Changing Nature of War to 1918
What weapon entrenched the stalemate by cutting down waves of infantry assaults?
The machine gun.
Why were colonial resources vital to the Allied war effort?
Colonies supplied raw materials, food, and manpower.
How did the entry of the USA in 1917 alter the balance of the war?
It provided fresh troops, industrial output, and financial loans.
Define conscription.
Compulsory enlistment of men into the armed forces.
Which country’s forces did General John Monash command?
Australia.
What armoured vehicle introduced in 1916 marked the mechanisation of warfare?
The tank.
Define “total war” in the context of WWI.
The mobilisation of all a nation’s people, industry, and resources for the war effort.
What was the effect of the Allied naval blockade on Germany?
It restricted imports, causing famine, shortages, and weakening civilian morale.
What was censorship designed to prevent on the home front?
The spread of damaging news that could reduce morale or reveal military secrets.
Who earned the nickname “The Butcher of the Somme” because of the high casualties at the Somme and Passchendaele?
General Douglas Haig
What form of communication helped coordinate modern battle strategies?
Wireless radio and field telephones.
What type of work did women take on to replace men who enlisted?
Industrial labour in munitions factories and transport.
Explain how Allied cooperation and coordination gave them an advantage by 1918.
Unified command under General Foch improved strategy and coordination, allowing combined offensives with better timing, logistics, and joint use of resources.
What is propaganda, and why was it important in WWI?
Government-controlled messages to boost morale, demonise the enemy, and encourage enlistment.
Which well-planned 1918 battle showed Monash’s innovative use of combined arms and took only 93 minutes?
The Battle of Hamel.
Which chemical weapon, first used at Ypres in 1915, caused burns and blindness? Name both types.
Poison gas (chlorine and mustard gas).
Give three examples of how civilians were mobilised for war.
Rationing, working in munitions factories, or joining auxiliary services.
Why was Germany’s failure in the Spring Offensive of 1918 significant?
It exhausted German troops and resources, leading to heavy losses, while the Allies counterattacked with superior strength in the Hundred Days Offensive.
Which themes main themes were used recruitment posters? How were these posters a key tool in mobilisation?
Posters appealed to a man’s sense of patriotism, duty, and masculinity, in order to encourage enlistment.
Which Canadian commander stressed the importance of reconnaissance and minimising casualties?
General Arthur Currie
What medical development increased soldiers’ survival rates from battlefield injuries?
Blood transfusions and antiseptic surgery.
How did governments control civilian life in a total war economy?
Rationing, censorship, propaganda, and state regulation of industry.
Explain how the concept of a war of attrition shaped the outcome of WWI and favoured the Allies.
The Allies’ larger populations, greater industrial capacity, and access to global resources meant they could sustain heavy losses and maintain supply lines, while Germany collapsed under shortages, exhaustion, and the effects of the Allied blockade.
How did propaganda differ in democratic nations like Britain compared to authoritarian states like Germany during WWI?
In Britain, propaganda aimed to unify a diverse population and encourage voluntary enlistment, often appealing to patriotism and masculinity. In Germany, propaganda emphasised obedience and duty to the Kaiser, with stricter censorship and control over dissent due to fewer democratic outlets.
Who was the prominent figure that, besides becoming the effective commander of the German armed forces during the latter part of World War I, engineered a de facto military dictatorship in Germany alongside Paul von Hindenburg?
General Erich Ludendorff