There were several key battles in the First World War.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2023). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] At first they had little impact because they kept breaking down.
2. [1] When first used, they caused panic amongst the enemy.
3. [1] They had an impact at Cambrai in 1917 when they broke through enemy lines.
4. [1] At Amiens they had an important impact by breaking through the German front line.
5. [1] There was no major breakthrough on the Western Front until tanks were used.
6. [1] A German victory would have been a terrible blow to French morale.
7. [1] The Allied effort in other parts of the Western Front would have been seriously weakened.
8. [1] French defeat would threaten the route to Paris.
9. [4-5] Explanation: The French were determined to defend Verdun because a German victory would offer a clear strategic advantage, exposing the route to Paris and potentially leading to a German victory in the war.
10. [1] The heavy artillery did not destroy the German defences.
11. [1] Many of the shells were poor quality and some did not explode.
12. [1] The wire was not cleared from in front of the German defences.
13. [1] British intelligence had not discovered the depth and fortification of German dugouts.
14. [1] Heavy cloud meant reconnaissance aircraft could not tell what damage had been done by the artillery.
15. [1] When the artillery firing stopped, it gave the Germans warning of an imminent attack.
16. [1] German machine gunners concentrated their fire on the gaps in the wire.
17. [1] The British troops were walking slowly, giving the Germans time to regroup.
18. [1] After the failure of the first wave, the attacks continued, causing massive casualties.
19. [1] Haig did not use tanks on the first day of the battle.
20. [1] He kept on using the same tactics even when it was clear they were not working.
21. [1] Haig wanted to attack in Belgium but he attacked at the Somme because that was where the French wanted to attack.
22. [1] Trying to use overwhelming force was a tactic that made sense in trench warfare.
23. [1] A more professional and effective army emerged from the battle because of this experience of fighting large-scale war.
24. [1] Some new tactics were developed in the war such as the use of tanks and creeping barrages.
25. [1] The battle relieved pressure on the French at Verdun.
26. [1] The German army had an enormous number of casualties, especially officers, and never recovered from the battle.
27. [1] As a result of the Somme in 1917, the Germans retreated to the Hindenburg Line.
28. [4-6] Argument for mismanagement: Haig misjudged the effectiveness of artillery, which failed to destroy German defenses or barbed wire. This, combined with slow infantry advances and continued use of ineffective tactics, led to massive casualties.
29. [4-6] Argument against singular mismanagement: Haig operated within the context of trench warfare, a new form of conflict, and was attempting to find new tactics. The battle achieved some strategic aims, such as relieving Verdun, inflicting heavy German casualties, and contributing to the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line in 1917.