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What were the causes of WWI

Militarism- Industrialization made the mass building of ships possible, and provided the iron, steel, and chemicals for new weapons. European armies also doubled in size between 1890 and 1914, with Russia having the most soldiers at 1.3 million. Military leaders also began to draw up plans for mobilizing soldiers and supplies in the event of war, and rapid production of supplies was highly possible.

Alliances- Europe's great powers divided into two loose political alliances, with Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy forming the Triple Alliance and Britain, Russia, and France forming the Triple Entente.

Imperialism- Competition for lands abroad, especially in Africa, led to conflicts among European states. Industrialization also helped drive imperialism as the colonies were needed to provide raw materials and additional markets for finished goods.

Nationalism- Each European nation thought of itself as better than the others, and each nation was guided by its own self-interests and success. They saw cooperation as a weakness and thought war was a way to preserve the power of their national states.

Kaiser William II leading up to WWI

After firing Otto von Bismarck when he came to power, Kaiser William dropped the Alliance Bismark had made with Russia to prevent them from being encircled, but kept the Triple Alliance.

Czar Nicholas II leading up to WWI

Determined to support Serbia against Austria-Hungary, Nicholas II wanted to order partial mobilization of the Russian army against Austria-Hungary, but due to their plans of a war against Austria-Hungary and Germany, he ordered full mobilization of the army on July 29th, 1914.

Georges Clemenceau leading up to WWI

As the Prime Minister of Frances, Georges entered an Alliance with both Russia and Great Britain before WWI. Leading up to WWI, France had many colonies, especially in West Africa.

Woodrow Wilson leading up to WWI

Leading up to WWI, the U.S had multiple colonies, especially in the pacific, but was mainly concerned with things in Latin America and the Pacific.

David LLoyd George leading up to WWI

Before WWI, Britain was mostly concerned with its colonies and trying to strengthen their empire. Britain entered an Alliance with France and later with Russia as WWI approached.

When was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand?

June 28th, 1914

Austria-Hungary-Serbia Declaration of War date

July 28th, 1914

Germany-Russia Declaration of War date

August 1st 1914

Germany-France Declaration of War date

August 3rd, 1914

What region in Eastern Europe was the center of many nationalistic revolutions?

The Balkans

Why were The Balkans known as a "powder keg"?

There were many explosive issues that could cause the area to go into war- anything could set it off Archduke Ferdinand's assassination led to the outbreak of war in this area.

Franz Ferdinand

Archduke of Austria-Hungary and heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne assassinated by a Gavrilo Princip. A major catalyst for WWI.

Gavrilo Princip

The assassin of Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria, a member of the Black Hand.

Black Hand

Serbian nationalist/terrorist group responsible for the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand which resulted in the start of World War I.

Who gave Austria-Hungary "full support" in its declaration of war?

Germany (Kaiser William II)

What is a "Blank Check" referring to?

Kaiser William's pledge to support Austria-Hungary.

Schlieffen Plan and its Failure

Germans planned to surprise attack France and take Paris by marching all their troops through Belgium, all before Russia could get ready for war; Belgium fought back and were helped by England; Germans stopped at the Battle of Marne outside Paris, and Russia was ready for war much earlier than expected, forcing the Germans to take some troops from France to Russia to help defend.

Who declared war on Russia and why?

Germany declared war on Russia because Russia ignored their warning to halt their mobilization within 12 hours.

Who declared war on Germany and why?

Great Britain declared war on Germany, officially for violating Belgian neutrality, but Great Britain was concerned with defending its allies.

Why did Europeans think the war would end in a few weeks?

Almost all European wars since 1815 had ended within a few weeks.

What was the Western Front?

battlefields along France and Germany

What was the Eastern Front?

battlefields along Russia and Germany

What was trench warfare?

A type of combat used particularly on the western front, where the two opposing sides dug trenches facing each other, and they would shell the opposing trench, before either trying to run the enemy out of supplies or running across the land between the trenches called "No Man's Land" to try to overrun the opposing trench. The defending trench would fire machine guns at the attacking soldiers, hoping to prevent them from reaching the trench.

What was the effect of trench warfare on soldiers in WWI?

Conditions in the trenches were horrible. Disease was present in many forms, partially due to the rats and lice in the trenches. There was also no plumbing, meaning there was sewage at the bottom of the trenches. Additionally, when it rained, the bottom of the trenches was filled with water which was dangerous because it could cause a medical condition called trench foot in soldiers whose feet were in the water for too long. The shelling also had an effect of soldiers and gave them what came to be known as "Shell shock", which is now recognized as a form of PTSD.

What new technology was used in WWI

Machine guns, poison gas, gas masks, tanks, aircraft with machine guns, flamethrowers and zeppelins

1st Battle of the Marne

(September 6-12, 1914) 1st turning point in war because the French halted the German's advance and ruined the Schlieffen Plan as they were able to protect Paris. Taxis from Paris were used to provide reinforcements. This was also the start of trench warfare as the Germans retreated and dug trenches.

Battle of Verdun

(February 1st -December 18th 1916) The Germans had a goal to kill as many people as possible due reduce French morale, and they used the first flamethrowers to help do this. The French defended the town fiercely, inflicting heavy casualties and suffering heavy casualties, losing 700,000 lives in this battle alone. Germany only was able to capture a center of France's fortifications, not Verdun itself.

Battle of the Somme

(July 1st to November 18th in 1916), the battle of the Somme contains the bloodiest day in British history, with Britain suffering 57,470 casualties on the first day alone. With more than 1.2 million casualties, the battle was at first indecisive, but later proved to be important to the Allied victory as it forced the Germans to withdraw 40 miles. The battle of the Somme was also one of the first battles to show the horrors of modern war to the home front, as a movie was created on it showing actual footage from the first days of the battle.

1st battle of Ypres

(October-November 1914) It marked the end of the Race to the Sea, where the Germans tried to reach French ports of Calais and Dunkirk. British Forces stopped the Germans first. France Belgium, and Britain already had defenses around the city by the time the Germans reached it. Heavy rain turned the roads to mud, and it was difficult to move at any speed.

Battle of Jutland

(May 31-June 1, 1916) Biggest naval battle of the war, German and British ships fought in the North Sea until both eventually retreated. Technically a draw but the Germans never again went to the North Sea.

3rd battle of Ypres (Passchendaele)

(July 31st-Nov 6 1917) Battle that marked the start of Allied victories. The goal was to break through to the Belgian coast to destroy German submarines, The Germans were on higher, drier land, where they shelled areas the British occupied, turning clay into soil and destroying drainage systems, The heaviest rain in 30 years then fell which created mud clogged rifles, slowed tanks, and drowned both men and horses. There was a stalemate for about a month but eventually attacks resumed and Canadian troops took the city.

Battle of Amiens

(August 8-11, 1918) The battle was a surprise attack by Allied troops, and made it look like they had less troops than they did, so when they attacked, they outnumbered the Germans by a lot. This battle marked the start of the "hundred days", a string of successful allied offenses on the Western Front which led to the collapse of the German army.

2nd battle of the Marne

(July 15 - August 5, 1918) The Germans attempt one last major offensive, but they are stopped by the allies. At this point multiple senior German commanders believe that the war is lost.

What was the stance of the U.S at the beginning of WWI?

The U.S remained neutral.

What were two causes of the U.S entry into WWI?

1- Unrestricted Submarine warfare by Germany angered the U.S. An example is the sinking of the Lusitania, which caused the Germans to suspend unrestricted submarine warfare for a while, but they later resumed.

2- Germany sent the Zimmerman telegraph to Mexico suggesting that they invade the U.S and ask Japan for help, but it was intercepted by the ritish who passed it on to the Americans, further fueling their discontent with the Germans.

how did WWI affect the home fronts of the countries involved?

With many men out fighting in the war, women took up more jobs in factories and other places to keep producing things for the war.

What are the main traits of propaganda?

Propaganda is information that is used to influence an audience or further an agenda. The statements or ideas in propaganda are usually false, biased, or misleading; they are used to manipulate a person beliefs and attitudes towards a specific point of view. Propaganda is made to activate strong emotions, simplify information and ideas, respond to audience needs and values, or attack opponents.

How was propaganda used during WWI?

Recruiting Soldiers, Strengthening Nationalism, Conserving Resources, Financing the War, and Supporting the Home Front.

What were the causes of the Armenian genocide?

The Ottoman Empire wanted to make the empire solely Turkish (Pan-Turkism) and they push the Armenians, who were asking for more rights out due them mainly being Christian like their enemy, Russia.

What were the key actions of the Armenian genocide?

The Turkish government first targeted Armenian cultural leaders and service members, then they went after the remaining elderly, women, and children, forcing them on Death Marches where they would walk for miles without food, many dying of starvation or the mass shootings that happened during them.

What was the impact of the Armenian genocide?

1.5 million Armenians were killed, but the genocide remained mostly forgotten, which was an encouragement to Hitler during WWII.

Who was Czar Nicholas II?

Last czar of Russia; a member of the Romanov Family

What was Rasputin's role in Russia?

Rasputin was rumored to have been consulting with Alexandra, the wife of Czar Nicholas II, about important decisions while the czar was at the battlefront.

What reforms did Nicholas II put in place after the revolution of 1905?

He changed the state Russia to being a constitutional monarchy and created the Duma.

What did Nicholas II do immediately after making the reforms?

He tried to dissolve the Duma.

After the Czar stepped down from power, who led the provisional government?

Alexander Kerensky

What was the Provisional Government?

The temporary government put in place after the czar stepped down while the Russians decided what type of government they wanted.

Who were the Bolsheviks?

A Russian Marxist party called the Russian Social Democrats.

Who was the leader of the Bolsheviks?

Vladimir Lenin

What was the Bolshevik's main ideology and actions.

The Bolsheviks believed that a violent revolution was necessary to destroy the capitalist system. The Bolsheviks reflected the discontent of the people, promising an end to the war, redistribution of land, and transfer of factories from capitalists to committees of workers. They later seized the Winter Palace, collapsing the provisional government, and renamed themselves the Communists.

When did the Bolsheviks seize power?

The night of November 6, 1917

What does "Peace Land and Bread" mean? (Bolshevik slogan)

The Bolsheviks promised an end to the war, redistribution of land, and transfer of factories from capitalists to committees of workers.

What was the Petrograd Soviet?

The Petrograd Soviet was one of the ones the Bolsheviks had gained a majority in, with Leon Trotsky being its leader.

What were some of the new economic policies coming out of the transfer of power?

Lenin says "some capitalism is okay"

What was the treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

Treaty between Germany and the new communist government in Russia, and Russia dropped out of the war and gave up land.

When was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed?

3rd March 1918

Who signed the treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

Vladimir Lenin

Why was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed?

Lenin had promised peace to the Russian people and had to deliver on his promise.

When was the Russian Civil War (Revolution)?

1918-1921

Who were the Whites in the Russian Civil War?

The Whites were tsarist officers, democrats, and other anti-Communists.

Who were the Reds in the Russian Civil War?

Communists

Why were the Whites and Reds Fighting?

The whites were unhappy with the new communist government and received aid from the Allies to help prevent communist takeover.

Leon Trotsky

Russian revolutionary intellectual and close adviser to Lenin. A leader of the Bolshevik Revolution and a large help in the Russian civil war, he was later expelled from the Communist Party (1927) and banished (1929) for his opposition to the authoritarianism of Stalin.

Joseph Stalin

Russian leader who succeeded Lenin as head of the Communist Party and created a totalitarian state by purging all opposition, including Leon Trotsky. (1879-1953)

Who were the "Big Four" at the end of WWI

The leaders present at the Paris Peace Conference, Georges Clemenceau of France, Vittorio Emanuele Orlando of Italy, David LLoyd George of the UK, and Woodrow Wilson of the U.S.

In what year did the U.S enter WWI?

1917

When Russia withdrew from the war, what were the results for the Allies?

They lost a major ally, and they now had to deal with the German's focused attacks on the Western Front.

When Russia withdrew from the War, what were the results for the Central Powers?

Germany gained land from the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, and they could focus their attacks more on the Western Front.

What did Friedrich Ebert do in Germany?

He created a new German democratic republic and had the new government sign an armistice.

What is an armistice?

an agreement to end fighting.

Who signed the armistice in WWI?

The new German government.

When was the armistice for WWI signed?

Nov 11, 1918

What did the Communists do in Germany?

They attempted to overthrow the new Social Democratic government but failed.

Who proposed the "Fourteen Points"?

Woodrow Wilson

Why were the "Fourteen Points" drafted

They were meant to help keep peace throughout the world.

What were the key ideas within the "Fourteen Points"?

-No secret alliances

-Free trade between countries

-All countries decreasing their militaries

-Colonial claims being adjusted

-Creation of independent states for different ethnic groups

-Creation of the League of Nations

Were the "Fourteen Points" Accepted by the members at the Paris Peace Conference?

No, they were largely rejected although a few points were accepted.

Why were the "Fourteen Points" rejected?

Britain and France especially wanted heavy punishments for Germany.

How was Germany treated as a result of the Paris Peace Conference

The surrender of all German colonies as League of Nations mandates. The return of Alsace-Lorraine to France.

Demilitarization and a 15-year occupation of the Rhineland.

German reparations of 132 billion gold marks (US$33 billion).

A ban on the union (Anschluss) of Germany and Austria.

An acceptance of Germany's guilt in causing the war.

Limitation of Germany's army to 100,000 men with no conscription (draft), no tanks, no heavy artillery, no poison-gas supplies, no aircraft, and no airships

What was Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles?

One of the most resented clauses of the treaty; Germany was forced to accept responsibility for the outbreak of the war, and other clauses required Germany to pay a huge reparations bill to the Entente governments and to civilians for personal harm and property damage.

What are reparations?

Payment for war damages

What Treaty officially ended WWI?

Treaty of Versailles

When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?

June 28, 1919

How did the map of Europe change after World War I?

Germany and Russia lost much of their Territory. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved. New nation states were created including Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Hungary. The Balkans changed. Romania got new land. Serbia formed the nucleus of a new state called Yugoslavia, combining populations of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.

Armin Wegner

Took photos that alerted the people to the Armenian Genocide