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Long Term Causes of the First World War The Spark: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Reactions to the outbreak of war The British Expeditionary Force Interactive Timeline of the First World War Statistics relating to the First World War The First World War and the role of women Life in the Trenches Coastal Bombardments Zeppelin Raids The Battle of the Somme |
The British Expeditionary ForceThe BEF was established by Minister for War, Richard Haldane, after the Boer War. it's purpose was to enable the British Government to respond quickly to any crisis in the world that threatened British interests. The need for the force had been illustrated in the Boer War as many of the soldiers involved had been ill equipped and lacking in training in modern warfare. By the time that the First World War broke out, the BEF was a fighting force of approximately 120,000 men. When Germany invaded Belgium on August 4th 1914, the BEF was sent to France to prepare to halt the German advance. It was first engaged in combat at the Battle of Mons at which it was heavily outnumbered and forced to retreat. The BEF, alongside French troops, was more successful at the battle of Marne. Here the German forces were pushed back over the River Aisne, preventing the capture of Paris. as a result of the advance being halted here, the Germans did two things. Firstly, they dug defensive trenches in the Aisne valley, secondly, they tried to outflank the Allies on their northern side. This second action is commonly called the race for the sea. |
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