University:
University of Cambridge
Course:
0470 IGCSE | History
Academic year:

2023
Views:

7

Pages:

2
Author:

JackA1

IGCSE History: World War I – Documentary From the documentary ‘1914-1918′: Kaiser Wilhelm II promised to have lunch in Paris and dinner in St. Petersburg. The Germans utilized the Big Bertha for the Battle of Verdun: ● Huge howitzer. ● Could fire 820kg shells. As the Germans advanced through Belgium: ● Citizens fought back. ● Snipers attacked inflicting large casualties. ● This slowed the German advance. The Germans were terrified of sniper attacks: ● “Unless they shot first no one knew where the enemy was” reports a soldier. ● There was no defense against this. ● Nerve-racked German troopers would condone slaughter at the slightest provocation. At the time: ● 10 Belgian civilians died for each German soldier they killed. Propaganda: ● British authorities started a propaganda war with Germany. ● Germany was made to appear as a: ● Beast; Germans were genetically bestial. ● A bully crushing smaller nations fighting for survival e.g. Belgium. The British army was based on volunteers: ● Even football matches became recruiting drives. ● Towns and cities competed to see which could raise the most recruits. ● “Join up with your friends” became the recruiting slogan. Many signed up with their friends. These groups were kept together in the army: ● Their members would be sent to the same outposts. ● This had a huge impact on morale: ● Men had to watch as their friends died in battle. All recruits had to be of good health and aged between 19 and 30. 1914, Kitchener had a large army at his command. ● It was an army built on the patriotism of the British people. ● Some people joined because they wished to escape the boredom of agricultural life. Alsace and Lorraine: ● French forces assaulted the German defenses here. ● They advanced in a 19th century formation: ● § They were in full view of the Germans throughout. 7th August, 1914: ● In the 4 days leading from this 40 000 French soldiers were killed. ● 20 000 in one day. ● The French were defeated. ● The French had fallen for the German ploy to draw their troops away from Paris. ● The British could not decide who to fight the Germans or the French. ● 400 000 French soldiers had been lost just to reach a stalemate situation on the Western Front. The Germans were faced with war on two fronts: ● The Russian army mobilized much faster than expected. ● They had thought that since Russia had been recently defeated by Japan they would take at least 6 months to prepare for another war. The Russian Army: ● It was large. ● Most soldiers were inexperienced and merely peasants. ● Lack of artillery shells. ● Officers and veterans were few. ● The Russian commanders were not on speaking terms with each other. Battle of Tannenburg: (23-30 August, 1914) ● The Russians had split their forces in two. ● These were intercepted by the Germans. ● The First and Second Armies of Russia were almost completely destroyed. ● 100 000 Russians were taken prisoner at this battle.