World War One Flashcards
When was the Armistice declared?
11 o’clock on 11th November 1918
What is meant by the phrase ‘a war of attrition’.
Both sides looking to wear down the enemy, until they are too weak to continue to fight. In World War One, this resulted in sustained use of heavy artillery in the trenches, and consequently, huge numbers of casualties.
What was the front of a trench called?
Parapet
What was the back of the trench called?
Parados
Why were trenches dug in a zigzag formation?
A)so the trench walls would absorb and reduce the impact of a shell explosion.
B) so that an enemy soldier would not have a clear view down the trench to fire any weapon.
C) to confuse enemy soldiers if they got into the trench in an attack.
What weapon was used for the first time by the Germans in April 1915?
Poison gas
Why was it so difficult to take an enemy trench?
Firstly, because as soon as a soldier went ‘over the top’ they were in sight of the enemy and their machine guns. Also, they had to get through/over barbed wire in front of their own and the enemy’s front line trench, and crossing No Man’s Land with its shell holes was extremely difficult.
Which ‘wonder weapon’ did the British first use in 1916, at the Battle of the Somme, which they (mistakenly) believed would end the stalemate and win the war?
The tank
Who were Britain’s allies in World War One?
France, Russia (until 1917) and USA (from 1917)
Who was allied to Germany in the First World War?
Austria-Hungary
How many British casualties were there in World War One?
Approximately 1 million casualties ( of those 760000 were killed).
What were the ‘Pals Battalions’?
Army battalions in which men could join up and serve together. This encouraged men from the same families, towns and workplaces to serve together.
Whose face is on the famous ‘Britons, your country needs YOU’ poster?
Lord Kitchener, British Minister for War
How many British men joined up in the first six weeks of the war?
500,000. The government had been hoping for just 100,000. The response showed how enthusiastic many people were at the beginning of the war, believing it would be ‘over by Christmas’. These men became known as ‘Kitchener’s volunteers’.
When did Britain declare war on Germany?
4th August 1914
What was the area between the two opposing trench systems called?
No Man’s Land
Why were men so eager to join up in 1914?
a) they thought the war would be ‘over by Chrismas’
b) they wanted to see the world and escape from poverty or hard lives and jobs in Britain
c) they were patriotic
d) they could join up with family and friends in ‘Pals Battalions’
e) propaganda made them hate the Germans and feel like it was their duty to fight
f) women handed out white feathers, as signs of cowardice, to men that they thought should be fighting
What were zeppelins?
Cigar-shaped, hydrogen-filled airships which were used by the Germans between 1915 and 1917 to bomb Britain.
Which planes did the Germans use most successfully to bomb Britain in World War One?
Gotha bombers
What jobs did women do in World War One?
They worked in munitions factories, as ‘munitionettes’, as nurses, in farming in the newly formed ‘land army’, and in all kinds of jobs which were normally done by men eg, in shipbuilding, transport and construction. They also joined the army and navy, although they wee not allowed to fight.
What is meant by ‘stalemate’?
That neither side in the First World War could gain the advantage over the other. They could not breakthrough the enemy’s trenches and end the war.
What were planes used for on the Western Front?
Reconnaissance, dog-fights and bombing enemy trenches
What was a periscope?
An instrument like a long tube, with mirrors positioned inside, so that someone could see over the top of a trench, without having to raise their head above the parapet.
Why were trenches dug?
To protect soldiers from enemy shell-fire on both sides, and because neither side could defeat the enemy so needed to ‘dig in’.
What was introduced in 1916 to deal with the rising number of casualties on the Western Front?
Conscription in the British Army.
What was the Western Front?
The trenches of Northern France and Belgium, which stretched from the Channel ports to the Swiss border.
Who won World War One?
Britain, France and USA
Who was defeated in World War One?
Germany and Austria-Hungary
