WAR ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Syllabus Topics:
- The nature of trench warfare and life in the trenches dealing with experiences of Allied and German Soldiers
- Overview of strategies and tactics to break the stalemate including key battles :Verdun, the Somme, Passchendaele
- The nature of trench warfare and life in the trenches dealing with experiences of Allied and German Soldiers
- Overview of strategies and tactics to break the stalemate including key battles :Verdun, the Somme, Passchendaele
DUE DATE: WEEK 3 PERIOD 3
Answers must be accessible for this lesson and handed in either on paper or electronically at the end of the lesson.
Activity 1 - Life in Trench Video
(10 minutes)
Watch the short video clip below about life in a trench and answer the below questions on trench warfare
Question 1
List 10 words that describe life in the trenches.
Question 2
Why were trenches built?
Question 3
German trenches had dry trenches with bunkers, electricity and sometimes running water while British trenches were muddy, smelly and unsafe. Why did the British not take the same precautions as the Germans in building their trenches?
Question 4
'More soldiers died from disease than direct fire'
List the types of diseases and illnesses caused by life in trenches that were common in soldiers on the Western front.
List 10 words that describe life in the trenches.
Question 2
Why were trenches built?
Question 3
German trenches had dry trenches with bunkers, electricity and sometimes running water while British trenches were muddy, smelly and unsafe. Why did the British not take the same precautions as the Germans in building their trenches?
Question 4
'More soldiers died from disease than direct fire'
List the types of diseases and illnesses caused by life in trenches that were common in soldiers on the Western front.
Activity 2 - Trench Layout
(10 minutes)
Using Source A and Source B, answer the multiple choice questions about trench layout
Source A
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Source B
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Questions:
1) What was the land between two enemy trenches called
a) attack zone
b) no mans land
c) dugout
d) duck board
2) What are 'duckboards'
a) Boards used to block enemy gunfire and hand grenades
b) Wooden boards meant to keep the soldier's feet above the water
c) wooden boards used to cover the top of the trenches when it rained
d) all of the above
3) How deep is the trench in Source A
a) 0.5m
b) 2m
c) 4m
d) 6.5m
4) What is the purpose of the 'dug out'
a) to provide soldiers with shelter from rain
b) to protect soldiers from enemy fire
c) a place to sleep
d) all of the above
1) What was the land between two enemy trenches called
a) attack zone
b) no mans land
c) dugout
d) duck board
2) What are 'duckboards'
a) Boards used to block enemy gunfire and hand grenades
b) Wooden boards meant to keep the soldier's feet above the water
c) wooden boards used to cover the top of the trenches when it rained
d) all of the above
3) How deep is the trench in Source A
a) 0.5m
b) 2m
c) 4m
d) 6.5m
4) What is the purpose of the 'dug out'
a) to provide soldiers with shelter from rain
b) to protect soldiers from enemy fire
c) a place to sleep
d) all of the above
Activity 3 - Trench Warfare Diagram
(10 minutes)
Using Source C, name TWO features of trench warfare and describe how they made it difficult to break the stalemate
Source C
Diagram illustration trench warfare
Source retrieved from: Board of Studies Teaching & Educational Standards NSW. (2014). Higher School Certificate: Modern History.
Activity 4 - Disease and Illness
(15 minutes)
Complete the short answer questions about illness and disease in the trench below.
Trench Foot
You can read more about trench foot from the website these sources are from http://spartacus-educational.com/FWWfoot.htm
You can read more about trench foot from the website these sources are from http://spartacus-educational.com/FWWfoot.htm
Question : Using Source D and Source E, why would trench foot be of such concern to the military authorities of both sides ?
Lice
Lice
Source F
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Source G
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Activity 5 - Tactics & Battles to break the Stalemate
(15 minutes)
Complete the short answer questions found below
The Battle of Verdun
Source H
The Battle of Verdun. February-June 1916: The German attacks Source retrieved from: Ellis, A. (2012). World war one and its aftermath: A unit of work for year 12 [Class Handout]. Department of Education, Ingleburn High School, Sydney, NSW.
Questions:
1) Using Source H, how many French forts were captured by the Germans? 2) What evidence is there in Source H that the river Meuse helped to hold up the German advance? |
Infiltration Tactic
Battle of Verdun – this tactic came into prominence in 1918 when defences were stretched, weakened or incomplete.
Information from- P. Griffith. (1994). Battle tactics of the Western Front. The British army's art of attack 1916-18. Yale University Press (New Haven) |
The Battle of Somme
Battle of Somme comic clip
Source I
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Breakthrough TacticBattle of Somme 1916 – saw the failure of General Haig’s attempts at ‘Breakthrough’
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The Passchendaele Campaign
Leapfrogging TacticUsed by allies in the Third Battle of Ypres, 1917 (now known as Battle of Passchandaele)
Questions: 1. Which Lines would be in Source J are in the most danger and why? |
Source J
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