The First World War was fought on several fronts.

Mark scheme

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

1. [1] People's lives were restricted. For example, there was censorship and conscription.
2. [1] There were shortages of food and rationing was introduced.
3. [1] Women did jobs such as on farms and in factories that they had not done before.
4. [1] Towards the end of the war people in Germany were starving.
5. [1] The war at sea was very important because both sides would be in terrible trouble if they lost control of the seas.
6. [1] Britain was able to blockade the German coast and stop supplies getting through. By 1917 Germany was on its knees.
7. [1] After the Battle of Jutland Britain controlled the North Sea and was able to blockade Germany.
8. [1] Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare threatened to starve Britain of food.
9. [1] Supplies from the USA across the Atlantic kept Britain going during the war.
10. [1] Britain used the convoy system to protect ships.
11. [Explanation L3] The war at sea was important to Britain because most of its crucial supplies of food and other goods came from the USA across the sea. In 1917 the Germans introduced unrestricted submarine warfare. This involved using U-boats to sink all boats coming to Britain from the USA. So many ships were sunk that within months Britain was short of food and had to introduce rationing. If this had gone on for much longer, Britain could have been defeated. Only the use of the convoy system removed the threat to Britain.
12. [1] I think the Western Front was more important because this was where most of the fighting took place.
13. [1] The Eastern Front led to the failure of the Schlieffen Plan.
14. [1] The Eastern Front made it necessary for Germany to take troops away from the Western Front.
15. [1] The fact that the Allies attempted the Gallipoli campaign in 1915 shows how important the Eastern Front was.
16. [1] It was the failure of the Ludendorff Offensive on the Western Front in 1918 that was decisive.
17. [1] The arrival of American troops on the Western Front decided the outcome of the war.
18. [1] The success of the Allied offensive in 1918 and the victory at Amiens decided the outcome of the war.
19. [1] Russia left the war in 1918 but the Allies still won. This shows the Eastern Front was not so important.
20. [Explanation L3 (Eastern Front more important)] The Eastern Front was very important. Russia's possible involvement in the war made the Schlieffen Plan necessary and its actual involvement was the reason why the Schlieffen Plan failed – Germany had to send troops to fight Russia. This weakened the Germans in the west. Although much of the fighting did not go well for Russia, the Eastern Front did tie up many German troops that could have been used on the Western Front. Also, early Russian victories against the Austrian army did mean that Germany had to rush troops to the Eastern Front to support Austria. This is the reason the Eastern Front was important.
21. [Explanation L3 (Western Front more important)] The war could only be won and lost on the Western Front. Developments on the Eastern Front were only important because of the effect they had on the Western Front. It was in the west where the main German armies were and it was here where the Americans sent their troops, making a decisive difference in 1918. It was the failure of the German offensive in 1918 on the Western Front that finished Germany off and made the Allied victory inevitable. The Western Front was far more important.