Unit 9: World War 1- Study Guide

How did alliances lead to the outbreak of war?

- By 1907 the rival alliances threaten world peace because they divided Europe into two armed camps. - Minor quarrels can erupt into major conflicts. - Secret alliances. - Triple Entene - Triple Alliance

How did imperialism lead to the outbreak of war?

- Imperialism had created an intense rivalry among the European nations as they searched for the best land, the most of it, before any other country could get it. - This competition led to deep mistrust among European countries ( leading to militarism and the alliance system).

How did militarism lead to the outbreak of war?

- Leaders thought that force was the only way to solve problems between nations. - Building large armies and navies. - European nations believed that it was necessary to keep its armed forces stronger than those of any potential enemy. - Great Britain built Dreadnought; Germany raced to build similar ships.

What are the MAIN causes of World War I?

- Militarism - Alliances - Nationalism - Imperialism

President Wilson believed the war could be settled with a "peace of justice". What ideals in the Fourteen Points worked toward this goal? What obstacles blocked Wilson's efforts to carry out his plan?

- No secret treaties - Freedom of seas - Removal of all trade barriers - Fair adjustment of all colonial plains taking account the needs of the colonial people. Obstacles: Allies wanted to punish Germany

German position on the Treaty of Versailles:

- Only 100,000 men in the army. - Not allowed to manufacture heavy war supplies. - No more submarines & very few warships. - Lost lots of territory (border region, colonies). - Must pay war reparations ($33B). - Forced to take entire blame of the war (War Guilt Clause). - Treaty wasn't following the 14 points. - Forced to sign treaty.

How did nationalism lead to the outbreak of war?

- This desire to unite all the people of a nation under a single government, however, had explosive possibilities in Europe where a single government often ruled many national (ethnic) groups. - Ferdinand assassinated because of Serbian nationalist movement.

French position on the Treaty of Versailles:

- Wanted to cripple German military, so they wouldn't be attacked again. - Gain Alsace-Lorraine again. - Move border east to Rhineland. - Wanted more resources like coal from the Soar River Valley. - Peace of Vengeance

American position on the Treaty of Versailles:

- Wilson wanted peace of justice. - Spread democracy. - Fair and last peace: War to end all wars. - Public wary of getting involved in another European conflict. - Isolationist foreign policy.

Describe the home front during WWI

- Women were working men's jobs. - Propaganda against Germany was present. - Increased gov control of the economy. - Food rationing

At Sea-

1914- Blockade of the North Atlantic (Britain blockading Germany) May 1915- German u-boats sink the British passenger liner Lusitania May 1916- Battle of the North Sea (Britain vs. Germany) 1916- Stalemate

The Middle East-

1915- Battle of Gallipoli

Battle of the Marne

A major battle of the First World War in September 1914 which halted the German invasion of France and led to protracted trench warfare on the Western Front.

Armistice

Agreement to stop fighting.

Triple Alliance

Alliance developed before the First World War that eventually included Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy.

Triple Entente

Alliance developed before the First World War that eventually included Britain, France, and Russia.

Which side do you think had greater strategic advantage? Why?

Allies- greater access to seas, surrounded central powers on three sides.

Imperialism

Ambition of a powerful nation to dominate the political, economic, and cultural affairs of another nation or region.

Stalemate

Any position or situation in which no action can be taken or progress made.

How did geography work both to keep the US out of WWI and contributed a reason for it to enter the war?

Atlantic- physical separation- why not German submarine warfare threatened freedom of seas- why

The Western Front-

August 3rd 1914- Germany declares war on France August 4th 1914- Great Britain joins the war September 1914- Battle of the Marne May 1915- Italy joins the Allies February 1916- Battle of the Verdun July-November 1916- Battle of the Somme 1916- British introduces the tank 1916- Stalemate April 6th 1917- US enters the war

Eastern Front

Battlefront between Berlin and Moscow during the First World War.

What may have been a reason why Switzerland was a neutral country?

Bordered nations on each side of the war.

What countries made up the Allied Powers?

Britain, France, Russia and US.

Allied Powers

Britain, France, Russia, and their partners.

How did the peace settlements after World War I readjusted the balances of power in the world? Did the peace settlements correct the causes of World War I or ignore them?

Central powers lost territory, colonies, and power. Austria and Hungary are broken into individual countries and Poland was created from Central powers and Russian territory. France and Italy gained territory from Germany and Austria. Allies took control of Germany's colonies in Africa. Didn't ignore the problems, but didn't solve them.

Woodrow Wilson wanted the idea of _______________ to be a foundation for a League of Nations to be formed following World War I.

Collective security

Governments used propaganda to _________.

Control public opinion.

Ultimatum

Demand in which one party threatens harmful action to another party if the other party rejects its proposals.

Schlieffen Plan

Devised by a German general in 1905 to avoid the dilemma of a two-front war against France and Russia.

Battle of the Somme

During this battle of the First World War, Allied forces attempted to take entrenched German positions from July to mid-November 1916; neither side was able to make any real gains despite massive casualties.

The Schlieffen Plan was developed as a plan of attack against _________.

France

The US entered World War I on the side of the Allies mainly because of ______________.

German submarine warfare.

According to the "war guilt clause" in the Treaty of Versailles, _____________.

Germany was responsible for the war.

Central Powers

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.

What countries made up the Central Powers?

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.

Militarism

Glorification of armed strength.

Propaganda

Ideas, facts, or rumors spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause.

Battle of Gallipoli

In the First World War in 1915, a combined force of French, British, Australian, and New Zealand troops tried to invade near Constantinople (capital of the Ottoman Empire), in the first large-scale amphibious (forces landed from the sea) attack in history, and seize it from the Turks; the Allies were defeated in the attempt.

On the Western Front, where were many battles fought?

In trenches.

Which of the following was NOT an effect of the war on the home fronts?

Increased freedom of the press.

League of Nations

International organization founded after the First World War to solve international disputes through arbitration.

What was the result of the battle along France's Marne river?

It ended Germany's hope for a quick victory on the Western Front.

World War I is said to be a global conflict because _______.

It involved countries and colonies in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and North America.

The Eastern Front-

June 28th 1914- Assassination of Franz Ferdinand July 28th 1914- Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia August 1st 1914- Germany declares war on Russia Late August 1914- Battle of Tannenberg November 1914- Ottoman Empire joins the Central Powers October 1914- Bulgaria joins Central Powers

Nationalism

Love of one's country rather than love of one's native region.

Paris Peace Conference

Meeting of Allied leaders to write peace treaties after the First World War.

Western Front

Military front that stretched from the English Channel through Belgium and France to the Alps during the First World War.

World War I was different from earlier wars because it was the first war to make use of ____________.

Modern technology and machinery.

Pan-Slavism

Nationalist movement that pressed for the political and cultural unity of all Slavs under Russian leadership.

With the League of Nations in place, what were member nations more likely to do?

Negotiate with one another to settle disputes.

A stalemate developed on the Western Front because ________.

Neither side could decisively defeat the other.

At the time of the armistice on the Western Front, had Germany lost much territory?

No, Germany surrendered before invaded.

When was the armistice ending fighting during World War I achieved?

November 11, 1918

Reparations

Payment for war damages.

Balkan "Powder Keg"

Phrase describing the region where an incident exploded into World War 1.

Fourteen Points

President Woodrow Wilson's plan for a just world based on the Allies' aimed to end World War 1.

President Wilson's Fourteen Points were meant to ____________.

Prevent international tension from leading to war in the future.

What term best describes the spreading of ideas to promote a cause or damage an opposing cause?

Propoganda.

The Allies wanted the defeated Central Powers to make ___________ for the war.

Reparations

As a result of the Versailles Treaty, Germany was ________.

Required to pay reparations for the total cost of the war.

The overall goal of President Wilson's Fourteen Points was to ________________.

Resolve this and future wars.

Of the great powers, which nation was the least industrialized?

Russia

War of Attrition

Slow wearing-down manner of warfare in which each side tries to outlast the other.

U-boat is another word for ________.

Submarine

On the Eastern Front, Russian troops __________.

Suffered a shortage of weapons.

List at least 3 innovations introduced into warfare during World War I.

Tank, submarines, and machine guns.

Why were the Central Powers stunned by the Allies' demand for reparations?

The Central Powers did not see the armistice as a full surrender.

What was the trigger of World War I?

The assassination of Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by Gavrilo Princip (Serbian).

Which of the following was a result of World War I?

The deaths of 8.5 million people in combat.

Many Americans felt personally involved with the war between the Allies and the Central Powers because ___________.

They felt ties of culture and language to European countries.

Which of the following statements best describes the role of women during World War I?

They took over many men's jobs and kept the economies of their nations going.

What happened to the Central Powers as a result of WWI?

They were split into smaller countries and lost land.

Battle of Verdun

This battle between German and French forces lasted for 10 months during the First World War in 1916 in which the Germans saw the battle as a chance to break French morale through a war of attrition and the French believed the battle to be a symbol of France's strength; in the end, the German offensive failed.

Treaty of Versailles

This peace settlement ended the First World War and required Germany to surrender a large part of its most valuable territories and to pay huge reparations to the Allies.

Why did Britain's geographical situation make it very concerned around 1900 about Germany's decision to build a large fleet?

Threatened British navy. Britain's security is fully reliant on their navy.

What goal for postwar peace was shared by British and French leaders?

To weaken Germany and make it pay for the war.

What holiday resulted after WWI?

Veteran's Day

The US Senate refused to ratify the Versailles Treaty in part because many senators ______________.

Wanted the US to withdraw from international affairs.

Trench Warfare

Weapons such as barbed wire and the machine gun gave tremendous advantage to defensive positions in World War I, leading to prolonged battles between entrenched armies in fixed positions.

What was the dispute in the US Senate over the League of Nations?

Whether or not the US would be obligated to fight another war.

List at least 2 reasons for why the United States entered World War I in 1917.

Zimmerman telegram and Germany's use of submarine warfare.

The League of Nations was set up to _______

maintain peace.

President Wilson favored ___________, the right of people to choose their own form of government.

self-determination