History

Question 1

What is a front

Answer 1

A stretch of land where warring countries confront each other and engage in battle.

Question 2

Where was the Western Front

Answer 2

• A 400-plus mile stretch through France and Belgium and down to the Swiss border (Alsace).
• It was Germany’s western front line in the war.
• The Allies could not go around this line so they had to go through
• It started to liberate neutral Belgium which was already occupied by Germany.

Question 3

Why were Trenches needed in WW1

Answer 3

Trenches were needed in WW1 armies because they were a defensive solution to modern weaponry.

Question 4

What is a war of attrition

Answer 4

• A war where both sides try to wear each other down over a long period.
• Instead of quick victories, they make the enemy tired and weak by fighting lots of battles and using up their resources.
• It’s like a slow game of wearing out your opponent until they can’t fight anymore.

Question 5

How was WW1 different to what soldiers expected?

Answer 5

Before the war, many people thought that the battles would consist of thousands of advancing in formation towards each other, like the ones they had read about from the previous century. The reality was very different.

Question 6

Why was WW1 so different?

Answer 6

It had been over fifty years since the last war between the major powers.
In that time armies had modernised and developed new war-fighting technologies.
Attacking soldiers faced huge firepower.
Commanders were unable to use traditional military tactics without their battalions suffering enormous casualties.
Defence became the priority, the digging of trenches developed and they were employed for the duration of the war.

Question 7

Describe trenches

Answer 7

• Initially just simple ditches.
• Then developed into more complex systems.
• They had three lines on the front:
• The front line - known as the fire trench
• The second line - known as the support trench
• The third line known as reserve trench
• Connecting these were the communications trenches
• Night attacks and watchmen
• Boredom long waiting
• ‘shell shock’

Question 8

What type of illness was there in WW1

Answer 8

Trench Foot - Cold winters standing in muddy water for days
* small cuts and blisters on the feet would become infected, leading to numbness, swelling and even gangrene.
* Many lost toes and in extreme cases had a foot amputated.

In Gallipoli - it was flies. No protective clothing lead to infected bites, hygiene problems - dysentery

Also Lice and Rats - Rats as big as cats

Question 9

What was ‘no mans land’

Answer 9

The strip of land between the 2 enemy’s Front was known as ‘No Man’s Land’, where the bulk of the actual fighting took place.

Question 10

What was militarism, give an example

Answer 10

Militarism is the idea that a nation should increase the size of their army and military capabilities in order to protect or promote its interests.

The Anglo-German Naval Race before World War One is an example of militarism.

At the time, Britain had the world’s strongest navy. The ruler of Germany, Kaiser Wilhelm, wanted to build a navy that was bigger and stronger than Britain’s.

Question 11

What was imperialism?

Answer 11

Imperialism is the claiming of another territory as one’s own. In the 19th century this was seen as an acceptable practice by the European powers.
Britain had an empire that covered one quarter of the world map and France had significant territories in Africa and Asia. Empire could increase trade and wealth and it also brought great prestige.
Germany wanted to rival Britain and France and have an empire of its own

Question 12

Who was General Haig

Answer 12

Sir Douglas Haig after he took over command of the British Army on the Western Front.
His leadership during the battle made him one of the most controversial figures of the war and has been intensely disputed ever since.
The Battle of the Somme was the first campaign launched

Question 13

Somme summary

Answer 13

Bloodiest clashes of the First World War
Five-month battle of the Somme – which took place between July and November 1916
Claimed over 600,000
Over 60k on the first day alone.

Question 14

What were 2 major alliances in 1914

Answer 14

Triple Entente - UK, France, Russia 1906
Triple Alliance - Germany, Aust/Hung, Italy

Question 15

Why trench warfare:

Answer 15

• Failure of Schlieffen Plan
• Race to the sea
• Battle of Marne
• Defensive positions
• Stalemate

Question 16

Battle of Marne and Trench warfare

Answer 16

• After the opening exchanges of the war the German army was ready to advance on Paris.
• The British Expeditionary Force and French army launched a counter attack along the Marne River.
• The ‘Miracle of the Marne’ saw the German Army forced to retreat.
• Paris was saved.
• The consequence though was the onset of four years of Trench Warfare.

Question 17

War at Sea

Answer 17

• When most people think of WW1 they think of trenches and machine guns.
• Another side to the WW1 – the war at sea.
• When WW1 broke out, Britain had the world’s most powerful navy.
• German Emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II, decided to build a navy to rival that of the British.
• He competed to build larger, deadlier ships that were faster and had larger guns onboard.
• In 1916, the Battle of Jutland saw the war’s largest naval battle as the navies of Britain and Germany fought for control of the North Sea.

Question 18

Describe the U Boat Campaign

Answer 18

• Below the waves, German submarines sought to sink supply ships and starve Britain out of the war.
• War without warning
• They also attacked civilian vessels
• Famous boat sunk Lusitania killing 140 Americans (nearly bringing America into the war early)

Question 19

What was the significance of HMS Lusitania sinking

Answer 19

• In 1915, the British passenger ship, RMS Lusitania, was torpedoed and sunk by a U-boat off the coast of Ireland. 1,197 people died in the attack.
• Several of those killed were American citizens. This lead American president, Woodrow Wilson to insist that Germany stop submarine warfare against non-military ships.
• Fearing that America might join the war against them, the Germans agreed to limit their use of U-boats

Question 20

Explain why U boats were introduced and what were the tactics

Answer 20

• By 1917, the Germans realised that they were losing the war and needed new tactics to defeat their enemies. In response, they returned to submarines.
• Britain depended heavily on imports from abroad for necessities such as food.
• The new German plan was to use their U-boats to sink the merchant ships that carried these essential supplies.
• If the German plan succeeded, Britain could be starved out of the war.

Question 21

Why was General Haig criticised

Answer 21

• Men inexperienced and underequiped
• Determined to win at any cost
• Made assumptions about enemy trenches
• Weather not take into account
• Main focus on attrition rather than breakthrough
• Soldiers ordered to walk
• He knew about the barbed wire

Question 22

Why should Haig be praised for

Answer 22

• Attrition was the only tactic available in WW1
• There was very little info he could get on the front lines
• He drew pressure off Verdun
• Casualities high for Germans too
• He never gave up

Question 23

Does Haig deserve criticism?

Answer 23

Summarise Reason criticised:
* Loss of life
* Poor planning
Due to
* Being put under pressure by the French and not given the right information

Question 24

Describe the “Race to the Sea”

Answer 24

• The Race to the Sea is a name given to the period early in the First World War September – October 1914
• After the defeat of the German on the river Marne the Germans headed for the English Channel to seize ports instead.
• This would cut BEF retreat meaning no British reinforcements.
• Resulted in a stalemate

Question 25

What is the BEF

Answer 25

British Expeditionary Forces

Question 26

Explain the BEF in the Battle of Marne

Answer 26

• The BEF & French troops, was successful at the battle of Marne.
• German forces were pushed back over the River Aisne
• Preventing the capture of Paris.
• Resulted of the advance being halted here
• The Germans did two things: Digging defensive trenches
• Secondly they tried to outmanoeuvre the British and French on the northern side. This is commonly called the race for the sea.

Question 27

What happened at the First Battle of Ypres?

Answer 27

Oct-Nov 1914
* Involved intense fighting over control of the strategic town
* Both sides suffered heavy casualties
* It stopped German advance and stabilised the Western Front
* First major engagement of trench warfare.
* Despite being outnumbered, the Allies held their ground and prevent the Germans from capturing Ypres.
* The First Battle of Ypres ended inconclusively, with neither side achieving a decisive victory
* The location of Ypres important as it provided access to the ports to England, which meant that supplies could still be brought in.

Question 28

Why was battle in Ypres and where us it?

Answer 28

• Ypres is small city in the very western part of Belgium
• The Ypres battle took place so the British could secure the English Channel ports and the British Army’s supply lines;
• Ypres was surrounded by the Germans on three sides and overlooked by high ground, it was very vulnerable to German fire.

Question 29

What is Hill 60

Answer 29

• During the First Battle of Ypres in 1914, the Germans captured Hill 60, just south of the town.
• The British tunnelled under the hill and placed 5 mines under it, which blew up the German defences.
• The British then recaptured the hill.

Question 30

How successful were the BEF in the “Race to the Sea”

Answer 30

• The BEF successfully held its position and contributed to the Allied effort defend the Western Front.
• They played a role in preventing the German forces from achieving a breakthrough and reaching the Channel ports.
• Despite challenges and many casualties, the BEF effectively adapted to the changing battlefield conditions and maintained a solid defensive stance.
• The Race to the Sea led to the the creation of trench lines that characterized the Western Front for much of World War I.
• While not a true victory, the BEF’s efforts in the Race to the Sea contributed to the overall stalemate on the Western Front.

Question 31

Why did the Schlieffen Plan fail?

Answer 31

• The Germans could not keep to the 6-week timetable for defeating France
• The Belgian Army slowed the German advance
• Russian mobilisation came more quickly than expected and Russia invaded eastern Germany on 19th August.
• This caused Germany to send 100,000 troops to the east, weakening its attack against France.
• German supplies of food and ammunition could not keep up with the rapid advance, leaving soldiers tired, hungry and under-equipped.
• General von Kluck changed the plan. Instead of encircling Paris he decided to meet the French and British head on and aim to win a decisive victory at the Battle of the Marne, but was defeated.
• At the Battle of the Marne the Germans were forced back to the River Aisne where they began to dig trenches.

Question 32

What was plan XVII

Answer 32

• Plan 17 was the French Military plan to attack Germany’s industrial centre Alsace- Lorraine and slow the German advance
• French forces planned to advance rapidly into German territory, hoping to catch the Germans off guard and force them t retreat.
• The plan was an overall failure
• Underestimated the strength of the German defenses and the modern weaponry
• Lead to heavy French casualties

Question 34

Gallipoli landings description

Answer 34

• They landed on ships to Gallipoli at five locations on 25 April
• British made the main landing at Cape Helles
• Australia and New Zealand landed midway up Dardenelles
• Turkish defence good
• The Allied landings achieved beachheads, but did not advance as far as planned

Question 35

Name the strait that links the
Black Sea with the Mediterranean Sea to access Galipolli

Answer 35

Dardanelles

Question 36

Give an overview of Gallipoli

Answer 36

April 1915 to January 1916,
* Allied campaign and to draw German forces away from the Western front.
* Gallipoli was the first major amphibious operation in modern warfare.
* Turkey had joined forces with Germany and Austria-Hungary and controlled the Dardanelles, which connected the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea
* Britain could no longer send supplies to Russia
* Russian ships in the Black Sea were trapped.
* When allied troops landed under heavy fire, they were unable to move inland and a stalemate developed.
* Disastrous consequences for the Allies.
* Germany was able to strengthen its Western Front position as the Allies fought in Gallipoli.