Key battles Flashcards
(15 cards)
1
Q
Background of Verdun?
A
- German offensive led by General Falkenhayn.
- Objective: “Bleed France white” by forcing them to defend a symbolic position.
- Verdun was a heavily fortified city, emotionally and strategically important to France
- Longest battle of WW1 - 21st Feb to 18 December 1916
2
Q
Plan of Verdun?
A
- Verdun regarded as strongest city in France
- believes that French would do anything to protect it - decided to attack french lines here
- wanted to “bleed france white” - believes that many man would die defending Verdun - “war of attrition”
3
Q
Attack on Verdun?
A
- Began early in morning - German artillery began shelling french trenches - north side of Verdun
- 2 million shells fired by 1400 guns on first day
- 1 million troops led by Prince Wilhelm attacked 200,000 french defenders
- Next day French retreated to reserve trenches and by 24th Feb retreated to 3rd line - just 8km from Verdun
4
Q
French tactics in Verdun?
A
- Joffre replaced by General Phillipe Petain - orders went out to all troops “They shall not pass”
- Petain determined to inflict severe damage on German troops too - ordered all spare french soldiers to verdun
- 259/330 infrantry regiments fought at Verdun - made surefood an ammunition easily accessible
- over next 5 months - tons of supplies and thousands of soldiers poured into Verdun - 6000 vehicles a day - nicknamed “sacred way”
- April - French began counterattacks - back and forth attacks/counterattacks
5
Q
Verdun and Somme link?
A
- On western front - Britain launched major attack on German positions at river somme - germans transferred troops to defend there
- attack by russians on eastern front - german troops needed there too
- weakening of German forces at Verdun - French retook two forts - pushed Germans back
6
Q
Results of battle Verdun?
A
- Germans fired over 23 millions shells - destroyed city of Verdun - 315,000 french soldiers killed
- Germans lost 280,000 soldiers - no sides made any miliitary gains
- 9 villages around verdun co mpletely destroyed - “villages that died for france”
- Red zone around verdun - 170km2 - unexploded bomb shells in ground
7
Q
Background of Somme?
A
- Joint British-French offensive to relieve pressure at Verdun
- Largest battle on western front - more than 1 million casualties - one of bloodiest battles of all time
8
Q
Plan of Somme?
A
- British and French planned a coordinated attack - hope of breaking stalemate - pushing Germans back
- Selected river somme due to connectivity
- December 1915 - Sir Douglas Haig took command of british forces - warned politicans to prepare for heavy losses - major recruitment campaing - 1 million new recruits
- british would lead attack at somme to draw germans away from verdun
9
Q
Bombardment at somme?
A
- 24th June 1916 - B and F artillery began huge bonbardment of German trenches - idea to destroy front lines - allow attacking soldiers to walk across no mans land - 1.5m shells fired in 8 days
- Germans knew attack was coming - spotter planes saw soldiers + artillery moving into area - germans secretly pulled back from fron lines and took shelter - stretched barbed wire into 30m wide band - shells simply lifted wire and made it more tangled - poor quality shells failed to explode
- when bombing stopped - germans lay in wait for attack on foot to begin
10
Q
Attack of Somme?
A
- First wave of troops over the top at 7:30 am - told there would be no survivors in the German trenches - could walk safely across no mans land
- German machine guns slayed attacking forces easily - 60,000 british casualties first day - 20,000 dead - highest number of casualties and deaths ever recorded in a single day for british army
- despite heavy losses - haig continued sending men over top - confident of victory - wanted to relieve pressure on verdun - some gains were made - creeping barrage used first time - major breakthrough never happened
11
Q
Results of Somme?
A
- B and F troops gained strip of 25kmx6m, lost around 620,000 men - gertmans lost 500,000 men
- Haig criticised massively - “The Butcher of the Somme” - misjudged effectiveness of 8-day bombardment - however it achieved some of its main aims - verdun saves, huge casualties among german troops - weakened german army
12
Q
Background of Passchendaele?
A
- Fought between troops from B and its empire and German forces - controls on hills south and east of Ypres
- Well known not only for number of casualties - muddy ground battle was fought
13
Q
Plan of Passchendaele?
A
- several plans by F and B armies to penetrate Germanys front line - Canadian troops captured Vimy Ridge - Germans soon brought reserve troops - british advances stopped - further south - french troops attacked german lines in Nivelle offesnive - stopped by machine guns/lines of concrete - mutiny within french army - British attacked once more at Messines - miners dug under 140 meter hill since 1915 - 19 tunnels under hill - 1 million tonnes of ammunition detonated - hill completely destsroyed - thousands of troops - 72 tanks - pushed Germans back
14
Q
Attack of Passchendaele?
A
- encouraged by success at Messines - General Hiag ordered army to advance toward Ypres
- America had just joined war - proespect of vast reserves of american troops - Haig ordered an attack
- 18 July - artillery bombardment - 4.5m shells - 3000 guns - lasted 10- days - heaviest rainfall in 30 years - exploding bombs turned ground into sea of thick sticky mud
- ground attack began on31 July - troops had to carry boards - lay them over mud to get across
- men died drowning in mud
15
Q
Results of Passchendaele?
A
- fighting reached passchendaele - 8km from starting point - village captured - conditions on battlefield getting worse - attacks called off
- 400,000 soldiers from B and its empire killed and injured - Germans lost over 300,000 soldiers
- Haigs reputation further discredited - “My God, did we really send men to fight in that?”
