Study Guides

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn about the First World War through the lens of its imperial dimension. They analyse the reasons for the outbreak of war and assess how it affected Britain at home and abroad.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain that war on the Western Front was fought largely in trenches, and by men from across the British Empire.

Key Notes

• 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.

Vocabulary To Learn

• 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 Mistakes To Avoid

• The British army went into the war confidently, with a large number of troops.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Growing international tension in the early 1900s Study Guide
• The First World War in the colonies Study Guide
• The impact of WW1 on the British Homefront Study Guide
• The impact of WWI across the Empire Study Guide
• The outbreak of war in 1914 Study Guide