Causes & Characteristics of World War I & the Russian Revolution

Why did the US join the First World War in 1917?

- German policy of unrestricted submarine warfare led to the repeated sinking of American non-military ships & death of American civilians - discovery of the Zimmerman Telegram

What is militarism & how did it contribute to the start of WWI?

the growth in the size of country's militaries and the stockpiling of weapons in Europe created an atmosphere of fear and mistrust leading up to the war

How & when was the Soviet Union founded?

the new communist Russian nation founded by Lenin in the November 1917 Revolution - also known as the U.S.S.R

What is unrestricted submarine warfare?

type of naval warfare used by Germany during WWI in which German submarines torpedoed and sank ships in British waters without warning or any restrictions, including passenger ships with civilians or trading vessels

How did President Wilson respond to Germany's continued unrestricted submarine warfare & the sinking of numerous American ships without warning?

wrote Congress for a declaration of war against the Central Powers in 1917

What was the Western Front?

400 miles of trenches across France and Belgium where most of the deadlocked fighting took place between the Allies & Central Powers during WWI

To which alliance system did the US have close economic & political ties?

the Allies -- Great Britain was America's largest trading partner

What happened as a result of the February 1917 Russian Revolution?

the Tsar abdicated the throne & a provisional government was set up in Russia led by Alexander Kerensky

What was "no man's land"?

the bombed-out space between opposing trenches during WWI that soldiers feared to cross because of machine gun fire

What did trench warfare NOT provide protection from?

- poison gas - overhead fire from airplanes - exposure to deadly disease

What were the 4 primary causes of the 1917 Russian Revolution?

- weak leadership of Tsar Nicholas II - heavy Russian losses in WWI - massive divisions btwn social classes - food shortages & famine

When did the First World War take place & what is it often called?

1914 to 1918: the Great War

Whose assassination sparked the First World War & what happened as a result?

Archduke Franz Ferdinand which led Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia

What was the Zimmerman Telegram?

secret message intercepted in February of 1917 sent by Germany to Mexico asking them to join the war on the Central Powers' side which made the US fear invasion from Southern Border

What was the Lusitania and why was it important?

British passenger ship carrying people & goods across the Atlantic Ocean that was torpedoed by a German U-boat & sunk in 1915. 128 Americans on board died which enraged Americans & hastened America's entry into WWI

Which countries made up the the Triple Entente during the First World War?

France, Great Britain, & Russia -- often called the Allies

What were U-boats?

German submarines that did tremendous damage to the Allies by sinking supply ships

Which countries made up the Triple Alliance (aka Central Powers) during the First World War?

Germany, Austria-Hungary, & Italy (the Ottoman Empire joins in Oct of 1914)

What were the 4 primary causes of WWI?

Militarism Alliances Imperialism Nationalism

How did the US respond to outbreak of the First World War in 1914?

President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed (announced) American neutrality & stressed the US would be "impartial in thought as well as in action"

What is nationalism & how did it contribute to the start of WWI?

strong identification with one's own people & nation to the point of excluding other people & nations led to disrespect between countries

What happened as a result of the November 1917 Russian Revolution?

Vladimir Lenin led the Bolshevik overthrow of the provisional government & created the communist U.S.S.R.

What is imperialism & how did it contribute to the start of WWI?

extending a nation's influence in distant lands through diplomacy or military force which led to competition for the largest and strongest empire in Europe

What was trench warfare?

a type of combat that allows troops to defend a position by fighting from the protection of deep ditches

What is communism?

an economic & political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by the state, rather than by private citizens, to ensure economic equality for everyone

What was the result of trench warfare on the Western Front during WWI?

both sides evenly matched & deadlocked - aka STALEMATE - as neither side could gain ground

How did soldiers during WWI protect themselves from poison gas attacks?

by using gas masks & using dogs as warning systems to put on gas masks before gas hit the trenches

How did the use of machine guns change the nature of warfare during World War I?

defensive tactic of trench warfare for protection

What are alliances & how did they contribute to the start of WWI?

formal agreements between countries to defend each other if attacked were formed leading up to the war making countries increasingly suspicious of each other

What was the American Expeditionary Force (AEF)?

roughly 2 million American troops sent to fight on the Western Front in Europe during WWI, led by General John J. Pershing