WWI history quiz

the great war (WWI)

July 28, 1914 - November 11, 1918

cause: assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and incompetence of leaders - the stupidity of men like Austria-Hungary's Franz Josef and Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm

relationship problems between monarchs

effect: immense loss of life, the collapse of empires, the creation of new nations, and the reshaping of the global political and economic landscape. The war also fueled social and cultural shifts, led to the rise of new ideologies(led to WWII), and spurred technological advancements in warfare

Allies defeat the Central Powers

won: The Allies - UK, russia, france

lost: the central - germany, Austria-hungary, italy

14 mil deaths

21-25m wounded

338 billion spent

Battles like Ypres, Verdun, and Mons were some of the worst of the War.

MAIN causes

Militarism - standing armies that are industrial

- more standing armies makes them massive and unstoppable. always threatening, even during peace time

Alliances - the central vs. the allied powers

- france, russia, etc.

Imperialism - the want to take and maintain territory and resources

- colonized soilders where fighting for their western country

Nationalism - ethnic, civic, or ethno-civic

- peaks in WWI

- Gavrilo Principle, after the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and

Napoleons Downfall, Nationalism Grows

- anti-imperialist, anti-power

Allies

The allied powers(triple entente): UK, russia, france

- alllied w belgium, greece, protugal, serbia, romania

the central powers(triple alliance): germany, Austria-hungary, italy

- allied w bulgaria, ottoman empire

everyone else was neutral

Gavrilo Princip

represents the deepening nationalism in Europe

he was anti-imperialist

on June 28, 1914 Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie the Duchess of Hohenburg, are killed by Bosnian Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip. The Austrian government suspects that Serbia is responsible

part of the Black Hand (the nationalist group to which Gavrilo Princip belonged)

After he killed Franz Ferdinand, Serbia wanted to conduct a fair trial without interfeerence (b/c its a sovreing nation)

Austrias problem

Lots of different nations live within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, including Serbs that some believed needed "liberated" from their imperial oppressors

Serbias problem

sandwiched between 2 countries

all serbs want independence for the serbs in Austria Hungary

Germanys problem

they were late to the imperial game and sandwiched in between everyone

Germany was close allies w Austria's Hungary

Germany sees Britain as an imperial rival. Germany can't side with Russia if they are aligned with the serbs

types of slavs

West Slavs

Czechs, Silesians, Slovaks, Poles

Disputed: Moravians, Kashubians

South Slavs

Croats, Bosniaks, Macedonians, Serbs, Bulgarians(divided)

East Slavs

Ukrainians, Belarusians, Russia

sovereign nation

you have territory and indépendance, self-governing, and get to make decisions for yourself

if someone/ group violates that, you might go to war.

ex.) russia invaded sovereign nation of ukraine

genocide

mass extermination of a group of people based on their race, ethnicity, nationality or religion w intent to destroy

ex..) armenian genocide

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria

nephew of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary (Franz-Joseph)

Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie the Duchess of Hohenburg, are killed by Bosnian Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip

Kaiser Wilhelm II

leader of german empire

encouraged Austria-Hungary to take a hard line against Serbia following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, effectively guaranteeing German support in the event of war and wouldn't compromise for peace

Vladimir Lenin

head of the Bolshevik (socialist) party, 1917-1922 (Russia)

As anger rose on the eastern front, Russia officially pulled out of WWI in March, 1918. Little did Nicholas

know that by July, 1918 he and his family would be executed and the Bolsheviks, a socialist party under Vladimir Lenin, would seize the power.

Like Marx, their vision of socialism was

● International

● Anti-war (unless it was class warfare)

● Anti-imperialist

● anti-capitalis

Russian Revolution

it happened in October 1917 b/c of all the long-standing social, economic, and political problems that were exacerbated by Russia's participation in WWI.

The war strained the Russian economy, leading to food shortages, inflation, and economic hardship for the population. The war effort also resulted in significant military losses, further fueling public discontent with the Tsar and his leadership

In 1905, Nicholas created a state body of representatives called the Duma to appease his people. But Tsar Nicholas II still lost control of his empire as Russians (90% peasants) demanded representation.

So WWI changes Russians and moves them toward accepting radical change. It also exacerbates existing problems like these. They let Lenin lead the revolution

The Russian Revolution (USSR) advocated for a socialist state that would stop capitalism and build new social, economic, and political structures based on Marxist-Leninist ideas. This meant advocating for a shift from a monarchy and capitalist system --> socialist government with worker-led councils (Soviets).

Judeo-Bolshevism = antisemitism and anti-communism

white army: pro-monarchy

--> US supports them b/c we're anti-communist

--> this is how US vs. Russia started (cold war & vietnam)

red army: lenin's people (communist), peoples movement, anti-western ideas

nationalist groups: russian dominated movement, westerned

--> pan-nationalist = idc abt religion, replace that w communism

Industry was used as means to build state--> railroads and education to spread communism

--> euducation is open to everyone

--> uplifting and controling russian outlaws(who want profit)

communism brings change, community, equality

but also the government could abuse its control/power

the US in WWI

USA is involved in Russian Revolution from the very beginning as well as WWI.

In April 1927, we were wining because the war turned in favor of the Allied powers in 1917 and that's why Germany was struggling so much

Armin Weigner

German soldier and medic in World War I and posted to east Turkey. He saw all the violence and genocide the Armenian people were facing, so he documented everything w photos. He displayed the devastating consequences of deportations for the whole world to see, putting himself in danger (arrested + tortured)

negotiation for peace

July 30, 1914

between Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany and Tsar Nicholas

Russia Austria-Hungary's mobilized the following day, escalated tensions and led to WWI. Germany saw this as an act of aggression and demanded its reversal, leading to a series of declarations of war that followed.

Serbias stance in 1914

● Sad about the death of Franz Ferdinand

● We will destroy the Black Hand (the nationalist group to which Gavrilo Princip

belonged)

● Will stop anti-Austrian propaganda, but tied culturally to Russia

● But Austria doesn't get to interfere in our justice system, it's against our constitution.

● To let Austria interferere would mean we are no longer a sovereign nation.

● But peace must be possible. (We hope!

methods of attack

● The use of automatic machine guns

● The use of elaborate trenches for warfare

● The use of poison gas = chemical warfare

ex.) the germans in movie were gassed by french, and paul was gassed in the book

1st use of chlorine gas April 22, 1915

● The use of bombs being dropped by hand from airplane

All these technologies reflect how WWI shifted warfare from personal, heroic combat to industrialized, impersonal slaughter. Soldiers like Paul didn't just fight the enemy—they battled machines, chemicals, and the environment itself.

Total War/ warfare

everyone is involved in the war effort

(not just governments and soldiers) and therefore, everyone becomes a target

(animals) dogs were used to lay telephone wires on ground to connect them

these was a total war, where EVERYONE was involved so it was ok to kill civilians

even women help the war by being nurses, making uniforms, helping in morgues

ex.) Lusitania ship(total and world war)

It sank on May 7, 1915, after a German

submarine shot a torpedo into it,

killing nearly 1,200 passengers.

Germany agreed to pause this

unrestricted submarine warfare.The ship contained both civilians and

military supplies, which the people didn't know abt

what pushed US to go to war

Zimmerman telegram: sent from germany-mexico in 1917 made US mad, unrestricted submarine warfare

germans sank Lusitania ship, killing americans in 1915

- all increased America's sense that they might have to go to war

But US went to war b/c of

- alliences

- russia withdrew the prospect of winning the war diminished for the allies, which brought germans to the western front threatening US

- Britain and US came out of WW! unscathed, has the biggest say by end of WWI (seperated by full ocean)

Schlieffen Plan

didn't work

War begins on July 28th, 1914 when Austria-Hungary bombards Belgrade, Serbia.

Germany entered into World War I on August 1, 1914, when it declared war on Russia because it was allied with Serbia. Any hope of localizing the violence to just around Serbia wasn't going to work

Kat

Is the father figure, the mentor. The boys depend upon him as much as he depends upon them for his mental health. Kat comes from very little, and expects Paul to take advantage of his

privilege as a university boy.

The mentor, more experienced soldier

-resourceful, wise

-He is a father and build a family where he lost his (son died of "pox")

Paul

Loss of humanity of soldiers. Makes life feel expendable. Embodies the world around him (joy of nationalism, like a killing machine at the end). Optimist until all of his friends are gone.

Represents all young German soldiers. Shows the before and after of a young soldier in war: First

to be introduced, last to die.

Kropp and Mueller

Relatable characters. They want good times with their friends.

-Kropp symbolised the innocent and old way of thinking. He cannot run away with the group of women, he can only talk to his poster. Thinks the French will not kill him if he surrenders. They do.

- Mueller represents the young, bold, virile man who has lost the ability to develop normal relationships because of the war. Hence the obsession with the scarf.

General Friedrichs

Represents nationalism. Grew up with war and his family helped fight in the early years of Germany forming into a nation in the 1840s. Does not actually care about the individual, including himself. He cares about Germany. Can't imagine a life outside of war.

A German nationalist whose family helped build the new, young Germany when it first emerged in

the 1840s. He wants glory not for himself, but for Germany.

Matthias Erzberger

Not symbolic, more literal. The other side of the story that Remarque wouldn't have known. He represents individuality and peace vs. nationalism and the obsession with national survival (Social Darwinism). Inspired by his son who was killed. Wants the boys to go home

He is a peacemaker and a side of the story that Remarque would not have fully known or experienced at all as a soldier. His desire to end the war

is based out of individuality rather than nationalism. He has a son who was killed and has no

desire for other boys to die because he sees them as boys with individual lives and experiences.

Tjaden

Represents the mental breakdown of soldiers. Tjaden has a very positive and particular vision for his future. Kat puts him down, predicts his death. Tjaden wants to be a police officer after the war, but can't imagine a future once his leg is damaged

he has a vision for himself, not a nation

--> caught between nationalism and capitalism (general vs Erzberger)

"Over the Top" or trench warfare

trench warfare, act of leaving the trenches and entering this exposed, dangerous zone as they charged across open ground to attack the enemy. It was a dangerous and most deadly part of the battle, as soldiers faced intense fire from the opposing side, but they still had rifles too

horrors of the trenches resulted in civic and ethnic nationalism gaining ground in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America as soilders died

Woodrow Wilson (US president)

While the war was still going, USA President Woodrow Wilson drew up his 14 Points in 1918, a vast plan to create lasting world peace. He desired for the USA to take its place as a global power.

The guiding power behind this was "Self Determination"

Wilson, along with the rest of the "Big Four" were to create peace in Europe.

Propoganda

governments using various methods for the 1st time to sway public opinion and encourage support for the war effort. Posters, films, and other media were employed to stir up hatred of the enemy, idealize their own war aims, and maintain national morale

armistice

The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was a ceasefire agreement that ended hostilities on the Western Front of WWI taking effect at 11:00 a.m

as we reach the end of the war, Germans knows they are losing and were attempting to negotiate with the French to end fighting

Treaty of Versailles formally ended WWI

LONDON — Seconds before an armistice (truce) formally ended World War I on Nov. 11, 1918, Private Henry Nicholas Gunther, an American soldier from Baltimore, mounted a final, one-man charge against a German machine-gun nest in northeastern France. generals like Ludendorff wanting to secure a final victory in the war.

The German gunners, The Baltimore Sun reported many years later, tried to wave him away, but he ran on, only to die in a burst of heavy automatic gun fire — the last soldier of any nationality to die in the conflict — at 10.59 a.m. local time. One minute later, under the terms of an armistice signed about six hours earlier

"self-determination"

Self-determination, as envisioned by Wilson, meant that groups with shared cultural, linguistic, or ethnic identities should be able to create their own independent states, free from the domination of larger empires or foreign powers.

Armenian Genocide

Mass extermination of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire(CUP whos soldiers are Young Turks) from 1915-17.

- Ottomans saw Amenians as a threat b/c they were christian, well education, has long history, rich

- the new CUP govt (in ottoman empire) said idc abt the diverse millets in Turkey, they wanted to be the sole rulers so they wanted to take out Armenians

armenian and assyrian genocide: 1915-23

Aftermath of WWI

WWI Shifts Our Understanding of War and Masculinity, b/c war was no longer considered the honorable "gentlemanly" way to fight --> a nightmare:

"Frozen" unbendable limbs

Eye twitching/ticks

Unnecessary fear of noises or people

Uncontrollable laughter or smiles

Exhaustion

Amnesia (loss of memory)

Nightmares

Alcoholism

Aggressiveness/Anger

Depression

empires are collapsing, food & supply shortages are rising-1918

but the horrors of the trenches resulted in civic and ethnic nationalism gaining, not losing ground, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. Monarchies still existed (and still do) but their powers were now on the path toward becoming largely symbolic.