Unit 3: World War I Review Sheet - CASSIDY

Battle of Tannenberg

In Augustus, 1914, Russian Armies pushed into eastern Germany. Then, the Russians suffered a disastrous defeat at Tannenberg, causing them to retreat back into Russia. As the least industrialized of the Great Powers, Russia was poorly equipped to fight a modern war. Some troops even lacked rifles. Still, Russian commanders continued to send masses of soldiers into combat.

Neutrality

Not choosing sides

Georges Clemenceau

representing France at the Paris Peace Conference that ended WWI. He lived though 2 German Invasions of France.... he sought revenge against the Germans for these invasions! Both Great Britain and France wanted German Colonies in Asia and Africa.

David Lloyd George

representing Great Britain at the Paris Peace Conference that ended WWI - he was re-elected as the British Prime Minister under the slogan: "Make Germany Pay!" Both Great Britain and France wanted German Colonies in Asia and Africa.

Vittorio Orlando

representing Italy at the Paris Peace Conference. He wanted land from Austria-Hungary because the British and France "promised" this land to Italy in exchange for Italy's help vs. the Central Powers

Belgium

A neutral (not taking sides) country at the beginning of World War I that was invaded by Germany early in the war as was part of Germany's Schlieffen Plan. The Schlieffen Plan was based upon the idea that Germany could try to avoid fighting a 2-front war at the beginning of WWI. The plan was developed by General Alfred Von Schlieffen in 1897 and was based on the premise that Germany would quickly defeat France before Russia was able to mobilize because the German leadership knew it would take Russia more time to mobilize for war. The quick attack against France required that the German army move through neutral Belgium before attacking France. When the German Army invaded Belgium, according to the Schlieffen Plan, Great Britain declared war on Germany thus following their treaty obligations to both France and Russia who were part of the Triple Entente, or later to be called the Allies in WWI.

2 Front War

A war, in which a country that is centrally located between two enemies, must fight on two sides, or fronts. Thus, that country might have to divide their forces in order to address the military threats on both sides of their borders. Such was the situation for the German Empire (2nd Reich) going into World War I. In this situation, Germany found itself in the middle of Europe but situated with enemies on both sides after an 1894 alliance was created between Russia and France. Such a scenario presented Germany with the possibility that war with either country would make an enemy of both countries.

Poland

After not existing as a country for over 120 years in Europe's history, the Polish people were more than happy to have their nation of Poland established as a country in 1919 as part of the self-determination promoted by the Treaty of Versailles! Poland was one among other Eastern European countries like Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, and Yugoslavia to have a country for themselves after WWI.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

After the Bolshevik Revolution led by Russian's communist rebels against a Provisional Russian Government in October, 1916, the leader of the communist forces, Vladimir Lenin quickly sought peace with Germany. Russian signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March, 1918, giving up a huge chunk of its territory and its population. The cost of peace was extremely high, but the Communist leaders knew that they needed all of their energy to defeat a collection of enemies at home in Russia. Russia's withdrawal affected the hopes of both the Allies and the Central Powers.

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Also known as the "spark" that ignited the "Balkan Powder Keg," that would eventually start World War I. The Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the throne of The Austria-Hungarian Empire. On June 28, 1914, he was visiting Sarajevo, the capital city of the newly acquired (or annexed) Austrian province of Bosnia-Herzegovina. However, most of the Bosnian people identified themselves with the nation, Serbia, and therefore wanted to be part of Serbia instead of the Austria-Hungarian Empire. The Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his pregnant wife, Sofie, were assassinated (i.e. - shot) by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Black Hand which was a secret society of Slavic (i.e. - Serbian) extremists who wanted Bosnia to be a part of Serbia and not Austria-Hungary. Later, despite an ultimatum that was issued to Serbia from Austria-Hungary, the Austria-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia which set off a system of alliances that brought Europe, and later the world, into World War I.

Triple Entente (or the Allies)

An entente is a friendly understanding, NOT alliances - at least not yet! These included members of the Triple Entente before the start of World War I. The members of the Triple Entente prior to World War I were: Great Britain, France, and Russia.

Serbia

As a result of the Assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the events that led to the start of the Great War, or World War I, were due largely to the fact that the Serbian government was involved state-sponsored terrorism. Officials in the Serbian government were supplying weapons to the Black Hand gang which wanted the death of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Once the Archduke was killed with Serbian weapons by Serbian Nationalists, Austria-Hungary sent Serbia an ultimatum. It stated that... Serbia needed to stop all anti-Austro-Hungarian activity and let Austria investigate and then punish those who killed Franz Ferdinand. Despite Serbia's cooperation in the investigation, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia anyway. Serbia, who was allied with Russia, sought Russia's help. Therefore, Russia started its slow process of mobilization for war. This required that Russia move troops along the German and Austrian borders. At this point, both Serbia and Russia were involved in World War I!

How It All Went Down (Order of Events)

As a result of the Assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the events that led to the stat of the Great War, or World War I, were as follows: 1. Austria-Hungary sent Serbia an ultimatum. It stated that... Serbia needed to stop all anti-Austro-Hungarian activity and let Austria investigate and then punish those who killed Franz Ferdinand. 2. Despite Serbia's cooperation in the investigation, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia anyway. 3. Serbia, who was allied with Russia, sought Russia's help. Therefore, Russia started its slow process of mobilization for war. This required that Russia move troops along the German and Austrian borders. 4. As a result, Germany declared war on Russia and France - due to Germany's desire for quick action according to its Schlieffen Plan. 5. According to Germany 's Schlieffen Plan, a quick victory vs. France was required. However, they found the French-German border too well defended. Therefore, the plan required Germany to attack through neutral Belgium, first, in order to invade France. 6. Once Germany invaded Belgium's neutrality, Great Britain declared war on Germany. 7. Italy started the war on the Central Powers' side but they were soon lured away from the Central Powers' side when Britain and France (Allies) promised Italy land from Austria if the Italians fought on the Allies' side. Thus, by 1915, Italy joined the Allies. 8. Bulgaria joined the Central Powers side early in WWI.

Eastern Front

At the beginning of World War I, the Eastern Battle Front included the following countries: Russia vs. Germany and Austria-Hungary.

Western Front

At the beginning of World War I, the Western Battle Front included the following countries: Germany vs. France and Great Britain.

Kaiser William II

Became Kaiser of The 2nd Reich, or German Empire or Germany, in 1888. He proceeded to shock Europe in 1890 when he decided to force the resignation of Germany's most celebrated and experienced politician, Otto Von Bismarck. Many historians have speculated about why William II wanted Bismarck to resign. For example, although Bismarck originally wanted to unite the German states through war and Industry (i.e. - "Blood and Iron"), Bismarck had pursued peace through alliances with its neighbors, especially Austria-Hungary and Russia. Interestingly, he did not pursue peace or alliances with France, who Germany had defeated in 1870 and who Bismarck knew had developed a hatred for Germany up until 1890! However, now that William II forced Bismarck to resign, he could pursue a more militaristic future for Germany. Firmly believing that his right to rule Germany was through Divine Right, William II started to spend more and more money on Germany's military. Again, many historians have speculated that William II might have wanted to prove Germany' strength because he wanted to prove his own strength because of his own shortcomings. Personally, William II was born with a crippled left arm. Did Kaiser William's militaristic qualities develop because of this crippled left arm? No matter what, Kaiser William II let Germany's treaty with Russia lapse. As a result, France saw this as a way to seek an advantage over their sworn enemy, Germany. So in 1894, France created an alliance with Russia. They promised to help each other if either was attacked. The foreseeable problem for Germany as a result of this alliance was that they would have to fight a 2-Front war if they were at war with either of these two countries because of its location in the middle of Europe between these two countries. Kaiser William II also launched an ambitious campaign in the late 1890s and early 1900s, to expand the German Navy and to win overseas colonies for an empire. He wanted to rival the empires of both Great Britain and France. William II's Nationalism and aggressive military stance helped to increase tensions on the eve of World War I.

Ottoman Front

Because of its strategic location, the Ottoman Empire was a desirable ally. If the Ottoman Turks had joined the Allies, the Central Powers would have been almost completely encircled. However, the Turks joined the Central Powers in late October, 1914. The Turks then cut off crucial Allied Supply lines to Russia through the Dardanelles, a vital strait connecting the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea. In 1915, the Allies sent a massive force of British, Indian, Australian, and New Zealander troops to attempt to open up the strait. At the Battle of Gallipoli, Turkish troops trapped the Allies on the beaches of the Gallipoli Peninsula. In January 1916, after 10 months and more than 200,000 casualties, the Allies finally withdrew from the Dardanelles. The Ottoman Empire was also locked in a Struggle in the area of the Caucasus Mountains against the Russians. This area was the ancestral home of the Armenian people, an ethnic group living in both Russia and the Ottoman Empire, at this time. During this time, the Ottoman Turkish government was responsible for the deaths of anywhere between 600,000 & 1.5 Million Armenians who were accused of plotting against the Ottoman Empire. This massive massacre would be known later as the Armenian Genocide. On a third front, the Turks were hard hit in the Middle East. The Ottoman Empire included vast areas of Arab land. In 1916, Arab nationalists led by Husayn ibn Ali declared a revolt against Ottoman rule. The British government sent Colonel T.E. Lawrence--later known as Lawrence of Arabia--to support the Arab Revolt. Lawrence led guerrilla raids against the Turks, dynamiting bridges and supply trains. Eventually, the Ottoman Empire lost a great deal of territory to the Arabs, including the key city of Baghdad.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

By February, 1915, the German Navy had established a U-Boat blockade of Great Britain. The goal of this blockade was to prevent any war materials to enter into Great Britain that would later be used against Germany during the fighting of the war. However, other non-war related goods were still allowed into Great Britain, especially goods from neutral countries like the USA. The was basically "Restricted Submarine Warfare" practiced at the time by Germany. But on January 17, 1917, the German government announced it would utilize "Unrestricted Submarine Warfare," as a way to increase pressure on Great Britain to surrender and therefore increase Germany's chances of victory in the war. The declaration basically stated that "Germany will attack any ship around Great Britain without warning." When more US trade ships were sunk by the Germans due to this declaration, the US government became extremely frustrated with Germany. This would contribute to the American decision to enter World War I on the side of Great Britain and the Allies.

Total War

During World War I, many countries put all of their resources not the effort. This included utilizing the efforts of women on the home front to perform work that was traditionally performed by men. It also included governments raising money for the war effort by selling war bonds, holding scrap metal drives, requiring all citizens to make more sacrifices due to the war such as rationing food and encouraging the least use of valuable resources such as steel, coal, & oil.

Battle of Verdun

From February 21, 1916 to December 18, 1916, the Germans attacked the French at the Battle of Verdun in northern France. This was the longest battle of WWI. It lasted close to 11 months! The results of this battle were 300,000 dead! The Germans only gained 4 miles of land from the Allies (French and British).

Battle of the Somme

From July 1, 1916 to November 18, 1916, the British attacked the Germans at the Battle of the Somme in order to take pressure off the French who has already taken much of the German Offensive since the start of the war. The results of this battle were 500,000 total casualties! This included 20,000 British deaths on the first day of the battle. With all of this bloodshed, the British only gained 5 miles of land from the Germans!

Otto Von Bismarck

In 1890, Kaiser William II proceeded to shock Europe when he decided to force the resignation of Germany's most celebrated and experienced politician, Otto Von Bismarck. Many historians have speculated about why William II wanted Bismarck to resign. For example, although Bismarck originally wanted to unite the German states through war and Industry (i.e. - "Blood and Iron"), Bismarck had pursued peace through alliances with its neighbors, especially Austria-Hungary and Russia. Interestingly, he did not pursue peace or alliances with France, who Germany had defeated in 1870 and who Bismarck knew had developed a hatred for Germany up until 1890! However, now that William II forced Bismarck to resign, he could pursue a more militaristic future for Germany. Firmly believing that his right to rule Germany was through Divine Right, William II started to spend more and more money on Germany's military.

US Effect on WWI

In April, 1917, the USA, under the leadership of Woodrow Wilson, declared war on Germany. However, the USA needed months to recruit, train, Supply, and transport modern army across the Atlantic. But by 1918, about two million American soldiers had joined the war-weary Allied troops fighting on the Western Front. Although relatively few American troops engaged in combat, their arrival gave Allied troops a much needed morale boost. Just as important to the debt-ridden Allies was American financial aid. A final showdown on the Western Front began in early 1918. The Germans badly wanted to achieve a major victory before eager American troops arrived in Europe. In March, 1918, the Germans launched a huge offensive that by July had pushed the Allies back 40 miles. These efforts exhausted the Germans, however, and by then American troops were arriving by the thousands. The Allies then launched a counterattack, slowly driving German forces back across France and Belgium. In September, 1918, German generals told the Kaiser that the war could not be won. By November, 1918, the German government (after the abdication of Kaiser William II in early November) sought an armistice, or an agreement to end fighting with the Allies. At 11 am on November 11, 1918, the Great War at last came to an end.

War-guilt Clause

In June, 1919, the Allies who had not invited Germany to the Paris Peace Conference negotiations, forced the leaders of the new German Republic to sign the finished version of the Treaty of Versailles. As a part of the Treaty of Versailles ratified in 1919, Germany was forced to take full blame for causing World War I. This was called the War Guilt Clause.

Treaty of Versailles

In June, 1919, the Allies who had not invited Germany to the Paris Peace Conference negotiations, forced the leaders of the new German Republic to sign the finished version of the Treaty of Versailles. Germany and Communist Russia were intentionally left out of the Peace Treaty negotiations. This was ironic because it violated the 14 Points and its central premise of self-determination. The German delegates were horrified by the final version of the Treaty of Versailles! The reasons for this were as follows: 1) Germany was forced to take full blame for causing World War I. This was called the War Guilt Clause. 2) The Treaty also imposed huge Reparation payments on Germany that would burden an already damaged German economy in the Post-WWI period. The total cost of the German Reparation payments would later be calculated at $30 Billion.... equivalent to about $2.7 Trillion in today's money! Nonetheless, the Treaty of Versailles was ratified (or approved) on June 28, 1919 (5 months after the Peace Treaty talks began!). The League of Nations was the only point of the 14 Points that was not rejected and therefore became part of the final version of the Treaty of Versailles!

Zimmerman Telegram

In early 1917, the British government intercepted a message from the German foreign minister, Arthur Zimmermann, to his ambassador in Mexico. In the note, Zimmermann authorized his ambassador to propose that Germany would help Mexico to "re conquer the lost territory of New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona" in return for Mexican support against the United States. Britain revealed the Zimmermann note (or Telegram) to the American government. When the note became public, anti-German feeling intensified in the USA.

Italian Front

Italy was on the Central Powers to start World War I. However, they were lured away from the Central Powers' side with the promise of land from Austria-Hungary. Thus, they joined the Allies side by 1915. In the actually fighting of World War I for the Allies, Italy was perpetually hampered by their lack of industrial equipment for war. This meant that the Italians didn't necessarily help the Allies much during WWI. However, they did occupy the Austrian forces so that the Austrians could not help Germany attack against Great Britain and France on the Western Front. (This might have been the British and French motivation in getting Italy on their side during WWI!) The Italians and the Austrians fought eleven battles along the Isonzo River in Italy without any real breakthroughs. In October, 1917, the Austrians and Germans launched a major offensive against the Italian position at Caporetto. At the Battle of Caporetto, the Italians retreated in disarray. British and French forces later helped stop the Central Powers advance into Italy. Still, Caporetto proved as disastrous for Italy as Tannenberg had been for Russia.

5 Causes for World War I:

M- Militarism A - Alliances N- Nationalism I- Imperialism A- Assassination

Reparations

Money paid by the loser of a war for war damages. After WWI, the Allies wrote into the resulting Treaty of Versailles that Germany would be required to pay a huge amount of reparation payments to the Allies that would burden an already damaged German Economy. The total cost of the reparations would later be calculated at $30 Billion.... which was equivalent to about $2.7 Trillion, today! To say the least, the German government and German people were not happy about paying these reparations!

New Weapons (Technology)

New types of industrial technology were used in World War I such as: submarines, airplanes, machine guns, poison gas, gas masks, tanks, grenades, flamethrowers, etc.

Propaganda

One-sided information that was really designed to influence a person in one, specific direction or toward one, specific side. Propaganda was used heavily by both the Allies and the Central Powers during WWI so they could convince people / citizens that their side was on the side of justice.

Central Powers (or Triple Alliance)

Originally called the Triple Alliance at the beginning of World War I, this was the alliance created between imperial nations prior to World War I. The three main members of this alliance (located, generally speaking, in the central sections of Europe) were: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. Most of these countries were led by some form of monarchy prior to and during World War I.

Wilson's 14 Points

President of the USA, Woodrow Wilson's, plan for peace in the Post-World War I period. Many of Wilson's 14 Points were based upon the idea of self-determination. Self-determination is the right of nations after WWI to choose their own form of government. However, self-determination had its own problems. Many people who been ruled by Russia, Austria-Hungary, or the Ottoman Empire now demanded national States of their own. The territories claimed by these peoples often overlapped, so it was impossible to satisfy them all. Some ethnic groups became unwanted minorities in newly created states. Wilson had to compromise on his 14 Points. However, he stood firm on his goal of creating an international League of Nations. The League would be based upon the idea of collective security, a system in which a group of nations acts as one to preserve the peace of all. Wilson felt sure the League could correct any mistakes made at the Paris Peace Conference.

Woodrow Wilson

President of the United States during World War I. He was the USA's representative at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. He was a dedicated reformer and at times was so stubbornly convinced that he was right that he could be hard to work with. Wilson urged for "peace without victory" based on his idea of 14 Points.

Trench Warfare

Primary type of Warfare used in World War I. The line of trenches spanned an area between The English Channel and the Alps Mountains in Northern France, primarily. The trenches were not easy to live in, at all. Many were susceptible to creatures such as rats and lice. Conditions in the trenches were nasty for humans to live in because they dealt with ailments such as trench foot (from prolonged exposures to water that filled the trenches) and a whole myriad of diseases such as dysentery, cholera, and other diseases, as well. Many soldiers feared the words from their commanding officers to "go over the top." This meant soldiers had to leave their trenches and attack their enemy. For many this was death sentence because the enemy was using new technology such as machine guns and grenades which meant there was probably little chance for these soldiers who had to traverse the area known as "No Man's Land." Appropriately called, "No Man's Land" meant just that - no person should really go into it because there was such little chance for survival. However, commanding officers at this time were still using old techniques against new technology like grenades and machine guns. The result was that the number of deaths in this war were far greater than any previous wars up to that time! Trench warfare basically became a stalemate, or tie, for both the Allies and Central Powers throughout most of World War I.

Russia's Mobilization

Russia's mobilization in preparing for World War I was slow. The reason for this was that Russia had one of, if not the largest armies in the world at this time. So they had a lot of troops but the Russian Government did not have the means to get their troops to the battle fronts. This is due to the fact that Russia had extremely bad railroads and they would needs weeks, if not months, to mobilize. As far as Industrialization was concerned, Russia was not as advanced as its enemies, like Germany, at the start of WWI.

Black Hand

Slavic / Serbian Extremist group. The Black Hand wanted to force the Austria-Hungarian Empire out of Bosnia & Herzegovina, a province that Austria-Hungary annexed in 1908. The Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the throne of The Austria-Hungarian Empire. On June 28, 1914, he was visiting Sarajevo, the capital city of the newly acquired (or annexed) Austrian province of Bosnia-Herzegovina. However, most of the Bosnian people identified themselves with the nation, Serbia, and therefore wanted to be part of Serbia instead of the Austria-Hungarian Empire. The Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his pregnant wife, Sofie, were assassinated (i.e. - shot) by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Black Hand which was a secret society of Slavic (i.e. - Serbian) extremists who wanted Bosnia to be a part of Serbia and not Austria-Hungary. Later, despite an ultimatum that was issued to Serbia from Austria-Hungary, the Austria-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia which set off a system of alliances that brought Europe, and later the world, into World War I.

The "Big Four"

The "Big Four" included the following International Leaders at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919: David Lloyd George - representing Great Britain, he was re-elected as the British Prime Minister under the slogan: "Make Germany Pay!" Georges Clemenceau - representing France, he lived though 2 German Invasions of France.... he sought revenge against the Germans for these invasions Victorio Orlando - representing Italy, wanted land from Austria-Hungary because the British and France "promised" this land to Italy in exchange for Italy's help vs. the Central Powers Woodrow Wilson - representing the United States, he was a dedicated reformer and at times was so stubbornly convinced that he was right that he could be hard to work with. Wilson urged for "peace without victory" based on his idea of 14 Points.

Balkans (Southeast Europe)

The Balkans are another name for the area of Southeastern Europe which today includes countries like: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro. Prior to World War I, the Balkans were nicknamed, "the Balkan Powder Keg." The reason for this nickname was due to the large amount of nationalist groups who wanted their independence from the old and weakening Ottoman Empire and the Austria-Hungarian Empire. Nationalism played a big part in many of these nationalist groups and newly formed Balkan countries' desires to expand their borders. For instance, Serbia, a Slavic-speaking country, wanted to absorb all Slavs into one, united Slavic state, or a South Slavic State. Nationalism in the Balkans also helped Russia because they were also a Slavic-speaking nation, in fact, the largest Slavic state in the world! The Russians were also interested in gaining more influence in the Balkans for strategic purposes. For example, they were interested in gaining access to ports in the Mediterranean Sea through the Black Sea. This area always was blocked to them because of the influence of the Ottoman Empire. However, now that the Ottoman Empire was weakening - especially with its influence in the Balkans - the Russians sought to use Slavic Nationalism - to extend Russian influence in Balkan nations, like Serbia. When the Austria-Hungarian Empire annexed, or took over, Bosnia & Herzegovina, two provinces that Serbia wanted to spread their Serbia and Slavic influence, they often to looked to Russia for help in challenging the more power Austria-Hungarian Empire. Some in the Serbian government also sought to support Slavic / Serbian Extremist groups, like the Black Hand to force the Austria-Hungarian Empire out of Bosnia...

Powder Keg of Europe

The Balkans are another name for the area of Southeastern Europe which today includes countries like: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro. Prior to World War I, the Balkans were nicknamed, "the Balkan Powder Keg." The reason for this nickname was due to the large amount of nationalist groups who wanted their independence from the old and weakening Ottoman Empire and the Austria-Hungarian Empire. Nationalism played a big part in many of these nationalist groups and newly formed Balkan countries' desires to expand their borders. For instance, Serbia, a Slavic-speaking country, wanted to absorb all Slavs into one, united Slavic state, or a South Slavic State. Nationalism in the Balkans also helped Russia because they were also a Slavic-speaking nation, in fact, the largest Slavic state in the world! The Russians were also interested in gaining more influence in the Balkans for strategic purposes. For example, they were interested in gaining access to ports in the Mediterranean Sea through the Black Sea. This area always was blocked to them because of the influence of the Ottoman Empire. However, now that the Ottoman Empire was weakening - especially with its influence in the Balkans - the Russians sought to use Slavic Nationalism - to extend Russian influence in Balkan nations, like Serbia. When the Austria-Hungarian Empire annexed, or took over, Bosnia & Herzegovina, two provinces that Serbia wanted to spread their Serbia and Slavic influence, they often to looked to Russia for help in challenging the more power Austria-Hungarian Empire. Some in the Serbian government also sought to support Slavic / Serbian Extremist groups, like the Black Hand to force the Austria-Hungarian Empire out of Bosnia...

Lusitania

The Lusitania was a British passenger cruise ship that was leaving from New York's harbor and was destined for Great Britain in 1915. The ship was carrying 1,198 people.... 128 of which were American citizens. The Lusitania was sunk by a German U-Boat on May 7, 1915 off the coast of Ireland (British territory at the time) under the suspicion of the Germans that the ship was not only carrying passengers but was also hiding weapons from the USA to be given to the British I helping them win the war vs. Germany. The Americans however were neutral and this would have violated their neutrality. Thus, the Germans sunk the entire ship. The reaction from the Americans was extreme anger against the Germans. This event in 1915 contributed to the American involvement in WWI against Germany.

Schlieffen Plan

The Schlieffen Plan was based upon the idea that Germany could try to avoid fighting a 2-front war at the beginning of WWI. The plan was developed by General Alfred Von Schlieffen in 1897 and was based on the premise that Germany would quickly defeat France before Russia was able to mobilize because the German leadership knew it would take Russia more time to mobilize for war. The quick attack against France required that the German army move through neutral Belgium before attacking France. The reason for this is that the French-German border was too well defended by 1914. When the German Army invaded Belgium, according to the Schlieffen Plan, Great Britain declared war on Germany thus following their treaty obligations to both France and Russia who were part of the Triple Entente, or later to be called the Allies in WWI. When Germany eventually got bogged down and involved in trench warfare on the western front between France and Great Britain, the Schlieffen Plan proved to be a disaster for Germany. Germany did have to fight a 2 front war for the first few years of WWI.

United States (original position-?)

The United States original position at the start of World War I was that it was Europe's War and, thus, the USA did not feel obligated to get involved in the war. Therefore, their position was one of neutrality.

No Man's Land

The space between opposing trenches. No Man's Land was called as such a place because no soldiers were supposed to enter into this area for fear of the chances of getting shot greatly increased... The were also a large amount of land mines, barbed wire, and other threats that could kill a soldier instantly if they were caught in this highly exposed area where no person really should have ventured.

The Mandate System

This system was established in areas that were former major European / Asian Empires. The Mandates themselves were territories from these former empires that would be administered by the western powers, especially Great Britain and France. In theory, the mandated territories would eventually be given their independence.... However, in practice, the Mandate countries became European colonies.

Mobilization

To get everything ready for war

Germany's Secret Weapon

Vladimir Lenin, a follower of Marxism, who had participated previously in attempts to overthrown the Czar's government in Russia. By 1916, he was exiled from Russia due to his anti-government ideas. His exile was in Switzerland at that time. He was basically Germany's secret weapon because Germany wanted to cause as many problems inside of Russia as possible so that Russia would drop out of the war. Thus, when Germany placed Vladimir Lenin on a train to St. Petersburg, Russia, they wanted Lenin to enter into Russia to stir up as much trouble inside of Russia as possible. They were hoping that Russia, with all its problems in fighting the war, would have so much trouble to deal with that they would drop out of WWI against Germany. Thus, allowing Germany a better chance of winning the war!

Franco-Prussian War of 1871 & its consequences

War that was fought between France and Prussia over roughly 2 years between 1870 and 1871. The winner of this conflict was overwhelmingly- Prussia. In fact, this war served as the last step in uniting the German states in the old German Confederation which was led by Prussia. Thus, the German states became united under Prussian leadership. The new Empire known as the German Empire...a.k.a - Germany was finally created in 1871 as a result of the Franco-Prussian War. The War was an embarrassment for France who became extremely frustrated and vengeful in the years after the Franco-Prussian War. This source of revenge can be traced back to three results from the war for the French: 1) As a result of losing the Franco-Prussian War, France had to give up Alsace and Lorraine, two former French provinces in northeastern France which were rich in coal and iron....two resources that the new German Empire wanted for their Industrial military. 2) France had to pay Reparation payments to the new German Empire. These payments were money paid by the loser of a war to the winner for "War damages." France swore to avenge these payments that they thought were unnecessary and unfair. 3) Probably the most embarrassing and frustrating result of the war was the fact that the Prussian leadership decided to crown the king as the new emperor of the German Empire in the traditional home of French Kings. King William I of Prussia was crowned as the new Kaiser of the German Empire in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles. This action was a supreme embarrassment to the French people and would be an action that would never be forgotten by the French people and was a source of motivation for revenge against Germany in future wars!

League of Nations

Woodrow Wilson created 14 Points as an attempt to create a lasting peace for the Post-WWI time period. However, he had to compromise on his 14 Points. The one point he stood firm on was his goal of creating an international League of Nations. The League would be based upon the idea of collective security, a system in which a group of nations acts as one to preserve the peace of all. Wilson felt sure the League could correct any mistakes made at the Paris Peace Conference. When the Treaty of Versailles was ratified (or approved) on June 28, 1919 (5 months after the Peace Treaty talks began!), the League of Nations was the only point of the 14 Points that was not rejected and therefore became part of the final version of the Treaty of Versailles!

Industrialized War

World War I was an industrialized war in that it utilized new types of industrial technology such as: submarines, airplanes, machine guns, poison gas, gas masks, tanks...etc. However, new technology was going to be used but many military strategists were still using old techniques to fight these battles during the war. The results were that the number of deaths in World War I were phenomenal.... there were extremely high numbers of deaths due to the use of the new, industrial technology but also due to outdated techniques in fighting wars!

Gavrilo Princip

a member of the Black Hand which was a secret society of Slavic (i.e. - Serbian) extremists who wanted Bosnia to be a part of Serbia and not Austria-Hungary. Princip was the assassin who murdered the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his pregnant wife, Sofie on June 28, 1914. Later, despite an ultimatum that was issued to Serbia from Austria-Hungary, the Austria-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia which set off a system of alliances that brought Europe, and later the world, into World War I.