanks/gas/machine guns/artillery/airplanes evolved to fight on this terrain
What is an important thing to remember about trenches across the Western Front?
They were different from one place to another so not every soldier had the same experience
Identify 11 key features of a trench
Firebay, dugout, parapet, ammunition shelf, firestep, duckboard, no mans land, Brodie’s helmet, elbow rest, sandbags, barbed wire
What is a firebay?
Where troops did their shooting, they would be protected by sandbags
What is a duckboard for?
To prevent soldiers standing in water to prevent trenchfoot
What is a firestep for?
Allows soldiers to fire towards the other trench, trenches were 2.5m deep
What is a parapet?
Low protective wall
What is an ammunition shelf?
Area in which ammo was kept under the firestep
What is a dugout?
Area dug into the side of the trench where men could take protective cover
What are communications trenches?
Trenches that run between other trenches, linking them together
What are support trenches?
80m behind the frontline trench. Troops would retreat here if under attack. Spent 10% of time here
What are frontline trenches?
Where attacks were made from the most dangerous area. Only 15% of a soldiers time spent here
What are reserve trenches?
100m behind the support trench where troops would be mobilised to counter attack the enemy if they captured the front line
How much of a soldiers time was spent away from the trenches?
45%
Identify 3 advantages of the trench system
Simple to make and cheap to build, easy to defend with few men using barbed wire/artillery/concrete bunkers/machine gun fire, provided some shelter/protection
Identify 4 disadvantages of the trench system
Hard to attack as had to cross no mans land (area between two trenches) which has been destroyed by shell fire and was a mass of mud and craters, trenches were very dirty and unhygienic as there was no running water or flushing toilets, in summer sewage dead bodies and heat led to horrific smell and disease everywhere, in winter bad weather led to flooding and frostbite (6000 cases in December 1914)
Why did the terrain on the Western Front make it difficult to transport wounded men away from the front line? 7 points
Constant bombing and shelling created a landscape of stagnant water craters, muddy, roads destroyed, rotting corpses, unexploded munitions, chemical waste, wounded could only be collected at night
Why did the trench system make it difficult to transport injured men? 2 points
Trenches were clogged up with men and equipment which made it hard for stretcher bearers to manoeuvre whilst under fire. Number of wounded overwhelmed the medical system
How were the wounded carried away from the front line?
4 stretcher bearers carried them once they were in a stable condition under enemy fire. The faster a man could be evacuated and treated, the greater the chance of survival
What type of ambulances were originally used and what were 3 problems with them?
Horse-drawn ambulance wagons. Could not cope with number of wounded, shaky transport often made injuries worse, lack of ambulance meant many men were left to die
What was the first solution to the problem of ambulances?
News of the problems reached Britain so The Times appealed for donations and raised enough for 512 motor ambulances. By October 1914, the first motor ambulances reached the front line sent by the Red Cross
What was the issue with motor ambulances?
The worse the terrain, the less effective therefore horses continued to be used (up to 6 in horrendous conditions)
What was the second solution to the problem of ambulances?
To reach Base Hospitals on the French Coast, the Royal Army Medical Corps used specially designed ambulance trains from November 1914. Stretchers could fit down the side of the carriage and some had operating theatres.
What was the issue with ambulance trains and how was this solved?
They blocked supply routes in France. Canals were used which were comfortable and slow but could transport the wounded onto barges back to Britain
What are the cause and the symptoms of trench foot?
Caused by standing in waterlogged trenches. Feet would swell, go numb and skin would turn red or blue. Could lead to gangrene and amputation of limbs
What were 4 attempted solutions for trench foot?
Medical officers ordered soldiers to carry 3 pairs of socks and change them twice a day, rub whale oil on their feet, pump out waterlogged trenches, ad duckboards (difficult due to constant bombing)
What was Trench Fever spread by and what were 8 symptoms?
Spread by lice. Eye pain, high temperature, headache, rash, joint pain, aching muscles, back pain, men could be ill for up to 1 month
How many men on the Western Front were affected by trench fever?
An estimated half a million
