HWH WWI & Russian Revolution

Triple Alliance

Prewar alliance made up of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy

Triple Entente

Prewar alliance made up of France, Russia, and Britain

Allied Powers

Alliance during WWI made up of France, Russia, Britain, Italy, and eventually the U.S.

Central Powers

Alliance during WWI made up of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and The Ottoman Empire

Militarism

Long term cause of WWI in which nations use industrial capabilities to mass produce large armies.

Nationalism

Long term cause to WWI defined by pride in one's nation or culture. Connected to a desire for sovereignty or self-rule; to live in a nation governed by members of that culture.

Alliances

Long term cause to WWI in which nations pledged to come to one another's aid. Sometimes secret, the largest two were the Triple Alliance and Triple Entente leading into the war.

Imperialism

Long term cause to WWI that stemmed from nations competing with one another to acquire the best lands, resources, and markets. Goal to support the economic growth from their factories and industrial revolutions.

Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand

Immediate cause to the war. This act of nationalism was in response to Austrian-Hungarian annexation of Bosnia. Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Blank Hand terrorist organization fired the shots in the citiy of Sarajevo. Austria-Hungary uses as reason to invade Serbia and start the war.

Schlieffen Plan

German strategy to invade through neutral Belgium and the Low Countries so as to avoid the strength of the French army. Once in France, would encircle the French army forcing their surrender.

Gavrilo Princip

Member of the terrorist organization the Blank Hand, shot and killed Archduke Frank Ferdinand.

Western Front

Characterized by trench warfare and stalemate. Participants were France, Britain, and eventually the U.S. vs the Germans.

Eastern Front

Characterized by mobility and wide open battles, ended with Russian defeat, Russian Revolution, and surrender. Major participants were Russia vs the Germans and Austrian-Hungarians.

New Technology

Advancements included poison gas, coordinated artillery, planes, submarines, machine guns, and barbed wire all of which made more efficient weapons.

Extreme casualties

Promoted by combination of new technology and more efficient weapons with the use of outdated tactics like the bayonet charge.

George V

British ruler during WWI

Czar Nicholas II

Russian ruler during WWI

Kaiser Wilhelm II

German emperor during WWI

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Heir to the Austrian throne, assassinated by Gavrilio Princip which sparks the war

Archduke Franz Joseph

Austrian-Hungarian emperor during WWI

Wilson

U.S. President that originally wanted the U.S. to remain isolationist during WWI.

Unrestricted submarine warfare

One of two causes that resulted in the United States entering WWI. U.S. strongly objected when German submarine warfare began to target merchant and passenger ships like the Lusitania

Zimmerman Telegram

One of two causes that resulted in the United States entering WWI. German, with a return to unrestricted submarine warfare, attempted to encourage Mexico to attack the United States southern border in retaliation for the territory they lost in the Mexican American War. German strategy was that this would keep the United States distracted and out of European affairs.

Total War

A war that involved the complete mobilization of resources and people, affecting the lives of all citizens in the warring countries, even those remote from the battlefield. Associated with increased government power, manipulation of public opinion, and a change to society.

Propaganda

ideas spread to influence public opinion for or against a cause

Widening of the war

Because of the stalemate on the Western Front, nations looked to new fronts to attempt to win the war

Soviet

Russian councils composed of representatives from the workers and the soldiers

War communism

in World War I Russia, government control of banks and most industries, the seizing of grain from peasants, and the centralization of state administration under Communist control

Mobilization

the process of assembling troops and supplies and making them ready for war

Balkans

Region of Europe formerly controlled by the Ottoman Empire. Weakening Ottoman Empire and nationalist movements lead to nations breaking away. Region ethnically diverse. Both Austria-Hungary and Russia have ambitions to expand power in the region by uniting the peoples of their ethnic/cultural background.

Russian Revolution

Brought on by the military defeats and hardship including food shortages on the home-front. Russian soldiers and people lose will to stay in the war. Will revolt to end participation in WWI. Results in the emergence of the Soviet Union.

Problems in Russia

Contributed to its position of hardship prior to WWI. Included military and political defeats, peasant unrest, poor working and living conditions, desire for revenge/to prove nation a power, industry behind other powers, people not fulling in support of the fight, and Czar Nicholas II commanding the war from the front leaving wife under Rasputin's influence to run the capital.

Rasputin

Russian mystic, won favor of Czarina Alexandra who believed he could help her son, Russian heir Alexia. Disliked by Russian people, nobles, and bureaucrats for meddling in Russian affairs in running the capital while Czar Nicholas II was off commanding the war from the front.

Collapse of the Czar

Continued defeat in the war would turn discontent into action. Rasputin assassinated. Bread riots break out. Czar Nicholas orders reserve troops to put down riots, troops mutiny and join riots. Russian legislature, Duma, meets and encourages Czar to abdicate power so a new government may be established.

Russian Provisional Government

Headed by Kerensky, fails to appease either side. Remained in the war, allows Soviets to form to rule at the local level (cities, villages, countryside). Soviets quickly hold the power with absence of a national government.

Bolsheviks

Party that quickly attracts workers and peasants of Russia including control of many key Soviets. Headed by Lenin, who was returned from exile in Germany at the start of the war by the Germans to cause chaos in Russian. Has crafted his message to address the problems Russia faces. While Bolsheviks are socialist/communist, and pure Marxist in that they believe in violent revolution to accomplish this transition and elimination of social classes, instead talk of ending the war, redistributing land to the peasants, letting Soviets government locally, and giving Soviets control of the factories and resources so as to benefit all Russia people. These measures win over many of the Russian people.

Bolsheviks Seize Power

On the night of the Russia Congress of Soviets, in which all Soviets were to meet, Lenin has Trotsky and his Bolshevik controlled Soviets storm the Winter Palace and depose the provisional government. Establishes the Congress of Soviets as the new national government, and with the Soviets dominated by increasing number of Bolsheviks, in so doing makes himself, the leader of the Bolsheviks, leader of Russia.

Lenin

Leader of the Bolsheviks. Pure Marxist who believes in violent revolution and the elimination of social classes like rich, middle, and poor. Wants Russia to be Socialist/Communist. Was exiled from Russia under the Czar. Returned by Germany to cause chaos at the start of the WWI.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Surrendered Russia from the war. Came at a devastating price in which Russia conceded territory/claims to Poland, Ukraine, Finland, and the Baltic provinces. This was especially damaging because Russia already faced famine and food shortages, and most of this territory conceded was their best farmland. While it did get Russia out of WWI, a promise of the Bolsheviks and Lenin, it immediately plunged them into a devastating civil war.

Red Army

Made up of Lenin and the Communists during the Russian Civil War. Army was more disciplined, leaders like Lenin and Trotsky more organized, used War-Communism to meet needs of producing the better army, encouraged the Red Terror or period in which secret police known as the Cheka eliminated opposition, and continued to best reflect the feelings of the Russian people in promising peace, land, and bread. Ultimately won the Russian Civil War.

White Army

Made up of those loyal to the czar, liberals that wanted democracy, anti-Leninist socialists, and allied powers Britain, France, and the U.S. that wanted Russia to remain in WWI to maintain the Eastern Front. Failed to connect to with the majority of Russian people and disorganized because of the mixture of participants. Would ultimately lose.

German Spring Offensive

Race by Central Powers, Germany specifically, to move troops off the Eastern Front and to the Western Front to break the stalemate. Occurred after Russia's surrender. Looked as though the Central Powers would win the war. Became a race because victory would only grow more difficult daily as the U.S. mobilized and began to land troops. Offensive stalled with the Second Battle of the Marne about 50 miles from reaching Paris. Last offensive effort of the war for the Central Powers.

German Collapse

Allies refuse to make peace until Germany replaces its government. German people and soldiers turn on Kaiser Wilhelm II. Wilhelm abdicates his thrown and is replaced by a democratic republic led by Friedrich Ebert. Allies agree to armistice with this government. Struggle internally with Germans who refused to accept this new government. Some conflicts emerge between Germans favoring communism and the new government. Democratic republic wins.

Austria-Hungary Collapse

Dissolves as an empire at the conclusion of the war. Ethnic diversity pulls portions of the empire towards individual independence. Independent states of Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia formed.

Wilsons Fourteen Points

U.S. President Wilson's suggestion for peace terms. Favored open discussion, self-determination of nations, soft penalties if any, and collaboration of nations diplomatically to prevent future wars from starting.

Paris Peace Conference

Dominated by George of Britain and Clemenceau of France. Overpowered Wilson 's suggestion. Britain wanted Germany to pay heavy reparations/fines for the damage of the war. France wanted Germany to have a limited military, lose territory to create a buffer state to keep France secure, and to pay heavy fins.

Treaty of Versailles

Most important treaty to end WWI. Constructed from the positions of Britain and France. Included the War Guilt Clause in which Germany and Austria-Hungary to take responsibility for starting the war, reparations or fines to be paid by Germany for the damages of the war, demilitarization or a capped military of 100,000 men and no navy or air-force for Germany, and lost territory of Alsace and Lorraine to France, territory on the East for the formation of Poland.

Impact of the Treaty of Versailles

Began a period of insecurity. Terms left countries angered, humiliated, and seeking revenge. Also left people ethnically/culturally displaced in new nations, and many newly created nations struggling to meet the needs of their people.