The nature of the war changed in the first few months.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2022). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] (a) Britain declared war on Germany.
2. [1] (a) The British sent the BEF to France.
3. [1] (a) French armies moved to the French-German border.
4. [1] (a) The French moved into Alsace-Lorraine.
5. [1] (a) The fifth French army was sent to the Belgian border.
6. [1] (a) Joffre used the railways to take troops from the east to protect Paris.
7. [1] (b) It was due to the failure of the Schlieffen Plan.
8. [1] (b) Trenches developed as a result of the Battle of the Marne.
9. [1] (b) To protect themselves.
10. [1] (b) The armies decided to use defensive tactics.
11. [1] (b) The German 'race to the sea' failed.
12. [1] (b) The first Battle of Ypres showed the armies were equally matched.
13. [1] (b) The onset of winter weather at the end of the first Battle of Ypres caused both sides to dig in.
14. [5] (b) At the Battle of the Marne combined British and French forces pushed the Germans back to the River Aisne, but could not push them out of France entirely. Neither side could make any progress. Therefore, both sides began to dig trenches to hold on to their positions and protect themselves from snipers and shells.
15. [1] (c) The BEF slowed down the Schlieffen Plan.
16. [1] (c) The BEF inflicted heavy casualties on the German forces at Mons.
17. [1] (c) The BEF showed their professional military skills despite being a small force.
18. [1] (c) The Germans weakened the right hook of the original Plan.
19. [1] (c) The German forces did not encircle Paris, allowing the British to send their troops through the Channel ports.
20. [1] (c) The Russians mobilised more quickly than expected.
21. [1] (c) The Belgians resisted the invasion.
22. [1] (c) The French abandoned Plan 17 and regrouped to defend Paris.
23. [5] (c) The BEF was important in the failure of the Schlieffen Plan. At Mons and Le Cateau, the BEF slowed the German forces down. To be successful the Plan relied on speed. Working with the French at the Battle of the Marne, the BEF managed to halt the German advance outside Paris and cause a split in the German forces, forcing the Germans to retreat to the River Aisne.
24. [5] (c) There were other factors which meant the Schlieffen Plan did not work properly. The plan assumed that Russia would take six weeks to mobilise. However, Russia was ready to fight more quickly and this meant the Germans had to fight on two fronts. The Plan had been based around the idea that this would not happen.
25. [10] (c) Explanation of both sides (Level 4, 7-9 marks) with evaluation of 'how far' (Level 5, 10 marks).