WW1 1918 and after Flashcards
by 1918 how many men were the British losing each month?
80,000
how many men had Haig demanded going into 1918?
600,000
how many men did Haig receive in 1918?
100,000
what was prioritised by the government instead of the Army?
the navy
the air force
why was Robertson unhappy with the introduction of the Supreme War Council?
would mean that the CIGS would lose control and authority over the British Army
who did Lloyd-George replace Robertson with?
Sir Henry Wilson
why did Britain take a defensive stance going into 1918?
they were a weakened army
they were hoping to hold out and wait for the Americans to arrive
how many German divisions were involved in the Ludendorff Offensive?
192
when did the Ludendorff Offensive begin?
21 March 1918
why was the German push at the Somme in 1918 successful?
- it took the British by surprise at Flanders
- Gough’s 5th Army was heavily weakened
- new German tactics
- heavy fog helped element of surprise
what new tactics did the German Army begin to implement?
the use of stormtroopers which pressed forward and broke through the allied land
no warning bombardment –> SURPRISE
how much ground did the Germans make in the 1918 Somme offensive?
40 miles in a week
who was appointed the new Allied commander-in-chief?
Marshal Foch
what was a major turning point in the Ludendorff Offensive?
the British defence at Arras in March 1918
what slowed down the Ludendorff Offensive?
- heavy German losses
- ill-disciplined troops
- supply lines were too far back
what was Operation George?
Ludendorff’s attack in Flanders
when was Operation George?
9 April 1918
what did Haig issue in April 1918?
‘Backs to the Wall’ order
what was the ‘Backs to the Wall’ order?
all British troops had to fight to the end
when was Operation George abandoned?
25 April 1918
how many troops was the BEF strengthened with after Operation George?
500,000
what was the rate of the arrival of the American troops?
250,000 a month
when did the Ludendorff Offensive fail?
15 July 1918
who took charge of an allied offensive?
Haig
despite Foch being his superior, Haig was the one who led and organised the push
what technological advances was Haig handed?
- Mark V tanks
- mustard gas shells
- rifle grenades
when was the Third Battle of Amiens?
August 1918
what was significant about the Third Battle of Amiens?
was the start of the Hundred Days Offensive
how many casualties did the German take at the Third Battle of Amiens?
30,000
what was the British Army armed with at the Third Battle of Amiens?
2000 guns
450 tanks
1900 planes
what tactic had Haig implemented to great effect at the Third Battle of Amiens?
he attacked at many points to squeeze the Germans and hit them where their resources were most depleted
what was the outcome of the Third Battle of Amiens?
allied victory
the Germans were pushed back to Hindenburg Line
what helped advance the accuracy of artillery fire in 1918?
aerial photography
mapping
surveying
calibration
better communications
when did the Allies cross the Canal du Nord?
29 September 1918
what were problems in the German Army by September 1918?
desertion
disobedience
when did Ludendorff decide to seek for an armistice?
in October 1918
between August and November 1918 how many British troops were lost?
260,000
worse than Somme and Passchendaele
how were the Germans still in a good position by October 1918?
they still held Belgium and a lot of France
American troops would only be significant by 1918
the weather was getting worse –> easier to defend
what was a major defeat for Germany’s position in the war?
the defeat of Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottomans
when and where were the Ottomans defeated?
once Damascus was taken by the British
30 October 1918, the Ottomans signed an armistice with Britain
when and where was Austria-Hungary defeated?
Battle of Vittorio Veneto
23 October 1918
3 November 1918 an armistice is signed with Italy
when were Ludendorff and Hindenburg dismissed by the German govt?
26 October
what did Admiral Scheer attempt to do with the blockade?
a ‘do or die’ assault on the British blockade
what prevented Scheer’s assault?
major naval mutinies at Kiel and WIlhemshaven
when did the Kaiser abdicate?
9 November 1918
when was the armistice signed?
11 November 1918
what were the terms of the armistice?
German troops to retreat beyond the Rheine
Germany to hand over war material
blockade on Germany to be maintained until peace agreement made
