Task 1: Factors in the Allied victory 1918
The following factors are all described in the article, and all played some role in securing the Allies' victory in 1918.
Work in small groups. Use the article and any other books, websites or other resources you have.
Your task is to explain how and why each of the following factors was significant in explaining the final victory in 1918.
| Factor | Category | Contribution to Allied victory | Evidence/examples |
|---|
| Accuracy and effectiveness of artillery tactics | | | |
| Air power | | | |
| Contribution of the USA | | | |
| Effective infantry tactics | | | |
| Effectiveness of Royal Navy blockade | | | |
| Food production in Britain | | | |
| Food shortages in Germany | | | |
| Industrial production in Britain (including munitions) | | | |
| Quality of the Canadian forces | | | |
| Shortages of raw materials in Germany | | | |
| Tanks | | | |
| Weakness of Germany's allies | | | |
Task 2: Home Front or Western Front?
Your task now is to make a decision about the key question which the article addresses: Was the First World War won on the Western Front or the Home Front?
Use your work from task 1 as the basis of your thinking. You will probably find it most helpful to work in pairs or groups, even if you present your final thoughts as an individual essay or presentation.
As you prepare your answer you need to consider the importance of:
- New weapons and tactics used on the Western Front.
- The arrival of US forces in 1918.
- The ability of British industry to supply the armed forces.
- The ways in which Germany was hampered by blockades and shortages.
As well as considering the relative importance of these factors, you need to consider the ways in which they were connected. For instance:
- Could some of the new weapons and tactics have been used without the industrial capacity to produce them?
- Would the large scale production of munitions have been of any value without the leaders and tactics which made use of them?
