The Western Front in WW1
I can explain that war on the Western Front was fought largely in trenches, and by men from across the British Empire.
The Western Front in WW1
I can explain that war on the Western Front was fought largely in trenches, and by men from across the British Empire.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Lord Kitchener quickly began to recruit more soldiers in Britain as he anticipated a long, drawn out war.
- The troops who volunteered to fight found themselves fighting a war of attrition from the trenches.
- The attempt to break the stalemate during the 1916 Battle of the Somme caused large loss of life for little gain.
- The British and French troops fought alongside the British Indian Army on the Western Front.
- Over 1.5 million Indian troops fought for Britain in the war.
Keywords
War of attrition - a war of attrition is a conflict in which each side tries to wear the other down by inflicting maximum casualties
Stalemate - a stalemate is a situation in which further progress by opposing sides seems impossible
Conscription - conscription is the process of forcing people to join the armed forces
Trenches - long, narrow ditches which soldiers dug to protect themselves during the war against enemy attacks
Western Front - a 400-mile long strip of land through France and Belgium were the largest battles of WW1 were fought
Common misconception
The British army went into the war confidently, with a large number of troops.
The British army had no more than 700 000 men in August 1914, they would need to use mass recruitment and colonial armies.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
the process of forcing people to join the armed forces
a conflict in which each side tries to wear the other down
long narrow ditches which soldiers dug to protect themselves
when further progress by opposing sides seems impossible