Revision Guide Paper 1B: Conflict and Tension 1894-1918

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How to answer the questions

Question 7) Study Source A. Source A supports/opposes... how do you know? Explain your answer by using Source A and your contextual knowledge. (4 marks)

Use the source! You need to use the content, the provenance (NOAP) and your

own knowledge to explain why it supports/opposes. Give two points, one using content and own knowledge and

another using provenance and NOAP. Use the question, how is it answering what you are being asked. Make sure you explain why it supports/opposes e.g. this

supports this as...

Question 8) Study Sources B and C. How useful are Sources B and C to a historian studying opinions in Austria about Serbia? Explain your answer using Sources B and C and your contextual knowledge. (12 marks)

This is a utility question. You must explain why each source is useful to the

question focus. Think about what the sources tell you (obviously and

not obviously) – the more it tells you, the more useful it is.

Use NOAP, content and your own knowledge to explain how useful each source is.

Consider reliability, if it is more reliable, it might be more useful.

Remember to try and say useful AND not useful. Give 2 paragraphs to analyse the utility of each source,

saying which one is the most useful.

Question 9) Write an account of how events... (8 marks)

You are telling the account of what happened. You need to write in chronological order, so how the

events occurred. You must always say how each part led to a crisis e.g.

this led to a crisis because... Remember you can talk about crises for both sides, but

pay attention to the question focus. Make sure you are using detailed contextual

knowledge, so really show off what you know!

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Question 10) ‘The... was the main reason for...’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. (16 marks and 4 SPAG marks)

This is an essay question! This is your highest marked question so make sure you

complete it! You must argue the factor given and at least 2 other

factors. Remember start with a brief introduction, reword the

question and layout your three points. You then need 3 x PEE paragraphs to explain the main

factor and 2 others, making a judgement about how important they were.

Give clear evidence to support your points (try to give 2 pieces of evidence for each point if possible)

Give a conclusion with a final judgement e.g. which point is the most important and why?

Also link points in your conclusion to say why one is more important than the others e.g. how the war at sea there wouldn’t have been defeat as it caused problems in the first place...

Remember you get 4 free SPAG marks, so make sure grammar, spelling and punctuation is perfect.

HELPFUL HINTS

READ THE QUESTIONS CAREFULLY!! Think about the NOAP (Nature, Origin, Audience, Purpose) for source questions. Pay close attention to the dates given!! For explanation questions, use PEE paragraphs to earn your marks. Use connectives to help you explain and link back to the question (because,

therefore, as a result of, etc...) For source questions make sure you use the sources, and your own knowledge

when required, this earns you your marks!• Timing wise (as a rough estimate):• 50 minutes (approx): WWI

Complete question 7 in 5 minutesComplete question 8 in 15 minutesComplete question 9 in 10 minutesComplete question 10 in 20 minutes

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Part 1: The Causes of WWI

The Alliance System

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The aim of forming alliances was to achieve collective security – having alliances with other powerful countries deterred your enemies from attacking you.

If a country started a war with one nation it would have to fight all its allies as well.

Alliances were often made in reaction to national rivalries – when one country felt threatened by another, it often looked to secure friendships with other nations.

By 1900, Europe was full of national rivalries.

The Triple Alliance was signed in 1882 between Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary.

In 1904 Britain and France signed the Entente Cordiale as they were concerned over Germany.

This then became the Triple Entente in 1907 as Russia joined Britain and France. Don’t forget: Russia were allied to Serbia, whilst Britain had promised to defend

Belgium!

Country Why they wanted an alliance?Austria-Hungary They had problems with various groups wanting independence

from their empire. They were worried about the threat of Serbia and wanted to

contain them. They were also concerned about Russia.

Britain Britain was worried about Germany, they were viewed as a threat for the British Empire and Navy.

They reached deals with France over colonies so were willing to work with them.

However Britain didn’t commit themselves to helping France and Russia if war broke out.

France They were worried about the growing power of Germany. They wanted to take back the land of Alsace-Lorraine from the

Germans. They were friends with Russia so used this to their advantage.

Germany Germany wanted to be a world power, but needed help to deal with the threat of Britain and France.

They were worried about encirclement and saw that France, Russia and Britain were trying to surround them.

It wanted to compete by developing a strong army.Italy They wanted support to help set up colonies and an overseas

empire. It mainly joined to ensure they had protection.

Russia They were worried about the threat of Germany. They also had concerns over Austria-Hungary, which is why they

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were friends with Serbia. Russia had lost a war in 1905 and felt an alliance would aid them if

needed.

The Kaiser

Kaiser Wilhelm was incredibly nationalistic, believing that Germany came first.

He adopted a militaristic approach to strengthen Germany’s army and navy.

He wanted an empire, following a policy of Weltpolitik (world policy)

He had absolute power and could ignore others to make his own decisions.

His desire to build up Germany’s army and navy, as well as their empire, led to him clashing with Britain, France and Russia.

He took an aggressive view of foreign policy, hence why Germany had issues in events such as the Moroccan Crises.

The Moroccan Crises

Kaiser Wilhelm II wanted ‘a place in the sun’ so pursued the policy of Weltpolitik.

Britain were concerned, but having the largest empire meant that Germany also felt threatened by them.

Most European countries, such as Britain, France, Belgium and Italy, all laid claim to parts of Africa.

Of these countries Britain had the largest share of land in Africa, which led to lots of advantages.

Germany’s desire to increase their empire meant they looked towards Africa, however most of Europe had been divided up.

The German Kaiser had upset Britain by sending a telegram to the president of Transvaal, who were owned by Britain, to congratulate him on repelling the British. As such Britain saw Germany as a rival.

This eventually led to the two Moroccan Crises:

1905 (The Tangier Crisis)

Wilhelm II visited Morocco and promised to defend them against France.

This angered France who had an agreement to ‘protect Morocco’6

At the Algeciras Conference in 1906 Britain backed France, forcing Germany to back down with the Kaiser being humiliated.

As such this led to the Triple Entente being signed to prevent war, whilst Germany prepared for war as they felt they were being ganged up on.

1911 (Agadir Crisis)

France took over Morocco after putting down a rebellion. Wilhelm sent the Panther (a German gunboat) to protect German

citizens within Morocco. The British saw this as a threat to their naval supremacy, believing

that the Kaiser wanted to set up a naval base in Morocco. Germany backed down in return for 100,000 square miles of the

French Congo, which humiliated Wilhelm again. These two events showed Britain and France that Germany could not be trusted. It also made the Kaiser more determined to show the strength that Germany had,

leading to both sides developing their armed forces.

The Arms Race

All the countries believed in militarism (that war can solve problems) Germany felt encircled so wanted to increase its army and navy to protect itself. Britain were concerned that Germany wanted to challenge their naval supremacy. France wanted to retake Alsace-

Lorraine from Germany. Kaiser Wilhelm II wanted to develop his

navy further, claiming that they were doing this to protect its trade.

Britain had the strongest navy and in 1906 developed the Dreadnought (making Germany’s navy obsolete)

This led to a competition between Britain and Germany, with Britain building 29 Dreadnoughts to Germany’s 17 by 1914.

As well as improving their navy, Germany also wanted to improve the strength and power of their army.

As a result all countries were building up their armies. They claimed this was being done to defend in case of attack by members of the opposing alliance.

Germany had the best trained and most powerful army in Europe.

Austria-Hungary’s army was much smaller and they were relying on Germany’s assistance.

Russia had the largest army, but they were badly equipped.

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France had a well equipped army, but wasn’t as large as the Germans. Britain had the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) which was small, but well equipped.

Problems in the Balkans

The Ottoman Empire (Turkey) was losing control of its Empire. The Balkan countries were nationalistic and saw a chance to take advantage. Meanwhile Austria wanted to prevent the Balkan countries from taking over, fearing

that it would cause problems for its empire. This led to two major issues in the area:

Bosnian Crisis 1908

In 1908 a revolution in the Ottoman Empire allowed Austria to annex Bosnia.

Serbia mobilised its army to get Bosnia itself. Russia supported Serbia, whilst Germany threatened a war. Austria were allowed to annex Bosnia, with Germany supporting

them. Russia had to back down and was humiliated, they promised to

never back down again.Balkan Wars

1912-13 The Balkan League (featuring Serbia) took land from the Ottoman

Empire. Germany and Britain worked together to negotiate a peace treaty. Serbia became the most powerful Balkan power and turned its

attention towards Austria. Germany wrongly believed that they were friends with Britain and

could continue to be aggressive.

There were consequences for this that led to the outbreak of war.

The Ottoman Empire lost its European land and was too weak to rule the unstable Balkans

Serbia and Russia were determined that they would not back down in their next confrontation with Austria-Hungary

Germany made it clear that it would stand by Austria-Hungary in the event of war

Serbia emerged as the most powerful Balkan state but it was angry that Austria-Hungary had denied it land that gave access to the sea

The Serbian terrorist group called the ‘Black Hand’ was formed to fight against Austria-Hungary

The assassination of Franz Ferdinand

The Black Hand Gang planned to assassinate Franz Ferdinand, on behalf of the Serbian government, to protest against Austria controlling Bosnia.

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Franz Ferdinand was known as a reformer who would offer greater freedom for the Bosnians, the Serbs needed him gone to make things worse, not better!

The Black Hand Gang were sent in by the Serbian government (in secret) to assassinate Franz Ferdinand.

On the 28th June 1914 in Sarajevo the assassins lined up along the Appel Quay. Cabrinovic threw a bomb, he failed to kill Ferdinand, whilst the rest of the assassins

did nothing. On a return to visit the hospital the driver took a wrong turn and stopped... right in

front of Gavrilo Princip (after eating his sandwich!) Princip shot both Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie.

He was arrested and eventually the Austrian government discovered the Serbian government were behind the attack.

The Outbreak of War

The outbreak of war is known as the July Crisis as all countries began to declare war on one another.

5th July – Austria get support from Germany. This is known as the Blank Cheque where Germany offered to give Austria anything they needed.

23rd July – Austria send Serbia an ultimatum (of ten tough clauses), which when rejected would give Austria their excuse to invade.

25th July – Serbia agreed to all of the clauses, except part of one clause as it would impact their justice system.

28th July – Austria-Hungary declare war on Serbia, who in turn ask Russia for help.

30th July – Russia begin to mobilise their army against Germany and Austria-Hungary.

1st August – Germany mobilised and declare war on Russia.

2nd August – France refuse to stay neutral, so Germany declare war on France. 3rd August – Germany invade Belgium. However Britain had signed the Treaty of

London with Belgium to protect them. Britain send Germany an ultimatum. 4th August – Germany ignore the ultimatum, so Britain declare war over a ‘scrap of

paper.’

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The Schlieffen Plan

A plan that, due to a war on two fronts, Germany could defeat France quickly (in 6 weeks) and then attack Russia.

This was devised in 1905 by the head of the army, von Schlieffen, who decided this would be the best way for Germany to win a war.

The idea was to go through Belgium to get to Paris, which would surprise the French. There was the belief that it would take Russia too long to mobilise, so Germany

could defeat France and then turn East. However Belgium held the Germans up with their resistance, giving time for France

to move their troops. The British also intervened due to their treaty with Belgium. Russia also mobilised much quicker than Germany had anticipated. The BEF arrived and were able to hold the Germans up, along with the French. Germany now had to deal with a war on two fronts.

Who was to blame?

The best way to remember the outbreak of WWI is with the MAIN causes.- Militarism- Alliances- Imperialism- Nationalism Each of the countries played a part in the outbreak of WWI.

Germany Their quest for militarism. Their actions down in Morocco. Supporting Austria after they declared war on Serbia. They invaded Belgium.

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The Kaiser was very nationalistic and aggressive towards others.Austria-Hungary

Had planned to attack Serbia since 1906, the assassination gave them an excuse.

Aggressive policy within the Balkans. War broke out because they declared war on Serbia.

Serbia They deliberately tried to antagonise the Austrians. They were responsible for the Franz Ferdinand assassination.

Russia Had been humiliated in 1908, so became more aggressive as a result.

They mobilised, which threatened Germany. Had been seeking power in the Balkans and helped increase

tensions.Britain Their empire led to Germany desiring a place in the sun.

Competing with Germany over the Dreadnought. Became involved in European politics, such as Morocco and the

alliances. Went to war over a ‘scrap of paper’.

Part 2: WWI and Stalemate

The failure of the Schlieffen Plan

The war became bogged down in the trenches due to the Schlieffen Plan failing.

The failure of the Schlieffen plan came about as the BEF held the Germans up at Mons.

British and French forces combined to meet the Germans at the River Marne.

Germany were pushed back by the French and British counter, however they were not driven out of France entirely.

On the 8th September both sides began to dig trenches.

Germany also attempted to outflank by ‘racing to the sea’.

However Britain and Germany blocked them off to stop them breaking through.

The nature of the warfare favoured defence, meaning neither side really moved anywhere.

Various countries played a part in this and led to the plan failing.

Germany• The advance through Belgium and

France took its toll on German

Britain• The Kaiser dismissed the BEF (British

Expeditionary Force) as a ‘little army’

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Dug Out

Wooden Periscope

Lee Enfield Rifle

Sandbags

Barbed Wire

soldiers.• They were exhausted thanks to the

long battles and resistance put up by the Allies.

• As such they were much slower reaching France than expected.

• Von Schlieffen, who devised the plan, said that the right wing should be the strongest part of the invading forces.

• von Moltke, the new German commander, ignored this advice and instead sent men to reinforce the Russian front.

• As such Germany were 100,000 soliders short when they invaded Belgium.

• Other changes, such as only attacking through Belgium and Luxembourg, rather than also going through the Netherlands, made the attack narrower and easier to defend against.

however they arrived in France quicker than the Germans expected.

• The BEF were a small, but excellently trained force.

• The new German commander, von Moltke, had to transfer troops from the Eastern Front to the West to face the BEF.

• On the 23rd August the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) met German forces at the town of Mons.

• The BEF was heavily outnumbered by 160,000 German men and twice the number of artillery guns.

• The British were so effective with their Lee Enfield rifles that the Germans believed they were up against machine guns.

• The BEF were only able to hold up the German advance before being ordered to retreat to the River Marne.

Belgium• The Belgians, in their forts resisted

and slowed down the Germans. Over one million Germans marched into Belgium in August.

• Deep concrete forts protecting Antwerp, Liege and Namur delayed the Germans.

• The Germans had to use heavy guns to break the defences down.

• It took until October for Antwerp to surrender.

• Belgian resistance gave time for the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) to arrive.

France• The French attacked Alsace-Lorraine

(on the German-French border) however they suffered heavy casualties.

• They were aided by the delays caused by Britain and Belgium.

• The French moved troops towards Paris thanks to these delays, where they made a stand against German forces at the Battle of Marne.

Living and fighting in the trenches

Trenches were dug, features included bays, dugout, firestep, duckboards, sandbags,

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No-man’s-land was dangerous, was filled with craters and boggy ground. Barbed wire and snipers also made it near impossible to traverse.

A constant artillery bombardment was used with shells and shrapnel going off everywhere.

Men would go over the top, often running straight into enemy machine-gun fire.

Many soldiers were ordinary men, they hadn’t travelled before, so the war in Europe was seen to be an adventure.

Food was rationed, a lot would be tinned food, though the type of food meant most soldiers put weight on!

Soldiers faced many issues such as lice, rats, mud, disease (trench foot), rain and cold.

There were numerous deaths or wounded soldiers, 346 soldiers were also executed for cowardice.

How important were new developments in warfare?

Machine Guns were defensive (could fire 600 bullets a minute)

They were static weapons, yet did an obscene amount of damage and destruction.

The guns were devastatingly effective and one of the reasons why the British suffered so many problems at the Somme.

Artillery bombardments caused more casualties than any other weapon.

Artillery had two main jobs, to destroy enemy positions and to destroy their weaponry.

However it wasn’t very accurate, especially at the start of the war, however it did improve by 1918.

Tanks were first used in 1916 at the Somme, had the shock factor. However they were unreliable, kept breaking down and slow. Tanks became much more effective after 1917

in the Battle of Cambrai and they began to offer a significant boost to British morale.

Aeroplanes were used but mainly for reconnaissance, the photos they took were invaluable.

They would soon be used for dogfights.

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By 1918 it was common to see air battles over the Western Front. Gas was first used in 1915, such as chlorine, mustard and phosgene. It was not a deadly weapon (only killed 3,000 British), but caused numerous injuries. However it was unreliable due to the wind and gasmasks were developed to counter

this.

The Battle of Verdun

In early 1915 the French, British and Germans had all tried and failed to break the stalemate.

France had lost many thousands of men at Champagne. The British had lost men in March at Neuve Chapelle. The Germans had been driven back from Ypres in April with heavy losses. So in February 1916 the Germans set out to capture Verdun. The German commander, Falkenhayn, came up with the strategy of attrition – this

was where he would wear down his opponents until they could no longer fight. He claimed he was going to ‘bleed France white’. Falkenhayn wanted to attack a narrow stretch of land that had historic sentiment for

the French – Verdun. The area around Verdun contained twenty major forts and forty smaller ones that

had historically protected the eastern border of France. Falkenhayn believed that the French simply could not allow these forts to fall as the

national humiliation would have been too much. By fighting to the last man, Falkenhayn believed that the French would lose so many

men that the battle would change the course of the war.

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However, Falkenhayn’s plan also had one major weakness – it assumed that the French would be an easy opponent and that it would be the French who would take massive casualties – and not the Germans.

This tactic failed as both sides suffered equal losses.

Attacks by the Germans were followed by counter-attacks, leading to 700,000 men being killed by July 1916.

On June 1st, Germany launched a massive attack at Verdun.

By June 23rd, they got within 2.5 miles from Verdun itself – but this attack faltered as the German army itself had given all that it had and it could give no more.

On June 24th, the bombardment on the Somme could be heard at Verdun an d with days, the battle at the Somme was to dominate military planners on the Western Front.

By the end of October 1916, the French had re-captured the two forts at Vaux and Douaumont but the surrounding land where the battle had been fought since February was a wasteland.

The battle at Verdun continued to December – ironically after the Somme conflict was considered to have ended.

It is probable that an accurate figure of deaths will never be known. It is said that the French lost over 360,000 and the Germans nearly 340,000.

The Somme

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It was fought to relieve the pressure on the French at Verdun.

The week before had seen Britain pound the Germans with 1.7 million shells.

The attack begun at 7.30am on July 1st

1916. Two huge mines placed under the

German lines were detonated. 27 divisions attacked the German lines. The shells had proved to be ineffective

and the British forces advanced too slowly.

German gunners moved to the front line and defended the trenches. There were around 57,000 British casualties on the first day, with around 20,000 of

them being killed. The attack went on for another four months, with very little gains being made by the

British. This kept on until November with casualties of 415,000 for Britain, 195,000 for

France and 600,000 for Germany. General Haig , who was in charge is sometimes seen as a butcher due to the number

of deaths, however others disagree:

In defence of Haig Haig as a butcher No other viable strategies available

to him. Communication was poor so he had

no idea how the Battle was going. He introduced new ideas such as the

tank. The Somme was described as the

muddy grave of the German army.

He ordered his men to walk. Used the same tactics as before

(going over the top). Didn’t listen to those who said the

shelling had failed. Refused to use new ideas to start.

Other Key Battles

There were four other key battles during WWI.

Battle Date EventsVimy Ridge April

1917• The Allies needed to capture Vimy Ridge to get to Ypres.• Canadian troops were mainly used here.• More freedom was given to troops, with the instruction

to keep moving.• Troops were given specialist tasks such as machine

gunners, grenade throwers and engineers.• The creeping barrage was being used.• The week before was constant shelling on the Germans.• On April 9th the Canadian troops advanced over the top.• By the end of the date they had captured all their

objectives and controlled most of Vimy Ridge.

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• They pushed the Germans back 5km.• 3,598 Canadians were killed and 7,000 wounded with

20,000 German casualties.Battle of Messines Ridge

7th June 1917

• An attempt by the Allies to capture land at Ypres.• The aim was to reduce the German tactical threat in the

area.• The aim was to complete the battle in one day.• Mines and the rolling barrage tactic were used by the

Allies to great effect.• Britain had fired artillery the week before the attack,

however they destroyed 90% of German artillery using this method.

• 19 mines were set off killing 10,000 Germans.• The rolling barrage and infantry then advanced to

German positions.• Major targets were acquired and the battle was won in a

day.• The Allies lost 20,000 men, but the battle was a major

success for them.Battle of Passchendaele

July 1917

• Fought in July 1917.• The attempt to break through into Flanders to get to the

Belgian coast.• On July 18th a heavy artillery barrage was used to soften

up the German lines.• This lasted for 10 days, firing 4 million shells.• As a result the Germans expected an Allied attack.• The infantry attacked on July 31st.• The Germans were prepared and the Allies made few

gains.• The area around Flanders became a swamp, with tanks

and infantry getting stuck.• Small battles were fought nearby where the Allies had

some success.• The Germans used gas and were reinforced by soldiers

from the East.• Britain captured the village on November 6th.• Britain lost 310,000 men to Germany’s 260,000 and Haig

was criticised.Battle of Cambrai

November-December 1917

• The first battle where tanks were used en-masse.• It would use old and new tactics such as cavalry, tanks, air

and infantry.• Some were worried as tanks hadn’t shown themselves to

be worthy in battle.• The battle started on the 20th November.• After a heavy artillery bombardment, 350 tanks advanced

with infantry.• They made huge gains, with one division gaining 5 miles.• There were some issues with troops getting bogged

down.• However by December 3rd Haig ordered the units near

Cambrai to retreat due to the German counter.17

• It showed that a better command structure was needed, but tanks were effective.

• Britain lost 44,000 men to Germany’s 45,000.

Gallipoli

Winston Churchill wanted to reduced the pressure on the Western Front and believed Gallipoli was the perfect place to attack for several reasons:

- It could break the stalemate on the Western Front.- It could knock Turkey out of the war as they were seen as the weakest link.- It would open up sea routes to the East and Russia in particular.- It would reduce pressure on other

fronts.- It seemed unlikely to develop into

trench warfare. The attack started in March 1915,

however an attack on Constantinople failed as Turkish mines sunk three ships.

The Allied commanders decided they would need to attack via a land assault, however this also failed.

Attacks on Helles beach and Sulva Bay failed as the Allied Troops couldn’t capture the Turkish trenches and they weren’t used to the conditions in Gallipoli.

They did however manage to sink German ships at Constantinople harbour, but couldn’t get the British fleet through.

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By November the Allied troops were struck by frostbite and by December it was clear they were not well equipped enough.

As a result a withdrawal was the only possible option and the campaign was seen as a huge failure.

In total there were half a million casualties including Australian and New Zealand troops.

Turkey fought well and Germany had trained the Turkish Army and resourced them.

Confusion within the British Ranks who failed to open up the stretch of water at Dardenelles.

The War at Sea

There were no decisive sea battles during WWI.

Both sides however did need supplies to be brought into their countries and the navies played a key role in allowing this to happen.

In 1914 the British blockaded the German ports, with the aim being to stop Germany getting supplies.

300,000 Germans died of hunger and disease during WWI and it stopped the supply of nitrates (which were vital to help make shells).

The blockade was crucial in leading to Germany’s eventual surrender.

Submarines were a new type of warfare that the Germans were quick to use.

Germany used unrestricted submarine warfare in 1916, sinking a quarter of British merchant ships.

The U-boats almost won the war (Britain had only 6 weeks of food left in 1917).

However unrestricted submarine warfare was crucial in causing America to join the war.

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Britain survived due to their use of Q-Boats, the convoy system and the introduction of rationing in 1918.

The British used the convoy system to great effect, offering protection to merchant ships and making it difficult for the U-boats to sink the ships.

The British also used anti-submarine nets and laid mines. The Battle of Jutland in 1916 was the only sea battle of the war. Admiral Jellicoe of the British navy played a key role in preventing a German victory. Neither side won, though Britain lost 14 ships to Germany’s 9. However the Germans plan to break the blockade had failed and their fleet never

came out to fight again.

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Part 3: The end of the war

America’s entry into the War

The USA had supported the Allies with loans, weapons and food during the war.

However the USA had remained neutral and refused to join a side in the war.

German U-Boat attacks on American ships, such as the Lusitania in 1915 which killed 128 Americans, angered America.

However the USA refused to join the war at this point.

The Germans wanted to avoid bringing America into the war, so they began to control the ships they attacked.

By 1917 Germany were getting desperate so introduced unrestricted submarine warfare.

As a result a variety of American aiding the Allies were sunk. This along with the Zimmerman telegram to Mexico (asking them to attack the USA)

led to America joining WWI. The USA declared war on Germany on

April 6th 1917. America was the richest country in the

world, with resources to aid the Allies. Yet they did not have an immediate

impact and by the start of 1918 the American reinforcements hadn’t arrived.

It also took time to assemble troops and prepare equipment.

They did provide a huge advantage as they were able to supply Britain with food and resources.

1.8 million troops were sent to France by October 1918. They arrived to help stop the Ludendorff Offensive and took part in the Allied

counter-offensive.

Russia’s Defeat

Russia were defeated at the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914, this was a huge blow as large numbers of their army were lost and the General in charge committed suicide.

The Battle of Masurian Lakes was another failure for the Russians. Although they did lead a successful counter attack they were pushed back by the

Germans and Austro-Hungarians.

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The constant defeats and lack of supplies for both soldiers and civilians led to the Russian people turning against the government.

A revolution in March 1917 led to the Tsar leaving, however the replacing Provisional Government kept Russia in the war.

As a result the Kerensky Offensive, led by the head of the Provisional Government, failed as few soldiers wanted to take part.

This led to a second revolution in October, led by the Communists, who pulled Russia out of the war.

They signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany in 1918.

This meant the Germans could transfer hundreds of thousands of troops to the Western Front.

There were several reasons for why Russia dropped out:

- Lack of morale – Soldiers not motivated after so much death and destruction.

- Lack of quality – Many soldiers were peasants and not trained to fight.- Lack of discipline – Many soldiers didn’t listen to their superior officers.- Lack of supplies – A lack of food and weapons, many men went in unequipped. - Political events – The Bolshevik Revolution removed the government.

The Situation in 1918

Russia had left the war which meant Germany had an extra 1 million soldiers.

With America arriving Germany knew they needed to finish the war quickly.

They knew that Britain’s failed Passchendaele Offensive had reduced the morale of her army.

Germany’s allies were on the point of collapse so Germany needed to act fast.

German people were starving due to the British blockade.

The German troops were dying and they had lost many of their best and experienced men.

There were improvements in technology allowing for more attacking and innovative tactics.

Germany could no longer attack targets in England due to developments in better searchlights, anti-aircraft guns and planes.

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Germany knew they needed a quick victory if they were to win the war.

The Spring Offensive

The Ludendorff Offensive (or Spring Offensive) came into play in March 1918. It started with a huge bombardment and gas attacks, which were followed up with

attacks by specially trained storm troopers. The Germans broke through several Allied lines and advanced around 64km. It was successful at first as they were 50 miles from Paris. The Offensive seemed like it would lead to German victory. However the German troops were tired and they were running out of men to keep

up the offensive. Germany had lost 400,000 men and had no reserves to call upon. Ludendorff needed 200,000 fresh troops each month to continue the war. However

he was told only 300,000 men were available for the next 12 months. The German soldiers were exhausted after the offensives of March-July 1918. There was also a lack of supplies and food due to the British Blockade.

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There was a shortage of chemicals, as well as iron ore, which meant Germany had to reduce production of poisonous gas and weapons.

Germany had a much larger area to defend with fewer troops and hastily set-up defences.

The Allies were being constantly reinforced by the arrival of fresh American troops, which greatly increased the morale of the British and French soldiers.

The unified command structure under General Foch enable the Allies to co-ordinate their attacks on the German defences.

The Allies used the tanks to great effect to spearhead attacks and force gaps in the German trenches, which could be exploited by advancing infantry troops.

Haig provided effective leadership, enabling the advancing British armies to make maximum use of air cover, gas and tanks.

On the 8th August the Allies counter attacked and pushed the Germans back. By September the Allies had reached the Hindenburg Line. By October the Germans were in full retreat, this was known as the Hundred Days.

Why did Germany sign the Armistice?

The Allies began to counterattack the Germans in August 1918. The Kiel Mutiny in October meant the German

navy refused to go out and fight. There was rioting in Germany and the potential

of a revolution, numerous crowds gathered and marched in Berlin against the war.

The German government sought a ceasefire and knew the only way they would get this would be if the Kaiser stepped down.

The Kaiser abdicated in November, allowing the Social Democrats to help run the country as a republic.

Germany agreed to an armistice with the Allies. The terms were harsh with Germany having to

give up all occupied land, to hand over their navy, allowing the British blockade to continue and to accept the blame for the war.

At 11am on the 11th November 1918 a ceasefire was declared.

The role of Haig and Foch

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Two key Generals played a role in the eventual success of the Allies.

Ferdinand Foch Sir Douglas Haig Had a distinguished military career

before 1914. One of France’s leading generals. Was removed from his position as

commander of the French forced in 1916.

In 1917 he was recalled to become Chief of the General Staff.

He was put in charge of halting the Spring Offensive in 1918.

Was given the title of Marshall and planned the grand offensive against Germany in August 1918.

Had a distinguished military career before 1914.

Commanded the British forces from 1915.

His reputation was impacted by the Battle of the Somme.

His overall strategy proved to be successful by 1918.

Promoted new strategies and tactics which aided the Allies.

Led resistance to the Spring Offensive in 1918.

Working under Marshall Foch he led the British army against the Germans.

Captured nearly 200,000 prisoners and around 3,000 guns.

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