{"id":2451,"date":"2018-03-01T16:29:15","date_gmt":"2018-03-01T16:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/?page_id=2451"},"modified":"2026-06-25T10:14:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T10:14:39","slug":"british-contribution-western-front","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/world-history\/first-world-war\/british-contribution-western-front\/","title":{"rendered":"The British contribution to the Western Front"},"content":{"rendered":"

The British contribution to the Western Front<\/strong><\/h2>\n

At the outbreak of the First World War the British Expeditionary Force was deployed to Belgium and Northern France. This force numbered some 120,000 men. The first action seen by the BEF was at the Battle of Mons which saw heavy casualties inflicted upon the Germans. Following this the BEF fought at the Battle of the Marne and successfully prevented the Germans outflanking British and French Troops during the ‘race for the sea’. After the First Battle of Ypres the British army was stationed along just 20 miles of front line trenches, in and around the Ypres Salient. By the end of the war the British controlled over 140 miles of front line trenches.<\/p>\n

By the end of the war over 7 million men and women had seen service in the British Army. Of these 1.6 million were recorded as being wounded, 662000 were killed and 140000 were listed as missing, presumed dead.<\/p>\n

The figures above suggest a massive contribution to the war effort. Whilst these numbers are staggering and remarkably high it is worth remembering that the British were just one of the armies participating on the Western Front. The French army was larger and in control of a larger part of the front line for the entirety of the war. The Western Front Association has calculated the percentage of troops that were British on the Western Front and the average length of front line controlled by each army:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Year.<\/td>\nMonthly mean British Frontage.<\/td>\nBritish as % of total French<\/td>\nBritish Frontage Maximum length of British Frontage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1914<\/td>\n21 miles<\/td>\n4.7%<\/td>\n25 miles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1915<\/td>\n43 miles<\/td>\n9.7%<\/td>\n70 miles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1916<\/td>\n80 miles<\/td>\n18.0%<\/td>\n90 miles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1917<\/td>\n87 miles<\/td>\n19.6%<\/td>\n110 miles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1918<\/td>\n87 miles<\/td>\n23.8%<\/td>\n123 miles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

First World War<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Causes of the First World War<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Timeline of Causes<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Forgotten Causes<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Assassination of Franz Ferdinand<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Schlieffen Plan<\/a>\u00a0– Historiography of the Causes of the First World War<\/a><\/p>\n

Outbreak of War<\/strong>\u00a0(Public reaction in Britain)<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The British Expeditionary Force in 1914<\/a><\/p>\n

Trench Warfare<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Simulation: Would you make a good officer in the trenches?<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0British contribution to the Western Front<\/a><\/p>\n

Battles of the First World War<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0First Battle of the Marne\u00a0<\/a>\u2013\u00a0The Gallipoli Campaign<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Battle of Verdun<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Battle of Jutland<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Brusilov Offensive<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Battle of the Somme<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Battle of Passchendaele<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Spring Offensive<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Battle of Amiens<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Victory on the Western Front?<\/a><\/p>\n

The Home Front<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Revision exercise<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Changing role of Women<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Propaganda<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Censorship<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Conscientious Objectors<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Rationing and Recruitment<\/a><\/p>\n

Personalities<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Douglas Haig and the Somme<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Charles Gass<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Billy Bishop<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Ludendorff<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Bradford Pals<\/a>\u00a0– Black History and the First World War<\/a><\/p>\n

Technology and New Weapons<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/strong>British Tanks<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Machine Guns<\/a><\/p>\n

Medicine in the First World War<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Other wars:<\/h4>\n

The Norman Conquest<\/a> – The Wars of the Roses<\/a> – The British and English Civil Wars<\/a> – The Second World War<\/a>\u00a0– Vietnam War<\/a> – Cold War<\/a><\/p>\n

Famous Battles:<\/h4>\n

Battle of Hastings<\/a>\u00a0– Battle of Towton<\/a> – Battle of Bosworth<\/a> – D Day<\/a><\/p>\n

Related Content:<\/h4>\n

The British Empire<\/a> – The Treaty of Versailles<\/a> – Impact of the War on Germany<\/a>\u00a0– Primary History<\/a> – History Teachers Resources<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The British contribution to the Western Front At the outbreak of the First World War the British Expeditionary Force was deployed to Belgium and Northern France. This force numbered some 120,000 men. The first action seen by the BEF was at the Battle of Mons which saw heavy casualties inflicted upon the Germans. Following this… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":144,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2451","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t