Unit 35.2 - The British experience of warfare, c1790-1918
Summary
Summary Trench warfare on the Western Front, 1914-18
51 views 0 purchase
Course
Unit 35.2 - The British experience of warfare, c1790-1918
Institution
PEARSON (PEARSON)
Book
Edexcel A Level History, Paper 3
A summary of Trench warfare on the Western Front, 1914-18. Taken from classroom notes, lectures, "The British experience of warfare, c" & the official Edexcel AS/A-Level History textbook.
Unit 35.2 - The British experience of warfare, c1790-1918
All documents for this subject (12)
Seller
Follow
willxdunlop
Reviews received
Content preview
1
Trench Warfare on the Western Front,
1914-18
• The last experience of warfare before WW1 in Europe was in 1870 between
Prussia & France so there was little experience of confict among people
• Britain had not fought in Europe since the Crimea & had sufered setbacks
during the Boer War
• WW1 progressed from initial movement to attrition & entrenchment, which
demanded an adjustment of strategy & expectations by politicians & public at
home
• Armies were required to use new techniques & technology to achieve victory
Stalemate & entrenchment
• The war was expected to be short & lead to an agreed peace
• The failure of movement, & the war’s duration & ferocity, altered both public
attitude & military thinking & technology
• The war became a stalemate with few victories & reporting of its horrors in
words & pictures shaped attitudes to confict for generations
• Western Front became entrenched for more than 450 miles
Adjustment & reactions
• WW1 has been called a ‘revolution in military afairs’, not just because of new
weapons but because military orthodoxy was challenged
• Adjustment came in military adaptation, political reaction, pacifst objections
& anti-war protest & strategic rethinking
New techniques & new technology
• Innovation seemed to be the only way to end the stalemate on the Western
Front
• Commanders tried new techniques & technology, using artillery, machine
guns, grenades, smokescreens, famethrowers, chemical weapons, aircraft,
tanks, air photography & radio
• Trenches & barbed wire were used to combat these
• Previous wars taught armies that frontal attacks were not successful against
modern weapons
• The Allies’ superiority eventually led the Germans to seek for peace & the war
ended on 11 November 1918
WHY DID THE WAR ON THE WESTERN FRONT CHANGE FROM A
WAR OF MOVEMENT TO ONE OF ATTRITION?
Entrenchment & the building of defensive systems
• WW1 began with a series of mobilisations in countries bound by treaty
obligations
‣ When Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, countries chose sides to fght
• The Schliefen Plan was created, allowing Germany to avoid France’s
defences by marching through Belgium & defeat them before attacking
Russia
• The BEF was to remain defensive whilst the French, still dressed in coloured
uniforms would march into Germany
Failure of movement
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller willxdunlop. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.90. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
