WWI: Stalemate Flashcards
1
Q
When was General Count Alfred von Schlieffen born and where?
A
Berlin in 1833
2
Q
At what age did Count Alfred von Schlieffen join the Army?
A
21
3
Q
Which war did Count Alfred von Schlieffen take part in?
A
Franco-Prussian War (1870 - 1871)
4
Q
When did Count Alfred Von Schlieffen become head of Germany’s army?
A
1891
5
Q
When did Count Alfred von Schlieffen retire?
A
1906
6
Q
When did Count Alfred von Schlieffen die?
A
1913
7
Q
How long did Schlieffen predict it would take for Paris to be taken and the French army to be defeated?
A
Around 40 days
8
Q
How long did Schlieffen assume Russia would take to get its army ready?
A
At least 6 weeks
9
Q
Who was Schlieffen replaced by in 1906?
A
General von Moltke
10
Q
How many British soldiers, part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), landed in France when WWI began?
A
120,000
11
Q
How many soldiers did Germany send to fight Russia early in the war?
A
Around 100,000
12
Q
Who commanded the German 1st Army in WWI?
A
General von Kluck
13
Q
Who commanded the German 2nd Army in WWI?
A
General von Bülow
14
Q
Who commanded the British and French during the Battle of the Marne?
A
General Joffre
15
Q
How many soldiers fought and were injured or killed during the Battle of the Marne?
A
Over 2 million soldiers fought, over half a million either injured or killed
16
Q
When did the Battle of the Marne take place? (From book and sources)
A
6th - 12th September 1914
17
Q
How much did the Battle of Liège delay the German invasion of France?
A
4 or 5 days
18
Q
How far did the Germans advance to Paris during the Battle of the Marne?
A
They advanced to 40 km from Paris
19
Q
When did French and British forces under General Joffre attack von Kluck’s forces from the west?
A
6th September 1914
20
Q
During the Battle of the Marne, how large of a gap was created in the German lines?
A
50 km gap
21
Q
Which river did the Germans reach by late August during the Battle of the Marne?
A
River Marne
22
Q
How long did the Russians take to get their armies marching towards German and Austria-Hungary?
A
10 days
23
Q
Where did the Germans retreat to during the Battle of the Marne?
A
River Aisne
24
Q
When did the First Battle of Ypres take place?
A
19th October - 22nd November 1914
25
How many British, French and Belgian soldiers were killed or wounded during the First Battle of Ypres?
Over 120,000
26
How long did trenches in the Western Front stretch for during WWI?
Over 400 miles
27
How large was the Russian Army early in WWI?
Over 1 million soldiers
28
Which two German generals faced Russian forces in WWI initially?
Ludendorff and Hindenburg
29
When did the Battle of Tannenberg occur?
26th - 30th August 1914
30
Which two battles did Russia lose early into the war?
Battle of Tannenberg, Battle of the Masurian Lakes
31
How many men did Russia lose at the Battle of Tannenberg?
125,000
32
How many men did the Germans lose at the Battle of Tannenberg?
13,000
33
How many men did Russia lose at the Battle of the Masurian Lakes?
100,000
34
Which war plan had Austria-Hungary followed by late August?
Plan R
35
How far did Austro-Hungarian forces retreat in how long at the sight of Russian forces early in WWI?
Over 120 miles in less than a week
36
How many Austro-Hungarian forces were killed, wounded and captured (individual) in their retreat from the Russians early in WWI?
100,000 killed; 220,000 wounded; 100,000 captured
37
Where did the Eastern front line run from in WWI?
From Baltic Sea near Riga to Black Sea in Ukraine
38
What types of trenches were there?
Front line trenches, support trenches, reserve trenches, communication trenches
39
How far behind the front line was long-range artillery positioned?
About 10 km behind the front line
40
How far were two enemy front-lines generally?
50 - 200 m apart
41
What were dugouts (also called "bunkers")?
Underground living areas in German trenches
42
How deep were dugouts built by Germany?
More than 10 m below the surface
43
Who was the youngest British soldier to join the Army and how old was he when he did?
Sidney Lewis, 12 years old when he lied about age to join Army
44
When did Sidney Lewis die?
1969
45
What proportion of soldiers did what in the everyday routine of the trenches?
One third of men on guard duty; another third repaired trench and collected food, water, letters, ammunition and first aid supplies, other third rested, wrote letters, drew, painted, played cards or cooked
46
What would a typical monthly routine be for a soldier?
4 days in front-line trench, 4 days in support trench, 8 days in reserve trench, remained of time behind lines in local town
47
When were soldiers on both sides on "stand to"?
Before sunlight
48
What did soldiers do during "stand to"?
On high alert, guns loaded, on the lookout for enemy attacks
49
When were "The Wipers Times" started?
1916
50
What illnesses and conditions did soldiers suffer from?
pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchitis, diarrhoea, trench foot
51
How many letters were sent to soldiers each week?
Around 12 million
52
What food and drink did soldiers have (all)?
Stew, bread, hard biscuits; bacon, cheese, jam (treats); British troops got drink of rum in harsh weather, Germans drank beer and brandy
53
In 1915, how many artillery shells were fired every month on the Western Front?
400,000
54
What were different types of artillery shells?
Contained high explosives, gas, smoke, shrapnel shells contained red-hot pieces of metal
55
What percent of wounds was artillery responsible for?
About 60%
56
How many losses did the French report in the first 2 weeks of the war, mostly from what?
Over 200,000 men, mostly through machine gun fire
57
How fast could machine guns fire bullets?
Up to 10 bullets per second
58
How many rifles was a machine gun equivalent to?
Around a hundred rifles
59
When was the first use of poison gas and by which side?
April 1915, by the Germans
60
A rifle was deadly accurate up to which distance?
About 600 m
61
How many bullets could a soldier fire per minute?
15 - 20 bullets per minute
62
How long was a bayonet?
40 cm
63
How far could flamethrowers reach?
About 15 m
64
When were tanks first used?
1916
65
How many tanks had the British produced by the end of the war?
2,636
66
How many tanks had the French produced by the end of the war?
3,870
67
How many tanks did the Germans produce in WWI?
20
68
When did the Battle of Verdun take place?
21st February - 18th December 1916
69
When did the German assault on Verdun begin exactly?
7:15 am on 21st February 1916
70
On the first day of the Battle of Verdun, how many shells were fired by how many guns?
2 million high explosive shells fired by 1,400 guns
71
How many German soldiers, led by who, attacked how many French defenders on the first day of the Battle of Verdun?
1 million troops, led by Prince Wilhelm (German Kaiser's eldest son), attack about 200,000 French defenders
72
By 24th February, during the Battle of Verdun, French forces had retreated to a line of trenches that were how far from Verdun?
8 km
73
Who had been the French Commander at Verdun initially?
General Joffre
74
Who planned the attack on Verdun?
General Erich von Falkenhayn, commander of the German Army
75
Who was French Prime Minister during the Battle of Verdun?
Aristide Briand
76
Who was General Joffre replaced by as the French commander at Verdun?
General Philippe Pétain
77
Out of the 330 infantry regiments of the French Army, how many fought at Verdun?
259
78
The "Sacred Way", during the Battle of Verdun, was used by how many vehicles a day (average every how many second)?
6,000 (average of 1 every 14 seconds)
79
When was the German advance brought to a halt in the Battle of Verdun?
Late February
80
On 6th March 1916, during the Battle of Verdun, how far did the Germans advance due to a new attack?
3 km
81
How many forts and of what type was Verdun surrounded by?
20 major forts, 40 smaller ones
82
When did German soldiers take a large fort during the Battle of Verdun?
Early June
83
When the German attack on Verdun ended, how many shells had they fired?
Over 23 million shells
84
How many French soldiers died during the Battle of Verdun?
Around 315,000
85
How many German soldiers died during the Battle of Verdun?
280,000
86
Are area of farmland how large around Verdun after the Battle of Verdun was declared a Zone Rouge (Red Zone)?
170 square kilometres
87
How many villages around Verdun were entirely destroyed due to the Battle of Verdun?
9
88
Why was an area around Verdun declared a Red Zone after the Battle of Verdun?
Number of unexploded bombs left in ground
89
When did the Battle of the Somme occur?
1st July - 18th November 1916
90
How many men took part in the Battle of the Somme?
More than 3 million
91
Since when had the British and French been planning a coordinated attack (which would become the Somme Offensive)?
Summer of 1915
92
When did Sir Douglas Haig take command of British forces?
December 1915
93
How many fresh recruits had the British Army gained from its recruitment campaign before the Battle of the Somme?
About 1 million
94
When did British and French artillery begin a bombardment before the Battle of the Somme?
24th June 1916
95
How many shells were fired in how many days in the bombardment before the Battle of the Somme?
1,500,000 shells fire in 8 days
96
When did the first wave of British soldiers go "over the top" in the Battle of the Somme?
7:30 am on 1st July 1916
97
How many casualties and deaths did the British suffer on the first day of the Battle of the Somme?
Around 60,000 casualties, 20,000 dead
98
How large was the strip of land British and French troops gained during the Battle of the Somme?
25 km long, 6 km wide
99
How many men did British and French troops lose during the Battle of the Somme?
Around 620,000 men
100
How many men did the Germans lose during the Battle of the Somme?
Around 500,000 soldiers
101
Which African war did Douglas Haig serve in, when did this war occur?
Boer War (1899 - 1902)
102
What was the Battle of Passchendaele also known as?
Third Battle of Ypres
103
When did the Battle of Passchendaele occur?
31st July 1917 - November 1917
104
When did the Battle of Arras occur with British forces attacking German defences near the French town of Arras? (IWM)
9th April - 16th May 1917
105
During the Battle of Arras, which ridge did Canadian troops capture and how large and tall was this?
Canadian troops captured Vimy Ridge, an 8 km long, 60 m high hill
106
What was the Nivelle offensive, in which year did it occur and what was its outcome?
An attack by French troops against German lines in 1917 which failed
107
Which mutiny occurred after the Nivelle offensive and how was it stopped?
Mutiny in French Army, half of entire army refused to follow orders, stopped when hundreds of mutineers sentenced to death, improved food rations prevented further mutiny
108
When the British attacked at Messines, miners had been digging under how tall of a hill since when, how many tunnels were dug, how many explosives were put inside?
Miners digging under 140 m high hill since 1915, 19 tunnels dug, filled with around a million tonnes of high explosives
109
When were explosives detonated under a hill at Messines at the time of a British attack?
7th June, 1917
110
How many tanks were involved in the British attack on Messines?
72
111
When did the artillery bombardment before the Battle of Passchendaele begin?
18th July 1917
112
How long did the artillery bombardment before the Battle of Passchendaele occur?
10 days
113
How many shells were fired from how many guns in the artillery bombardment before the Battle of Passchendale?
Over 4,500,000 launched from 3,000 guns
114
Within a week of the Battle of Passchendaele , how many men had the British lost?
30,000
115
How far was the village of Passchendaele from the starting point of the Battle of Passchendaele?
About 8 km
116
How many soldiers from Britain and its empire were killed and injured in the Battle of Passchendaele?
400,000
117
How many soldiers did the Germans lose in the Battle of Passchendaele?
Over 300,000
118
What were the causes behind the Gallipoli Campaign?
Open sea route to supply Russia, force Germany to send soldiers to help Turkey, get countries like Greece, Romania and Bulgaria to join war on Britain's side
119
When did Britain's war council agree that an attack on Turkey should occur?
15th January 1915
120
When did British and French ships begin their attack on the Turkish forts?
19th February 1915
121
By which date was the entrance to the Dardanelles clear of Turkish forts and mines?
25th February 1915
122
When was the main naval attack launched against the Dardanelles during the Gallipoli Campaign?
18th March 1915
123
How many and what types of ships sailed into the Dardanelles during the main naval attack of the Gallipoli Campaign?
18 large battleships supported by smaller warships and minesweepers
124
How many ships were sunk and severely damaged in the main naval attack during the Gallipoli Campaign?
3 ships sunk, 3 severely damaged
125
Who led the troops invading Gallipoli and destroying the Turkish forts in the Gallipoli Campaign?
General Ian Hamilton
126
Who was head of the British navy during the Gallipoli Campaign?
Winston Churchill
127
How many troops did Greek army leaders tell the British would be needed to take Gallipoli?
Around 150,000
128
Who was Lord Kitchener?
Leading army general and Minister for War
129
How many soldiers did General Ian Hamilton gather for the invasion of Gallipoli during the Gallipoli Campaign?
70,000
130
How many troops did Turkey move along the coast to prepare for the land invasion during the Gallipoli Campaign?
84,000
131
Where did the troops prepared for the invasion of Gallipoli during the Gallipoli Campaign come from?
Mainly ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps), Britain and its Empire, France
132
How many Indian troops were included in the forces prepared to invade Gallipoli during the Gallipoli Campaign?
15,000
133
When did the landings in Gallipoli begin during the Gallipoli Campaign?
Early morning of 25th April, 1915
134
Where did British and allied troops land in April during the Gallipoli Campaign?
Cape Helles, Anzac Cove
135
Where did Britain land troops in August 1915 during the Gallipoli Campaign?
Suvla Bay
136
When did Britain land troops in Suvla Bay during the Gallipoli Campgain?
August 1915
137
How many troops did Britain land in Suvla Bay during the Gallipoli Campaign?
60,000
138
What percent of the ANZAC Army contracted dysentery during the Gallipoli Campgain?
80%
139
When was Ian Hamilton replaced by General Munro?
14th October 1915
140
When were groups of soldiers secretly led away at night to waiting boats during the Gallipoli Campaign?
12th December 1915
141
How many soldiers were evacuated without a single death during the Gallipoli Campaign?
More than 80,000
142
How many Allied deaths were there during the Gallipoli Campaign?
Over 200,000
143
How many Turkish deaths were there during the Gallipoli Campaign?
Around 300,000
144
How many Germans starved to death during the war?
Estimated around 420,000
145
When did the Battle of Heligoland occur?
August 1914
146
How many German ships were destroyed and where during the Battle of Heligoland?
3 German ships destroyed in the North Sea
147
How many British ships did the Germans sink off the coast of Chile?
2 British ships
148
When did the Germans sink British ships off the coast of Chile?
November 1914
149
How many German warships did the British sink near the Falkland Islands?
4
150
How many German sailors drowned and who specifically died when the British sank German warships near the Falkland Islands?
2,000 German sailors drowned, including admiral in command and his two sons
151
When was a German warship destroyed in the North Sea at Dogger Bank?
Early in 1915
152
When was Admiral Reinhard Scheer been put in charge of the German Navy?
January 1916
153
Where was the main base of the British navy?
Scapa Flow (in the Orkney Islands)
154
What were some locations of British naval bases?
Portland, Dover, Rosyth
155
Which British towns were bombarded by German warships in November 1914?
Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft
156
Which British settlements were shelled by the German navy in December 1914?
Scarborough, Hartlepool, Whitby
157
What casualties did the shelling of British settlements by the German navy in 1914 cause?
Nearly 600 casualties, mostly civilians, of whom 137 died
158
What were some German U-boat bases in Belgium?
Ostend, Zeebrugge
159
What industrial impact did Britain's naval blockade have on Germany?
Coal, oil and steel couldn't reach Germany, so industry suffered
160
When did the Battle of Jutland start?
31st May 1916
161
Who commanded the German "bait" ships in the Battle of Jutland?
Admiral Hipper
162
Who commanded the small British fleet which met the German "bait" ships initially in the Battle of Jutland?
Admiral David Beatty
163
When the British and German small fleets initially met in the Battle of Jutland, at what range did they open fire?
15 km
164
Within how many minutes of the start of the Battle of Jutland was a British ship destroyed?
20 minutes
165
How many British ships were destroyed in the different stages of the battle of Jutland?
4 British ships sunk before rest of German ships arrive under Admiral Scheer, another British battleship destroyed before rest of British fleet arrived
166
How many ships of each type did Britain lose at the Battle of Jutland and how many British sailors were killed?
0 Battleships lost, 3 battle cruisers lost, 3 cruisers lost, 8 destroyers lost, 6100 sailors killed
167
How many ships of each type did Germany lose at the Battle of Jutland and how many German sailors were killed?
1 Battleship lost, 1 battle cruiser lost, 4 cruisers lost, 3 destroyers lost, 2550 sailors killed
168
What were Q-ships?
Heavily armed warships disguised as supply ships that lured U-boats into attacking before firing upon them
169
How many supply ships did U-boats sink on average?
2 two supply ships a day
170
When did a German U-boat sink the British passenger liner, the Lusitania?
May 1915
171
How many deaths did the sinking of the Lusitania cause, and how many of these were Americans?
Over 1,000 passengers drowned, including 128 Amricans
172
How many supply ships were destroyed in how much time by Germany when the second U-boat campaign started?
500 supply ships heading for Britain destroyed in 8 weeks
173
How did Britain respond to the second U-boat campaign by Germany?
Convoy system, depth charges, long-range airfract
174
Between July and August 1917, how many ships bringing supplies to Britain out of the total were sunk?
5 were sunk of the 800
175
When were aeroplanes invented?
1903
176
In August 1914, after two British pilots spotted German soldiers preparing to surround British troops on the Western Front, British Army leaders ordered their soldiers to withdraw, saving possibly how many lives?
100,000 British troops
177
By which year had the Germans developed the Gotha bomber?
1917
178
When did a 20-bomber raid on London occur?
June 1917
179
How many people in London, including children at a primary school in Chelsea, were killed in a 20-bomber raid?
162 people killed, including 18 children
180
What was the name of the British long-range bomber?
Handley Page
181
By the end of the war, how many bombing raids had long-range bombers flown over Germany?
More than 200
182
In 1915, how many Zeppelin raids were there in Britain causing how many deaths?
20 raids resulting in 188 deaths
183
What were Zeppelins?
Large bomber airships
184
How long were Zeppelins?
About 200 m
185
How many tons of bombs could Zeppelins carry?
27 tons
186
How many raids did Zeppelins make over British towns in total, killing and injuring how many people?
57 raids, killing 564 people and injuring over 1300
187
How many litres of fuel could the petrol tank of a Zeppelin hold?
700 litres
188
When did the Siege of Kut occur and who won?
December 1915 - April 1916, Ottoman victory
189
Who was T E Lawrence and what was he known as?
A British army officer, known as "Lawrence of Arabia"
190
Which German colonies did troops from Australia and New Zealand capture within a few weeks of the outbreak of the war in the Pacific region?
Western Samoa (today Samoa), New Guinea
191
When did Japan declare war on Germany?
August 1914
192
Which German colonies in the Pacific Ocean did Japan capture?
Mariana, Caroline and Marshall Islands and German-controlled territory in eastern China (Kiaochow)
193
How many German forces were there in German East Africa, and how did Africans and Germans compose these forces?
12,000 men (3,000 German and 9,000 African)
194
Who commanded German forces in German East Africa?
Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck
195
How many Allied troops did German forces in German East Africa manage to keep occupied until the end of the war?
Around 200,000
196
Which German African colony did South Africans, fighting for the British Empire, conquer?
German South West Africa
197
When was German-controlled Cameroon attacked and when was it captured?
Attacked in August 1914, captured in February 1916
198
The German colony of Togoland was captured by British and French forces how quickly in the war?
Captured in first month of the war
199
When did Italy join WWI and on whose side?
Joined on side of Britain, France and Russia in 1915
200
Where did Italy attempt to attack Austria-Hungary in WWI?
Through the difficult Julian Alps mountain range around the Isonzo river
201
How many battles were fought between 1915 and 1917 by Italy against Austria-Hungary with limited successes (limit of advance too)?
11 battles fought, Italians never advanced more than 10 miles
202
When did Germans score a major victory over the Italians in the Battle of Caporetto>
November 1917
203
When did Bulgaria join WWI and on whose side?
Joined war on side of Germany and Austria-Hungary in October 1915
204
Which countries sent troops to help Serbia in WWI?
Britain, France, Italy and Russia
205
Where was the Salonika Front located and which sides was it fought by?
Located in Salonika in Greece, fought between Allied troops (Britain, France, Italy and Russia) and Bulgarian troops with German support
