World War 1
What factors helped prompt the United States to join the war for the Allies?
-Germany sunk the Lusitania which killed 128 people -Germany encouraged Mexico to help them fight against the United States -The U.S' economic ties were stronger with the Allies than the Central Powers. -America's similarities to Britain created a bond.
Who was responsible for the assassination of the Archduke Frantz Ferdinand?
A secret Serbian society called the Black Hands
The Gallipoli Campaign
-Allies move to capture Ottoman Dardanelles strait -Hope to defeat Ottoman Empire, a Central Power ally -Also want to open a supply line through region to Russia -Effort ends in costly Allied defeat
Women and the War
-At home, thousands of women fill jobs previously held by men -Many women also experience the war by working as nurses
Tension among countries
-France is still angry about the Franco-Prussian war -German pride in military -Slavic nations want freedom... Serbia
In what ways did the Treaty of Versailles punish Germany?
-Germany had to return Alsace- Loraine to France and surrender overseas colonies -Military can't be too big, can't import weapons or build submarines -Placed sole responsibility on their shoulders and they were forced to pay $33 billion to Allied Powers. Because their economy was war based, they had trouble paying off this debt.
What side did the US take when they entered the war?
Allies or triple entente; great Britain, France and Russia
Eastern Front
Along the German and Russian border Russia struggles: -Lots of casualties and little supplies -huge army= formidable force which keeps Germany from sending troops to the Western Front -German problem: 2 front war
League of Nations
An international association whose goal was to keep peace among the nations; created by the Treaty of Versailles.
What were characteristics of trench warfare?
Armies dug trenches to protect against enemy fire. Many people died and there was little progress. The trenches had no fresh food and were infested with rats so they ended up eating rats. There was also a lot of standing water/ mud so they ended up with trench foot and gangrene. When soldiers tried to come out, they were usually met with machine fire. However, if they stayed, they could be hit with rounds
What neutral nation was invaded and caused the involvement of Britain?
Belgium
Purpose of propaganda?
Encourage men to enlist in army and adapt to needs of the war
Verdun
February 16 -November 1915, Germans try to take French Forts on Franco-German, longest battle in WW1, millions of soldiers lost, nothing gained and weakens both armies
In which country was almost all of the war in the West fought?
France
George Clemenceau
France's leader and a member of the Big Four. He was instrumental in the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.
How were the wars on the Eastern and Western fronts the same?
Many people died and technology just increased the number of casualties.
Causes of World War 1
Militarism Alliances Nationalism Imperialism Assassination
Rationing
Nations turn to rationing- limiting purchases of war-related goods such as food, steel, sugar, tin, rubber, etc.
Bloody Stalemate
New weapons and tactics create a stalemate and very high casualty rates -Trench Warfare -Poison gas -tanks -airplanes -machine guns -submarines/ U-boats This creates the Western Front (the battle zone stretching from N. France to the Swiss Alps)
Were the Versailles treaties fair?
No because it placed sole blame for WW1 on Germany. Austria-Hungary was also a key player of the Central Powers and it can be argued that it was the Serb's fault for assassinating Archduke Ferdinand which set the war in motion. Also, Russia was left out of the Big Four despite their valiant war efforts with the Allied Powers (they even lost land), Finally, the nations controlled by the Germans previously had new rulers and all they wanted was independence.
How was rationing and propaganda used in total war?
Rationing was used in total war because the government only allowed civilians to a small amount of items that were needed for war. That became the priority. Propaganda was also used to persuade the people to continue supporting the war because they only saw the positive side of it.
Which country suffered lost the most people in the war?
Russia
How did nations attempt to maintain morale after the war settled into the stalemate?
Small victories got big headlines in the newspapers and influenced civilians with propaganda
What was the main goal of the Gallipoli Campaign performed by the Allies?
The Allies' strategy was to attack the Dardanelles in the Ottoman Empire which would allow them to take Constantinople and defeat the Turks, establishing a supply line to Russia.
What is the powder keg of Europe?
The Balkans are the powder keg of Europe because that is where the conflict between the Serbs and Austrians began. This later led to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand by the Black Hands
Why was the Battle of Marne so significant?
The Battle of Marne left the "great Schlieffen plan" shattered because Russian troops had already invaded Germany in the East and Germany wouldn't be able to react quick enough in the West.
What is the Schlieffen Plan? What countries are involved?
The Schlieffen Plan is the plan developed by Germany when forced to fight in a two front war. The plan called for attacking and defeating France in the west and rushing East to fight Russia. The countries involved from the Central Powers side were mainly Germany and Austria-Hungary. Russia and France were the countries being directly attacked.
What was the goal of Wilson's fourteen points?
To achieve a just and lasting peace, and prevent future German aggression.
What were the goals of Bismarck's Germany?
To create peace by taking away France's land and create an alliance that they weren't a part of.
What is total war?
Total war is when a government devotes all of it's resources to the war effort. Governments take control of the economy by telling factories what to produce and ration so the soldiers have adequate supplies. Information is censored and one-sided and any able bodied person is working.
Armistice
an agreement to stop fighting
The Treaty of Versailles
-The Allies and Germany sign accord- the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919 -creates League of Nations- international peace keeping organization -blamed Germans for war, forces Germany to pay damages to nations; known as the War Guilt Clause -League to rule German colonies until deemed ready for independence which loses money
Chain of events
-The Archduke Ferdinand and his wife are assassinated by the Black Hands of Serbia. -Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia -Russia mobilizes to aid Serbia -The German government declared war on Russia -Germany declared war on France -Great Britain declared war on Germany
How were the wars on the Eastern and Western fronts different?
-The Eastern front was more mobile -The Western front used more trench warfare -France and Great Britain were fighting Germany on the Western front -Russia and Serbia were fighting Austria-Hungary on the Eastern front -The Western was mainly in France and the Eastern in Russia
The Central Powers collapse
-With Russia gone, Germany moves most of its force to Western front -engage in major fighting; Allies force Germans to retreat -Allies win war; armistice- end of fighting- signed in November 1918
Russia withdraws
-civil unrest in Russia forces Czar to step down from the throne in 1917 -communists soon take control of Russia's government -Russia signs treaty of Brest- Litvosk in March 1918, pulls out of war
Schlieffen Plan: Germany is ready to attack
1. Attack France 2. Leave troops in Paris 3. Quickly attack Russia *This plan needed speed!
Triple Alliance; central powers
1. Austria-Hungary 2. Germany 3. Italy *Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire (they wanted to try and regain territory)
Triple Entente; allies
1. Great Britain 2. France 3. Russia (and Serbia had an alliance with Russia) *Japan, Italy, U.S, Australia
Wilson's plan for peace
1. Wilson proposes Fourteen points- outline for lasting world peace 2. promotes self-determination-right of people to govern themselves 3. calls for free trade and end to secret alliances, and military buildups 4. envisions international peace keeping body to settle world disputes (14th point)
The Somme
1916, allied troops fight Germans on North France border, allies gain 7-8 miles, Germans lose 500000 men
Total war
A conflict in which the participating countries devote all their resources to the war effort.
Schlieffen Plan; why does it fail?
Germany's plan to attack and defeat France in the west and then rush east to fight Russia because they were faced with a war on two fronts. Fails because they did not plan on GB helping France
Who made up the great powers?
Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Great Britain, Russia, Italy and France
Trench Warfare
Goal: Slowly wear down the opposing force Miserable conditions like: -little to no sleep -infested with rats (often would eat them) -sit in water which caused trench foot, Gangrene, and Dysentery -boredom -constant shelling led to shell shock which is similar to PTSD
Eastern Front
In World War 1, the region along the German-Russian border where Russians and Serbs battled Germans, Austrians, and Turks.
What was the "war guilt clause" in the Treaty of Versailles?
It placed sole responsibility for the war on Germany and said that they must pay back the allies for the war expenses.
Which countries represented the Big Four?
Italy, France, Great Britain, and the United States made up the Big Four
What was the War Guilt Clause and how did this impact the aftermath of WW1?
The War Guilt Clause was the part of the Treaty of Versailles that placed sole responsibility for the war on Germany's shoulders. They had to pay war reparations to the Allies because of this. The War Guilt Clause left the Germans bitter because their economy was military based so they couldn't pay back the reparations
Explain the Zimmerman note
The Zimmerman note is a telegram written by Germany's foreign secretary Arthur Zimmerman stating that if Mexico became their ally, then Germany would help them to regain territory that the U.S took.
What was the spark that signaled the start of World War 1?
The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
Militarism
The building up of military
Why did the United States reject the Treaty of Versailles?
The people were not happy with the League of Nations and felt that the U.S' best hope for peace was to stay out of European affairs.
Woodrow Wilson
The president of the United States who was a key member of the peace plan for post WW1 world.
Kaiser Wilhelm 2
The ruler of Germany who forced Bismarck to resign so he could hold all power. He let his treaty with Russia lapse and began to build ships which alarmed other European countries.
Key leaders in the Big Four
United States: Woodrow Wilson France: George Clemenceau Italy: Vittorio Orlando Great Britain: David Lloyd George
When did Germany abandon the schlieffen plan?
When Germany was defeated at the battle of Marne
What is the impact of the Brest- Litovosk?
When Russia became a communist country, their leader Lenin ended Russia's involvement in the war with a treaty called the Treaty of Brest- Litovosk. This allowed Germany to send all of its force towards France and the Western front. France at first seemed crushed
Why did great Britain and France disagree with Wilson?
Wilson wanted peace, GB and France wanted Germany or pay
What role did women play in the war?
Women replaced men in many of the city style jobs like working in factories, offices, and shops. They supplied the troops with the goods to sustain them in war, from food to clothing. Many also aided the injured as nurses.
Propaganda
information or material spread to advance a cause or damage an opponent's cause.
Unrestricted submarine warfare
the German policy that their submarines would sink without warning any ships in the waters around Britain.
Treaty of Versailles
the agreement between Germany and the allied powers that punished Germany and placed the sole blame on their shoulders. Germany's territories were declared mandates that would be controlled by the Allies temporarily
Western Front
the deadlocked region in northern France
Self determination
the idea that people should be allowed to decide for themselves under what government they wished to live.
Rationing
the limiting of the amounts of goods people can buy- often imposed by governments during wartime when goods are in short supply.
Fourteen Points
the plan proposed by President Wilson towards the end of WW1 that outlined how to achieve a just and lasting peace
