WW1 Flashcards
How dId Belgium’s response help stop the Schlieffen Plan?
They refused to let German troops march through, forcing Germany to invade on 3rd August. This brought Britain into the war. Belgium put up more of a fight than the Germans expected, delaying the Germans and not falling until 20th August. This allowed the BEF to arrive and the French to organise.
How did Britain’s response help stop the Schlieffen Plan?
They declared war on 4th August. The BEF of 125000 men arrived quickly in France. They were a professionally trained army and met the Germans at the Battle of Mons.
How did Russia’s response help stop the Schlieffen Plan?
Russia invaded Germany on 17th August, far quicker than the six weeks the Germans expected Russia would take to mobilise. This meant von Moltke had to split his army and send some forces to the Eastern Front after all. This weakened the ability of the main army to advance and ruined the objective of the Schlieffen Plan.
What was Plan 17?
France had been aware of the Schlieffen Plan since 1913 and had developed Plan 17 in response. They would invade Germany via the Alsace-Lorraine frontier, then attack its capital Berlin, while Germany was trying to get through Belgium. Germany had no Italian support on the border, but France failed to invade. They wore red and blue uniforms and German machine guns had massacred them, killing 300000 French soldiers.
What was the Battle of Mons?
On 23rd August, as the Germans had almost passed through Belgium, they were met by the BEF at the town of Mons. The Germans were surprised as they were not expecting to see British soldiers yet. The smaller British force held the Germans back long enough to allow France time to retreat and reorganise. The British, though, had to retreat, which was a blow to British morale, who were expecting an easy war.
What was the Battle of the Marne?
French soldiers who survived the Plan 17 assault regrouped with the retreating French army at the Marne. The Germans had planned to head to Paris but lacked the power so were forced to face the French at the Marne. It lasted four days. General Joffre brought in additional manpower from Paris. The Germans lost contact with the right wing, attempting to flank the Allied army, which overextended and found itself surrounded, forcing them to retreat to the Aisne River. It was a decisive Allied victory, ending the Schlieffen Plan.
How did trenches start?
After the Germans retreated to the Aisne River, soldiers began to dig small pits, in which a single soldier could hide. These proved of such value that they were soon extended. The Allies followed their example and dug down as well.
How did Britain expand its army in 1914?
It had a professional army - the BEF of 125000 men - but needed more men. Recruiting posters made people feel they had a duty to sign up. Women gave out white feathers to men who had not volunteered. Propaganda gave people a rosy picture of the war and exaggerated the cruelty of the enemy; censorship denied them the real news from the front. ‘Pals battalions’ were made up of people from one town or group. By September 1914 there were half a million volunteers; another half a million had joined by February 1915.
What was the Race for the Sea?
Both sides knew how important sea access was and pushed north, extending their trenches. Germany captured some important cities like Antwerp, while the Allies held Dunkirk and Calais. The Germans wanted the Channel ports to stop British supplies and soldiers arriving. At the First Battle of Ypres the Allies were pushed off the high ground but dug trenches in winter, ending the war of movement. By the end of 1914, trench lines stretched 470km. Stalemate was reached.
What were trenches like?
They were about 10 feet deep and heavily fortified. They were dug in a zigzag formation. Behind the front line, communication trenches allowed troops to move forward and back. Soldiers were rotated between the lines. Saps were dug into no-man’s land to allow listening posts to be set up. They were supported with wood, corrugated iron and sandbags. Machine guns and lines of barbed wire defended them. Sentries spotted enemy attacks.
What was trench warfare like?
Generals were not used to trench warfare. They tried using artillery to break through barbed wire, but it warned the enemy of an attack and was not very successful. Soldiers then had to climb out of trenches and try to run across no-man’s land, often thick with mud. The enemy would fight back with machine guns and cannons. Soldiers would then climb into the enemy trench and ‘take’ it, armed with rifle and bayonet.
What was life in the trenches like?
There was constant bombardment from the enemy. Trenches were full of rats, lice, fleas and mud. The ground was churned up, making deliveries difficult. Soldiers suffered trench foot, while some developed gangrene and had to had feet amputated. Frostbite was common. Trenches were unhygienic. Soldiers had to stand to at dawn and dusk.
How was poison gas used in WW1?
It was for the first time by the Germans at the Second Battle of Ypres, in 1915. Chlorine was used first, then phosgene and mustard gas. Initially the Allies had no protection, but eventually proper gas masks were used. Allied governments condemned the attacks, but they used it too later. There were 1.3m casualties from gas attacks but only 90,000 fatalities. They had a terrifying psychological impact and removed soldiers from the front line from 6-8 weeks to be treated.
What was the Battle of Verdun?
In February 1916, the Germans attacked the French fortress of Verdun. They used a massive artillery barrage, followed by advancing infantry, using gas shells and flame throwers. Huge losses were suffered by both sides and the French were forced to retreat. The French commander, Philippe Petain, ordered them to retake the lost ground. He was harsh but provided plenty of supplies and brought in reinforcements. The battle went on for months, but by November the French were beginning to win.
What was the Battle of the Somme?
In order to help the French at Verdun, the British ordered a counter-attack at the Somme. They aimed to make the Germans fight two major battles at once. The British took months to prepare, building up huge stores of ammunition and examining enemy trenches. It continued despite them discovering the Germans were reinforcing dugouts with concrete. For six days before the attack there was an artillery barrage to clear barbed wire. It failed, but commander Sir Douglas Haig ordered an advance regardless. On 1st July 1916 soldiers were sent over the top. Although some successes were seen, most were lost by the evening. There were 57000 British casualties on the first day. The battle lasted until November, with British advances of 15km in some places. More than 1m soldiers were killed, 400,000 of whom were British. The Germans were not defeated but they were worn down.
How were tanks used in WW1?
They were first used at the Somme, where Haig ordered to send in 49 rather than wait for more, feeling that surprise was more important than number. They could pass over rough ground and barbed wire. Ordinary gun fire could not stop them. It took a while to develop effective tactics and overcome difficulties. Early tanks often broke down, got stuck in mud or toppled over in craters. Crews faced intolerable noise, fumes and heat. Captured tanks were sometimes used by the Germans, and they started making their own. They were not really used effectively until the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917, but became more and more important after that.
How were aeroplanes used in WW1?
At first they were used to survey the battlefield and bomb enemy positions. They could spot weak parts in the trenches to attack. They were slow and difficult to fly. By 1915 new machine guns could shoot safely between propeller blades. One man could fly the plane and fire the gun. They could escort bombers on raids and attack enemy planes in air battles.
How were aeroplanes used on civilians in WW1?
The German army introduced Zeppelins, airships that could carry bombs. In May 1915 they mounted a major raid on London, but they were easy to shoot down because of their size.
In May 1917 there was a bombing raid from planes on Folkestone, Britain. It killed 95 people. Britain also sent bombers into Germany.
By the end of the war, the new RAF had over 20,000 planes.
What did the British do at sea in WW1?
The Royal Navy set up blockades the North Sea and the Baltic, patrolling them to stop food and supplies reaching Germany either directly or by neutral countries. Despite the arms race before the war, there was only one major battle: the Battle of Jutland in May 1916. Neither side won and both sides claimed victory. Afterwards the Germans did not stray far from their ports.
What were U-boats?
They were German submarines. They were initially careful not to attack ships from neutral countries or passenger vessels. Britain realised this and started shipping arms and ammunition in the holds of liners.
What happened in the sinking of The Lusitania?
On 7th May 1915, German U-boats torpedoed the British ocean liner The Lusitania without warning. 1200 people died, mostly civilians, as it was a passenger ship. The Germans claimed it was carrying weapons. The US government was particularly angry as more than 100 of the dead were Americans. They began to think about getting involved. Germany agreed to abide by the ‘cruiser rules’ and give warning before they attacked, though they did not always stick to this.
What was the attempt of the Gallipoli Campaign?
It was planned by Winston Churchill to support the Russians and ultimately defeat the Central Powers. The British would attack Turkey’s Gallipoli peninsula, defeat the Ottoman army and continue past Constantinople into the Black Sea to Russia.
What went wrong with the Gallipoli Campaign?
Inexperienced British soldiers and ANZACs were sent, with battle hardened troops remaining on the Western Front. 23 Allied warships attacked the Dardanelles straits in April 1915. When 3 ships sank, the attack was called off, not knowing the Ottomans were almost out of ammunition. A second attack was launched on the tip of the peninsula. A supply ship had to return to Egypt to reload, delaying the attack by a month, during which the Ottomans discovered the Allies’ plan. The attack was launched, where trenches were dug and stalemate was reached when the Allies ran out of supplies. General Stopford’s troops arrived in August, but men became dehydrated. In November, with men suffering frostbite, it was called off.
What was the Brusilov Offensive?
In June 1916 Russian General Brusilov ordered a massive Russian advance. In the first three weeks the Russians made great gains, but by December they had been driven back, losing many men.
