WW1/WW2 Movement To Stalemate

Question 1

1914: Germany launched an attack on France through Belgium

Answer 1

The use of railways for transport ensured it was a surprise. Trains were 15 times faster than marching. 2,000,000 men, 600,000 horses moved in 11,000 train journey’s.
Within a month, the German army, through out manoeuvring the French, advanced 300km to the outskirts of Paris

Question 2

How was stalemate produced in WW1?

Answer 2

Machine guns + artillery and heavily manned trenches produce a stalemate.

Question 3

How was stalemate ended in WW1?

Answer 3

Developments such as tanks, aircraft and motorised transport helped to end the stalemate.

Question 4

(Developments at the end of WW1) tanks

Answer 4

Caused fear and improved considerably. Armed with machine guns and became lighter and faster by 1917-18. Used at Cambrai.

Question 5

(Developments at the end of WW1) Aircraft

Answer 5

BFC (British Flying Corps) had 63 planes in 1914 and 22,000 by 1918. By 1916, they were used to bomb and map out enemy troops.

Question 6

(Developments at the end of WW1) Motorised transport

Answer 6

Had improved by 1918. Used for communication and movement of troops. 800 cars in 1914 and 55,000 cars by 1918.

Question 7

(WW2) Blitzkrieg

Answer 7

Tanks, aircraft, parachuting infantry, motorised transport and radio coordination created a war of movement.

Question 8

(WW2 return to stalemate) fighter planes

Answer 8

Spitfires could outmanouvre German fighter planes which were sent to protect bombers.
Hawker Hurricane was numerous and robust.
-these protected Britain from invasion

Question 9

(WW2 return to stalemate) Radar

Answer 9

Developed by Robert Watson-Watt, radar used radio waves to detect aircraft and warn against enemy attacks.

Question 10

(WW2 return to stalemate) Anti-aircraft guns

Answer 10

Germany used 50,000 against allied bombers. 1943, 15% of bombers were lost in each air raid.

Question 11

(WW2 return to stalemate) landmines and bazookas

Answer 11

Landmines could be made of plastic to foil metal detectors
Bazookas could knock out a tank from 400m away
-could be used against tanks and slowed the war of movement

Question 12

(WW2: bombing ends stalemate) ariel support

Answer 12

By 1944, allies controlled the aur over Germany. They created the ‘cab-rank’ system which involved constantly having aircraft in the skies so infantry could instantly call up airstrikes

Question 13

(WW2: bombing ends stalemate) bombers improved

Answer 13

Lancaster bombers had a range of 2500km, had ten machine guns and 11 tons of bombs. There were 7000 by 1945 which flew 150,000 raids.

Question 14

(WW2: bombing ends stalemate) boming technology improved

Answer 14

Developed the ‘oboe’ system to target bombs. Radio signals directed from Britain at a target in Germany; controllers guided a bomber along the radio signal to the target. Once hit, other bombers would see the smoke.

Question 15

(WW2: bombing ends stalemate) fighter cover improved

Answer 15

From 1943, extra petrol tanks were fitted to fighter planes to increase range to 3000km.
From 1944, Britain had a jet fighter, the meteor. It could go 600mph.
-bombers were better protected.

Question 16

(WW2: bombing ends stalemate) bombing strategy changed

Answer 16

Initially, both sids used strategic bombing (targeting key industrial/military sites). In 1943, both sides turned to area bombing (massive raids on cities to reduce civillian morale). July 1943, in 4 raids, RAF used 3000 bombers to drop 9000 tons of bombs on Hamburg.

Question 17

(WW2: bombing ends stalemate) The atom bomb

Answer 17

$2 billion spent on scientific research, employing 125,000 people. In 1942, the Manhattan project began which would eventually produce the atom bomb