Swansea Family
History
Theatres of War
The First World War was fought across a vast geographical area. A “theatre of war” describes a particular region in which military or naval operations took place. Although France and Belgium became the most familiar battlefields, the conflict extended across Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, as well as the world's seas.
| At Sea | Balkan and Salonika Theatres | East African Theatre | Egyptian Theatre | Gallipoli Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The war at sea was vital to Britain because it depended upon maritime routes for food, supplies and the movement of troops. The Royal Navy protected these routes, maintained the blockade of Germany and confronted the German Navy. Sailors also faced submarines and mines, while major actions included the Battle of Jutland in 1916. Many men lost at sea had no known grave and were commemorated on naval memorials at places such as Plymouth, Portsmouth and Chatham. | The Balkans were an important theatre involving Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and the Allied powers. Allied forces established a major base at Salonika (Thessaloniki) in Greece and operated along the Macedonian Front. Mountainous terrain, extreme weather and poor communications made campaigning difficult, while malaria caused widespread illness. An Allied offensive in September 1918 helped force Bulgaria to seek an armistice. | The East African campaign developed around Germany's colonial possessions. Fighting took place across enormous distances and difficult terrain. Tropical disease, shortages of supplies and poor communications were major problems. Unlike the trench warfare of the Western Front, operations were often highly mobile, and the campaign continued until the closing stages of the war. | Egypt was strategically important because of the Suez Canal, which provided Britain with a vital route to India and other parts of the empire. British and imperial forces defended the canal against Ottoman threats. Egypt also became an important military base, training centre and hospital area supporting operations in Gallipoli, Palestine and elsewhere in the Middle East. | The Gallipoli campaign of 1915 was an Allied attempt to force the Dardanelles, weaken the Ottoman Empire and establish a maritime route to Russia. Allied troops landed on the peninsula but faced strong Ottoman resistance and extremely difficult terrain. Soldiers endured trench warfare, heat, shortages of water and disease. After months of fighting, Allied forces withdrew during the winter of 1915–16. |
| Home (UK) | Indian Theatre | Maltese Theatre | Western European Theatre — Belgium | Western European Theatre — France |
| Britain was not a conventional battlefield like France or Belgium, but it played a crucial role in supporting the overseas war. Training camps, naval bases, military depots and hospitals were established throughout the country. Wounded servicemen were brought home for treatment, while Britain itself experienced German naval bombardments and Zeppelin and aircraft raids. | India was an important part of the British imperial war effort. The Indian Army supplied troops for campaigns in France, East Africa, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Gallipoli and elsewhere. India also provided training facilities, hospitals, ports and supply networks, making it an important base for military operations across the empire. | Malta's position in the Mediterranean made it an important British naval and medical base. Military hospitals on the island treated large numbers of wounded and sick servicemen, particularly those evacuated from Gallipoli and Salonika. Malta therefore played an important medical and logistical role in Britain's Mediterranean campaigns. | Belgium formed the northern part of the Western Front. The area around Ypres became one of the most heavily contested parts of the war. Repeated artillery bombardments destroyed the landscape and drainage systems, creating extremely difficult battlefield conditions. The fighting around Ypres, particularly Passchendaele in 1917, became closely associated with trenches, shell holes, mud and prolonged artillery warfare. | Northern France formed the largest part of the Western Front. After the mobile fighting of 1914, extensive trench systems were constructed and the front became increasingly static. Soldiers faced artillery, machine guns, barbed wire and repeated infantry attacks. Major British operations included the Somme, Arras and Cambrai. During 1918, German forces launched major offensives before Allied armies began a series of counter-offensives that pushed the German Army backwards. Fighting continued until the Armistice of 11 November 1918. |
| Western European Theatre — Germany | Western European Theatre — Italy | Western European Theatre — Poland | ||
| Most fighting on the Western Front took place outside Germany itself. British military involvement inside Germany became more important after the Armistice, when Allied troops occupied parts of the Rhineland. Servicemen remained on military duty during the occupation and continued to face risks from illness and accidents. | Italy entered the war against Austria-Hungary in 1915. Much of the Italian Front crossed mountainous terrain, where snow, altitude, avalanches and extreme weather created severe conditions. Following the Italian defeat at Caporetto in 1917, British and French troops were sent to reinforce the Italian Army and participated in operations during the final year of the war. | During the First World War, Poland was divided between the German, Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires. Parts of Polish territory became important areas of fighting on the Eastern Front. Warfare there was generally more mobile than on the Western Front, and the region experienced repeated occupation and considerable disruption. |
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