Unit 5 Review: World War I
Defensive Alliance
A Defense Alliance is a type of treaty or military alliance were the signatories promise to support each other militarily, to defend each other. In general the signatories point out the threats in the treaty and concretely prepare to respond to it together. A military treaty between two or more states, providing for a mutually-planned offensive, or for assistance in the case of attack on any member. An alliance may be offensive or defensive, or both. Serving to defend or protect; devoted to resisting or preventing aggression or attack; defensive behavior; he became defensive when I brought up his spending habits; a player with good defensive skills.
Total War
A Total War is a war which is unrestricted in terms of the weapons used, the territory or combatants involved, or the objectives pursued, especially one in which the accepted rules of war are disregarded. Total War is when the entire resources and population are mobilized towards the war effort, which takes priority over everything else. Further, Total War also involves prosecuting the war against the entire population of the enemy, not just against its military. Conscription into the military for all countries involved. Total war, military conflict in which the contenders are willing to make any sacrifice in lives and other resources to obtain a complete victory, as distinguished from limited war. Throughout history, limitations on the scope of warfare have been more economic and social than political. Total War is when the entire resources and population are mobilized towards the war effort,which takes priority over everything else. Further, Total War also involves prosecuting the war against the entire population of the enemy, not just against its military. Total War caused a lot more soldiers to get killed.
Barbed Wire
Barbed Wire is a wire or strand of wires having small pieces of sharply pointed wire twisted around it at short intervals, used chiefly for fencing in livestock, keeping out trespassers, etc. Thus both sides looked at using barbed wire to slow enemy soldiers from getting into the trench. As the world became more industrialized before World War One, mass production of barbed wire for cattle farms was underway. Work parties of soldiers would be organized to construct or repair barbed wire in front of the trench. Barbed wire went from being largely defensive to working as a deadly instrument in World War I. On the front, soldiers laid out wire to defend their trenches, but also to create areas where the enemy could be trapped for slaughter. Designed to pen livestock in the 1800s, barbed wire was quickly set to other purposes. Barbed Wire was used to stop/slow down the opponent/other country and to advance the country trying to use the barbed wire.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo, started World War I. In an event that is widely acknowledged to have sparked the outbreak of World War I, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, nephew of Emperor Franz Josef and heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is shot to death along with his wife by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on this day in 1914. The archduke traveled to Sarajevo in June 1914 to inspect the imperial armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, former Ottoman territories in the turbulent Balkan region that were annexed by Austria-Hungary in 1908 to the indignation of Serbian nationalists, who believed they should become part of the newly independent and ambitious Serbian nation. June 28 was also Archduke Franz Ferdinand's wedding anniversary. On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie, Archduke Franz Ferdinand's wife, were touring Sarajevo in an open car, with surprisingly little security, when Serbian nationalist Nedjelko Cabrinovic threw a bomb at their car; it rolled off the back of the vehicle and wounded an officer and some bystanders. Later that day, on the way to visit the injured officer, the archduke's procession took a wrong turn at the junction of Appel quay and Franz Josefstrasse, where one of Cabrinovic cohorts, 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip, happened to be loitering. Seeing his opportunity, Princip fired into the car, shooting Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie at point-blank range. Princip then turned the gun on himself, but was prevented from shooting it by a bystander who threw himself upon the young assassin. Meanwhile, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie lay fatally wounded in their limousine as it rushed to seek help; they both died within the hour. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie set off a rapid chain of events: Austria-Hungary, like many in countries around the world, blamed the Serbian government for the attack and hoped to use the incident as justification for settling the question of Slav nationalism once and for all. On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the tenuous peace between Europe's great powers collapsed. Within a week, Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain and Serbia had lined up against Austria-Hungary and Germany, and World War I had begun. His assassination started World War I.
No Man's Land
No Man's Land is the term used by soldiers to describe the ground between the two opposing trenches. Its width along the Western Front could vary a great deal. The average distance in most sectors was about 250 yards (230 metres). However, at Guillemont it was only 50 yards (46 metres) whereas at Cambrai it was over 500 yards (460 metres). The narrowest gap was at Zonnebeke where British and German soldiers were only about seven yards apart. No Man's Land contained a considerable amount of barbed wire. In the areas most likely to be attacked, there were ten belts of barbed wire just before the front-line trenches. In some places the wire was more than a 100 feet (30 metres) deep. An aspect of trench life that caused anxiety for the soldiers was the land between the trenches that was referred to as "No Man's Land," the open space between two sets of opposing trenches. No soldier wanted to cross that space because it was likely the soldier [he] would be attacked by the enemy. No Man's Land was land that was unoccupied by either side because neither side could advance to claim it. During World War I, both sides used barbed wire to try to hold off infantry attacks and cavalry charges against men in the trenches. In "No-Man's Land" barbed wire was particularly hazardous. Front line soldiers would be ordered to advance across No Man's Land towards the enemy's front line trenches, even though they would be shelled, shot at with machine gun fire, and have to attempt crossing barbed wire defenses. No Man's Land aloud the soldiers to go and attack the opponent, but as well allowed those soldiers to be killed more easily. If a soldier went into No Man's Land they would be shot down.
The Lusitania
Prelude to Lusitania: Germany Announces Unrestricted Submarine Warfare. Several U.S. ships traveling to Britain were damaged or sunk by German mines, and in February 1915 Germany announced unrestricted submarine warfare in the waters around Britain. The sinking of the Cunard ocean liner RMS Lusitania occurred on Friday, 7 May 1915 during the First World War, as Germany waged submarine warfare against the United Kingdom which had implemented a naval blockade of Germany. The ship was identified and torpedoed by the German U-boat U-20 and sank in 18 minutes. On 4 February 1915 Germany declared the seas around Great Britain a war zone subject to submarine warfare and that allied ships in the area would be sunk without warning. The Germans believed that the Lusitania was carrying war supplies. The turning point of World War I was when the German torpedoed and sank the RMS Lusitania that was carrying American citizens. Before US involvement, the war in Europe was resulted in a stalemate because of trench warfare. Trench warfare caused combatants to be easily exposed to artillery fire.
Militarism
The belief that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests. The need for liberal democratic reforms to avoid a revival of militarism. A lot of soldiers in World War I fought for their country because they believed in their country. The soldiers wanted to think they did something for their country and support their country in every way they could. The soldiers wanted their country to have a strong military and use the strong military to defend their country and spread/promote their national/country interests.
Chemical Warfare
The use of chemical agents as a weapon of war or terror. From the mustard gas used in World War I to the highly lethal neurotoxin Sarin that is potentially available for use today, chemicals are considered a weapon of mass destruction, and their use is condemned by most civilized nations. The types of weapons employed ranged from disabling chemicals, such as tear gas, to lethal agents like phosgene, chlorine, and mustard gas. This chemical warfare was a major component of the first global war and first total war of the 20th century. This type of warfare is distinct from nuclear warfare and biological warfare. Chemical Warfare aloud countries to kill other soldiers really easily, but a lot of countries soldiers were killed.
Trench Warfare
War from inside trenches enemies would try killing each other with machine guns and tanks, and poison gas. Trench warfare works by offering soldiers a contiguous shelter from the storm of rifle, machine gun and artillery fires. Each trench started out as individual or paired soldier fighting pits. Troops dig at night until the basic trench line gets dug, and then can continue digging during the day. No Man's Land was a place both armies would used to patrol, repair or add barbed wire to their front lines. Trench warfare had a massive impact on soldiers as it caused huge amounts of casualties on the battlefield and also caused health problems of the battlefield. Trenches were infested with rats and lice. As no one expected the war to last as long as it did, the first trenches were hurriedly made. They were holes dug by soldiers to protect themselves from the enemy. With modern weapons, even a shallow hole could sufficiently protect soldiers from the enemy. Trenches were also infested with rats and lice, this caused diseases to spread extremely quickly and things like the common cold could quickly turn into a major problem. Mustard gas was used to break the deadlock between two forces throughout trench warfare and it had some devastating effects. On the Western Front, the war was fought in trenches. Trenches were long, narrow ditches dug into the ground where soldiers lived all day and night. Trench warfare is a type of land warfare using occupied fighting lines consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are significantly protected from the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery. As a result of wet conditions and poor hygiene, some soldiers suffered from "trench foot". Front line soldiers could be expected to advance across no man's land towards the enemy frontline trenches, in the face of shelling, machine gun fire and barbed wire defenses. A trench is a type of excavation or depression in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a wider gully, or ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole). As no one expected the war to last as long as it did, the first trenches were hurriedly made. They were holes dug by soldiers to protect themselves from the enemy. With modern weapons, even a shallow hole could sufficiently protect soldiers from the enemy.
Propaganda
World War I was the first war in which mass media and propaganda played a significant role in keeping the people at home informed about what was occurring on the battlefields. This was also the first war in which the government systematically produced propaganda as a way to target the public and alter their opinion. From the beginning of World War One, both sides of the conflict used propaganda to shape international opinion. During World War One, British propaganda posters were used to: Recruit men to join the army; Recruit women to work in the factories and in the Women's Land Army; Encourage people to save food and not to waste it; Keep morale high and encourage people to buy government bonds. From the beginning of World War One, both sides of the conflict used propaganda to shape international opinion. Propaganda is a form of persuasion used to influence people's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. A working definition of propaganda is the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person. A propaganda is the spreading ideas to promote a cause or to damage an opposing cause; both sides waged a propaganda war. From the beginning of World War One, both sides of the conflict used propaganda to shape international opinion. Curator Ian Cooke considers the newspapers, books and cartoons produced in an attempt to influence both neutral and enemy countries.