New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

The British sector of the Western Front

I can explain the conditions British forces fought in on the Western Front and the challenges these created.

New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

The British sector of the Western Front

I can explain the conditions British forces fought in on the Western Front and the challenges these created.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Major battles on the Western Front were fought at Ypres, the Somme, Arras and Cambrai.
  2. British forces suffered high casualties during many major battles.
  3. Trench systems were developed to protect soldiers.
  4. Bacteria in the soil in Flanders and northern France increased the risk of infection.
  5. A wet climate created issues such as flooding and muddy landscapes.

Keywords

  • Casualties - people who are injured or killed during a war

  • Waterlogged - when land has become full of water

  • Evacuation - to move people from a dangerous place to somewhere safer

Common misconception

The local environment on the Western Front had no significance for medicine and the health of British forces.

Waterlogged and muddy ground threatened soldiers and slowed down medical evacuations whilst bacteria in the local soil created a serious risk of infections.


To help you plan your year 10 history lesson on: The British sector of the Western Front, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

After completing Task C, have pupils to study the image on slide 9 of the slide deck. Ask pupils whether the image gives the same impression of conditions during the Third Battle of Ypres as the source from Task C. Pupils should refer to specific details in each source to support their answers.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), 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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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Medical treatments which involve cutting into the body are described as .

Correct Answer: invasive

Q2.
In which year were X-rays discovered?

1815
1855
Correct answer: 1895
1935
1975

Q3.
What is the purpose of aseptic surgery?

Correct answer: to sterilise surgical environments before operations begin
to destroy harmful microbes in wounds during an operation
to ensure patients don't go into shock during surgery
to prevent patients feeling too much pain during surgery

Q4.
At the start of the 20th century, the inability to prevent made it impossible to store blood.

Correct Answer: clotting

Q5.
Which blood group can be transfused to any patient without complications?

A
B
AB
Correct answer: O

Q6.
Match each of the following developments to the century in which they occurred.

Correct Answer:14th century,spread of the Black Death

spread of the Black Death

Correct Answer:18th century,smallpox vaccine developed

smallpox vaccine developed

Correct Answer:19th century,antiseptic and aseptic surgery developed

antiseptic and aseptic surgery developed

Correct Answer:20th century,outbreak of WWI

outbreak of WWI

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
are people who are injured or killed during a war.

Correct Answer: Casualties

Q2.
Many soldiers drowned in mud during which battle?

First Battle of Ypres
Second Battle of Ypres
Correct answer: Third Battle of Ypres

Q3.
How many casualties were there on the first day of the Battle of the Somme (1916)?

Correct Answer: 57 000

Q4.
Bacteria in the soil in Flanders and northern France caused which types of infection?

cholera
Correct answer: gas gangrene
Correct answer: tetanus
tuberculosis

Q5.
In good conditions, how many stretcher bearers were needed to evacuate a wounded soldier?

one
Correct answer: two
four
six

Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.

1 - Outbreak of WWI
2 - British success at First Battle of Ypres protected its control over ports
3 - Chlorine gas used by German forces for the first time
4 - British forces suffered 400 000 casualties at the Somme
5 - Underground hospital set-up at Arras

Additional material

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