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History Quiz - The First World War 03 (Questions)

This KS3 History quiz asks questions about the First World War. On the Western Front, the First World War was fought from trenches. These trenches stretched from the English Channel right the way across France to Switzerland. That was a distance of 400 miles. Conditions in the trenches was not pleasant for the soldiers. They were often cold and wet, moving around in mud, pestered by rats and fighting disease as well as the enemy. In some places, the trenches were a few tens of metres apart and it was possible to hear the enemy talking and smell what they were cooking!

Legend has it that on Christmas Day 1914 British and German soldiers left their trenches for a friendly game of football - a truce that was very short-lived. No-one can be sure that match ever took place but there were several sections of the Front where the fighting stopped for a few hours and the two opposing sides sang Christmas carols. In other places, the fighting continued. During the rest of the war, the British Generals prohibited their soldiers from showing any friendliness towards the Germans. The Pope had already suggested there should be a Christmas truce but that was officially rejected by military commanders.

1. What was the first major battle of the war for the British troops?
[ ] Mons
[ ] The Somme
[ ] Verdun
[ ] Ypres
2. The letters BEF stood for what?
[ ] Branch of the Elite Forces
[ ] Bravest Elite Fighters
[ ] Brigade of Experienced Footsoldiers
[ ] British Expeditionary Force
3. Which river near Paris saw a battle of September 1914?
[ ] Garonne
[ ] Marne
[ ] Oise
[ ] Seine
4. What was the main method of fighting throughout the war?
[ ] Airborne warfare
[ ] Cavalry raids
[ ] Nuclear warfare
[ ] Trench warfare
5. There was stalemate at which battle of late 1914?
[ ] Brest-Litovsk
[ ] Loos
[ ] Passchendaele
[ ] Ypres
6. What was not a feature of the trenches?
[ ] Barbed wire defences
[ ] Deep, heavy mud
[ ] Rats and disease
[ ] Warm dry dormitories
7. Land between opposing trenches was known as.....?
[ ] Death valley
[ ] No man's land
[ ] The pit of peril
[ ] The wasteland
8. Ypres was the site of how many battles?
[ ] 2
[ ] 3
[ ] 4
[ ] 5
9. What did it mean to 'go over the top'?
[ ] Climb hills for lookout points
[ ] Ignore an officer's orders
[ ] Leave the trenches to attack the enemy
[ ] Use madness as an excuse to be sent home
10. What weapon was used for the first time at the 2nd Battle of Ypres?
[ ] Grenades
[ ] Machine guns
[ ] Poison gas
[ ] Tanks

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - World War One

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History Quiz - The First World War 03 (Answers)
1. What was the first major battle of the war for the British troops?
[x] Mons
[ ] The Somme
[ ] Verdun
[ ] Ypres
In Belgium - it slowed down the German advance
2. The letters BEF stood for what?
[ ] Branch of the Elite Forces
[ ] Bravest Elite Fighters
[ ] Brigade of Experienced Footsoldiers
[x] British Expeditionary Force
They were the first British troops at the front line and were professional soldiers
3. Which river near Paris saw a battle of September 1914?
[ ] Garonne
[x] Marne
[ ] Oise
[ ] Seine
The Germans were forced to retreat by this counter-attack by the British and French troops
4. What was the main method of fighting throughout the war?
[ ] Airborne warfare
[ ] Cavalry raids
[ ] Nuclear warfare
[x] Trench warfare
Trenches were dug from Belgium to Switzerland
5. There was stalemate at which battle of late 1914?
[ ] Brest-Litovsk
[ ] Loos
[ ] Passchendaele
[x] Ypres
There were several big battles in and around Ypres and not many buildings were still standing by the end of the war
6. What was not a feature of the trenches?
[ ] Barbed wire defences
[ ] Deep, heavy mud
[ ] Rats and disease
[x] Warm dry dormitories
An infection called trench foot could result in amputation
7. Land between opposing trenches was known as.....?
[ ] Death valley
[x] No man's land
[ ] The pit of peril
[ ] The wasteland
When they attacked each other, the soldiers had to leave the relative safety of their trenches to try to cross no man's land
8. Ypres was the site of how many battles?
[ ] 2
[x] 3
[ ] 4
[ ] 5
Ypres is a Belgian town near the French border. The third battle is also referred to as Passchendaele
9. What did it mean to 'go over the top'?
[ ] Climb hills for lookout points
[ ] Ignore an officer's orders
[x] Leave the trenches to attack the enemy
[ ] Use madness as an excuse to be sent home
A lot of soldiers were instantly cut down by enemy gunfire as they climbed out of the trenches
10. What weapon was used for the first time at the 2nd Battle of Ypres?
[ ] Grenades
[ ] Machine guns
[x] Poison gas
[ ] Tanks
Used first by the Germans but others retaliated with it