Ch 25 Euro WWI

What was the immediate cause of British entry into the First World War?

German invasion of neutral Belgium

What did the "war guilt clause" in the Treaty of Versailles declare?

Germany (with Austria) was solely responsible for the war and had to pay reparations.

What part of Otto von Bismarck's alliance system did William II abandon?

Germany's non-aggression pact with Russia.

Why did Austria-Hungary deliberately choose war in July 1914?

It hoped to stem the tide of hostile nationalism within its borders.

Who assassinated Grigori Rasputin in 1916?

Nationalist aristocrats

Who is Henri-Philippe Petain and what is his contribution to this history?

Pétain, France's new general-in-chief, was able to restore order within the French forces through tough military justice and an agreement that there would be no more great offensives.

What was the result of Allied support of the White armies in the Russian civil war?

The intervention of the Allies in support of the White armies (to stope spread of Communism) did not aid the Whites effectively and allowed the Bolsheviks to appeal to the patriotic nationalism of ethnic Russians who objected to foreign involvement in Russian affairs.

What did the Schlieffen Plan call for in 1914?

A lighting attack through neutral Belgium and a quick defeat of France before turning on Russia.

How did the African colonial subjects of Britain and France respond to the war?

African colonial subjects of Britain and France generally supported the Allied powers and helped local British and French commanders take over German colonies. More than a million Africans, as well as Asians, served in the various armies of the warring powers; more than double served as porters to carry equipment. The French used colonial troops from North Africa to make up for a shortage of young men. Large numbers of troops came from the British Commonwealth, a voluntary association of former British colonies.

Who was Alexander Kerensky?

An important liberal political leader of the Provisional Government in Russia.

What was the February Revolution in Russia in 1917?

An unplanned uprising of hungry and angry people in the capital.

What nations joined the war on the side of the Central Powers?

Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire

Following the war, what was one of the most difficult domestic problems faced by governments?

Caring for victims and veterans. There was never enough money to fund pension and job-training programs. Many disabled veterans were left to beg on the streets. Governments couldn't keep up with all the benefits for widows, orphans and veterans. With the onset of the Great Depression, benefits were cut, leaving bitter veterans vulnerable to Nazi propagandists.

What was France's position at the Paris Peace Conference?

Clemenceau, the prime minister of France, wanted Germany to pay for its aggression; he wanted revenge, economic retribution, and lasting security of France. This would require a buffer state, the permanent demilitarization of Germany, and vast reparation payments.

How did Lenin respond to the peasants' seizure of land when he rose to power in 1917?

He gave them what they wanted. Since summer, a peasant revolution had swept across Russia, as impoverished peasants seized the estates of landlords and the church for themselves. When Lenin mandated reform, he merely approved what the peasants were already doing.

What was French premier Georges Clemenceau's opinion at the Paris Peace Conference?

He wanted to create a buffer state between Germany and France.

What happened to Armenian inhabitants of the Ottoman Empire during the war?

Heavy fighting between the Ottomans and the Russians enveloped the Armenians. They had experienced brutal repression by the Ottoman in 1909 so in 1915 some Armenians welcomed Russian armies as liberators. The Ottoman government, with German support, ordered a mass deportation of its Armenian citizens from their homeland. About one million Armenians died from murder, starvation and disease.

How did Hindenburg and Ludendorff react to Germany's loss in the war?

Hindenburg and Ludendorff realized that Germany had lost the war and, not wanting to shoulder the blame, insisted that moderate politicians should take responsibility for the defeat.

What was the result of Allied support of the White armies in the Russian civil war?

It helped the Bolsheviks, who could appeal to patriotic nationalism against the Allies.

Why did Italy, after declaring neutrality in 1914, decide to join the Triple Entente in 1915?

It was promised Austrian territory in return.

What did the Petrograd Soviet Army Order No.1 state?

Military officers were stripped of their authority and power was placed in the hands of elected committees of soldiers.

What is national self-determination?

National self-determination is a nation's right to decide for itself what path it is going to take. People should be able to choose their own national governments through democratic majority-rule elections and live free from outside interference in nation-states with clearly defined borders.

What was the principle of national self-determination promoted by Woodrow Wilson?

People should be able to choose a national government through a democratic process and live free from outside interference.

How did the moderate Social Democrats in Germany put down the radical Spartacist Uprising?

Radical Communists led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxembourg tried to seize control of the government in the Spartacist Uprising in Berlin in 1919, but the uprising was crushed by nationalist Free Corps militias, and the two were murdered.

What did the Petrograd Soviet Army Order No. 1 state?

Stripped officers of their authority and placed power in the hands of elected committees of common soldiers. The order, which was intended to protect the revolution from resistance by the aristocratic officer corps, led to a collapse of army discipline.

What did Germany's Auxiliary Service Law require?

That all men between seventeen and sixty work at jobs considered critical to the war effort. The Auxiliary Service Law was passed in 1916 by the Reichstag (forced by German military leaders)

What did the Balfour Declaration announce?

The Balfour Declaration announced that Britain favored/supported a "National Home for the Jewish People" in Palestine, but without discriminating against the civil and religious rights of the non'Jewish communities already living in that region.

How did Lenin and the Bolsheviks' view of the Marxist party in Russia from the Mensheviks' view of the party?

The Bolsheviks wanted a small, disciplined party, while the Mensheviks wanted a democratic party with mass membership. The Mensheviks' (minority) wanted a more democratic, reformist party with mass membership. Lenin's Bolsheviks' view was for a highly disciplined workers' party strictly controlled by a small, dedicated elite of intellectuals and professional revolutionaries who would be dedicated to Communist revolution.

What was the February Revolution in Russia in 1917?

The February Revolution was the result of an unplanned uprising of hungry, angry people in the capital, but was eagerly accepted throughout the country. These unplanned uprisings were accompanied by violent street demonstration that begun in March 1971 in Petrograd (St. Petersburg), Russia, that led to the abdication of the tsar and the establishment of a provisional government.

Why were the Balkans considered the "powder keg of Europe"?

The Ottoman Empire had been forced to give up its territory in the region, leading to growing ethnic nationalism.

What ultimately happened to Ukraine and Belarus?

The Red Army reconquered Belarus and Ukraine, both of which had briefly gained independence.

What was the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916?

The Sykes Picot Agreement of 1916 was a secret agreement by Britain and France to divide up former Ottoman territories. Britain and France agreed that France would receive a mandate to govern modern-day Lebanon, Syria, and much of Turkey, and Britain would control Palestine, Transjordan, and Iraq.

What was the fatal turning point in the Russian prosecution of the war?

The tsar and his family were callously executed in July 1918.

What was the fatal turning point in the Russian prosecution of the war?

The tsar's decision to assume command of Russia's armies, leaving the government in the hands of the strong-willed, autocratic tsarina.

Throughout the First World War, what mistake did military commanders repeatedly make?

They attempted to mount massive offensives designed to break through entrenched lines.

What was the common effect of western-front offensives during the First World War?

They caused the slaughter of massed infantry units.

What was the primary political weakness of the White forces as they fought against the Bolsheviks?

They had a poorly defined political program that failed to unite the enemies of the Bolsheviks.

Why did the Germans accept the Treaty of Versailles?

They had little alternative, especially as the naval blockade was still in place and the German people were starving.

How did the Western powers react to the declarations of independence by Syria and Iraq shortly following the First World War?

They invaded the two regions and defeated the independence movements.

How and who assassinated Rasputin in 1916?

Three members of the high aristocracy murdered Rasputin in 1916.

Who is Walter Rathenau and what is his contribution to this history?

Walter Rathenau was a Jewish industrialist who convinced the government to set up the War Raw materials Board to ration and distribute raw materials. Under his direction, every useful material was inventoried and rationed. The board also produced substitutes , such as synthetic rubber and nitrates, for scarce war supplies. Food was also rationed according to physical need.

Bismarck's alliance system was designed to isolate France and to

maintain peace between Russia and Austria-Hungary.

Following the First World War, what was one of the most difficult domestic problems faced by governments.

providing care for the large number of injured veterans.