Lesson video

Hello, I'm Mr. Marchant and I'll be your history teacher for today's lesson.

I'm really excited to have you joining me as we explore today's subject, and my number one priority will be to help ensure that you can meet our lesson objective for today.

Welcome to today's lesson, which is part of our Edexcel unit on "Medicine in Britain." By the end of the lesson, you'll be able to explain the conditions British forces fought in on the Western Front and the challenges these created.

There are three keywords which will help us navigate our way through today's lesson.

Those are casualties, waterlogged, and evacuation.

Casualties are people who are injured or killed during a war.

Waterlogged is a word that's used when land has become full of water.

And evacuation means to move people from a dangerous place to somewhere safer.

Today's lesson will be split into three parts and we'll begin by focusing on fighting on the Western Front.

World War I lasted from 1914 to 1918.

In Western Europe, British forces an their allies fought against the German army in an area known as the Western Front.

The British sector of the Western Front was located in Northern France and in a region of Belgium called Flanders.

This sector experienced heavy fighting.

So, thinking about what we've just heard, what was the area of Western Europe where British forces fought during World War I referred to as? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said the correct answer was the Western Front.

This was the area of Western Europe where British forces fought against those of Germany.

Between 1914 and 1918, several major battles were fought along the British sector of the Western Front, especially around locations such as Ypres, the Somme, Arras, and Cambrai.

Three battles were fought around Ypres during World War I.

Success for British forces in the First Battle of Ypres in 1914 was important, as it ensured that they could retain control over ports on the French and Belgian coast.

If access to these ports had been lost, it would've been far more difficult for soldiers and supplies to be moved between Britain and its armies on the Western Front.

The Second Battle of Ypres was fought in 1915.

The second battle was particularly notable as the German army used chlorine gas as a weapon on the Western Front for the first time.

Meanwhile, the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele, was notable for high casualties and heavy rains, which created a waterlogged and muddy battlefield.

In 1916, British forces launched a major attack against the German army at the Somme.

The Battle of the Somme saw some of the worst casualty rates the British Army has ever experienced in its history.

There were 57,000 British casualties on the first day alone and over 400,000 during the course of the entire battle.

There were also high numbers of casualties for British forces during the Battle of Arras in 1917.

However, British forces did benefit from a network of underground tunnels and caves at Arras which were used for transport, accommodation, and shelter.

In fact, a hospital was even set up within the tunnels at Arras.

That same year, British forces also fought a major battle at Cambrai where the use of tanks led to plenty of initial success.

However, as the Battle of Cambrai continued, many tanks began to break down and the number of British casualties rose.

So, let's make sure we have a secure understanding of everything we've heard so far.

British forces suffered 57,000 casualties on the first day of which battle? The First Battle of Ypres, the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Arras, or the Battle of Cambrai? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said the correct answer was B.

British forces suffered 57,000 casualties on the first day alone of the Battle of the Somme.

And which major battle is often associated with waterlogged battlefields? Is it the Second Battle of Ypres, the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Arras, or the Third Battle of Ypres? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said the correct answer was D.

The Third Battle of Ypres, otherwise known as the Battle of Passchendaele, is often associated with waterlogged battlefields.

And now we have a statement which reads, "New weapons were deployed during the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915." But is that statement true or false? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that that statement was true, but we need to be able to justify our response.

So why is it that that original statement was correct? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said during the Second Battle of Ypres, the German army used chlorine gas as a weapon on the Western Front for the first time.

And let's try one final question.

Why was the success of British forces at the First Battle of Ypres important? Was it because it forced Germany to surrender and withdraw all forces from Belgium and Northern France; because it ensured supplies and men could still move between Britain and the Western Front; or because it led to heavy casualties for German forces which prevented them from launching any future attacks? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said the correct answer was B.

British success at the First Battle of Ypres was important because it ensured that supplies and men could still move between Britain and the Western Front.

So, we're now in a good position to put all of our knowledge about fighting on the Western Front into practise.

I want you to study the information in the table.

Key features from several major battles on the Western Front are described, and I want you to identify which battle each key feature refers to.

So pause the video here and press play when you're ready to reflect on your responses.

Okay, well done for all of your hard work on that task.

So, I asked you to identify which battle each key feature in the table was referring to.

For the first feature that said, "Chlorine gas was used for the first time," this was referring to the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915.

Our second feature that said, "Heavy rains created a waterlogged battlefield," was referring to the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917, otherwise known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

Our third feature that said, "Hospital was set up in underground tunnels," was referring to the Battle of Arras in 1917.

The fourth feature that said, "British forces retain control over ports in Belgium and France," was referring to the First Battle of Ypres in 1914.

And our final feature that said, "57,000 British casualties on the first day," was referring to the 1916 Battle of the Somme.

So really well done if you identified each of those features correctly.

And now we're ready to move on to the second part of our lesson for today where we are going to think about the trench system.

From the end of 1914 until early 1918, fighting on the Western Front became quite static.

There was little movement involved.

This was because of the development of trench systems by both sides.

Trench systems and modern weaponry made it easier to defend than to attack on the Western Front.

The primary purpose of trenches was defensive, and this influenced many features of the trench system.

British trenches were generally dug up to 2.

5 metres deep to keep the soldiers who used them protected from enemy fire.

Trenches were also constructed in a zigzag pattern rather than in straight lines.

This was intended to ensure that if an enemy artillery shell or soldiers got into British trenches, fewer soldiers would be exposed to them.

If enemy forces did try to attack, they had to leave the cover of their own trenches and cross an exposed area known as no man's land.

Barbed wire was usually placed in no man's land to slow down any attacking forces, making enemy soldiers even easier to target with machine gunfire.

So, thinking about what we've just heard, how were individual trenches often built? Was it in curved lines, in straight lines, or in zigzag patterns? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said the correct answer was C.

Individual trenches were often built in a zigzag pattern.

And what area had to be crossed to launch an attack on an enemy trench? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said the correct answer was no man's land.

No man's land was an exposed area that had to be crossed in order for any army to launch an attack on an enemy trench on the Western Front.

On the Western Front, British forces constructed a network of interlocking trenches.

Frontline trenches looked out over no man's land, and it was from these trenches that attacks were launched.

Behind the frontline trenches were support trenches.

Support trenches were often around 80 metres behind the frontline and were a place where soldiers could retreat to if the frontline trench was attacked.

Reserve trenches were built further back, often around 100 metres behind the support trench, and could be used to prepare soldiers for counterattacks if the frontline trench was captured.

Communication trenches connected frontline, support, and reserve trenches to one another, allowing soldiers to move between the lines safely.

Holes, often known as dugouts, were also built into the sides of some trenches, giving soldiers a place to rest or take shelter in the event of an attack.

So, let's make sure we've got a secure understanding of everything we've just heard.

Which part of the trench system were attacks launched from? Was it dugouts, frontline trenches, no man's land, or support trenches? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that the correct answer was B.

Frontline trenches were the part of the trench system where attacks were launched from.

And now we have a statement on the screen which reads, "It was easier to defend than attack a trench." But is that statement true or false? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that that statement was true, but we need to be able to justify our response.

So why is it that that original statement was correct? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, well done if you said something like, "Trenches had many features, such as their zigzag designs and multiple lines to protect soldiers, whereas attacking forces had to expose themselves in no man's land to make an attack." So, we're now in a good position to put all of our knowledge about the trench system into practise.

Firstly, I want you to study the diagram of the British trench system.

Identify and label each of the following features shown in the diagram.

So you should be labelling the communication trench, the dugout, the frontline trench, no man's land, the reserve trench, and the support trench.

So pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answers.

Okay, well done for all of your effort on that task.

So, to label the trench, you should have said that no man's land is the area of land before any of the trenches.

The frontline trench is the closest to no man's land.

Behind that, by about 80 metres, was the support trench, and behind that, the reserve trench.

These are connected by communication trenches.

And finally, dugouts were holes in the ground dug into the sides of some trenches.

So, we can now move on to the second part of Task B.

I now want you to describe two ways in which the trench system was designed to protect British soldiers.

Ensure that your descriptions are supported by specific factual details.

So pause the video here and press play when you're ready to reflect on your response.

Okay, well done for all of your effort on that task.

So, I asked you to describe two ways in which the trench system was designed to protect British soldiers, and your answer may have included, "One way the trench system was designed to protect soldiers was by constructing trenches in zigzags.

By avoiding straight lines, fewer soldiers would be exposed if a trench was hit by an enemy artillery shell or if an enemy soldier entered the trench.

Another protective feature of trenches was dugouts.

These were holes built into the sides of trenches and soldiers could shelter in these if a trench was attacked." So well done it your own responses look something like those models which we've just seen.

And so now we're ready to move on to the third and final part of our lesson for today where we are going to think about the challenges posed by the local environment.

The environment British forces fought in along the Western Front created many medical challenges.

In some cases, the local environment directly threatened the wellbeing and health of soldiers.

In other instances, features of the local environment could make it difficult to move wounded soldiers so they could receive medical treatment.

British troops in Flanders fought in an area with a wet climate.

Heavy rains meant that flooding could become an issue.

British trenches tended to be built on lower ground, which made them more prone to flooding.

One soldier described water as the chief enemy of British soldiers and complained that in winter one walked in the trenches with water above their knee.

The wet climate could also create difficulties with mud.

During the Third Battle of Ypres, heavy rainfall produced swamps of mud that some soldiers drowned in.

Mud also made it difficult to evacuate wounded soldiers for medical treatment.

In good conditions, a wounded soldier could be carried off the battlefield by just two stretcher bearers.

However, in muddy conditions, it was often reported that four or more stretcher bearers were needed to move a single man, slowing down their work.

Meanwhile, speeding motor ambulances often became completely stuck in heavy mud.

Before the war, the British sector of the Western Front had been an agricultural region where heavy use had been made of fertilisers for farming.

As a result, the local soil contained lots of bacteria, including the microbes responsible for tetanus and gas gangrene infections.

During the war, the wounds of many soldiers were exposed to the local soil, leading to numerous cases of tetanus and gas gangrene infections, which could prove deadly.

So, thinking about what we've just heard, which infections became common in Flanders and Northern France due to bacteria in the local soil? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answers.

Okay, well done to everybody who said tetanus and gas gangrene infections became common in Flanders and Northern France due to bacteria in the local soil.

Let's try another question.

As a result of the local climate, how did some soldiers die during the Third Battle of Ypres? Was it that they died of dehydration, they drowned in mud, or they froze to death? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said the correct answer was B.

As a result of the local climate, which was incredibly wet, some soldiers died during the Third Battle of Ypres by drowning in mud.

And now we have a statement on the screen which says, "Muddy conditions had little impact on the evacuation of wounded soldiers." But is that statement true or false? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that that statement was false, but we need to be able to justify our response.

So why is it that that original statement was incorrect? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said muddy conditions could delay evacuation for wounded soldiers as motor ambulances often became stuck in heavy mud and larger teams of stretcher bearers were needed to move each wounded soldier.

So, we're now in a good position to put all of our knowledge about the challenges posed by the local environment into practise.

For Task C, I want you to study the extract.

It comes from the soldier Jack Dillon's memories of the Western Front and in it he says, "The mud at Passchendaele stuck to you all over.

It slowed you down.

You were covered with mud.

If you got off track, it drew at you, like a real monster that sucked you in." Based on the source, I want you to explain two medical challenges created by mud on the Western Front.

You should include quotes from the source and your own knowledge as part of your answer.

So pause the video here and press play when you're ready to reflect on your responses.

Okay, well done for all of your hard work on that task.

So, I asked you to explain two medical challenges created by mud on the Western Front based on the source, and your answer may have included, "One issue which the source refers to is mud making it more difficult to move.

For example, it says that mud on the Western Front 'stuck to you all over, it slowed you down.

' This was a medical challenge on the Western Front because it made it harder to evacuate wounded soldiers in order for them to receive treatment.

For example, muddy conditions meant more stretcher bearers were needed to move a single wounded soldier, slowing down their overall work.

Another issue created by mud which the source refers to was the risk of drowning.

For example, it says that 'if you got off track, it drew at you, like a real monster that sucked you in.

' At times, this was a serious issue on the Western Front, especially during the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917.

Heavy rain during the battle created large muddy swamps which some soldiers fell into and drowned in." So, if your own responses look something like those models which we've just seen, well done.

And so now we've reached the end of today's lesson, which puts us in a good position to summarise our learning about the British sector of the Western Front.

We've seen that on the Western Front, British forces fought in major battles, including at Ypres, the Somme, Arras, and Cambrai.

British forces suffered heavy casualties during major battles, including 57,000 on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

Trenches were built to help protect soldiers, including through the use of zigzag lines and availability of shelter in dugouts.

Bacteria in the local soil in Flanders and Northern France increased the risk of tetanus and gas gangrene infections, whilst a wet climate created flooding and muddy conditions, which slowed down medical evacuations and even drowned some soldiers.

So really well done for all of your effort during today's lesson.

It's been a pleasure to help guide you through our resources today and I look forward to seeing you again in the future as we continue to think about medicine in Britain through the context of medicine on the Western Front.