The Context of the British Sector of the Western Front (Edexcel GCSE History): Revision Note

Key developments in the First World War - Timeline & Summary

• The First World War began in August 1914 when Britain declared war on Germany after its invasion of Belgium

• The conflict involved fighting across many parts of the world such as in Türkiye, Italy, and in the East

• Most British soldiers fought in France and Belgium, in an area called the Western Front

• More advanced weapons and trench warfare led to new types of injuries

  • This led to major medical developments such as:

    • X-rays

    • Blood transfusions

    • Plastic surgery

    • Ambulances

    • Surgery techniques

The theatre of war

• The government sent the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) to stop the German advance through Belgium

• The size of the German Army caused Britain to retreat to protect Paris

• By the end of 1914, Germany occupied much of Belgium and Northern France 

• Trenches were dug by both sides to protect territory

  • Trench warfare aimed to take the enemy's trenches, moving the frontline further into enemy territory

• Key battles include:

  • Ypres

  • The Somme

  • Cambrai

The Ypres Salient

1914: The First Battle of Ypres

Key events

• The BEF moved to Ypres to protect the coast

• German forces launched an attack in October 1914

• The British defended Ypres but 50,000 soldiers died

• British victory meant reinforcements and supplies could be delivered on the coast

Why was this battle important for medicine?

• First major battle of the First World War

• Doctors learnt more about the injuries caused by advanced weapons, such as:

  • Bullet wounds

  • Shrapnel

1915: The Second Battle of Ypres

Key events

• A series of small battles took place between April and May 1915

• Germany used chlorine gas for the first time in the First World War

• British forces lost around 59,000 soldiers

• Germany moved two miles closer to the town of Ypres

Why was this battle important for medicine?

• Gas injuries led to development of:

  • Ammonia and lime treatments

  • Gas masks

1917: The Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele)

Key events

• The British launched their main attack on Ypres in July 1917 near the town of Passchendaele

• Constant rainfall caused the ground to become waterlogged and many soldiers drowned

• Around 245,000 soldiers from British forces died

• Despite gaining only seven miles of territory, General Haig considered it a success

Why was this battle important for medicine?

• Excessive rainfall led to thousands of cases of trench foot

• Harvey Cushing tested saline solution to prevent infection of wounds

The Battle of the Somme

Key events

• Britain attacked near the River Somme to re-take vital ground around Verdun

• The first day of fighting on the 1st July 1916 led to the deaths of 20,000 British troops 

• The British tried two new strategies:

  • Creeping barrage 

    • Timing was critical. Too late would leave British soldiers vulnerable to German gunfire. Too early and their own artillery would hit them

  • Tanks

    • These were new and untested

    • They suffered many technical problems

• By November 1916, Britain had suffered 400,000 casualties

• The battle was regarded as a failure even though the British gained six miles of territory

Why was this battle important for medicine?

• Photographs of injuries helped Harold Gillies improve plastic surgery

The Battle of Cambrai

Key events

• British forces attacked German trenches in October 1917

• The battle featured the first large-scale use of tanks:

  • There were around 450 British tanks used in the battle

  • Tanks moved across barbed wire and had machine guns

• Land taken by British forces was quickly reclaimed by Germany

Why was this battle important for medicine?

• The first time stored blood was used to treat soldiers.

  • Oswald Hope Robertson stored 22 units of universal donor blood which saved 11 of 20 soldiers