The Battles of the FWW Flashcards
(88 cards)
1
Q
when was the Battle of Mons
A
23rd August 1914
2
Q
outline the main details of the Battle of Mons
A
- Britain outnumbered 2:1 but stood in the face of advancing German movement
- they held their line on the Franco-German border
- set up machine guns a weapon at its zenith when used defensively as they were not mobile at this stage
- tore through German army with devastating effect
- BEF lost 1638
- Germany lost 2-5000
3
Q
why was the battle of mons known as the ‘Great Retreat’
A
- British were forced to retreat eventually
- but they hold out for the whole day only dropping back at the very last minute - shows how elite/highly trained the BEF were
- the BEF holding on this long shocked the Germans who underestimated British after Boer War
- thus despite the battle has (+) legacy due to the bravery of the BEF despite been outnumbered
4
Q
when was the Battle of Marne
A
6th-14th September 1914
5
Q
outline the main details of the battle of Marne
A
- also known as the ‘miracle of the Marne’
- a major turning point in the war
- Germany had pushed the Allies back to Paris and it appeared the Schlieffen plan would succeed
- but the Allies planned a counter offensive at Marne resulting in the halting of the German advance
- despite success it showed on how naive British generals were at start as they still did a cavalry charge - unprepared for the horrors to come
- French wanted to retreat before the battle but the BEF disregarded his command and fought for the French instead under Foch
- success due to good leadership of Foch and good training of BEF
6
Q
explain the wider impacts of the Battle of Marne on the war
A
- ruined the Schlieffen plan and prompted four years of attrition/stalemate as Germany’s only plan B was to dig in
- ignited the spark for the race to the sea
- LT - set the precedent for the scale of the war
- this set back and halting of the Germans gave the Russians chance to mobilise - Germany now fighting a two front war
- Moltke has a literal breakdown after and was sacked
- still (-)s for Britain tho - lost 10% (13,000) of army
- BEF disregarded French’s orders
- command problems under French he didn’t really have the stomach for war
7
Q
what were the lines of attrition
A
- the trenches
- the halting of the German attack at Marne saw both sides attempt to outflank the other
- series of small battles known as the race to sea as both armies fought to take the defensive position that would stop them been outflanked
- as each side moved closer to the sea the lines of attrition were drawn
- Dec 1914 - line of trench 475+ miles from Chanel to Switzerland
- they determined the way the war would be fought
- industrial war of stalemate, deadlock and production
8
Q
why was Ypres such an important place for the British to hold
A
- it sits on the Franco-Belgium border
- ‘gateway to France’
- a key salient point
- if the British didn’t protect it the Germans would have been able to push forwards into Belgium and bypassed a lot of defences down the rest of the line of attrition
- vital point of defence leading to one of Britain’s main roles in the war to be to defend this salient
9
Q
explain the reason for the race to the sea
A
- sparked by the Battle of Marne when Germans were forced to retreat and the Schlieffen plan failed
- Germany’s only option was to dig in
- been first to sea was (+)
- stops you been outflanked by the enemy
- have longer to build your trenches
- pick best and high ground as Belgium super flat
- beneficial for supply and communication important for Britain as they were the ones overseas
10
Q
why was getting high ground so important in Belgium
A
- Belgium was super flat
- better surface run off - reduce amount of mud and rain affecting a trench subsequently improving morale
- easier to fire downhill than up
- better protection from artillery bombardments
- better visuals
11
Q
discuss cavalry in the FWW
A
- becoming less useful but still seen as noble at the beginning
- more of an ancillary role after the first few months
- French and Haig waste money/food keeping the full regiment around for the full four years
- Russians only saw the reconnaissance role
- no match for barbed wire and guns
- cavalry men often ended up doing time in the trenches or helping with supply
- aircrafts are the new cool club
12
Q
when was the first battle of Ypres
A
19th October - 30th November 1914
13
Q
how many men did each side have at the first battle of Ypres
A
French and Foch had 4,400,000 combined
Germans under Von Falkenhayn had 5,400,000 men
14
Q
what was the aim of the first battle of Ypres
A
- Germans wanted to capture Ypres as it was a key point of the Northern Sector
- if the Allies lost it their defensive lines would be compromised and the Germans could push forwards into France
15
Q
discuss key points of the first battle of Ypres
A
- first major battle of the war - major part of the Flanders campaign
- epitomised the stalemate as neither side gained much ground despite huge losses and attacks due to the defensive/effective use of machine guns/artillery
- British used weaponry to devastating effect
- British SMLE rifle was so rapid the Germans were deceived into thinking British had 100s of machine guns - Britain only had 30
- morale plummeted some men refused orders due to the futility of the action
16
Q
discuss the outcome of the first battle of Ypres
A
- despite little ground gained and significant loss - Ypres did not fall - success
- allies lost 58,000 a huge chunk of the BEF - TA now had to be deployed
- Kitchener’s call for volunteers became more important
- Germans lost 47,000 men
- questions raised about whether these tactics could be justified long term
- industry yes but men not so much
17
Q
when was the second battle of Ypres
A
22nd April - 25th May 1915
18
Q
what was the strength and commander of each side at the second battle of Ypres
A
- French
- 6 British divisions and 2 French
- Albrecht of Wurttemberg
- 7 divisions
19
Q
what is key to note about the second battle of Ypres
A
- first use of Chlorine gas in the war - used by the Germans
20
Q
discuss the impact and effectiveness of the use of gas at the second battle of Ypres
A
- Britain didn’t know how to deal with it
- Germans used 171 tonnes of Chlorine Gas
- devastating - many of the troops affected died within 10 mins/where completely blinded
- Germany couldn’t make the most of it as they didn’t have gas masks themselves
- Britain responded using urine soaked cotton pads and ammonia as makeshift masks
- chemical burns, blinded, death if directly inhaled
- signals the end of gentlemanly warfare
21
Q
how quickly did the British Government react to the first use of gas at the Second Battle of Ypres
A
- battle ended in May and by the summer every single soldier had a gas mask
- they took the threat seriously
- industry good - they put their mind to it and made it happen even before DLG efficiency drive though DORA in place
22
Q
discuss the outcome of the second battle of Ypres
A
- again Ypres did not fall
- futile battle though the Germans lost less men than expected at this battle
- you would’ve expected higher than the British irrespective of the gas because its easier to attack than defend
- the defensive side usually suffers far fewer loses as allies sat protected in a trench
- demonstrates impact of gas and the Germans having higher ground as their artillery bombardment was far more accurate
- 80,000 Allied causalities, 35,000 German
23
Q
briefly describe where the war was up to by 1915
A
- Both sides realise traditional warfare like cavalry is gone
- have to reassess the war - find solution to barbed wire and machine guns to limit death
- no side has magic solution - need innovation to produce the breakthrough which takes time
- aircrafts/tanks on horizon but not strong enough to be decisive - unreliable - death traps essentially
- generals learning on the job - costly - make mistakes but because this war was new not necessarily because of their skill
24
Q
when was the Battle of Loos
A
25th September - 8th October 1915
25
what was the aim of the Battle of Loos
- Britain had been on the defensive since the start of the war except Marne
- they felt they had to throw something back to turn the course of the war
- wanted to end the stalemate and restore movement back to the war
- win the war with this battle - push Germans out and then do a cavalry charge
26
what is interesting to note about the Battle of Loos
- by mid 1915 a lot of the BEF were killed or wounded and TA starting to dwindle
- this was the first major battle with Kitchener's new 'you're country needs you' army
- the men had way less experience and training and some where even underage
27
what tactics did French (as in the British commander) use at the Battle of Loos and where they decisive
- Mining - Royal Tunnelling Company - the timing was not coordinated well enough with the attack over the top but Britain identified the potential for this to be used in future battles
- Gas - when launched some blew back into the Allied trenches and didn't have gas masks on as didn't expect this
- RFC - spotted key targets so artillery ammunition wasn't wasted - conducted first tactical bombing run
- artillery bombardment - insufficient due to lack of ammunition and wrong shell
- first attempt at combined arms - it was the recipe for success he just didn't quite get it right
28
what was the outcome of the Battle of Loos
- Britain lost
- 80% death rate
- 60,000 Allied casualties against just 26,000 German
29
what was the impact of the Battle of Loos
- French replaced by Haig
- it became apparent that the lack of ammunition and poor organisation in general needed to be addressed
- DLG as the new Minister of Munitions sets about improving efficiency
30
why was French pushed out as C-I-C and was this fair
- failure up until and including the battle of Loos
- Loos exposed problems in the army
- he was in a difficult position and made mistakes - but anyone would as unprecedented
- he did defend against the Schlieffen plan but became a scape goat and lost the morale of his men
- it wasn't his fault he didn't have the right ammunition at Loos
31
when was the Battle of Verdun
21st February - 18th December 1916
32
discuss the battle of Verdun and what it led to
- Relentless pressure from Germans had the French at breaking point - both sides had suffered 300,000+ casualties
- if the French defences were breached at Verdun the German forces may have been able to drive into France and encircle the British forces to the North
- French Commander Joseph Joffre requested assistance from the British in the form of a counter offensive - the Somme
- Haig was cautious and wanted to keep his forces in Belgium but French desperate so he had to assist
33
why was Haig so reluctant for the British to launch a counter offensive to Verdun at the Somme
- only just become commander and this was going to be a large scale attack
- hasn't as much reconnaissance for the Somme - he was more comfortable with the topography of Belgium up near Ypres
- wanted more time to train the men and get more - a lot of his soldiers are conscript and volunteers
- felt he had insufficient artillery shells
- the BEF has grown enormously meaning there was equipment shortages among the ranks and not enough officers to adequately command the volume of troops
- led to Britain promoting inexperienced men and calling old veterans out of retirement to lead
34
discuss the prep for the Battle of the Somme and why the artillery bombardment was so ineffective
- extensive reconnaissance - over 300,000 aerial photographs taken and pinpointed the areas they felt success was most achievable
- conducted a 7 day artillery bombardment but it was riddled with issues - overestimated the damage it would do and the depth/sophistication of the German trenches
- also had the wrong shells
- fragmentation not explosive so didn't destroy barbed wired
- fuse also poor and so shells didn't explode- buried themselves in the mud - FUSE 106 development after battle
- they also stopped bombardment at 7 and didn't attack till 8 giving the Germans time to prepare - creeping barrage failed not enough unity between artillery and attack
35
what is the difference between fragmentation and explosive shells
- fragmentation - people killers - send out shrapnel
- explosive - take out weaponry, barbed wire, pill boxes, machine guns, destroy bunkers and blow up trenches
- important to use right shell and it shouldn't really be that hard when there is only 2 to choose from!
36
discuss the painfully rigid British leadership at the Battle of the Somme
- initial attack suffered painful level of rigidity in British leadership
- British artillery had clearly missed its target - men been slaughtered by German machine gun posts
- yet nobody would give the order for the artillery to change their plan of fire
- artillery batteries instructed to follow strict timetable of fire in which they had a pre-designated target every 15 minutes
- this meant they were bombarding areas with no great effect and the areas that needed artillery assistance received nothing
37
how many men were killed on the first day of the Somme
- almost 20,000 killed out of 57,500 casualties
- remains to be the bloodiest day in British history
- hoped to get to the second German line on day one and they don't even get to the first
- only 7000 French
38
how many British men died at the Somme over the four months
- 450,000
39
what do critics of Haig say about the Somme
- he sent too many men to their deaths for little gain (but he had little choice due to the situation at Verdun)
- Lions led by Donkeys
- ridiculous that Britain didn't have the right shells - that was not Haig's fault tho
- unmitigated disaster - evidence of the incompetence of British generals
- Allies only advanced 6 miles
40
was the Somme a success and why
- primary objective of relieving Verdun was achieved - despite the Allies only advancing 6 miles - it was enough
- men/Haig learnt valuable lessons
- lessons learnt in an industrial sense - DLG efficiency drive
- the Germans also lost half a mil and 200,000 at Verdun they struggled to replace their men unlike Britain who had Empire
- costly but necessary wearing down of Germans - it was a war of attrition after all
- Germans lost more men as defending force!
- got to try new things like tanks even if not decisive
41
what lessons did Britain learn in an industrial sense following the Somme
- Fuse 106 developed shortly after the Somme
- Britain pushed their affairs at home
- DLG pushed his efficiency drive/shells output and wartime production increased immensely
42
what issues did Haig face at the battle of the Somme
- wrong shells
- not enough heavy artillery to cave in trenches and destroy pill boxes
- Haig didn't trust his new largely conscripted men
- no radio - messages he received too late for him to act on
- hampered by tech
- rushed into it by the French
- Germans had dug in first and had higher ground with better communication posts and better dugouts to withstand artillery etc... - Allies only really had one defensive position they hadn't dug in for the long haul
43
what tech was used at the battle of the Somme and was it effective
- mark one tank but ineffective - slow/unreliable and Haig didn't know what to do with it
- 19 mines dug under German points but Britain didn't coordinate it well enough with attack above ground
- but show Haig trying to use and explore all avenues
44
why were Germans unsurprised by the attack at the Somme
- Haig left an hour between artillery bombardment and attack - Haig's fault
- they had the high ground
- Germans captured prisoners and tapped into phone lines, they knew exactly when British were attacking - this isn't Haig's fault tho he had to attack anyway from Verdun
45
why did the French have more success than the British at the Somme
- attacking areas of weaker German defence
| - had better heavy guns and artillery - shows the importance of good artillery in achieving a breakthrough
46
summarise the Somme
- served as a turning point despite the large casualty rates
- meant that from this point on it was British/French largely on offensive Germans had to dig in
- huge turnaround from first 18months of the war where it was the Germans pushing for a breakthrough
- Germany now holding on as they slowly run out of men and resources
47
why was Haig bad at the Somme
- even without radio his communication of the creeping barrage could have been better
- perhaps should have been less aggressive day one
- maybe a bit ignorant at how well the artillery bombardment went
48
why was Haig good at the Somme
- Butcher suggests he did it on purpose, he didn't
- everyone else has to play their part
- he was rushed
- outdated information as no radio
- if less aggressive Germans might have overwhelmed
- he did prepare
- aircraft was not good for communication with no radio so perhaps excusable he was ignorant at artillery bombardment
- made tough calls
49
what are the Battles of Arras and Vimy Ridge evidence
- Haig's impatience and aggression as he goes on the offensive again
- but if he took the foot off the gas then maybe the Germans can get back into the war - they lost at lot of men at Somme/Verdun Haig wanted to get them while they were down
- evidence of another combined offensive
50
what was the objective of Arras and Vimy Ridge
- to get the high ground from the Germans as it gives you more intelligence and there is not a lot of it in Belgium
51
why was Haig frustrated by the Battle of Arras and Vimy Ridge
- annoyed he was called to action so far into France and wanted to conduct his offensive in Ypres instead
- he believed that by clearing the Belgian coastline the German submarines would lose their impetus and the remaining troops could be defeated in France
52
what is interesting about the Battle of Arras and Vimy Ridge in terms of relationships
- PM DLG undermined Haig here and tried to subordinate him to control of the French
- Haig and DLG have a frosty relationship
- DLG disagreed with Haig's style and thought him arrogant, difficult to manage and impulsive, too irrational to be in charge
53
how did Arras and Vimy ridge end
- success of Canadians at Vimy encouraged the allies to push on with further attacks but french suffered immense losses and Haig had to counter attack to prevent them from been overrun
- battle proved costly
- ended inconclusively with neither side making any real gain with exception of Vimy Ridge
- Allies lost 160,000 Germans lost 130,000
54
what is the battle of Arras a great example of
- War in the air
- the skies over Arras being a key aerial battleground and served as a graveyard for many pilots
- Aerial reconnaissance had become paramount and now that the British had overcome the Fokker Scourge, Arras became a key to aerial superiority
55
when was the battle of Arras and Vimy Ridge
9th April - 16th May 1917
56
when was the battle of Messines
7-14th June 1917
57
what was the objective of the battle of Messines
- to deny the Germans the high ground so they would stop been able to see everything British doing as this why they were prepared for a lot of attacks
- Haig had been planning for an attack at Passchendaele so it became crucial to weaken the Germans before his onslaught
- it was successful in its objective and Britain secured the high ground
58
what is the battle of Messines best remembered for
- huge mining operation conducted by the British
- 19 mines detonated under the German position and caused devastation
- level of time, effort and sophistication put into the mining deserves credit and is a strong example of the attempt to break the deadlock
- explosion so loud it could be heard back in Britain
59
why is Messines a good example of the use of combined arms
- the mines were followed by creeping barrage and high accurate artillery bombardment
- an example also of how far technology has improved since the start of the war
- Aerial reconnaissance was also used alongside everything - key for flash spotting which was influential in gauging enemy targets and ensuring accuracy
60
when was the Battle of Passchendaele (3rd battle of Ypres)
31st July - 10th November 1917
61
what was the aim of the battle of Passchendaele
- a major offensive to finally break the German resolve
- coined 'one last push'
- Germans had been on back foot since Somme
- Haig had high ground he now wanted to take advantage of
- breakthrough to Belgian coast so German U Boat bases could be destroyed
62
why was the Battle of Passchendaele so controversial in a political sense
- it did not have the backing of DLG (PM) or Ferdinand Foch the French commander
- DLG said it was 'senseless' and one of the 'great disasters of the war'
- French wanted to build up supplies and do a coordinated attack on their terms which was ironic since Haig helped them at Verdun when he didn't want to
63
discuss Haig's bombardment at Passchendaele
- 10 day - fire 4.25 mil shells
- learnt lessons from the Somme - more effective
- but bad weather - muddy ground - many artillery lodge in mud and not explode irrespective of Fuse 106
64
what was the outcome of the battle of Passchendaele
- no major ground gained
- huge losses on either side
- 250,000 British
250-300,000 German
- men, horses, tanks sank in deluge of mud/water
- 90,000 bodies never found
- Britain gained 5 miles
- true impact on the Germans - loses sustained has their army at breaking point - Germans strength industrially and physically running dry
- some say senseless others say necessary morale and men killed for Germans - attrition after all
- only bad in isolation
- keep up momentum to not give Germans a chance
65
how was combined arms used at the Battle of Passchendaele
- 10 day artillery bombardment
- reconnaissance more effective and radio useful for first time in a major offensive
- tanks just sank
- planes couldn't see that well to produce images and live updates due to weather
66
how did the weather impact at the battle of Passchendaele
- supply hard as train lines overwhelmed with mud and horses then worked to death
- kick to morale
- new intelligence sector limited by weather
- capture trench but its so flooded you can't hold it
67
when was the Battle of Cambrai
20th November - 7th December 1917
68
what was the aim of the Battle of Cambrai
- act as last major offensive before a German counter attack imminent
- key target as Cambrai was a key supply point for the Germans
- keep Germans on the rope
69
why was the timing of the battle of Cambrai so controversial
- only 2 weeks after Passchendaele
- to go on offense again was questionable
- relentless nature of Haig - wants to get this over quickly but also keep Germany on the ropes
70
what is the battle of Cambrai best known for
- tanks used en masse for the first time
- used with great effect - not perfect but better than ever before
- 470 deployed
- on day one the overwhelming amount caught Germans off guard and Britain advanced 5 miles
- despite huge gains Mark IV did have issues - half out on day 1 due to mud/unreliability
- they scared the Germans tho who didn't have an answer for them
took 4 months/5 mil men to do 5 miles at Somme
- tanks shown potential so problems didn't matter
- by height of 1918 Allies have 10,000 tanks
71
what was the outcome of Cambrai
- revealed the possibility of breakthrough via tank to end to attrition
- despite flaws, tank sent psychological message to Germans
- showed even strongest defence can be defeated with combined arms which Haig succeeded with at Amiens the next year
- Allies now put effort into tank production to break the supposedly impregnable German barbed wire defence
- both sides lose around 40,000
72
when was the German Spring Offensive
21st March - 18th Jul 1918
73
why did the Germans launch their Spring Offensive
- their final push in the war
- they'd be on the defensive for much of the war and their resources were running low
- last hope at breaking the Allied resolve
- realise they will lose if things stay the same
- throw the kitchens sink at Allies
- wrestle themselves back to contention
74
how did the Allies fare during the German Spring Offensive, what helped them keep their resolve?
- the attacks hit the Allies hard but due to greater industrial capacity and the crucial American reinforcements the Allies stood firm
- we also had domination of the skies at this point
75
was the German Spring Offensive successful
- depleted much of their remaining reserves and supplies
- success in some places but same issues as Schlieffen plant
- supplies could not keep up and Britain/France resisted
- dogged resistance in the middle and couldn't get ground there and if they don't make ground in the middle. the allied troops cut them off and they have to fall back
- you have to advance in one big line or it won't work
- morale at rock bottom
- deaths rising has to be called off
76
what was the outcome of the German Spring Offensive in terms of men
- Germany lose over 680,000
| - Allies lost combined 860,000 which represents the power the German attack did have
77
what was the outcome of the German Spring Offensive for Britain
- showed he could be defensive as well as offensive
- when it ground to halt Haig ready with counter attack of his own - Haig's hundred days would mark end of the war and success for Allies
78
what tactics did the Germans use at their Spring Offensive
- rapid tactics
- like creeping barrage then storm in trench
- bite and hold
- seize and keep the trenches
79
when was the Battle of Amiens
8th - 12th August 1918 (beginning of the 100 days offensive)
80
aim of Amiens
- major counter offensive to knock out Germans for good
- decisive breakthrough
- key point on trench system where Allies can attack together
81
what did the Allies have at Amiens
- boasted an embarrassment of riches
- 1000+ heavy field guns (British)
- Allies had 10,000+ tanks and 20,000 aircraft
- all shells needed
- morale
troops from the empire
82
how had the Allies learnt from their previous mistakes of the war at the battle of Amiens
- no prolonged artillery bombardment prior to the attack like at Somme/Passchendaele
- just warned the Germans they were coming so they could make preparations
- attack at Amiens was sudden/caught them off guard
- Germans didn't return fire for 15 minutes
- many of German officers still eating breakfast when British entered trench
- removed possibility of German attack - 'black day' for them- morale dead
- many Germans just fled
83
how is the Battle of Amiens a good example of a combined attack
- planes, artillery, tanks, infantry
- planes of newly formed RAF flew overhead radioed messages so artillery could strike with devastating precision
- planes carried out strafing runs/tactical bombing
- tanks drove to no man's land obliterating barbed wire/German defence
- Mark V more reliable and better weather
- artillery - creeping barrage - aided by radio reconnaissance from above
- targets were hit and infantry could strike immediately after shells exploded
84
tanks at the Battle of Amiens
- 570
- mark V hermaphrodite tanks
- capability of destroying pill boxes with canons and mowing through men with their machine guns
- cleared a path for infantry
85
discuss the gains made by the British at the battle of Amiens
- day one 7 miles and 16,000 Germans captured
- day four - 12 miles and 50,000 captured
- crucial turning point
- return to movement from attrition
- German resolve broken and they began to retreat
- Allied tanks broke through Hindenburg line next month - 14th Sep
- October - Germans abandoned their positions completely
86
why were casualties so low at the Battle of Amiens
- So rapid Germans didn't even have time to fight back
| - 20,000 on all sides
87
when was the Armistice signed
- 11th November 1918
88
discuss Haig at Amiens
- credit for tactical coordination
- level of training he had instilled into the largely conscripted forces under his command
- tenacity and steel
