Chapter 25
1.What part of Bismarck's alliance system did William II abandon?
1. William II refused to renew a nonaggression pact with Russia even though Russia was willing to do so. This move prompted France to court Russia, offering loans, arms, and support. The result to rival blocs of continental Europe, the Triple Alliance of Austria, Germany, and Italy and the Dual Alliance of Russia and France.
2.What was the primary consequence of the First Moroccan Crisis in 1905?
2. Britain, France, Russia, and even the US began to see Germany as a potential threat. Simultaneously, German leaders began to see sinister plots to encircle Germany and block its development as a world power.
3.What was the immediate cause of British entry into the First World War?
3. The German's had invaded Belgium as part of their Schlieffen Plan, and two days later the British, who had an old treaty of alliance with Belgium, declared war.
4.What issue contributed to tensions between Germany and Great Britain in the first decade of the 1900s?
4. Commercial rivalry in world markets between Germany and Great Britain increased sharply after the 1890's, as Germany became a great industrial power. Germany's ambitious pursuit of colonies further threatened British interests. The Germans decided in 1900 to expand its battle fleet/navy significantly, which posed a challenge to Britain's long-standing naval supremacy; this was the most important factor in creating tension. In response to German expansion, the British improved relations with the US, made an alliance with Japan, and allied with France.
5.What did the Schlieffen Plan call for in 1914?
5. The German Schlieffen Plan called for a quick victory over France after a lightning attack through neutral Belgium, before turning on Russia. The Germans thought they would have time to quick defeat France before the Russian's would be able to mobilize their troops for battle.
6.Why were the Balkans considered the "powder keg of Europe"?
6. War was inevitable in the Balkans; all that was needed for conflict was a spark. The border between the Ottoman and Austria-Hungarian Empires was crisis-ridden. War seemed inevitable because the Western powers had successfully forced the Ottoman rulers to give up their European territories. Serbs, Bulgarians, Albanians, and others no sought to establish independent nation-states. The ethnic nationalism that resulted was destroying the Ottoman Empire and threatening Austria-Hungary.
7.What were the two-front wars that military planners had anticipated prior to the First World War?
7. The Russian general staff assumed a two-front war with both Austria and Germany. The German general staff assumed a two-front war with France and Russia.
8.What was Bismarck's alliance system designed to do?
8. Bismarck's alliance system was designed to isolate France; he signed a series of defensive alliances with Austria-Hungary and Russia.
9.Why did Austria-Hungary deliberately choose war in July 1914?
9. After the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, the leaders of Austria-Hungary concluded that Serbia was implicated in the murder and deserved severe punishment. Austria gave Serbia ultimatum, to which Serbia replied evasively, and then declared war on Serbia in July, 1914. Austria-Hungary chose war to stem the rising tide of hostile nationalism within its borders.
Bolsheviks
A group of revolutionary Russian Marxists who took control of Russia's government in November 1917
Trench warfare, how it came to define WWI experince
Armies dug trenches to protect themselves from machine gunfire, put defenses in front of it. Staggering, gained very little territory. Conditions were brutal
Triple Alliance
Austria Hungary, Germany, Italy
David Lloyd George
Britain's prime minister at the end of World War I whose goal was to make the Germans pay for the other countries' staggering war losses
T.E. Lawrence
British colonel sent to support the Arab revolt
Battle of the Somme
British offensive in northeastern France, shows horrors in Trench warfare. -Began with weeklong heavy artillery bombardment, trying to get rid of trenches and German's defense. -Went towards German lines after bombing and was slaughtered by the surviving Germans.
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Emperor of Germany during World War I
Georges Clemenceau
French statesman who played a key role in negotiating the Treaty of Versailles (1841-1929)
Lusitania
German submarine sank British passenger line, killed 1000 people including US citizens. Woodrow Wilson protested trying to incite American public opinion against Germans. German halted submarine for 2 years.
How were rival blocs formed in the late 19th century
Germany refused to negotiate non hostile act with Russia, prompted france to court Russia, became allies and divided Europe into two blocks
Moroccan Crisis, resulting crisis
Germany's attempt to break up the British-French alliance. -Happened when William II declared Moroco (colonial interest of France free, and demanded they get same trading trights as France -Brought Britain and France closer, and Germany empty handed
Hussein ibn-Ali
Sherif of Mecca (protector of the Holy Places of Islam) who, in 1916, placed himself at the head of an Arab revolt that threatened Ottoman control of Palestine and Arabia.
How did Germans treat people in the Slavic countries?
Treated them poorly, anti Slavic views dominated the country, viewed them as savages.
Total war
War in which the whole nation is involved in the war, government controls economic and social life in order to supply armies with supplies and weapons.
How does Balkan nationalism contribute to the tension between great powers in Europe
wanted to show superiority over other countries and test themselves
Vladimir Lenin
Leader Russia's Bolshevik movement.
Henri Petain
Leader of Vichy France
Leon Trotsky
Russian revolutionary and Communist theorist who helped Lenin and built up the army
Reasons behind british-German rivalry
- Germany Became industrial power- colonizing threatened Britain -Decision to expand their battle fleet posed a threat to Britian's navy -US allied with ppl around them