Important dates timeline world war 1
- June 28th, 1914 -> Francis Ferdinand assassinated at Sarajevo
- July 5th, 1914 -> Kaiser William ll promised German support for Austria against
Serbia
- July 28th, 1914 -> Austria declared war on Serbia
- August 1st, 1914 -> Germany declared war on Russia
- August 3rd, 1914 -> Germany declared war on France and invaded Belgium.
Germany had to implement the Schlieffen Plan.
- August 4th, 1914 -> Britain declared war on Germany
Summer 1914
Everyone was celebrating holidays and the tiny advertisement placed in the newspaper
barely came unnoticed: Germans who have served or are liable to serve are requested to
return to Germany without delay. Germany had declared war on Russia, invaded
Luxembourg and was on the brink of invading Belgium, the evening report would be that
Germany had declared war on France. The britains weren’t too impressed because it was
still a holiday.
Hints of war
- Holiday excursions were canceled because the trams were needed for soldiers
- At the beginning of the war, everyone was excited and wanted to fight for their
country, they thought it would be over soon. The newspapers were optimistic
because they are making young men join the war by telling lies.
- In between all the laughter and cheering there was 1 question “would Britain go to
war with Germany?” Britain had sent a message to the German government saying
that it would not tolerate any military action against Belgium. That evening Britain
was at war with Germany.
Innocent optimism
- On the early photographs you can see the men smiling, they thought the war would
be over by Christmas. There were songs, laughter and cheers.
War and language
- The only possible language of the early literature of the war
- A friend = comrade
- Friendship = comradeship/fellowship
- The dead on the battlefield = the fallen
- Danger = peril
- One death = someone's fate
- Not to complain = to be manly
- The sky = the heavens
Life in the trenches
- Trenches = long lines of dug-outs slicing across land.
- There was around 40000 km of trench
- A good trench would zigzag to make it stronger because only part of it could collapse
at any one time and it was more safe, the enemy would only be able to fire a limited
distance along it.
, Must know
- Artillery line -> The place where the big field guns were located, they were used to
fire shells at the enemy.
- Bunker -> Underground bunkers were used to store food, weapons and artillery.
They were also used to report information and receive instructions. The underground
bunkers also offered the men protection from fire and the elements.
- Traverse -> Trenches were not built in straight lines they did this to make it more
safe and stronger, the traverse was the name given to the angled parts of the trench.
- Communication trench -> The communication trenches were used to move
between the front and back trenches, they were also used to move injured men to the
field hospitals.
- Support trenches -> Provided a second line of defense in case the front line trench
was taken by the enemy, also contained first aid and kitchens to ensure men in the
front line had medical treatment and hot food.
- Machine gun nest -> was where the machine guns were located, they were manned
by two or three soldiers who fired on any advancing enemy.
- Front line trench -> The front line trenches were generally about 8 feet deep and
4-6 feet wide. Life at the front line was not pleasant, soldiers were liable to be hit by
enemy fire or sometimes by their own artillery.
- Barbed wire -> Barbed wire was used extensively in the trench warfare of world war
one, it was laid several rows deep by both sides to protect the front line trench.
- No man's land -> The name given to the area between the two lines of trenches, it
was the land that both sides were fighting to gain control of.
- Sandbags -> Sandbags were used to protect the soldiers from the enemy rifle fire,
they weren't that effective in the event of shell fire. Sandbags were also sometimes
placed in the bottom of the trench to soak up water.
- Listening post -> Were used to monitor enemy activity, they were used
approximately 30 metres in front of the front line trench.
- Parapet -> This name was given to the front wall of the trench, the wall nearest to the
enemy, this for protection, often covered with wood and sandbags to protect the
heads of the men standing on the fire step from rifle fire.
- Parados -> The name given to the back wall of the trench, the wall farthest from the
enemy, often covered with wood and sandbags.
- Dug out/ bolt hole -> Was built into the sides of the trench, the men used the bolt
hole for protection, eating and sleeping.
- Sump/duck board -> To prevent the trenches from becoming waterlogged, the sump
would be built at the bottom of the trench, this would then be covered with wooden
trench boards known as duck boards.
- Trench block -> a wood and wire structure that was made to block trenches and
prevent the enemy from going through a trench system.
- Machine gun -> The most widely used weapon in world war one, the guns were very
heavy and had to be supported on a tripod, they required three or four men to
operate them.
- June 28th, 1914 -> Francis Ferdinand assassinated at Sarajevo
- July 5th, 1914 -> Kaiser William ll promised German support for Austria against
Serbia
- July 28th, 1914 -> Austria declared war on Serbia
- August 1st, 1914 -> Germany declared war on Russia
- August 3rd, 1914 -> Germany declared war on France and invaded Belgium.
Germany had to implement the Schlieffen Plan.
- August 4th, 1914 -> Britain declared war on Germany
Summer 1914
Everyone was celebrating holidays and the tiny advertisement placed in the newspaper
barely came unnoticed: Germans who have served or are liable to serve are requested to
return to Germany without delay. Germany had declared war on Russia, invaded
Luxembourg and was on the brink of invading Belgium, the evening report would be that
Germany had declared war on France. The britains weren’t too impressed because it was
still a holiday.
Hints of war
- Holiday excursions were canceled because the trams were needed for soldiers
- At the beginning of the war, everyone was excited and wanted to fight for their
country, they thought it would be over soon. The newspapers were optimistic
because they are making young men join the war by telling lies.
- In between all the laughter and cheering there was 1 question “would Britain go to
war with Germany?” Britain had sent a message to the German government saying
that it would not tolerate any military action against Belgium. That evening Britain
was at war with Germany.
Innocent optimism
- On the early photographs you can see the men smiling, they thought the war would
be over by Christmas. There were songs, laughter and cheers.
War and language
- The only possible language of the early literature of the war
- A friend = comrade
- Friendship = comradeship/fellowship
- The dead on the battlefield = the fallen
- Danger = peril
- One death = someone's fate
- Not to complain = to be manly
- The sky = the heavens
Life in the trenches
- Trenches = long lines of dug-outs slicing across land.
- There was around 40000 km of trench
- A good trench would zigzag to make it stronger because only part of it could collapse
at any one time and it was more safe, the enemy would only be able to fire a limited
distance along it.
, Must know
- Artillery line -> The place where the big field guns were located, they were used to
fire shells at the enemy.
- Bunker -> Underground bunkers were used to store food, weapons and artillery.
They were also used to report information and receive instructions. The underground
bunkers also offered the men protection from fire and the elements.
- Traverse -> Trenches were not built in straight lines they did this to make it more
safe and stronger, the traverse was the name given to the angled parts of the trench.
- Communication trench -> The communication trenches were used to move
between the front and back trenches, they were also used to move injured men to the
field hospitals.
- Support trenches -> Provided a second line of defense in case the front line trench
was taken by the enemy, also contained first aid and kitchens to ensure men in the
front line had medical treatment and hot food.
- Machine gun nest -> was where the machine guns were located, they were manned
by two or three soldiers who fired on any advancing enemy.
- Front line trench -> The front line trenches were generally about 8 feet deep and
4-6 feet wide. Life at the front line was not pleasant, soldiers were liable to be hit by
enemy fire or sometimes by their own artillery.
- Barbed wire -> Barbed wire was used extensively in the trench warfare of world war
one, it was laid several rows deep by both sides to protect the front line trench.
- No man's land -> The name given to the area between the two lines of trenches, it
was the land that both sides were fighting to gain control of.
- Sandbags -> Sandbags were used to protect the soldiers from the enemy rifle fire,
they weren't that effective in the event of shell fire. Sandbags were also sometimes
placed in the bottom of the trench to soak up water.
- Listening post -> Were used to monitor enemy activity, they were used
approximately 30 metres in front of the front line trench.
- Parapet -> This name was given to the front wall of the trench, the wall nearest to the
enemy, this for protection, often covered with wood and sandbags to protect the
heads of the men standing on the fire step from rifle fire.
- Parados -> The name given to the back wall of the trench, the wall farthest from the
enemy, often covered with wood and sandbags.
- Dug out/ bolt hole -> Was built into the sides of the trench, the men used the bolt
hole for protection, eating and sleeping.
- Sump/duck board -> To prevent the trenches from becoming waterlogged, the sump
would be built at the bottom of the trench, this would then be covered with wooden
trench boards known as duck boards.
- Trench block -> a wood and wire structure that was made to block trenches and
prevent the enemy from going through a trench system.
- Machine gun -> The most widely used weapon in world war one, the guns were very
heavy and had to be supported on a tripod, they required three or four men to
operate them.
