Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
50 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Number of men in mons by 20/08/16 |
80,000 |
|
Beginning war professional soldiers |
250,000 Veterans used to colonial wars |
|
Voluntary recruitment first 16 months |
2.5 million men |
|
German attack plan |
Schlieffen plan French attack well armed border they ring around through Belgium and attack rear |
|
Early war battle m&m |
Mons BEF success but had retreat protect French River Marne Fr & BEF counter attack Start trench warfare |
|
Lord Kitchenor august 1914 |
WAR MINISTER thought war 3 years |
|
Territorial forces |
Used while waiting for new armies six divisions and Canadian one March and April 1915 |
|
New Armies |
From volunteers form own battalions first arrived France May 1915 |
|
Divisions in BEF Jan 1916 |
38 infantry 5 cavalry By summer extra 19 divisions BEF divided into 5 armies |
|
Commander in Chief |
Till December 1915 John French then Douglas Haig |
|
Size BEF 1917 |
Comprised 5 armies each bigger than original BEF BUT.. 1914 18/19 (1000) were infantry by 1918 strength nearer 1600 |
|
Trench system |
From October 1914 initial diggings joined form continuous system were 7 foot deep where possible strong points and barbed wire at the front |
|
Defence in depth |
3 lines linked by communication trenches support reserve artillery emplacements spread out slowed and weakened attacks |
|
2 weapons both sides used |
Machine guns 500-600 rounds/min Barbed wire cheap quick and easy set up |
|
German Trenches |
Better than British set on high ground eg Vimy ridge and Passchendale ridge defendable dry |
|
Why was surprise attacks difficult |
Normally artillery and mortar bombardment first warning |
|
What was army lacking till 1917 in terms artillery? |
Lacked Sufficient heavy guns and right sort shells to cut barbed wire 1916 most too small calibre or failed to explode |
|
Two types historian opinion on failings on army |
1.those who attribute all blame to British high command ineptitude 2.factors outside army- new weapons tactics and quality German troops and commanders |
|
When were tanks first used? |
In fresh attacks 15th September 1917 onwards in Somme mixed success broke down often |
|
The Somme geographically/army positioning and why fight |
French and British forces border joint offensive take pressure off French after feb attack Verdun BEF lead Somme |
|
1 July 1916 Somme who? |
By fourth army of Rawlison 17 divisions available mainly kitchenors new armies & pal battalions 12.5 miles long |
|
Course first day somme |
5 day prelim bombardment 1500 guns last 65 mins 224,221 shells fired |
|
What time Somme begin and why most German defences untouched? |
7:30. Only 200 heavy guns not enough to destroy barbed wire |
|
When was creeping barrage first used |
In Somme just ahead approaching infantry |
|
What % shells failed to explode Somme bombardment |
30% |
|
How many casualties by 8:30 Somme 1st July |
30,000 End day 60,000 19,240 dead |
|
What was achieved in Somme |
Germans pushed back but 420,000 GB casualties German between 4-600,000 Taught how to fight good by end |
|
Effect Somme on German strategy |
Unrestricted submarine warfare Ludendorff stop another Somme brought USA into war Massive expansion German war production |
|
Improvements following the Somme |
Munitions developed more precise, need use more accurately and leaders developed strategies for co ordinating creeping barrage |
|
Result Germans new tactics |
Food shortages in GB but also Germany undermining support and bring USA into war |
|
Disagreement Haig and DLG |
Haig wanted try and fight at channel ports and attack German using Belgian ports for submarine warfare LG wanted in Italy middle east win fewer casualties |
|
Passchendale |
July-November 1917 near Ypres forms part third battle Ypres |
|
1917 arras April |
Seizure Vimy ridge after cost 4000 lives/day no further progress French even worse with mutinies |
|
Third Ypres June 1917 |
Began victory Messines ridge giant mines under trenches more than 2000 artillery pieces used 200+ tanks First day 2.5 mile advance |
|
Post first day third ypres |
2/7/17 weather changes for worst muddy hell tanks sunk people drowned continued sept and Oct amid rain continue GB capture Passchendale ridge cost both sides about 250000 |
|
How did British break through German lines? Cambrai |
5 miles Surprise Quick formidable bombardment Tanks |
|
German storm troopers |
Take weakest line resistance elite units small groups heavily armed light machine guns & 2 flame throwers bypass tough resistance penetrate deeply defence system |
|
Cambrai what helped GB break through German lines? |
To depth 5miles Surprise, quick and formidable bombardment and tanks But reserves too far back and German counterattacked using storm troopers |
|
German counterattack at Cambrai |
Reserves were too far back Used tactic newish storm troopers |
|
Casualties in third Ypres |
BEF- 310,000 German- 260,000 |
|
When did Russia surrender and sign peace treaty |
March 1918 By 21st March 1918 German transferred 44 divisions to western front |
|
US declaration war |
April 1917 |
|
German spring offensive 1918 ( 1st and 2nd) |
First German offensive nearly reached Amiens but ran out steam Second- April south Ypres recaptured ground lost 1917 but failed break GB lines |
|
Third offensive |
May threatened Paris held 56 miles. |
|
German failures 1918 |
3 major offensives then two minor attacks achieved little weakened 800,000+ casualties wider front 240 to 320 miles |
|
Changed nature BEF 1918 |
Haig let 88,000 troops on leave didn't think Germans would attack infantry reduced in size but firepower increased vast expansion artillery losses equipment more than replaced by new equipment |
|
Amiens (British offensive 1918) |
Start 8 August 1918 (German black day) On Somme Rawlinson Took 18,000 400 field guns |
|
Capture Hindenburg line |
29 September by 46 north midland division nearly million shells fired in last 24 hours on 9km front |
|
How many time the 1915 value was the no. Guns produced 1918? |
Three BEF better equipped than ever German industrial production had fallen and increasingly unequipped |
|
Other volunteer facts |
Kitchener wanted million man army about half men who joined up were volunteers army recruiters financially rewarded |