western front

• what are the main battles of the period?

  Battles of Ypres

  Battle of Somme

  Battle of Cambrai

  Battle of Arras
• when did the Battle of Somme take place?

  July 1916 - November 1916
• when did the Battle of Arras take place?


  April 1917 - May 1917
• when did the battle of Cambrai take place?


  November 1917 - December 1917
• when did the Second Battle of Ypres take place?


  April 1915 - May 1915
• significance of the Battle of Ypres?


  important town for access to Calais and Dunkirk

  Germans had the high ground - advantage

  mines planted under Hill 60 by British miners

  gas was used by Germans for the first time against the British
• significance of the Battle of Somme?


  extremely high casualty rate

  60,000 British deaths on the first day
• significance of the Battle of Arras?


  network of tunnels dug underground by North England/New Zealand soldiers

  chalky ground made tunnelling easy -> new tunnels were built and joined to existing tunnels in the city

  rooms with running water and electricity created

  underground hospital (Thompson's cave) - space for 700 stretchers
• significance of the Battle of Cambrai?


  • tanks used for the first time on a large scale
  • over 459 tanks used against German front line
  • the tanks were not supported by enough infantry → tanks could be captured by the Germans
• what was the terrain like on the western front?

  The terrain was muddy and difficult, with shell craters and a zig-zag trench system
• why was collecting men from No Man’s Land considered dangerous?

  had to be undertaken under fire or at night
• how did the mud affect movement on the western front?

  the mud could be very deep, making movement difficult and dangerous
• what hazards did shell craters pose on the western front?


  Shell craters made transporting the wounded hazardous
• what was the issue with the trench system being clogged with men and equipment?

  hard to transport people
• what was the impact of having a large number of wounded at one time?

  resulted in slower processes for everyone involved
• which significant battle is mentioned in relation to the conditions on the western front?

  The Battle of Passchendaele - 1917
• how many stretcher bearers could be required to carry one soldier when conditions were difficult?


  up to 6 stretcher bearers
• what risks were involved in the journey to the Regimental Aid Post (RAP)?

  any knocks could worsen a soldier’s condition
• why were trenches built in a zig-zag shape?

  To make it hard to manoeuvre and provide better defence
• what were the most common illnesses on the western front?

  trench fever

  trench foot

  shell shock

  gas attacks

  wounds/injuries
• what was trench fever caused by?


  lice on clothing and bedding
• how could trench fever be prevented?


  louse-repellent gel issued to men
• how was trench fever treated/prevented?

  • when men came out of the front line their uniforms were fumigated, washed and ironed
  • bathhouses built for them to use
  • louse-repellent gel issued to men
• what was trench foot caused by?


  standing in cold, wet conditions for a long time
• what are the symptoms of trench foot?


  feet are numb, blistered and turning blue

  • this could cause gangrene
• how was trench foot prevented?


  soldiers given three pairs of socks and told to change them twice a day (would not always be possible)
• how was trench foot cured?


  bed rest and plant-based oil rubs (whale/olive)
• what causes shell shock?


  the psychological distress of war
• how was shell shock treated?


  rest, food and talks were given to the soldiers
• how many recorded cases of shell shock were there?

  80,000
• most shellshocked soldiers returned to duty after a period of rest
• what gas was first used by the french and german?

  tear gas - attempt to disable the enemy (unsuccessful)
• when was lethal gas first used in battle and by who?

  The Second Battle of Ypres by the germans
• why is it hard to use a gas weapon?


  impossible to control once it has been released
• what invention made protection against gas attacks easy?

  gas masks
• what percentage of british soldiers died due to gas attacks?


  <5%
• what are the main symptoms of gas attacks?


  blindness

  loss of taste/smell

  coughing

  • disappeared after 2 weeks of treatment (oxygen masks and eye washes)
• significance of bullet wounds?


  39% of all wounds caused by bullets
• what can bullets do to the body?


  pierce through organs and break bones
• what is the difference between machine guns and rifles (wounds)?


  machine guns could fire 450/rounds per minute, rifles could shoot up to 500m with lower speed