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Home , Attrition warfare, Battle of Jutland, Battle of Mons, Race to the Sea, Schlieffen Plan

Conflict and tension 1894 – 1918

Wider world depth study

Revision workbook

Acklam Grange History department

60 minutes 4 questions to answer. Total of 44 marks. Q1. This source supports …….How do you know? 4 marks Q2.How useful are sources B and C ……..12 marks

Q3. Write an account of a crisis………8 marks Q4.The main reason for………was….How far do you agree? 16 marks + 4

SPaG

Author: Mrs G Galloway

Name:

Part two Stalemate What you need to know Part two – The First World : stalemate

 The including: the reasons for the plan, its failure, the of the Marne and its contribution to the stalemate.  tactics and technology including .  .  Key : the reasons for, the events and the significance of the Battle of .  Key battles: the reasons for, the events and the significance of the Battle of the .  Key battles: the reasons for, the events and the significance of the .  The war on other fronts  The and its failure.  The events and significance of the war at and the Battle of .  The U-boat campaign and convoys

Timeline

23rd Aug 1914 Battle of

Aug & Sept Germans redirected to fight the Russians in the east 1914 Sept 1914 Battle of the Marne

1915 British blockaded Germany’s northern ports

Feb 1915 Unrestricted warfare used by Germans

May 1915 American ship “Lusitania” torpedoed by German submarine

April 1915 The Gallipoli Campaign

1915 First time poison gas used by the Germans

1915 Aeroplanes used as a – now included a machine gun

Feb 1916

May 1916

July – Nov – tanks first used here by the British 1916 6th April 1917 USA declare war on Germany

July 1917 Battle of Passchendaele Nov – Dec – tanks used successfully here 1917

How did the Schlieffen Plan contribute to a stalemate on the Western Front?

What was the Schlieffen Plan?

In 1892, and Russia signed a deal to help each other out if either was attacked (the Franco-Russian Alliance). This posed a problem for Germany – if it went to war with one of these countries, then it would face war with the other. Germany was sandwiched between France and Russia, so war would mean that France could attack from the west and Russia from the East. This is known as “a war on two fronts”.

Origins of the Schlieffen Plan

Following the signing of the Franco-Russian Alliance, the Germans began working on a plan to deal with a “war on two fronts”. It was called the Schlieffen Plan in honour of its creator, General Count , head of the German Army. The plan was simple – but risky. Schlieffen did not want to fight France and Russia at the same time, because this would mean splitting his army in two and sending half to the west and half to the east. Instead, he planned to beat the countries one at a time. He decided that France should be the first country to be attacked. Schlieffen knew that Russia lacked an effective road and railway system, so he assumed it would take several weeks (perhaps three to four months) for Russia to get its troops ready. This would give Germany time to beat France, who he felt would mobilise for war a lot quicker. After defeating France, German forces could then turn around and attack the Russians.

Attacking France

The plan involved several smaller groups of German soldiers entering France through its more lightly defended northern regions. However, most troops would not march directly into France; instead, they would invade France by marching through the smaller nations of , Luxembourg and the first. These three countries lacked large military forces and Belgium and Luxembourg had borders with France that were not well protected. Once the huge force of German troops had successfully entered France, they would sweep south-west and down towards . Schlieffen assumed that the French would not expect an attack through Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands and that most French troops would be positioned on the German border. The Schlieffen Plan, therefore, meant the French would be outflanked and surrounded. Schlieffen predicted that Paris could be taken, and the French defeated in around 40 days, giving the Germans plenty of time to turn their forces around and attack the Russians.

Problems with the plan

The plan had several flaws:

• Schlieffen assumed that Russia would take at least six weeks to get its army ready to fight. What if Russia got its army ready quickly – or France took longer than six weeks to defeat?

• The plan relied on Germany attacking France through Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. However, in 1839 Britain had signed the – a treaty to protect Belgium. Schlieffen didn’t think the British would honour this 75 year old deal – but what if they did? And what if Belgium put up more fierce resistance than anticipated?

• There was a further issue with Schlieffen’s plan. It actually made a war on two fronts more likely. Schlieffen took it for granted that if Russia and Germany went to war, then France would join in. But what if France stayed out of the war and decided not to help Russia? The plan ensured that France would be attacked, even if it was just Germany and Russia at war. The Schlieffen Plan guaranteed a large-scale conflict.

The plan is changed

The original Schlieffen Plan was adapted. Not all German generals supported the plan because some felt it was too risky. Schlieffen was replaced in 1906 by General von Moltke. He “downsized” Schlieffen’s plan by reducing the number of troops used in the attack and he removed the Netherlands from the battle plan altogether.

The early stages of war

When the war began, in , German troops invaded Belgium and Luxembourg, in line with their own modified Schlieffen Plan. The French had their own war plan (Plan 17) and invaded Alsace and Lorraine, the provinces that Germany had taken from France at the end of the Franco- Prussian War in 1870. The French plan relied on capturing the “lost provinces” quickly and advancing at speed towards Germany’s capital city, Berlin. Meanwhile, 120,000 highly trained British soldiers (known as the BEF – British Expeditionary Force) landed in France to help. However, within weeks, both the Schlieffen Plan and Plan 17 had gone horribly wrong.

1. Why was the Schlieffen Plan created?

2. Make two lists. One list should contain strengths about the plan. The other list should contain the weaknesses.

3. Why did Germany attack Belgium in 1914?

4. Can you suggest reasons why Germany did not think that Britain would get involved in the conflict? Think about Britain’s position in the world at this time.

5. If the Schlieffen Plan failed, what problems do you think Germany would face?

Early problems for the Schlieffen Plan

The Schlieffen Plan’s success relied on the speedy defeat of Belgium, followed by a quick victory over France. After this, German troops could march eastwards and take on the Russians. But things went wrong very quickly. The Germans had underestimated the Belgians, who put up much fiercer resistance than expected. They had built a series of huge, stone forts equipped with long range, powerful guns to protect the country from attack. This slowed the Germans down, especially at Liège where the combination of the fort and the bravery of Belgian troops delayed the German of France by four or five days. The German advance was also slowed down at the Belgian city of Mons, near to the French border. Here the Germans faced the BEF who pinned down a large number of German troops. The British rifle fire at Mons was so fast that the Germans thought they were being machine-gunned. The Germans had been referring to British troops as a “contemptible little army” but this showed them that the was small but well trained and effective even when outnumbered. The delay in the German advance forced the Germans to abandon their plan of sweeping around Paris to capture it – therefore disregarding one of the key elements of the Schlieffen Plan: the speedy capture of Paris. Also, at times the German Army marched too quickly – and their supplies of food, water and ammunition could not keep up with them. In the hot August sunshine of 1914, the German troops were already exhausted after only a few weeks at war.

The Russian surprise

The Schlieffen Plan relied on the Russians taking around six weeks to get their armies ready to fight. This six-week period would be enough, the Germans hoped, to beat France before turning their forces on the Russians. But the war against France was going badly – and the Russians only took ten days to get their armies on the march towards Germany and Austria-Hungary. In response to the Russian threat, the German’s ordered around 100,000 soldiers to leave the war in France and take on the Russians. This slowed down the German advance in France because there were now fewer soldiers to fight the French, Belgian and British troops. Germany was now fighting a “war on two fronts”, something that Schlieffen had tried to avoid.

1. Describe what you can see in the cartoon.

2. What can be suggested from the people / items that you have identified?

A cartoon entitled “No Thoroughfare” by FH Townsend, a British illustrator and cartoonist, published in Punch magazine 12 August 1914.

3. What historical event is this cartoon about?

4. Make a list of the reasons for the failure of the Schlieffen Plan.

Why was the Battle of the Marne so significant?

The Schlieffen Plan called for an attack through Belgium. The Germans were to avoid the main French fortifications, on the German frontier. They invaded Belgium on August 3rd 1914. The Germans pushed through the Belgium army with little difficulty. After destroying the main fortifications in Liege and , the German First Army and Second Army under the command of Alexander von Kluck and Karl von Bülow, moved toward Paris. At the the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) halted the German forces temporarily. They inflicted heavy casualties on the Germans. But the French army and the BEF finally retreated towards the River Marne where they waited for the Germans. With no real opposition the Germans moved as quickly as possible and prepared to face the French and British at the Marne River.

The Battle of the Marne

This was first major battle of what would become the Western Front. The Germans moved to within 30 miles (48 km) of Paris. The French government fled the capital for the safety of Bordeaux. The Germans were so close that they could fire their massive railway guns (massive cannons mounted on railroad cars) right into Paris.

During the battle it became difficult to move French troops fast enough to the front. But the French found a solution. General Gallieni called for every taxi and driver to report for duty. Paris had about 10,000 taxis but because of the war only had about 7,000 drivers. Gallieni's plan was to move the troops by taxi, which at the time was a very new invention. The taxis moved through the night and day to carry soldiers.

The German Second Army led by Bülow decided to move south to destroy the French Fifth Army. General Von Kluck did not know about this so he continued to move up and engage the French. With this movement, a large gap was created between the two German armies. The British and French under General Joffre, attacked from the west on 6 September, forcing von Kluck to stop his advance and turn westwards to meet the attack and by September 10 the Germans were forced to retreat. Paris was saved.

The Germans retreated forty miles from the Marne back to the River Aisne in northern France.

Once the German army had started to retreat, it was clear that the Schlieffen Plan had failed. The Germans began to dig trenches in the ground to protect themselves from gunfire and bombs. They added machine guns and to the top of their trenches. French and British troops did the same, facing the German positions. Up until now, the war had been one of movement, where large groups of soldiers had moved quickly to cover large areas of ground – but now things were about to change.

The Battle of the Marne - results

The armies on both sides of the First Battle of the Marne suffered heavy casualties. The Allies had around 263,000 soldiers wounded including 81,000 that died. Around 220,000 Germans were injured or killed.

The battle was considered a major victory for the Allies. By holding off the German army, they had forced Germany to fight the war on two fronts. As the Russians began to attack from the east, German forces had to be diverted to the east while still trying to hold off the French and the British in the west. Why was the Battle of the Marne so significant?

• It was one of the first signs that the Schlieffen Plan had not worked.

• The battle marked the end of the German advance into France.

• It marked the beginning of trench warfare that One became famous for.

1. The Battle of the Marne is seen as a turning point in the early part of the war. A turning point is a particular event or moment that marks an important change. Suggest some reasons why the battle is viewed as a turning point.

1. Describe what you can see in the cartoon.

2. What can be suggested from the people / A French postcard celebrating the Allied victory at items that you have identified? the Battle of the Marne – 13

4. Explain the message that the author of the cartoon is trying to get across. Think about what the cartoon is about, who drew the picture, when it was published and for what type of audience. Make sure that you use some of your own knowledge about the event here.

3. What historical event is this cartoon about?

The failure of the war plans

By early September 1914, both sides had dug trenches to defend themselves. As neither side could go forward, each tried to get around the back of the other. As the armies moved north, trying to outflank each other, they dug trenches as they went. This part of the war is sometimes called “the ”. Several major battles took place during this “race” such as the Battle of . By November, both sides had reached the . The lines of trenches soon stretched the other way too, eventually reaching from the coast to Switzerland, a distance of over 400 miles. For the next four years, these positions hardly changed. The situation was soon referred to as a “stalemate” – a complete inability to move forward any great distance and a solid determination not to be pushed back. The war of movement was over and trench warfare had begun.

Russia vs Austria-Hungary

The Russians had more success against Austria-Hungary. In late August, the Austro-Hungarians had followed their own war plan (Plan R) and advanced well into Russian territory. However, when faced with the sight of nearly half a million Russian soldiers, the Austro-Hungarian soldiers turned and fled. In less than a week, the forces of Austria- Hungary retreated over 120 miles, leaving guns and ammunition behind. It has been estimated that 100,000 Austro-Hungarian soldiers were killed, 220,000 wounded and 100,000 captured. The Russians eventually crossed the border into Austria- Hungary but were halted by the Carpathian mountain range.

Over the next few months, the eastern “front-line” (the area where the two sides faced each other) began to take shape. At around a thousand miles it ran from the near Riga – modern day Latvia- to the shores of the Black Sea in the Ukraine. This was known as the Eastern Front. There were trenches in places, but as it was longer than the Western Front, it was less fortified and more thinly manned. This meant that there was more movement because when one side attacked another it could gain 50 or 60 miles before being pushed back.

1. Explain what is meant by “the race to the sea”.

2. Explain what is meant by a “stalemate”.

3. Explain what is meant by “outflanking”.

4. Explain why each of the following led to the war becoming a stalemate by the end of 1914.

Factor Explanation

Belgian resistance This slowed the German advance and gave more time for the British and French to prepare defences.

The British Expeditionary Force

Russian mobilisation

The Battle of the Marne

Trenches

Why was it so difficult to fight trench warfare?

Stalemate

The brief war of movement on the Western Front in August and September of 1914 ended when neither side managed to outflank the other during the “race to the sea”. The opposing armies dug themselves into trenches. Occasionally, one side would attack the other and try to gain ground, but this often ended in failure. For nearly four years, the long line of trenches hardly moved. This stalemate became known as “trench warfare”.

The trench system

To begin with, trenches were simply holes in the ground that soldiers dug to protect themselves from bullets and bombs. Soon, these trenches developed into a more complex defensive system, protected by barbed wire, sandbags and machine guns. There were usually three lines of trenches on each side, with the land in between known as “no-man’s land”. Where possible, the trenches were built in a zig- zag pattern so the blast from exploding bombs would be confined to a small part of the trench. This also stopped enemy soldiers from firing straight down the line if they reached a trench.

The lines of trenches on each side consisted of a front-line (which directly faced the enemy), followed by support and reserve trenches. The three lines of trenches were linked by lots of communication trenches that allowed each side to quickly bring soldiers up to the front-line without being exposed to enemy fire. The two enemy front-lines were often only 50 to 200 metres apart.

The trenches were protected by barbed wire to make it more difficult for the enemy to capture the trench. However, this also had some disadvantages. Different types of trenches

There were differences in the quality of trenches between the countries. The German trenches were often much deeper and better built. The German generals realised quickly that the war of movement had passed, and the soldiers might be in the trenches for a long time. They tried to provide a reasonable standard of comfort for the soldiers, sometimes with underground living areas (known as “bunkers” or “dugouts”) more than 10 metres below the surface. These trenches had electricity, beds and some even had wallpaper.

The British and French, on the other hand, thought that the trenches might only be temporary, so they did not put as much effort into their design to begin with. Only after some months did this approach change.

1. Why were trenches dug in a zig-zag pattern?

2. Where was no-man’s land?

3. Label the cross diagram of the trench with the words provided and glue into your book.

4. Explain the purpose of each label.

Attacking the enemy

Different military tactics were used during the war. When the decision was made to try and capture enemy ground and attack the enemy, it usually followed this plan:

1. Large guns behind the trenches would fire shells (large bombs) at the enemy positions. The aim was to smash the enemy trench and blow holes in their barbed wire so that the attackers could run through.

2. The attacking soldiers would “go over the top”, which meant climbing out of their trenches with their guns and grenades and heading towards the enemy trenches, across no-man’s land.

3. The soldiers would jump into the enemy trenches and shoot (or fight in hand-to-hand combat) any soldiers that had not been killed by the earlier shellfire.

However, this plan rarely worked. In reality, the shells hardly ever destroyed the enemy trench system in the way it was hoped. German trenches were especially strong with many built using concrete. As a result, the enemy lay in wait for the attacking soldiers and shot them down easily. Also, instead of tearing gaps in the enemy barbed wire, the shellfire often made it more tangled and even harder to get through.

War of attrition

The First World War is often referred to as a “war of attrition”. Attrition means to wear away. is an attempt to win a war by wearing down the enemy to the point of collapse through their continuous losses in men, equipment and supplies. The war is usually won by the side with the greater resources.

On the Western Front, there were occasional breakthroughs where a large number of soldiers (at a cost of thousands of lives) might push an enemy back a few hundred metres, or even several miles. But the retreating forces usually just withdrew to another set of trenches that had been built further back. Then maybe a week or month later, the enemy might counter-attack and re-occupy their original trench. This was stalemate. At the end of 1915, the man in of the British Army, Earl Kitchener, summed up the stalemate when he said “I don’t know what is to be done, but this isn’t war”.

1. Define the following terms:

a) “go over the top”

b) Counter-attack

c) War of attrition

Taken from a book called All Quiet on the Western Front, written in 1929 by a German soldier, Erich 1. Read the source and then draw a Maria Remarque, who fought in the trenches series of pictures to show what We can see the attackers coming. Our big guns fire, happened in this attack. There is space machine guns rattle, rifles crack. They are working their below for this. way towards us. They are French, we recognise their 2. Explain why you think it was so easy helmets. They have already suffered badly before they for the Germans to win their trench reach our trench. Our machine gun wipes out a whole line of them, but then it starts to jam, and they move in. back quickly. We retreat and throw grenades at them, as we leave. We get to the protection of the support trench and turn to face the enemy. Our fires furiously, stopping the enemy attack. We counterattack and drive them back through our original trench and beyond it. We are on the heels of our retreating enemy and reach their trenches almost at the same time they do. But we cannot stay there for long and we retreat back to our own position.

Trench Life

What was life like for soldiers in the trenches?

Daily routine Boredom was common. Soldiers carried out duties (like guarding and repairing the trench) or passed the time with activities such as letter writing and playing cards. All soldiers were called to “stand at dawn”, ready for a possible attack.

Monthly Soldiers typically served four days in the front line, four days in a support routine trench and then eight days in the reserve trench, before a break (although this did vary).

Trench humour Humour played a key part in helping soldiers keep up their spirits. The Wipers Times, an unofficial newspaper filled with funny stories and cartoons was one example of this.

Health and Keeping clean was almost impossible. Soldiers were infested with lice and hygiene trenches were infested with rats. The harsh conditions spread disease and the water-logged trenches made trench foot a common condition. Soldiers’ mental health was also a major issue, with many suffering from a condition known as shell shock.

Food Food was basic with a lot of stew, bread and hard biscuits. Bacon, cheese, jam and rum (in bad weather) were special treats.

Letters home Every week around 12 million letters and parcels were sent to the front by family members and friends. Soldiers replied but there was strict censorship to ensure nothing important could be given away to the enemy if they should get hold of the letters.

1. Create a mind map below to summarise the main features of life in the trenches. You need to include the structure and layout of the trenches, the conditions of the trenches, and the soldier’s usual routines.

1. What features of trench life can you see in the cartoon?

A British cartoon from Punch magazine, published in 1917. 2. Does this cartoon support or oppose the The text below the cartoon says” Wonder ‘ow the navy’s conditions in the trenches? Explain how you know and add some of your own contextual gettin’ on”. “Dunno. Ain’t seen ‘em about lately” The knowledge to back up your opinion. graffiti in the cartoon is referring to the Strait of

Gibraltar, a narrow stretch of water that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

Military Tactics

Before the war the ’s job was to follow the and take charge of the captured positions. They then had to defend the position against counter-attack. Trench Warfare changed the role of the infantry dramatically. The cavalry charge was replaced by the “infantry charge”, which became the main tactic used in the war.

The infantry charge was the only attacking strategy the generals had. They thought that if they did it often enough, with enough men, eventually it would wear down the enemy, and they could break through. However, the traditional view that the generals simply threw lives away is not supported by the evidence. As the war continued, the generals tried different ways to make the infantry charge more effective and they introduced new tactics, and equipment. Steel helmets giving some protection against shrapnel from enemy shelling became standard equipment in 1916. New camouflage techniques were used to protect troops and guns. Artillery and infantry attacks were better synchronised. Troops were given gas masks.

Artillery

Artillery is the name given to the large guns that fire bombs (or shells) over long distances. It was used extensively in the war as a way of “softening up” the enemy before a big attack. The enemy trenches would be pounded for hours, even days, before an assault, in the hope of destroying their positions. In 1915, 400,000 artillery shells (some as big as men) were fired every month on the Western Front. There were different types of artillery shells – some contained high , others contained gas or smoke. Shrapnel shells, when they exploded, contained red-hot pieces of metal that could cut an enemy soldier to pieces. Artillery was responsible for about 60 per cent of all wounds.

Machine guns

Machine guns, invented in the mid-1800s, became well known as deadly weapons during the First World War. They could fire up to ten bullets per second and, in the first two weeks of the war, the French reported losses of over 200,000 men, mostly through machine gun fire. Although they were heavy and needed a crew of between two and four, one machine gun was equivalent to around a hundred rifles. According to British estimates, machine guns caused around 40 per cent of all wounds inflicted on British troops during the war.

Poison gas

The first use of poison gas was in April 1915, when the Germans released gas from cylinders and allowed the wind to carry it over to French soldiers on the front- line. The French panicked and ran, and a six-kilometre gap opened up in the French front-line. However, the Germans did not have enough troops ready to mount a serious attack, the gas soon died down, and soldiers moved back to fill the gap. An opportunity like this never happened again, and despite being an unreliable weapon because it often changed direction with the wind, gas proved its worth as a weapon of terror. Soon both sides were using gas. There were several different types: Phosgene gas would suffocate a victim’s lungs and leave them gasping for air while mustard gas would burn, blind and eventually kill a soldier over a period of days.

Tanks

A British invention, tanks were bulletproof vehicles that could travel over rough ground, crush barbed wire and cross trenches. They were first used in 1916 and by the end of the war the British had produced 2636 and the French 3870. The Germans were not convinced of their value and only produced 20. Part of Germany’s unwillingness to make tanks was the issue of reliability. Although tanks caused panic and terror, they could only travel at around five miles per hour and broke down easily. It was not until the Second World War that tanks became a battle-winning weapon.

Aircraft

In 1914 aeroplanes were really primitive, unreliable and highly dangerous. Losses were very high indeed, especially among new pilots. At the start of the war, planes did the same job as observation balloons. The photographs they took over the trenches were very valuable. During the early battles in the air, the pilots used pistols and rifles. It was not until April 1915 that planes were successfully fitted with machine guns. By 1918 spectacular aerial battles were common over the Western Front. In four years had changed from simple flying machines to quite advanced pieces of military equipment. Air power was, if anything, more valuable at sea where the aircraft could observe and attack shipping.

Rifles, bayonets, grenades and flamethrowers

A rifle was the standard weapon given to all soldiers. It was lightweight and deadly accurate up to a distance of about 600 metres. A soldier could fire between 15 and 20 bullets a minute. A 40 centimetre knife, called a bayonet, was fitted to the end, and could be used in close combat if a soldier ran out of bullets. Soldiers also carried small, hand-held bombs called grenades that could be thrown into enemy trenches or at advancing troops. Some soldiers were also trained to use flamethrowers to create a wall of fire that could reach about 15 metres. These were deadly in small spaces like dugouts.

Using the information above, make some notes on the table below of the advantages and disadvantages of each weapon. At the end of the activity, rank each weapon from most effective to least effective.

Weapon Advantage Disadvantage Rank

Artillery

Machine guns

Gas attacks

Rifles, bayonets, grenades and flamethrowers

Tanks

Aeroplanes

1. Using the notes that you have made in your table, do you think the weapons used in the war made it easier for an army to attack or defend? Explain your answer.

2. Gas attacks only accounted for around 4 per cent of all combat deaths in the war. Explain why you think that gas was one of the most feared weapons.

Source analysis

Source B: An illustration by Stanley L. Wood from “The War Illustrated”, December 1915. It depicts a British soldier in a German trench during the . It shows a real event, for which the British soldier was awarded a medal for bravery.

1. Look at source B. What can you see in the picture that reflects your knowledge of trench warfare?

2. Now look at the provenance of the source. Explain the message that the artist of the picture is trying to get across. Think about what the picture is about, who drew the picture, when it was published and for what type of audience. Make sure that you use some of your own knowledge about the event here.

3. How useful do you think this source is to a historian studying trench warfare? Explain your decision.

It was one of those nights when guns on both sides were quiet and there was nothing to show there was a war on. The attack began with flares. After this, a line of hissing cylinders sent a dense grey mist rolling over no man’s land.

What breeze there was must have been exactly right for the purpose, and that creeping cloud of death and torment made a nightmare scene I shall never forget.

It seemed ages before the Germans realised what was happening. At last, however, the first gas alarm went and I think that most of us were glad to think that they would not be taken unawares.

I was haunted for hours afterwards by the thought of what was happening over there.

Source C: Adapted from a description by Private Harry Saunders of a gas attack on the German lines / trenches.

1. Read source B. What elements of trench warfare are described in this source?

2. Now look at the provenance of the source. Explain the message that the author of the source is trying to get across. Think about what the text is about, who wrote it, when it was written and for what type of audience. Why might an eye witness account be useful? Make sure that you use some of your own knowledge about the event here.

3. How useful do you think this source is to a historian studying trench warfare? Explain your decision.

The war of attrition and key battles

The major battles on the Western Front 1915 – 1917

By December 1915 it was still a stalemate on the Western Front. Neither side had made any real progress towards victory, although hundreds of attacks had been launched by either side or hundreds of thousands of soldiers killed. In December 1915 a new commander of the British forces was appointed. His name was Field Marshal Haig. He had been a cavalry commander in the Boer War where he had fought against a poorly equipped enemy.

The Battle of Verdun.

When: 21 February to 18 December 1916

Where: The hills north of Verdun-sur-, north-eastern France.

What: A German against the French.

The plan: The aim was not to take the city but to force the French to defend it. General wanted to “bleed France white”.

The battle:

At 7.15am on 21 February In the late afternoon the The French retreated and it 1916, German artillery Kaiser’s eldest son, Prince seemed that Verdun might began bombing the French Wilhelm, led an attack on the fall. trenches. 200,000 French troops.

The new French commander, General The fighting continued throughout the summer and only Pétain, was determined to inflict as came to an end when the British attacked the German line much damage as possible on the at the River Somme and the Russians attacked in the attacking soldiers. He ordered every east. German troops had to be transferred quickly and available French soldier to travel to the French were able to advance into German territory at Verdun. Verdun.

Results of the battle: By the end of the battle, the Germans had fired over 23 million shells and destroyed the city of Verdun. The French had lost around 315,000 men, while the Germans had lost around 280,000. Neither side made any significant military gains.

1. Write a definition of “war of attrition”.

2. How does the Battle of Verdun reflect a strategy of attrition?

3. Create a storyboard which shows the events of the Battle of Verdun. Draw a series of images to show how the battle unfolded and accompany each image with a description of what it shows.

The Battle of the Somme, July – November 1916

The British were pressured by France to launch an attack at the Somme so they could;

– Relieve the pressure on the French at the Battle of Verdun, hopefully drawing German soldiers and resources away from Verdun to fight on the Somme.

– Break through enemy positions and work towards breaking the stalemate

– Weaken the German Army through attrition warfare

To this day, the attack on the Somme, which began on 1 July 1916, remains one of the most controversial battles in British . Like Verdun, the Battle of the Somme is important for its symbolism as much as for its military value. People accuse the British generals of this battle of being butchers, throwing away their men’s lives for no gain. The overall British commander was General Sir Douglas Haig. It was he who agreed to take over responsibility for the Somme offensive when Joffre, the French General, announced that, thanks to the German attack at Verdun, the French would no longer be able to lead it.

When: 1 July to 18 November 1916

Where: Near the River Somme in northern France.

What: A British and French offensive against German forces. The largest battle on the Western Front, with more than 3 million men taking part.

The plan: Under the command of General Haig, the British planned to launch a huge attack on the German line. Haig knew that there would be significant casualties but felt there was no other way to win the war. Haig saw the attack as an opportunity to relieve the pressure on the French at Verdun.

The battle:

On 24 , a huge The Germans were aware of When the bombing stopped, of the German the coming attack and had the Germans were still at full trenches began. made preparations, including strength and ready for the moving their troops into attack. concrete bunkers behind the front lines.

They were told to expect no Despite these losses, resistance but German At 7.30am on 1 July, the first attacks continued for the machine guns easily wiped wave of British soldiers went next few months. them out. On the first day, “over the top”. there were around 60,000 British casualties, including 20,000 dead.

Results of the battle: Despite around 620,000 British casualties, the British and French gained a piece of land approximately 25 kilometres. The Germans lost around 500,000 men. After the battle, Haig was widely criticised and called the “Butcher of the Somme”. Others have argued that he had few alternatives to the plan he followed, and have pointed out that the battle helped save Verdun and seriously weakened the German army.

The “write an account” question

Write an account of how the Battle of the Somme led to severe criticism of the Allied commanders.

1. Give TWO reasons why the commanders were criticised. Think about the reasons why so many men died.

2. For each reason, explain what the commanders did that led them to be criticised.

3. What were the consequences / outcomes of the commanders’ actions?

The Battle of Passchendaele

When: July to November 1917

Where: Near the city of Ypres, Belgium (it is also known as the Third )

What: A battle for control of the hills to the south and east of Ypres, fought by forces and French troops against the German army.

The background: In spring 1917, a number of attempts by British and French troops to break through German lines had produced mixed results. There were major gains – such as the capture of Vimy Ridge by Canadian troops – but also crises, including a mutiny by French troops. On 7 June 1917, the British detonated explosives under a hill in Messines. British troops were then able to push the Germans back.

The battle:

Haig ordered British The attack began on Heavy rain meant When the ground troops to continue 18 July with a huge that this turned the attack started, a their advance artillery ground into thick large number of towards Ypres. bombardment. mud. soldiers slipped off the boards and drowned in the mud.

Results of the battle: Within a week, the British had lost 30,000 men. In total 40,000 British Empire troops were killed, and over 300,000 Germans. By the time the attack was called off, 8 kilometres of land had been gained.

Source A: A cartoon picture of Passchendaele painted by the artist E.H. Shepard in 1916 and published in Punch magazine. Shepard who was 37 in 1916

fought at the Somme, , Ypres and Passchendaele. His pictures included paintings of life in the trenches, caricatures of fellow officers, sketches made in battle and scenes of the ravaged

countryside.

The statement says “Faster? I ain’t goin’ no faster, young high velocity. I ain’t got but two speeds, slow and stop”.

1. Describe what you can see in the cartoon.

2. What can be suggested from the people / items that you have identified?

3. What historical event is this source about?

4. Explain the message that the author of the cartoon is trying to get across. Think about what the cartoon is about, who drew the picture, when it was published and for what type of audience. Make sure that you use some of your own knowledge about the event here.

+21

The wider war: the war on other fronts

The Eastern Front

Gallipoli and its failure

Background to the Gallipoli campaign.

Soon after war broke out in 1914, Turkey joined in on Germany’s side. This was because early in the war, Turkey and Russia had fought each other in the Caucasus Mountains region. Russian generals appealed to Britain and France for help. Britain and France were very keen to gain control of the Dardanelles because this would allow them to get supplies to Russia by water. It was also felt that an attack on Turkey would distract Germany and force them to send troops to help their ally. This would remove German soldiers from other fronts.

The plan

Winston Churchill, the head of the British navy, created the invasion plan. He believed that a quick and easy victory over Turkey could turn the tide of the war, as Turkey’s neighbours would join Britain and defeat Austria-Hungary. This would leave Germany isolated and surrounded. The plan was for the navy to destroy Turkish forts on the coast and then sail up to the capital, Constantinople. This way there would be no need for ground troops – army.

The attack

Phase 1: 19 February1915

British and French ships attacked Turkish forts at the entrance to the Dardanelles. They took control within days.

Phase 2: 18

Eighteen large , supported by smaller warships, sailed into the Dardanelles. They were met with huge resistance and so had to retreat.

Phase 3: 25 April 1915

It was clear that a land invasion was needed. Despite Greek generals telling the British that 150,000 soldiers were needed, Lord Kitchener, the British Minister of War, only sent 70,000. The forces were mainly ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Army ), but they also included some troops from Britain and its empire, and from France.

The Turks were waiting for the allies to arrive. They had 84,000 troops waiting along the coast. In some areas the attack was successful, but in others fighting was fierce. At Anzac Cove, thousands of Allied troops were wiped out with machine guns as they left their boats. Unable to break through, the Allies were forced to dig trenches and hold their positions. This resulted in another stalemate. The results of the battle

Conditions in the trenches of Gallipoli were terrible. In the sweltering heat, food and water were often contaminated. Around 80 per cent of soldiers contracted dysentery (Dysentery is an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus. Other symptoms of dysentery can include: painful stomach cramps, feeling sick or being sick (vomiting) and a high temperature).

Fill in the missing words

Soon after the war broke out in 1914, Turkey joined on ……………………. side. Before long, Turkey and …………………… were fighting each other and Russian generals appealed to their French and ………………………. allies for help. The British and French knew that if they could get control of the ………………………………… then they would be able to get supplies by sea to Russia. The British also felt that an attack on Turkey would ……………………… Germany and mean that the Germans would have to send ………………………. to help Turkey. This would give the British and French troops a chance to break through enemy lines on the …………………………… front. British generals also thought that a ………………. defeat of Turkey would mean countries near to ……………………, such as Greece, Bulgaria and Romania, would join in on Britain’s side and attack Austria-Hungary which would leave Germany isolated and…………………………………...

……………………………. believed that Britain’s navy could destroy Turkish ………. guarding the Dardanelles and sail up to the Turkish capital, …………………………………………….. and force it to …………………. On 19 , British and French ships began their attack on the Turkish forts at the entrance to the …………………….. Several forts were hit and ………………………………………. by the Turks. By 25 February the entrance to the Dardanelles was clear of Turkish forts and mines. The main naval attack was launched on 18 March. Eighteen large ………………., supported by smaller warships and …………………………………………………….., sailed into the Dardanelles but soon came under a hail of shell fire from Turkish forts further up the coast. A new line of ……….. in the water sunk three ships and severely damaged three more. The rest of the ships ………………………. Churchill was told that a land invasion of Gallipoli by …………….. was now needed. Hamilton gathered a force of ………………. soldiers to begin the invasion on 25 April. However, the Turks had received information ahead of the invasion and realised that an ……….. was coming. They quickly moved …………………….Turkish troops along the coast and told them to prepare for an invasion from the ………….

70,000, Dardanelles, Western, soldiers, battleships, Churchill, British, quick, Germany’s, Turkey, distract, Russia, Dardanelles, retreated, surrounded, forts, Constantinople, , abandoned, minesweepers, mines, soldiers, 84,000, sea, attack.

1. Create a spider diagram of the reasons why the Gallipoli attack was a failure for the Allied forces. Do this on the next page.

Source A: A cartoon commenting on the Gallipoli invasion. The figure with the broom represents the Turkish Army. The caption says “Turks rout the English at Gallipoli” and is dated 1916.

Source A is suggesting that the Gallipoli invasion was a disaster for the Allies. How do you know?

Complete the sentence starters below:

In the source there is a figure representing the Turkish Army. His size is supposed to represent….

He is sweeping away soldiers. This is supposed to show that….

From my own knowledge, the Gallipoli invasion failed because……

How useful are sources B and C to an historian studying the Gallipoli invasion?

Source B: Adapted from a letter written by Vere Harmsworth, a British soldier, in 1915.

“We spent four days in the front line trench. We had only a few casualties. We were put there just after the big attack which had partially failed and the ground between our trench and the Turks were strewn with bodies. It strikes me that they will be there a long time. In this heat the body and face turn quite black in less than 24 hours and the smell is terrific. The Source C: A painting from 1917 by Tahsin Bey, a Turkish flies – which are everywhere – also add artist. It shows the sinking of the French to the general discomfort.” Bouvet, one of the three Allied battleships sunk by mines during the disastrous naval attack of 18 March 1915.

1. Look at source B. Highlight any key words or phrases that help you understand the experience of soldiers at Gallipoli.

2. Now look at the provenance of source B. Explain the message that the author of the source is trying to get across. Think about what the text is about, who wrote it, when it was written and for what type of audience. Why might an eye witness account be useful? Make sure that you use some of your own knowledge about the event here.

3. Now consider source C. Either annotate or bullet point below what you can see in this painting?

4. Now look at the provenance of source C. Explain the message that the author of the source is trying to get across. Think about what the text is about, who wrote it, when it was written and for what type of audience. Make sure that you use some of your own knowledge about the event here.

5. For each source, write a sentence explaining what makes it useful for understanding the experiences of soldiers at Gallipoli.

The war at sea

The importance of control

Both sides knew it was vital to try and control the . There were two main reasons for this. Firstly, countries do not always have all the supplies they need within their own country (such as food and oil), so they have to import from abroad. So, control of the seas is important for protecting boats bringing supplies in. Secondly, controlling the seas allows a country to stop supplies getting to its enemy, in the hope of starving them into surrender. This tactic is known as a .

Impact of the blockade

Germany’s coastline is in the northern part of the country and supply ships can only get to it through the . In , the British declared that the North Sea was a “War Zone” and that any ships entering it did so at their own risk. British sailors would stop any ships in the area and confiscate their cargo. Stopping supplies reaching Germany had a devastating effect on the country.

 Coal, oil and steel supplies could not get through, so industry suffered.

 Fertilisers for the crops were in short supply, so there were food shortages. It has been estimated that around 420,000 Germans starved to death during the war.

 A lack of vital medicines and drugs meant that soldiers and civilians suffered.

 The impact of the blockade saw a decline in support for the war. There were major protests against the war as early as 1915.

Early clashes

Despite the importance of trying to control the seas, both sides were very cautious with their navies. They had cost so much money that neither side wanted to risk losing them in a large-scale sea battle. One of Britain’s leading naval commanders, Admiral Jellicoe, even said that “the war could be lost in an afternoon” if the British navy was destroyed.

However, this did not prevent sea battles in the early years of the war, although these were only small clashes between a few ships. In August 1914, three German ships were destroyed in the North Sea, while in November the Germans sank two British ships off the coast of Chile. The British hit back two weeks later and sank four German warships near the Falkland Islands. Over 2000 German sailors drowned. Early in 1915, another German warship was destroyed in the North Sea at Dogger Bank.

Stalemate at sea

Despite these few clashes, in the first two years of the war the British Navy spent most of its time patrolling the North Sea or at its main base at in the Islands, while the German ships remained safe in their ports. A measure of the success of the British Navy at this time is the fact that dozens of ships sailed across the English Channel from Britain to France and back every day – and not one was sunk by enemy ships.

A new German approach

There was one major sea battle in the war, at Jutland (near ), in . In , Admiral had been put in charge of the German Navy. He felt that the Navy had been too timid in the way they dealt with the British so far – and was eager for action. So, he hatched a plan that aimed to bring the British out into the open, so he could take them on.

 A few German ships would sail into the North Sea to act as a bait, commanded by Admiral Hipper.

 The British Navy, as they had done in the past, would sail out to attack the German ships.

 The rest of the German fleet, leaving port an hour and a half after Admiral Hipper, would sail up behind the British ships and attack them.

 The British Navy would be caught in a trap and destroyed by the German fleet.

Fact

In November 1914, German warships sailed close to the British coast and opened fire on the seaside towns of Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Houses were destroyed, and several people were killed. In December, Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby were also shelled. There were nearly 600 casualties, mostly civilians, of whom 137 died. These attacks caused public outrage and damaged Germany’s reputation in world public opinion. There was also much criticism of the British Navy for its failure to prevent the raids.

The Battle of Jutland

On 31 May, in line with their plan, the Germans sent out a small group of ships into the North Sea under the command of Admiral Hipper. An hour later, Admiral Scheer followed with the rest of the German navy. However, unluckily for the Germans, the British had captured a German code book in 1914 so could listen in and decode all the radio messages that the German ships were sending to each other.

 The British sent a small fleet of ships from Rosyth, under the command of Admiral David Beatty, to meet Admiral Hipper’s “bait” ships. The two fleets opened fire at a range of 15 kilometres.

 A British ship was destroyed within 20 minutes of the start of the battle.

 Three more British ships were sunk before the rest of the German ships arrived under the command of Admiral Scheer. Another British battleship was destroyed before the rest of the British fleet arrived.

 When the main British fleet arrived from Scapa Flow, the Germans sailed north. Fearing it was another trap, the British did not follow, but instead tried to intercept the German ships on the route they thought the German ships would take home.

 Twice more the two sides opened fire on each other before the Germans finally fled back to the naval base.

Who won the Battle of Jutland?

 In the short term – it was German victory: they sank more ships and killed more British sailors.

 But, in the long term, it proved to be a British victory because the German fleet never came out to sea again. It spent the rest of the war bottled up in its ports at Kiel and .

 This left control of the seas to the and the British blockade remained in force.

 The effect of the blockade was devastating on civilian (and so on the morale of the troops, as well): 750,000 German civilians died during the war as a result of the poor diet forced on them by the blockade.

 It could be argued that the blockade (and therefore Jutland) was the real winner of the war for Britain. War under the sea

After Jutland, there were no more large naval battles for the rest of the war. Instead, the Germans relied more and more on their – U-BOATS – to wage a war against their enemy.

In the early stages of the war, the Germans announced that all ships entering British waters would be attacked by one of Germany’s U-boats. They called this “unrestricted ”. The British responded by laying minefields around Britain to protect the coast and prevent U-boats from using the English Channel. The British also used Q-ships to trick the Germans. These were heavily armed warships disguised as supply ships that lured U-boats into attacking before firing upon them.

However, the use of minefields and Q-ships, the German U-boat campaign had an important impact on Britain. U-boats sank an average of two supply ships a day and hundreds of thousands of tonnes of supplies failed to get through to Britain.

The sinking of the Lusitania

In , a German U-boat sank a British passenger liner, the Lusitania, sailing from New York to Liverpool. Over 1000 passengers drowned, including 126 Americans. The Germans (perhaps correctly) said that the ship was carrying military supplies, but there was a huge outcry over the sinking, and tension between the US and German governments increased. The Germans scaled back their U-boat attacks for a while after this but the USA remembered this attack, referring to it when declaring war on Germany in 1917.

A second U-boat campaign

By February 1917, the Germans had built over a hundred U-boats, and another series of U-boat attacks began. Five hundred supply ships heading for Britain were destroyed in eight weeks. By April, the U-boat campaign had been so successful that Britain was said to only have six weeks’ food supply left.

The convoy system

The British responded to the renewed threat by introducing a convoy system. This meant that supply ships sailed close together in large groups, protected by British warships. Depth charges (bombs dropped into the water that exploded at certain depths) were used to attack the U-boats. Also, long- range aircraft had also been developed that could fly overhead looking for U-boats near to the surface of the water. This was so successful that between July and August 1917 only five of the eight hundred ships bringing supplies to Britain were sunk. 1. What is a blockade?

2. What was the impact of the blockade on Germany?

3. Why were the Germans and British so cautious with their navies?

4. Why do you think both the British and the Germans claimed that they had won the Battle of Jutland?

5. Who do you think won the battle? Give reasons for your answer.

6. What did the Germans hope to achieve with their policy of “unrestricted submarine warfare”?

7. How did the British try to fight “unrestricted submarine warfare”?

8. Source A is critical of the actions of the German Navy. How do you know?

Source A: A British cartoon commenting on the sinking of the Lusitania. The main figure in the cartoon is Kaiser Wilhelm II.

 Look at source A. Describe the cartoon in your own words. What is happening in it?

 What point do you think the cartoon is making?

Now let’s see what you can remember

Question Answers 1 List THREE conditions soldiers faced in the trenches

2 List THREE examples of weapons used in WW1

3 List TWO types of poison gas used.

4 List TWO disadvantages of using tanks

5 What year was the Battle of Verdun?

6 Why was the Battle of Verdun so significant?

7 Give the starting date of the Battle of the Somme.

8 What does the word “attrition” mean?

9 When was the Battle of Passchendaele?

10 Why plan an attack at Gallipoli?

11 List the reasons why the invasion at Gallipoli failed.

12 What was the aim of the British naval blockade on Germany?

13 What was unrestricted submarine warfare?

14 Name the passenger ship torpedoed by the Germans in 1915. 15 Why did the Germans stop their unrestricted submarine warfare campaign? 16 What did the British introduce to protect their shipping? 17 Who won the Battle of Jutland?

18 What is a U – boat?

How to master source questions

Here are the steps to consider when answering the question that asks you how you know the opinion of a source.

Content

Look at the source carefully. You could label what you can see, or circle anything that you think is important. This might help you to break the source down and work out what it is about.

Provenance

Look at the date and other information in the source caption. The caption will give you a clue about what event(s)/issue/topic it is about. Think carefully about the events you have studied. Which one is the source about?

Contextual knowledge

Think back over your own knowledge. What features of the source content or provenance fit with what you know about the statement given in the question (such as source A opposes or supports something)? What historical facts can you use to support your answer?

Comment

Make sure you use your own knowledge and information from the source to explain how the statement given in the question (such as source A opposes or supports something) is shown. Spend about five minutes on this 4 mark question.

Source A supports Russia. How do you know? Explain your

answer using Source A and your contextual knowledge. 4

marks.

A British cartoon published in

September 1914; the front of the steamroller says “Russia”. The caption says: “Austria: I say, you know, you’re exceeding the speed limit!”

Source A supports the British naval blockade of German ports. How do you know? Explain your answer using Source A and your contextual knowledge. 4 marks.

A British cartoon published in 1917 about the naval blockade of German ports, drawn by the Northern Irish cartoonist, Edwin Morrow, for Punch magazine; the title said that it showed ordinary Germans enjoying their Christmas dinner.

How to master “how useful are the sources” questions

Content

Read both sources and underline or circle any detail that helps you work out what they are about.

Provenance

Next, look at the provenance for each source; is there anything about the time, author, purpose, audience or site (place it was created) (TAPAS) that makes the source more or les useful?

Contextual knowledge

Now think back over your own knowledge. For each source, write about whether the content and caption fit with what you know. Does it give a fair reflection of the person, event or issue it describes?

Comment

You now need to make a judgement about how useful the sources are. Make sure that you use the sources together – DO NOT say which one is better. What could a historian use them to find out about? For each source, make sure that you explain what is suggested by the content – and link this to your own knowledge to explain your ideas. You should also explain how the provenance makes the source useful. This question is worth 12 marks so spend about 15 minutes on answering it.

Source C: Adapted from a description by Private Harry Saunders of a gas attack on the German lines / trenches.

It was one of those nights when guns on both sides were quiet and there was nothing to show there was a war on. The attack began with flares. After this, a line of hissing cylinders sent a dense grey mist rolling over no man’s land. What breeze there was must have been exactly right for the purpose, and that creeping cloud of death and torment made a nightmare scene I shall never forget.

It seemed ages before the Germans realised what was Source B: An illustration by Stanley L. Wood from “The happening. At last, however, the first gas alarm went and War Illustrated”, December 1915. It depicts a British I think that most of us were glad to think that they soldier in a German trench during the Battle of Loos. It would not be taken unawares. shows a real event, for which the British soldier was awarded a medal for bravery. I was haunted for hours afterwards by the thought of what was happening over there.

How useful are Sources B and C to an historian studying trench warfare? Explain your

answer using Sources A and B and your contextual knowledge. 12 marks.

Source C: Adapted from a letter written by Vere Harmsworth, a British soldier, in 1915.

“We spent four days in the front line trench. We had only a few casualties. We were put there just after the big attack which had partially failed and the ground between our trench and the Turks were strewn with bodies. It strikes me that they will be there a long time. In this heat the body and face turn quite black in less

than 24 hours and the smell is terrific. The Source B: A painting from 1917 by Tahsin Bey, a Turkish flies – which are everywhere – also add to artist. It shows the sinking of the French battleship Bouvet, the general discomfort.” one of the three Allied battleships sunk by mines during the disastrous naval attack of 18 March 1915.

How useful are Sources B and C to an historian studying the Gallipoli invasion? Explain your answer using Sources A and B and your contextual knowledge. 12 marks.

How to master “write an account” questions

Here are the steps to consider for answering the “write an account” question. This question involves telling the key moments of an event in relation to the topic of the question. You need to describe, explain and analyse how one development led to another.

Select the key moments

What will you include in your story? Spend one minute to work out 3-4 key moments that are relevant to the question. Make sure that you organise the moments in chronological order (starting with the earliest). You must include 1-2 specific historical facts for each key moment and plenty of specific historical detail.

Explain the connections

Write your answer based on the key moments you identified, and explain how the moments link together to cause the event to develop. A top level answer will also include an explanation of how the tension rises with each event. Spend around 10 minutes answering this 8 mark question, but remember that this needs to include planning time. Use phrases such as “this led to….” And “as a result….” To help you link back to the question and keep your ideas focused

Write an account of how the Battle of Verdun maintained the stalemate between the two sides. 8 marks.

Write an account of how the failure of the Schlieffen Plan led to stalemate on the Western Front. 8 marks.

Write an account of how events at Gallipoli became a military failure. 8 marks.

How to master “how far do you agree” questions

Read the question carefully

What statement is the question asking you to consider? The statement is located within the quotation marks. Underline key words in the statement to help you focus your answer.

Plan your essay

You could plan your essay by listing other reasons that caused the event / issue:

Stated reason 1 Another reason 2 Another reason 3

Write in anything you could use as evidence for the different reasons, but remember that you only have about 2-3 minutes to plan and between 15 – 17 minutes to write your paragraphs. For each reason, choose 2 historical facts you are most confident about and highlight these.

Context

Now that you have planned which reasons to discuss, start writing your answer, which needs to link to your knowledge as well. Aim for 4 paragraphs – one that explains the reason named in the statement and your own facts to back up the statement, two other paragraphs that explain two other reasons and facts to back them up. Finally, write a conclusion that explains your overall judgement.

Conclude

This question asks you “how far…..” you agree with the statement, so make sure you come to a clear conclusion. If you want to reach a level 4, you will have to reach an overall judgement. Is there one reason that you think is definitely more important than the others? Why?

Check your SPaG

Don’t forget that you get up to 4 marks for your SPaG in this answer. It’s a good idea to leave time to check your SPaG. This question is worth 16 marks. Spend around 20 minutes on it, but this needs to include time to plan and to check your SPaG.

“The building of trenches was the main reason for the stalemate on the Western Front”. How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer using your contextual knowledge. 16 marks, 4 SPaG