WWI

Question 1

Why was the trench warfare in WWI effective?

Answer 1

Trenches in WWI proved to be defensive rather than offensive. Soldiers would leave their trenches to attack the enemy’s trenches, which was unsuccessful due to it being easy for soldiers to fortify in the trench and kill attackers. This would lead to prolonging the war.

Question 2

What were the benefits of trenches in WWI?

Answer 2

The trenches in WWI provided protection from bullets and shell, as well as it allowing you to have a place of hiding, making you essentially invisible to the enemies as it protected you from the inside. It also provided a good line of sight for where the enemies were.

Question 3

What were the disadvantages of trenches in WWI?

Answer 3

The trenches in WWI varied in conditions, carrying risks such as disease and the weather possibly bringing freezing temperatures or floods. Meanwhile, soldiers may inwardly suffer from psychological problems and mental breakdowns, as well as straight up boredom.

Question 4

Why was war at sea so important:

Answer 4

Although World War One was fought and won primarily on land, it would not have been possible without the movement of ships. The Allies were able to bring in the essential materials and people they needed to win on the Western Front and abroad because to their command of the sea.

Question 5

Battle of Jutland:

Answer 5

The Battle of Jutland was notable not just because it was the largest naval battle of WWI, but also because of the high number of lives lost. The British Navy lost more men and ships, while the German Navy was too depleted to go to sea again while the war was still going on.

Question 6

What is unrestricted submarine warfare?

Answer 6

When submarines attack merchant ships without warning this is known as unrestricted submarine warfare. This style of warfare, which was first deployed during World War I, was highly contentious and regarded as a violation of the rules of war. It brought the US into the war in 1917.

Question 7

Armistice of 1918

Answer 7

On 28 September, Ludendorff and Hindenburg agreed that Germany had no choice but to surrender. Failure to do so would likely result in the complete destruction of the German army and the invasion of Germany.

Question 8

What was the RMS Lusitania

Answer 8

A ship with almost 2000 passengers sunk by the Germans in 1915. The US threatened Germany to stop unrestricted submarine warfare, the Germans did until 1917.

Question 9

What was the Schlieffen Plan ?

Answer 9

Answer: Since the German wanted to take France out before the Russians could bring their whole army into the war they decided to move all the German armies into France by going through Belgium

Question 10

What is Poison Gas ?

Answer 10

There were several types, the most most common being chlorine, phosgene and mustard gas. Chlorine stops people from breathing but is easily stopped by gas masks, which many people used. Later in the war Phosgene was developed, which can go through masks but takes a day to take effect. Mustard gas burns the skin and eyes, often causing blindness but not death. As a % of war deaths it was small but horrified people more than most other weapons

Question 11

Who used Poison gas ?

Answer 11

Answer: The Germans were the first to use it and did during the The Battle of Ypres which lead to 91,000 soldiers dying from gas poisoning. Other powers quickly started using it as well

Question 12

4-4-4

Answer 12

Soldiers did not spend all their time fighting in the trenches. On paper they spent 4 weeks on the front, 4 in reserve away from the front and 4 resting.

Question 13

How was the Schlieffen Plan intended to work?

Answer 13

Germany wanted to take France out before the Russians could get to the border. The idea of the Schlieffen plan was for the German Army to go to France by going through Belgium to avoid using defenses so they can take Paris and end the war quickly so that Germany could fight Russia alone.

Question 14

Why did both sides introduce trenches?

Answer 14

Both the Germans and French introduced trenches due to the continuing advance of machine guns and artillery, which they lacked tactics to combat. Since trenches are a more defensive strategy, they helped both sides protect themselves from the incoming attacks, which led to them losing fewer people, as well as prolonging the war.

Question 15

How important was Belgium’s reaction to the Schlieffen Plan?

Answer 15

Belgium did its best to defend itself against German invasion. It was not very successful as the forts it expected to be able to hold back the Germans were obliterated by modern artillery. However, at Antwerp and in the country to Belgian army fought hard. These forced the Germans to keep a few troops back and since the Battle of the Marne was close it may have helped save France.

Question 16

How successful was the BEF?

Answer 16

Their purpose was largely to aid the French by preventing a breakthrough by the Germans on the Western Front. In the Battle of the Somme, they arguably achieved the goal as they spread the German army further, reducing the pressure in Verdun. In addition, land, albeit little, was gained. That being said, the perhaps avoidable and reckless deaths were large in number and displayed inefficiency in their operations. While they were relatively successful on paper, the many lives lost provide a sizeable counterargument.

Question 17

How important was Belgium’s reaction to the Schlieffen Plan?

Answer 17

Belgium did its best to defend itself against German invasion. It was not very successful as the forts it expected to be able to hold back the Germans were obliterated by modern artillery. However, at Antwerp and in the country to Belgian army fought hard. These forced the Germans to keep a few troops back and since the Battle of the Marne was close it may have helped save France.

Question 18

What was the significance of the battles of Verdun and the Somme?

Answer 18

Verdun and the Somme proved to be large, bloody stalemates that proved to both sides that the war could not be won quickly or with a low cost. It led both sides to adopt strategies of attrition in 1917 i.e. German Bleeding Out and Allied Bite and Hold. The names are remembered as a symbol of the pointless carnage of the First World War in European popular culture.

Question 19

Why did the war become bogged down in the trenches?

Answer 19

The war became static because the military technology of the time made attacking hard. Artillery and machine gun fire made it very dangerous to be out in the open. Engines were not yet powerful enough to move tanks, bombers or supply trucks effectively. Railroads were the best way to move supplies, and they cannot be build fast enough to support an attack. Attackers had to use horses to bring supplies to the front.

Question 20

How important were new developments such as tanks, machine guns, aircraft and gas?

Answer 20

World war 1 popularized the use of machine guns. This weapon, along with barbed wire and mines, made movement across open land both difficult and dangerous. Thus, trench warfare was introduced. The British introduced tanks in 1916, they were used with airplanes and artillery to advance the front. Poison gas was first used by the Germans in Belgium, and it was soon considered so inhumane that chemical warfare was banned for future wars from 1925. Tanks were largely ineffective due to mechanical issues for most of the war. Airplanes were largely used for scouting seeing what the artillery were hitting.

Question 21

Why was there stalemate on the Western Front?

Answer 21

The war became static because the military technology of the time made attacking hard. Artillery and machine gun fire made it very dangerous to be out in the open. Engines were not yet powerful enough to move tanks, bombers or supply trucks effectively. Railroads were the best way to move supplies, and they cannot be build fast enough to support an attack. Attackers had to use horses to bring supplies to the front.

Question 22

Who won the war at sea?

Answer 22

Germany sank a lot of Allied shipping with unrestricted submarine warfare in 1915 and 1917. It also sank more ships than the Allied navies. However, the Allies controlled the sea trade throughout the war and Germany failed to cut off the UK’s trade from the US and the colonies, so the stronger case is that the British won.

Question 23

What countries had food shortages during the war and why?

Answer 23

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia and the Ottoman Empire all had major food shortages during the war. This was not caused by farmland being destroyed but because too many men were in the army and factories were busy making weapons and equipment for the war to make things like fertilizer and farm equipment. France and the US/UK had no major food shortages as they could import food by sea, or were the main food producer like the US.

Question 24

How did the war impact political rights?

Answer 24

All powers severely restricted civil liberties during the war. Everyone but the US and UK adopted ‘Martial law’ giving the military full power to censor the press and speech. The government also took full control of railroads, factories and the food supply. In the US this was done with the Espionage and Sedition Acts and DORA (Defense of the Realm Act) in the UK.

Question 25

What was rationing and how did it impact civilian populations?

Answer 25

Rationing is when the government allows people to get a certain amount of something, in this case food, and no more. It was used to try to make sure there was enough food for everyone during the war. Many people tried to get around this in black markets. In the UK it actually meant the poor ate better than before the war, but in the Central Powers and Russia rations were not enough to keep people alive.

Question 26

Why did the Gallipoli Campaign of 1915 fail?

Answer 26

The Gallipoli campaign failed for 3 main reasons. First the British failed to break through the straights with their warships due to several being destroyed by Turkish mines. Churchill wanted to push through but was overruled.

Second, the Allied commanders made several mistakes. They landed on the wrong beach to a navigational error and tried to fight up a steep hill with Turkish guns looking down on it at a place now called ANZAC cove.

Finally, Turkish resistance was more effective than they expected. The British had a low opinion of non-Europeans military effectiveness but were proved wrong here as the Turks fought well and stubbornly, forcing them to withdraw.

Question 27

How important were new developments such as tanks.

Answer 27

Introduced for the first time at the Somme in 1916, tanks were initially few in number and broke down or got stuck fairly easily. A WW1 tank had about a 100-150hp engine and a weight of around 20 tons. A modern SUV is around 2-3 tons with about 500-600hp. The battle of Amiens in 1918 was the first time they were used effectively in mass, and they easily cut through the German lines as machine gun and rifle fire was not effective against them. However, they still quickly broke down or were destroyed by German artillery fire.

Question 28

How important were new developments such as machine guns.

Answer 28

Machine guns made it possible for infantry to destroy large formations quickly and the old massed battle lines became a form of suicide. While artillery inflicted more casualties, they played a considerable role in preventing large advances and forcing all armies into the trenches that defined WW1.

Question 29

How important were new developments such as airplanes.

Answer 29

Airplanes were mostly important for seeing where the artillery should shoot. Since cavalry, the traditional scout arm, could not get behind the trenches, aircraft could find important targets like command posts, telephone posts and artillery and tell the artillery where to shoot.

Planes were used to shoot down other planes. At the start of the war planes did not carry weapons, but by 1915 the German Fokker Eindecker became first true fighter plane, giving Germany control of the skies until 1916. The Allies gained the upper hand through more industry in 1916. Germany got better engines and machine guns in 1917, giving them the upper hand again until 1918, when the Allies again made more planes and won.

Direct bombing was done but not very important. The engines of the planes were not powerful enough to carry very large bombs. The Germans did bomb English cities several times, which scared and surprised people but did little damage.