Revision sheet
Trade Triangle: This was the name given to the route taken by slave ships
across the Atlantic, carrying goods from Britain to Africa like pots and plans.
Slaves were bought in African and transported to America and the Caribbean.
Here they were sold and sugar, coffee and tobacco were bought and brought
back to Britain.
Middle Passage: This is the name of the journey made by the slaves across the
Atlantic. Conditions were terrible with many dying from disease and
mistreatment. Slaves were packed in as many as possible.
An alliance: This is where two or more countries will help each other in time of
war. They will agree to fight together.
Triple Alliance
Triple Entente
Germany
Great Britain
Austria-Hungary
France
Italy
Russia
No – man’s land: This is the area between the trenches where no man could
survive as they area was covered by machine guns snipers and full of shell holes
Propaganda – This is where a government or a writer or cartoonist exaggerates
thinks or lies to try and get a particular point of view across.
Home Front: This means the effect the war has on civilians back at home. It
can mean people face starvation or bombing attacks and women have to take on
the jobs of men.
How did countries try and break the stalemate: revision sheet
Technology
Tanks: The Allies began developing these armoured ‘landships’ in 1915, but the first tanks didn’t
make their way into battle until the Somme offensive the following year. So named due to their
resemblance to water tanks (and disguised as such on their way to the front),
Poison gas: Although poison gas accounted for only a small number of the war’s deaths in total, its
effects were pervasive and devastating. First used by the Germans during the Battle of Second Ypres in
1915, gas actually proved largely ineffective as a traditional weapon; its success depended not only on the
type of gas and the sophistication of its delivery method but also often on the weather conditions on the
day. However, poison gas became possibly the most important psychological weapon of the war
Tactics
Aircraft Aeroplanes were being used for reconnaissance in WW1, along with balloons and airships. The
initial planes were basic and soon both sides were racing to design planes that could hold heavy bombs
and machine guns. By mid-1915, the soldiers were already getting some entertainment by watching
dogfights in the skies, and air superiority became a significant factor in tactical success in the second half
of the war.
Submarines: The Germans believed that they could win the war by sinking ships coming to
Britain with supplies. They wanted to do this using submarines with torpedoes. This nearly worked
for a time and Britain had to cut down its use of fuel and food. However the Royal Navy stopped
the submarines.
Extending the war
Empires: The British and French government s asked for help from the areas of the world that the
controlled. In the case of Britain this meant help came from Canada Australia New Zealand and
India. The French had a lot of North African troops as well. Sometimes these soldiers did not fell
very well treated as they though the allies were racist towards them.
America: The British government tried to encourage America to join in the war on their side. They
said they were fighting for freedom against the Germans. The Americans were also angry that
German submarines were sinking American ships sailing to Britain and American civilians were
being killed. In 1917 they joined the war and made an important difference to allied victory.