BritishSectoroftheWesternFront:TRENCHWARFARE

BritaindeclaredwaronGermanyonAugust4th 1914whenGermanyinvadedFrancethroughBelgium.

TheBritishgovernmentsenttheB.E.F(BritishExpeditionaryForce)tonorthernFrancetotryandstoptheGermanadvance.TheBEFhad70,000professionalsoldiersfightingalongsidetheFrencharmy.

Aftertheinitialfighting,boththeBritishandGermanspulledbacktheirforces.Thisiswhen‘TrenchWarfare’began…

Attrition/Stalemate:

Bytheendof1914,muchofBelgiumandnorthernFrancehadbeenoccupiedbytheGermans.Thismeantthattacticsusedinpreviouswarswereirrelevantinthis‘GreatWar’.Itbecameadefensivewarusingtrencheswithsomeoffensiveattemptstocapturetheenemytrenches/land

FlandersandnorthernFrance:

TheTrenchSystem:

Drawyourownversionofthisandlabelit,makesure

yourlabellingiseasyforYOUtoremember.

TrencheswerefirstdugbytheBritishandFrenchArmiesinNorthernFranceduringtheracetothesea.

TheaimoftrencheswastoactasabarrieragainsttherapidadvanceoftheGermanarmyfromwhichacounterattackcouldbemade.Atfirsttheywerequicklyandeasilyconstructedusingfewmaterialsotherthansandbagsandashovel.Theyweremeanttobetemporaryandeveryoneexpectedawarofmovementin1915.

Thetrenchesbecamewheremostofthewarwasfought,becauseofthestalemate.Itwassodangeroustocomeoutofthetrench.Asthetrenchesgotmorecomplexandweaponssuchasgas,tanksandaeroplanesimproved,itbecamehardertobreakthrough.

Advantages:• Easytomake,• Easytodefend,• Cheaptobuild,• Didn't needlotsofmentodefendthem.

Disadvantages:•Wetandcold• Hardtogetinanoutofwithoutbeingseenbytheenemy.• Trencheswereverydirtyandunhygienicastherewasnorunningwaterorflushingtoilets.

TrenchWarfare:DescribehowTrenchWarfarehappenedusingthispictureandyourownknowledge.

Includethewords(minimum):

OvertheTopNo-manslandArtilleryBarbedwire

The trench, when we reached it, was half full of mud and water. We set to work to try and drain it. Our efforts were hampered by the fact that the French, who had first occupied it, had buried their dead in the bottom and sides. Every stroke of the pick encountered a body. The smell was awful.

The trench, when we reached it, was half full of mud and water. We set to work to try and drain it. Our efforts were hampered by the fact that the French, who had first occupied it, had buried their dead in the bottom and sides. Every stroke of the pick encountered a body. The smell was awful.

StudysourcesAandB:

Whatdifferencescanyounotebetweenthesketchthephotograph?Whatarethebenefitsanddrawbacksofeachofthesesourcesforahistorian?

Whichsourceismostuseful/helpfulandwhy?

Blackadder– Finalepisode:1. ConditionsintheTrench?2. CaptainBlackadder’sattitudetothewar?3. Lt.George’sattitudetothewar?4. Equipmentinthetrenches5. Dangersofgoing“overthetop”includingpreviousattacks.

6. Anythingelseyouwanttodiscussorfindinteresting.

Youarewatchingthismaybeforthefirstorfifthtime,buteitherway,thistime,you’rewatchingitasasourceofinformation,thereforearebeingmorecriticalofit– youwillbeevaluatingitsuseattheend.

4keybattles:

• TheYpresSalient• TheBattleoftheSomme•Arras• Cambrai

Homework:Researchandproduceashortguidetoeachofthesebattles