British Sector of the Western Front: Context (Edexcel GCSE History)

Key Developments in WWI - summary

The Theatre of War

• Britain went to war with Germany on August 4th 1914

• The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) were sent to Northern France to stop the German advance through Belgium

• The BEF faced a German army of 160,000 soldiers and this led to a retreat to protect Paris

• By the end of 1914, Germany occupied much of Belgium and Northern France 

• Both sides built a series of trenches to protect their territory

• Throughout the duration of the War, a number of key battles occurred, for example at Ypres and Arras

• The line of trenches was not static, it moved when different battles led to advance or retreat for the two opposing armies

The Western Front

The Ypres Salient

1914: The First Battle of Ypres

• The BEF moved to the town of Ypres to prevent the German advance along the coast

• German forces launched an attack in October of 1914

• The British defended Ypres but lost 50,000 soldiers

• British victory meant reinforcements and supplies could be delivered on the coast

• However, German forces still surrounded Ypres

1915: The Second Battle of Ypres

• After the battle for Hill 60 where British soldiers successfully used offensive mining, German forces attacked Ypres again.

• A series of smaller battles took place between April and May 1915

• Germany used chlorine gas for the first time in the First World War

• British forces lost around 59,000 soldiers

• Germany moved two miles closer to the town of Ypres

1917: The Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele)

• British forces wanted to launch an offensive German troops who surrounded Ypres

• The British launched their main attack in July 1917 near the town of Passchendaele

• Constant rainfall caused the ground to become waterlogged and many soldiers drowned

• British forces lost around 245,000 soldiers

• Despite gaining only seven miles of territory, General Haig considered it a success

The Battle of the Somme

• Britain attacked near the River Somme to take vital ground after the attack on the French city of Verdun by German forces

• The first day of fighting on the 1st July 1916 led to the deaths of 20,000 British troops 

• The British tried two new strategies:

  • Using a creeping barrage too late would leave British soldiers vulnerable to German gunfire. Too early and their own artillery would hit them

  • The tanks were new and untested. They suffered many technical problems

• By November 1916, Britain had suffered 400,000 casualties

• The Battle was regarded as a failure even though the British gained six miles of territory

The Battles of Arras and Cambrai

1917: The Battle of Arras

• The chalky landscape of Arras allowed the British troops to build a network of tunnels. This included a hospital with 700 stretcher beds, running water and electricity.

• The 2.5 miles of tunnel could shelter up to 25,000 soldiers 

• Sheltered British troops attacked nearby German trenches in April 1917

• The British gained eight miles of territory

• There were around 160,000 British and Canadian casualties

1917: The Battle of Cambrai

• British forces attacked German trenches in October 1917

• Reduced artillery fire confused the German forces

• The Battle featured the first large-scale use of tanks:

  • There were around 450 British tanks used in the battle

  • Tanks moved across barbed wire and had machine guns

• Land taken by British forces was quickly reclaimed by Germany