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The War, Military Tactics and Tech, Trench Life, Key Battles, Early War,…
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Trench Life
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Health and hygiene
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Water-logged trenches, trench foot
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Monthly routine
Four days in front, 4 in support, eight in reserve, then a break
Humour
Wipers Times - unofficial newspaper, funny stories in it.
Letters home
12 million letters & parcels sent to front line from family and friends, strict censorship.
Food
Basic, lots of stew, bread, hard biscuits. Some treats such as bacon.
Key Battles
Somme
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Largest battle on Western Front, over 3million men
Haig planned to launch an attack, he knew there would be significant causalities to felt there was no other way to win the war, opportunity to relieve the pressure on France at Verdun.
The battle
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Germans were aware of upcoming attack, made preparations, moved troops into bunkers
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7.30 am, 1 July, first wave of British
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60,000 casualties, and 20,000 dead, for the British on the first day
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Results
620,000 British casualties, Allies gained land 25km by 6km.
Germans lost 500,000 men.
Haig was criticised and called 'The Butcher of the Somme'. Others have argued he had no alternatives to the plan and that he saved Verdun and weakened the Germans seriously.
Verdun
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Aimed to force France to defend the city, General Erich von Falkenhayn wanted to 'bleed France white' through attrition
The battle
7.15 am 21 Feb 1916, German artillery bombarded France
Prince Wilhelm (Kaiser's son) attacked 200,000 French troops
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General Pétain, new French commander, was determined to inflict as much damage as possible on Germany, he ordered every available French soldier to Verdun
Fighting continued through summer, came to an end when the Somme happened and the Russians attacked in the east, German troops had to be transferred and the French retook Verdun
Results
Germans fired over 23 million shells, destroyed Verdun
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Passchendaele
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Spring 1917, a number of British and French attempts to break through German lines had produced mixed results. Major gains, e.g. Vimy Ridge by Canadians, but crises, e.g. a French mutiny.
7 June 1917 - British detonated explosives under a hill in Messines, British then able to push Germans back
The Battle
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When the attack started, lots of soldiers slipped off the boards and drowned in the mud
Gallipoli
Background
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Turkey and Russia fought early in the war in the Caucasus Mountains, Russia asked Britain and France to help.
Britain and France wanted control of the Dardanelles to get supplies to Russia by water, they also fought it would distract Germany and get them to send troops from other fronts.
The Plan
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Believed a quick and easy victory over Turkey could turn the war as Turkey's neighbours could join Britain and defeat Austria-Hungary, leaving Germany surrounded.
Plan - For Navy to destroy Turkish coastal forts and sail up to the capital, without the need for ground troops.
The Attack
Phase 1 - 19Feb 1915 - British and French troops at forts at the entrance to the Dardanelles, took control within days
Phase 2 - 18March 1915 - 18 battle ships supported by smaller warships and minesweepers sailed into the Dardanelles, met with resistance, had to retreat.
Phase 3 - 25Apr 1915 - Land invasion needed, Greek generals told the British that they needed 150,000 soldiers, Kitchener only sent 70,000
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Turks were ready, 84,000 troops along coast.
Some areas attack was successful, but in others there was fierce fighting.
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Results
Bad trench conditions e.g. heat, contaminated supplies, 80% contracted dysentery
In Britain, seen as a disaster, generals criticized.
12 Dec - 80,000 soldiers were evacuated
Cost 200,000 allied lives
Gains not achieved, Turkey remained in the war, supplies couldn't reach Russians, Bulgaria joined Germany
Initial attack did some damage, however, prevented Turkey from helping Germans
Results
Within 1 week, British lost 30,000 men, 40,000 British Empire troops killed, over 300,000 Germans killed.
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Early War
Battle of the Marne
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German troops - weak, short supplies, reduced in number
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Britain and France (led by Gerneral Joffre) attacked and forced the Germans to retreat to the River Aisne, 2million soldiers fought, 0.5 million where killed or injured in one week.
Germans began to dig trenches, Britain and France did the same
Eastern Front
Russia made a quick advance into Germany but slowed down because of lack of good equipment and strong leadership, German forces, under Hindenburg and Ludendorff halted them.
late August - A-H advanced into Russia, but fled as they faced 0.5 million soldiers
100,000 A-H soldiers killed, 220,000 injured, 100,000 captured, Russia took part of A-H
Ran from Riga to the Black Sea, more mobile than the Western Front.
Schlieffen Plan
Original Plan
To avoid war on two fronts, Schlieffen believed they would have control of France in 40 days
Changes
Dependent on Russia being slow to mobilize, and that Britain wouldn't honour the treaty of London.
1906 - General von Moltke changed the plan to reduce risk, fewer troops, removed moving through Netherlands
Failure
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British honoured the treaty of London and sent the BEF, who were well trained and equipped, which delayed the German advance by 4 or 5 days
German troops exhausted in hot summer, supplies were too far behind
Russia was ready in 10days, Germany had to transfer 100,000 soldiers to the east, plan had failed.
Western Front
Each side raced to the English Channel to outflank their opponents, a number of battles occurred and by November both sides had reached the sea.
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Neither side was able to advance, stalemate
Aviation
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First aeroplanes
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Saved lives, allowed troops to be moved from danger
Fighter Planes
Planes became more reliable, battle in dogfights.
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Bomber Planes
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By end of war - fly further, larger bombs.
Wider World
German Colonies
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Cameroon - Attacked by allies in Aug 1914, Germans resisted, finally captured Feb 1916
German South-West Africa - South Africans, fighting for British captured what is now Namibia
German East Africa - Defended until the end of the war by 12,000 Germans and Africans, despite being attacked by 200,000 Allied troops
Middle East
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Arabs attacked Turkish using 'hit and run' tactics, supported by Lawrence of Arabia.
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Far East, Pacific
Japan, captured a number of German colonies in Pacific and German territory in China.
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War at Sea
U-Boat campaigns
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Bitish laid mines and dseguised warships as cargo ships, known as Q-ships, trap for U-boats.
U-Boats destroyed huge numbers, Feb 1917, siad that Britain had just 6 weeks of food left.
Supply ships used a convoy system, surrounded by warships and aircraft, which dramatically reduced U-Boat attacks.
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Jutland, May 1916
German plan
Admiral Reinhard Scheer - felt that the best way to defeat the British navy was to force it into open sea.
Planned to use some German ships as bait so the British would sail out to meet them, the German fleet would then sail up behind the British and trap them.
The Battle
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British ship was destroyed in first 20 minutes, and 3 further before the full German fleet had arrived
When the When the rest of the British fleet arrived from Scapa Flow, the Germans sailed north. The British planned to attack them on their way home.
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Results
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British claimed victory because the Germans fled and required substantial repairs, and they also remained in harbour for the rest of the war.
German blockade
Nov 1914 - Britain declared the North sea as a war zone and could attack and German ships in the area, this meant that German supplies couldn't get through