World War One - Part Two Flashcards
How did the Schlieffen Plan change?
Von Moltke downscaled the plan by reducing the number of troops committed and removed an invasion of the Netherlands from the plan as they didn’t even border France in Europe.
How did the Schlieffen Plan go at the beginning of the war?
When war began, Germany invaded Belgium and Luxembourg and France launched its own plan, Plan 17, invading Alsace and Lorraine - provinces taken by Germany during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. The French plan reiled on capturing the ‘lost provinces’ quickly and marching on Berlin. At the same time, the British Expeditionary Force landed 120,000 troops in France. Soon both Plan 17 and the Schlieffen Plan had failed.
What problems did the Schlieffen plan face?
-The Belgians put up fiercer resistance than expected due to their large stone forts with long-ranged equipment, slowing the Germans down.
-They were slowed at Liége and Mons.
-The BEF fired rifles so fast that the Germans were overwhelmed.
-They were forced to abandon the idea of quickly sweeping around and through France.
-Supply lines couldn’t keep up as they were behind enemy lines.
-German troops were already exhausted.
How did the Russians surprise Germany?
The Russians took only 10 days to mobilise instead of the 40 days expected, so 100,000 troops had to be moved East from France to defend against the Russians. They were now caught in a war on two fronts.
What happened at the Battle of the Marne?
The Germans, despite resistance, were 40km from Paris but 11 divisions were moved East to fight the Russians. Von Cluck swereved South-East to surround Paris through the River Marne.
The British and French under General Joffre attacked on the 6th September, forcing Von Cluck to stop his advance.
Soon, British troops began advancing between a gap in the 1st and 2nd Army. Both armies were forced into retreat to the River Aisne.
Over 2 million men fought and nearly 500000 were killed or injured in one week.
What resulted from the Schlieffen Plan’s failure?
Germans began digging trenches to hold their ground and protect themselves from gunfire and bombs. They added machine guns and barbed wire and the British and French also dug trenches facing the Germans. It was no longer a war of movement.
What happened after stalemate began?
Both armies tried outflanking each other, going North, towards the sea. Several battles occured like at Ypres, where 120,000 Entente soldiers were killed or injured. By November, both sides had reached the English Channel and trenches ran from Switzerland to Flanders. After, positions changed very little for years until a war of movement restarted.
What happened on the Eastern Front at the beginning of the war?
The Russian army, ready earlier than expected, marched towards Germany and A-H. But the Russians, despite their size, were poorly trained and led. They also faced Ludendorff and Hindenburg. The Germans beat the Russians at the Battle of Tannerberg and the Battle of the Masurian Lakes. At Tannerberg, Russia lost 125,000 men as opposed to Germany’s 13,000 and at the Masurian Lakes, Russia lost another 100,000.
How did the front between A-H and Russia go at the beginning of the war?
In late August, A-H followed Plan R, trying to advance into Russian territory. However, their forces fled 120 miles at the sight of the Russians, leaving guns and ammo. 100,000 A-H soldiers were killed, 220,000 wounded and 100,000 captured. The Russians were eventually halted by the Carpathians.
How did the Eastern Front take shape?
The Eastern Front was much longer, from the Black Sea to the Baltics. As a result, areas were more thinly manned and there was more movement.
What was the trench system?
There were three lines of trenches on each side, the land between being ‘no man’s land’. They were built in a zigzag pattern so bomb blasts would be confined to certain areas of the trench. This also stopped soldiers from firing straight down the line if they reached a trench. They consisted of a front-line and reserve and support trenches with communication trenches running between them.
How did trenches differ?
German trenches were better built and deeper. They tried to provide a reasonable standard of comfort for soldiers. Some lived in trenches or bunkers 10 metres underground. They had electricity, beds and even some wallpaper.
The British and French thought trenchee might be only temporary so they didn’t put in as much effort to design them. This did later change.
What were the stages of attacking from a trench?
- Large guns would fire shells at enemy positions to smash the trench system and blow holes in the barbed wire.
- Attacking soldiers would ‘go over the top’, climbing out of their trenches with guns and grenades and across ‘no man’s land’.
- Soldiers jump into enemy trenches and shoot any soldiers not been killed by the shelling.
How successful were attacks from trenches?
Trenches were rarely ever overrun and when one side attacked, there would be large casualties. Instead of breaking barbed wire, shelling made it messier.
What is a war of attrition?
A war where you try to win by wearing down the enemy to collapse by the continuous loss of men, equipment and supplies. This is won by the side with greater supply lines and resources.
What was the everyday routine like of a soldier in the trenches?
When soldiers weren’t fighting, they were likely bored. They rotated duties in front-line trenches, so 1/3 of men were on guard duty while another 1/3 repaired the trench and collected food, water, letters, ammunition and first aid supplies. The other 1/3 could rest, write letters, draw, paint, play cards or cook.
What was the typical monthly routine of a soldier in the trenches?
A soldier might serve 4 days on the front-line, 4 days in a support trench, eight days in the support trenches and the remainder in the local town. In some places, fighting was almost constant but in others it was very infrequent.
What was ‘Stand to’?
Soldiers on both sides were up before sunlight for stand to. They were on the highest state of alert, guns loaded and on the lookout for enemy attacks. It was thought dawn and dusk were the most damgerous times because the changing light made it difficult to spot attacks.
How did the soldiers cope with the conditions?
They made up songs, told jokes and drew funny pictures and cartoons. The Wipers Times was foundee by a few British soldiers with an old printing press. They subtlely criticised the commanders through this.
How was health affected by trench life?
The trenches could be boiling in the summer and freezing in the winter. Many suffered from pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchitis and diarrhoea. Spending weeks on end with cold, wet feet could lead to trench foot, a painful condition where the foot swells up and develops open sores.
What were the luxuries of trench life?
Soldiers looked forward to letters and parcels from home. Every week around 12 million letters were sent by family, friends and girlfriends. The soldiers wrote home, but couldn’t mention the horrors of trench warfare as it would upset loved ones and commanders didn’t want low morale to be shown.
What was hygiene like in the trenches?
Keeping clean was almost impossible and most soldiers had lice. Buckets were used as toilets and emptied wherever possible. Rats were also a constant problem, getting at food supplies and feeding off corpses in no man’s land.
What was food like in the trenches?
Food was basic: stew, bread and hard biscuits. However, for soldiers from very poor backgrounds, this was the best they had had. Bacon, cheese and jam were treats. The water tasted of chlorine. British troops received rum in harsh weather and the Germans drank beer and brandy.
What was mental health like in the trenches?
Shell shock was common. This was caused by constant fear of death, the relentless noise of bombs and the trauma of seeing close friends being killed. Some people shook uncontrollably while others became paralysed .
What was artillery like in trench warfare?
Artillery, large guns that fire shells, was used to soften up a trench before being attacked. In 1915, 400,000 artillery shells were fired every month on the Western Front. Some contained high explosives, others gas or smoke. Shrapnel was used a lot too. Artillery was responsible for around 60% of wounds.
What were machine guns like in trench warfare?
Machine guns, invented in the mid 1800s, was deadly in WWI. They could fire 10 bullets per second. In the first two weeks of the war, the French lost 200,000 men to these weapons. Despite needing a crew of 2-4, one machine gun was equivalent to 100 rifles. Machine guns caused around 40% of injuries.
What were gas attacks like in WWI?
The first use of poison gas was in April 1915, when the Germans released gas from cylinders and allowed wind to carry it over to French soldiers. The French panicked and ran, opening a 6km gap in the line that the Germans couldn’t exploit. Soon both sides were using it. One type would suffocate a victim’s lungs and leave them breathless whilst another would burn, blind and kill a soldier over a period of days.
What was the standard weapon given to all soldiers?
A rifle.
What were rifles like?
It was lightweight and deadly accurate to 600 metres. A soldier could fire 15-20 bullets per minute.
What were attached to rifles?
Bayonets, 40cm knives that could be used if you ran out of bullets.
What were grenades like in WWI?
They were carried by soldiers to be thrown into trenches or at troops.
How were flamethrowers used in WWI?
A wall of fire could be created, reaching about 15 metres. These were deadly in small spaces like dugouts.
What were tanks used for in WWI?
As bulletproof vehicles that could travel over rough ground, they were very powerful. They were only recently invented but the British had nearly 4000 and the French nearly 3000 but the Germans only 20. Though they caused terror, they could only travel at around 5mph and broke down easily.
When and where did Verdun take place?
Verdun was fought between 21st February and 18th December 1916. It took place in the hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse between France and its empire against a major German attack.
What is the most significant fact about Verdun?
It was the longest battle of WWI.
What was the plan for the Battle of Verdun?
The German attack was planned by Erich von Falkenhayn. It was selected as the place to attack French lines because the city had historical significance for the French. Since it was so significant, he thought so many men would die defending it that it would deplete French resources.
What was the area of Verdun like?
Hilly, a historic place in France with 20 major forts and 40 smaller ones.
How did the attack begin?
The German assault began at 7:15AM on February 21st 1916, when the Germans started shelling the area. The next day, lead by Prince Wilhelm, they attacked 200,000 French defenders. They fell back to the reserve trenches and by February 24th, the Germans were only 8km from Verdun.
What were the French tactics?
After an argument with Aristide Brand, French Prime Minister, General Joffre was replaced by Philippe Pétain. The orders he gave were ‘they shall not pass’.
Pétain realised that the defence would result in many casualties, so he was determined to inflict maximum damage on German troops too. He ordered every spare soldier to Verdun and made sure supply lines were open. Until the battle’s end, the road connecting Verdun was full of vehicles, 6000 per day.
How did the Battle of Verdun continue?
The German advance was halted. On the 6th March, a new German attack saw them advance another 3 kilometres, but in April the French began a series of counterattacks. This pattern continued. In early June, the Germans took one of the large forts, but this was their final victory. Fighting continued throughout Summer and Autumn but the intensity of German attacks was decreasing.
