Unit 2 History Test WWI

Tsar Nicholas II

1894-1917 (reign), lacked the decisiveness to effectively rule russia. Opposed to any form that would limit his power. Didn't agree that Russia must modernize to survive (due to the fact that he didn't want anything to limit his power). Support for Nicholas II was undermined by Bloody Sunday. This event (along with other strikes & demonstrations) pushed Nicholas II to create a constitution and an elected parliament (Duma). This satisfied Liberals, but Radicals & Socialist continued rebelling.

What factors sparked the Armenian genocide? How did the world react to it? Why did they react in the ways they did?

A factor that sparked the Armenian genocide was that the Armenians lived in both the Ottoman Empire and Russia. Since the Ottoman Empire had allied with Germany, then Russia was now the enemy and the Armenians were accused of having split loyalty. The world reacted (especially the United States) by reporting about it in the news, however not one nation provided any help to the Armenians at the time, most likely because they were occupied with the war.

trench warfare

A kind of combat in which opposing nations fight from trenches facing each other. This becomes necessary when both armies face a stalemate in which neither side is able to advance or take over the other. As time went on, technologies advanced. Things like the machine gun were invented, making head-on soldier attacks on foot no longer effective.

Lusitania

A neutral British passenger liner that was sunk by German U-Boats that had not followed the rules of submarine warfare in 1915. The ship was carrying more than a thousand American passengers as well as a cargo of contraband munitions that were to arrive in Britain. This caused the United States to almost break diplomatic relations with Germany, which had also temporarily restricted its U-Boat raids.

Provisional Government

A temporary government composed of Duma leaders (mostly) who assumed power until a new constitution could be enacted. They proclaimed democratic rights and freedoms for everyone and promised to have elections for a national constituent assembly but it did not have the support of the peasants because it postponed the land reforms that would have redistributed land. It also made the terrible decision of keeping Russia in the war (which was very unpopular).

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

A treaty that was signed by German and Soviet officials, ending Russia's participation in the Great War. In this treaty, Russia had given two-thirds of Russia west of the Ural Mountains in return for peace.The treaty gave Germans access to huge supplies of timber, oil, and grain from western Russia, but more importantly, it had freed fifty combat-ready divisions for immediate transfer to the Western Front.

Bosnian Crisis of 1908-1909

Also known as the Annexation crisis, it was the first Balkan Crisis. it was when austria hungary announced the joining of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the public. In april 1909 the treaty of berlin was signed ending the crisis.

Why did the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand lead to war?

Because Europe was mostly run by monarchs, it was a very big deal. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was a future ruler of Austria-Hungary. Austria wanted to somehow punish Serbia. This set off a chain of events that would eventually lead to WWI.

How did non-European countries participate in WWI? How did the war affect these countries? Explain in particular: Japan, India, and the East African region.

Because of Germany being occupied in Europe fighting its two-ended war, its colonies vulnerable and under-protected. During WWI, Germany had colonies in China and owned German East Africa from the time of imperialization. British forces in Africa were able to attack German East Africa and take over the colony. Britain had expressed desires to take over Pacific waters in order for British merchants to travel safely without the threat of German, not having enough force, they asked Japan to help. In China, both Indian and Japanese forces attacked Germany's port in China. Japan's naval fleet sunk many German warships, blocking off the waters into the port. And land forces from India and China were able to capture the port.

On the eve of WWI, which countries were most industrialized? Which were least industrialized? Which countries had the strongest and weakest armed forces?

Before WWI, the most industrialized countries were Britain, Germany, and the United States. The least industrialized were Russia, Italy, the Balkans, and Austro-Hungary.

Western Front

Belgium resists the Germans which causes delay in the German's arrival, French arrive quickly, Germany has small victories until the French outflank them, this sparks the "race to the sea" (each side tries to outflank the other, ended at the english channel) trench warfare

How did Bismarck's diplomatic approach help to maintain peace in the 1870s and 1880s?

Bismarck's diplomatic approach helpt keep the peace because his diplomacy kept the peace with the triple alliance and he said that in war germany would ally with the defendor.

Why did the Bolsheviks come to power? Consider the failures of the Provisional Government and the impact of the "Kornilov mutiny."

Bolshevik revolution. Promised a Decree on Peace (end war), and a Decree on Land (peasants could divide up nobles' states). As the provisional government was failing support for the Bolsheviks grew (pushed for the revolution [stated above] and added to the energy & effectiveness of the Bolshevik rule). "Kornilov mutiny?"

unrestricted submarine warfare

Could "strangle" Britain and end war quickly. Minimized the chance of involvement with US (they couldn't/wouldn't send soldiers in ships that could sink). Had to abide by the old rules of war, which defeated the purpose of the submarine.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

He was the heir to the throne of Austria until he and his wife were assassinated in Serbia. This caused Serbia and Austria to go to war, and Austria asking Germany for help, and the same for Serbia to Russia. France and Britain both backed Russia.

Otto Von Bismarck

He was the leader of Germany's unification who had become the prime minister of Prussia in 1852. Von Bismarck was an ultraconservative who hated parliaments and had quickly clashed with Prussia's. Prussia's parliament had rejected a bill to strengthen and reform Prussia's army. Von Bismark, having been backed by the king and the army, enacted the army reform anyway which ignited a constitutional crisis that had outraged liberals and nationalists. He knew however, that they would forgive him if he could, in his own words, use "blood and iron" to achieve things that parliamentary speeches and votes could not, which was the unification of Germany.

How successful was the fighting in the West and East in the first few months of the war?

In the first few months of the war fighting in the East and West was unsuccessful because they were in stalemates. This caused trench warfare. The advanced technology kept both sides in stalemates because if you were to run into no mans land you would be gunned down within a matter of seconds. The fitting style had not changed when the weaponry did and this caused large amounts of casualties.

What factors produced discontent in Russia in the early 1900s? (Include WWI in your answer.)

In the middle of the Boxer Uprising in China, Russia sent troops to Manchuria to protect their railway interests from the Boxers. This action angered the Japanese who were already irritated that they were forced to China the Liaodong Peninsula back. Now they had feared the Russians would hinder their access to ample coal and iron deposits. Over the next few years Japan had gained more of a name and an alliance with Britain called the "Anglo-Japanese"alliance in 1902. Under international pressure, Russia evacuated troops out of Manchuria by 1904. On February 8, 1904, Japan surprised the Russian fleet with a torpedo strike which devastated the Russian fleet and began the Russo-Japanese war that lasted from 1904 to 1905. The Russians were beaten by the Japanese in both the sea and land and had made the mighty Russian army the laughing stock of the modern world. During the first World War, the Russian soldiers were getting pretty beaten up by their conditions they were in as well as the power of the Germans. By the end of 1916, the war had also disrupted civilian life in all warring nations. This meant that food, clothing, and critical raw materials were being distributed on a priority basis with the military need taking precedence. In Russia, the government had banned vodka and by 1916, the vodka-starved Russians started to drink varnish and cologne. The farmers still kept up to the food demands but the soldiers were fed first and the railway system eventually proved unable to supply both soldiers and cities in enemy controlled countries which triggered major revolutions in 1917.

Leon Trotsky

Leon Trotsky was a Russian Marxist orator and organizer who helped lead the soviet of 1905. He was a long time political opponent of Lenin, but he joined him in the common goal of pushing for immediate revolution, adding immensely to the effectiveness of the Bolsheviks leadership.

Petrograd Soviet

Made up of deputies elected by workers and soldiers, modeled on the soviet of 1905. It was led by socialists who believed Russia was too economically primitive for the socialist regime, and let the Provisional Government manage for the time being. The Petrograd soviet sought to shape and ambiguous situation called the "dual power". It called for broad reforms and peace and local soviets sprang up all over Russia.

March Revolution

On International Women's Day a group of female textile workers started a protest, joined by women and men, by the next day the whole city was on strike, Tsar ordered officers to shoot the protesters, they did, realized they did not want to kill their own so they created a mutiny, tsar's authority completely gone

Rasputin

The "holy man" hired by Empress Alexandra to help heal her son, Alexis. He led a life of public drunkenness and debauchery. He was later murdered because the people thought him and the Empress were ruining Russia together.

What factors helped the Allies to defeat Germany, even after the Russians withdrew from the war?

The American troops coming in bringing more firepower, more supplies, and better moral, outbreak of the flu, and the British invention of the tank all helped push Germany to defeat.

Battle of the Somme

The Battle of the Somme was fought between the British and the French empires against the German empire. It took place between July and November of 1916 on either side of the Somme River in France. This war was significant because it was one of the largest and bloodiest wars of WWI (over 1,000,000 men killed/wounded). This war also showed the impact the machine gun can make on warfare (how the morality in war was lost and troops were becoming ruthless killing machines).

Central Powers

The Central powers were Germany, Austria Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman empire. The central powers were the remains of the Triple Alliance (Italy joined the Triple entente) and fought against the Triple Entente and their allies.

Schlieffen Plan

The Schlieffen plan was created by general count Alfred von Schlieffen in 1905. The plan was to attack France and defeat them and then attack Russia after they defeated France because Russia was slower than France.

Triple Alliance

The Triple Alliance was a defensive pact between Italy, Austria and Germany. Each country promised to assist the others in the event of an unprovoked attack by a third party (country).

Eastern Front

The Western Front of Russia and the Eastern front of both Germany and Austria-Hungary. Tsar Nicholas II took control of the Russian army on the Eastern front, which helped to destroy the Russian monarchy. The German forces were stronger than the Russians, who were suffering from a lack of resources. The Germans were able to get within 85 miles of St. Petersburg, until the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed, giving Germany a large part of Western Russia and ending their battle.

Triple Entente

The alliance between France, Britain, and Russia in retaliation to The triple alliance

Allies

The allies (Allied Powers) in WWI were Britain, France, Russia and later Japan. They relied heavily on mass attacks and British naval blockades of Germany. Italy joined later on. The significance was that these powers matched those of the Triple Alliance, creating an equilibrium which made the war last for so long.

soviets

The councils that helped run the revolution in Russia. They were small groups of officials who ruled a small area under the greater command of the Provisional Government.They helped lead events such as a day when everyone didn't go to work, which shut down complete cities.

Empress Alexandra

The empress of Russia that had a major impact on the end of monarchy because when tsar nicholas went to war she took over and let rasputin take all control of everything. This caused riots and eventually an unstable government that stopped working

What were the expectations about the war on the eve of World War I? Were those expectations met? Why or why not?

The expectations about war on the eve of WWI was that it would be a quick and easy war. The general attitude of the population was overwhelmingly positive. They saw war as a chance for glory, a romantic endeavor. Many young men were volunteering eagerly for the war. Nobody knew how warfare had evolved (or would evolve) from the old style of charges and frontal assaults to the slow grind of Trench Warfare. The expectations of war were crushed very quickly by the trench warfare. All traces of romanticism were crushed and war changed from a romantic adventure to a slow, painful, grind.

Bolsheviks

The followers of Lenin and his ideas who had much support in the working class population of Russia. The Provisional Government arrested some of its leaders in a hope to disband the Bolsheviks and collapse the movement. The Bolsheviks came to power after the prime minister fired a military general and the Bolshevik leaders were released from prison. They formed the soviet government and called themselves Communists.

Zimmerman telegram

The intercepted telegram from a German ambassador to Mexico asking them to side with Germany if the U.S. ever joined in the war. In return Germany would give them back the territory they lost in in the Mexico-U.S. war. Britain intercepted this and gave it to the U.S.

Why did the development of two rival alliance systems (also called the Diplomatic Revolution of 1890-1907) threaten European peace?

The two rival alliances were about equal in power and all participating countries had focused on building up large armies and navies in prior years. All these countries wanted to show their military power in war. The only problem with that is that these countries were in alliances, which did not simply mean they were friends, they were committed to supply military support in a time of need of the other countries in their alliance. This made it so that one spark could ignite fighting between all of these countries.

Russo-Japanese War

The war between Russia and Japan. Was significant because Japan won showing that Asia actually had power and wasn't inferior to European powers.

What brought the US into the WWI in 1917?

The zimmerman telegram war the final tipping point that made the USA enter WW1. The telegram was actually a letter that was met for Mexico asking that Mexico and Germany be allies and if the USA intervenes in WW1 then Mexico would attack the USA. and in return Mexico would get a bunch of southern USA land. But Britain intercepted this letter and told the USA, and we got very angry and decided to join the war. And mexico was smart and declined Germanes offer because they knew that the USA was too strong for them.

What were some of the significant policies the Bolsheviks implemented on coming into power?

They shut down the constituent assembly, they nationalized banking and foreign trade, declared equality among all citizens; including minorities.

What were the goals of The Black Hand? What were the organization's tactics?

They wanted to unite all Serbs and gain an independent Slavic state instead of being ruled by Austro-Hungary, they used terrorist tactics and would influence government, they also organized revolutionary actions, fought enemies of the Serbs, stayed amicable with all of their supporters, assist others who are fighting for their unification and liberation, planned the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand (spark of WWI)

Kaiser Wilhelm II

Undid the work of Bismarck (also lacked Bismarck's ruthlessness & skill). Didn't renew the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia (when it expired in 1890), believed that it contradicted the Triple Alliance (1882). Destroyed both of Bismarck's pillars. Pushed Russia to become allies with France because they took the nonrenewal as a hostile act. Compromised Germany's (dominant) position in Europe. This made war a possibility, which would also mean that Germany would be fighting on two fronts.

Lenin

Vladimir Lenin was a communist revolutionary and leader of the Bolsheviks. He thought that it was necessary to have a vanguard leading the revolution instead of everyone just running will

How did WWI collapse divisions based on race, class, and gender?

WWI collapsed divisions based on race, class and gender because out on the battlefield, your social status, etc. wasn't important. No matter what these citizen's class, race, or gender, they all had at least one thing in common; the desire to do what's best for their country. Naomi Loughnan said that women were able to contribute to some of the tasks at hand and help improve the output (p.56-58 in packet). If these countries wanted to win their battles, they were going to need all hands on deck, and they could not afford to discriminate about who's going to be fighting. This caused a lot of countries to unite and move in a positive direction of equality.

Why was World War I remembered as the "Great War"? How did it differ from previous wars? (be sure to consider technology, the home front, and the rules of warfare, among other factors)

WWI was remembered as the "Great War" because it was the first huge war among central powers since the Napoleonic wars. For almost a century Europe had been at peace and the war, which was predicted to take just a few months, actually lasted for four years. The reasons why it lasted for so long and why it was different from other wars were: The technology had changed, machine guns were invented, which could kills men very fast with almost no effort put in, or any focus on the individual soldier or display of personal courage, unlike in previous wars where hand to hand combat was necessary. This technology led to trench warfare, a new kind of warfare which put the countries in a stalemate because no one could move forward without devastating losses. The rules of warfare were also abandoned, used in previous wars. Men were killed in the millions with no regard for human conservation, and the Germans practiced Unrestricted Submarine warfare, in which they could sink any boat in their territory, which had never been allowed before.

total war

When there is war going on in a country and every citizen is involved in it by taking rations, the kids bringing scrap metal and everybody helping the war effort. This also has to have a direct relation to the government controlling it.

What were the causes of World War I? Be able to explain each of the MAIN causes.

World War two had many causes but the main causes were the assassination of the archduke and the struggle for land and power in europe. The assassination of the archduke caused germany to be able to back austria in any war if it came to that and when there was a chain of allies that led to half of europe being on one side of the war and half of Europe being on the other side. Also the reason that this happened with all of these allies was because when the triple alliance was created by germany, austria hungary and Italy. This alliance caused England, Russia and France to make the triple entente splitting europe in half in alliances.

"blank check"

a document that would allow Austria to lead Germany and the rest of Europe into war; promised by Kaiser William II to back any action Austria might take. Related to Bismarck's "reinsurance treaty" - which kept peace in Europe. This was a change which made it more likely Europe would go to war.

Duma

an elected parliament; issued by tsar Nicholas II after Bloody Sunday along with a constitution to satisfy liberals

Bloody Sunday

took place in saint petersburg russia, 1905, was when unarmed demonstrators marched to present a petition to tsar nicholas II . Wheen they almost reached the city center they were fired upon by the imperial guard. this show made it look like the tsar did not care about the public and caused much more people to dislike him.