World War 1 Quiz 1

Ian Bloch/ HG Wells predictions

Both men serve as counterarguments to the “sleepwalking” argument of WW1, both men predicted in 1898 and 1902 aspects of a potential war of the “future”

Bloch specfically saw future war being increasingly mechanized, modern and grinding, with machines, economies, industry and attrition playing more of a role than the wars of past (heroic calvary charges, valiant swordfighting etc) He also saw such a war to be totally destructive, grinding economies and nations to a dust in the attrition

Wells saw a future war as being more technological, with bombing and a conglomeration of the home and war front, with more civillian involvement and death. He also saw the dangers of arms and naval races that would lead to more total war.

Modernity

By the time of the breakout of the war, Europe had (mostly) reached a point of “modernity”, technology, economies, industry and society was changing rapidly. While previous generations could expect pretty much the same life, social class, occupation, etc of their grandfathers, people now realized that the future was rapidly evolving→ they wanted a way to control the future. Modernity also disrupted many of the ways and life of the past centuries→ nationalism served in a way to replace old feelings of beloning and community.

Demographic growth

Population in the 1900s and right before the war had shot up (especially us and Rus), and Europe was at it’s peak in population, as well as declining mortality rates (better food stuffs and medicine),

2nd Industrial Revolution

1870s-1890s, steel, chemicals, combustion (gas/coal) engines, radio and telegraph (wired and wireless), also Bosch ammonia process to fertilize crops (demographic growth). Economy increasingly centered around large coporations and mass scale productions.

Great Depression/Belle Epoque

Great Depression in 70s and 90s, production outpaces economic adjustement, too many technology innovations make product too cheap,

Belle Epoque 1890-1914→ “beautiful era”, the growth slows down and the economy is able to catch up, trade and immigration grows and globilization occurs.

As globilization expands, some lean more into nationalism as a form of identification to find solace with.

Aristocracy

Pre-industrial elites, lots of “old money” status and power→, but a lot of it was tied up in family millitary titles and role, and a lot of the arisocrats go to war for honor and duty and status and end up dead. WW1 thus was a socially shifting war.

Middle Class/Bourgeise

“White collar” jobs, lawyers, bankers, factory owners, businessmen, grew increasingly economically powerful after the two industrial revolutions, even if the arisocrats still held most of the social status. Especially advocated for liberalism, as it valued individual property rights and freedom.

Lower class/proleteriat

“blue collar” population, factory workers, farmers, menial labors etc. Adocvated for socialism and other more radical politics, in order to fight against the bourgeise (who they saw as owning the means of production and controlling them).

Liberalism

Politcal ideology that appealed mostly to the bourgeise (middle class), favored individual property rights, a small government and economoic and political freedoms. The core idea here was property, both Mill and Locke believed that proerpty was the end alll be all of individual freedom and rights. Govt served to only protect individual property rights and pretty much nothing else, Liberals were especially scared of “tyranny of the masses”, or that their rights would be infringed by a majorty vote. Eventually shifted to neo liberalism (more closer to modern democrats) with a stronger govt that could tax.

Socialism

Especially appealing to the proletirat. Collective rights (labor unions, rights etc) equality and social justice. There were the reformist (Social Democrats in germany) who sought to change through elections, laws etc versus the revoluionaries, who sought to overthrow the government and instill right by the masses. Captalism as an enemy.

Internationalism

Idea of global free trade and communication, supported both by liberals and socialists.

Liberals wanted free trade, rational diplomacy and progress

Socialists wanted progresss, diplomacy but class solidarity (working classes everywhere should unite)

Both saw war as unnessecary and not benefical to anyone and built on aggression and irrationality

Hague confrences (pre war to establish war crimes and ban poisons, olympic games)

Nationalism

Enlightement concept of democracy, revolution and “we the people” anti colonialism movement. People wanted to be ruled by themselves→ think US in 1776 and France a few years later.

Mazzini “Young Italy”→inspired the Young serbs who assinante FF, against age old monarchies, churches and other instuitions. “Bond between brothers'“→ Germans should ally with germans etc.

Nationalism eventually moved from targeting monarchies and age old instutions to socialism and “anti-class” and equality movements→ nationalists wanted colonies,

Mass Conscription

One benefit of the popultion growth was the ability to build increasingly large armies, many european countries required all of-age boys to serve in the millitary for 2-3 years (Britian is the big exception)

Drefyus Affair

1894-1906, Jewish French officer charged with treason, expoed deep lying sentiments of anti-semitism, harsh radical nationalism and increasing “othering” of “enemy” countries. Most people still saw nationalism as being ethnicity, just because you were a french citizen did not make you french.

Millitarism

By the 1910s, millitarism was on the rise, mass conscription basically meant every man was either serving or had served, saw as a badge of honor and coming of age. People increasingly blurred the lines between nations and millitary, saw their countries and socieites as millitaries, saw millitary generals as potential leaders, etc etc

aristocrats used war and honor, glory and nationalism to maintain the status quo and attempt to quell growing disputes between liberalsm, socialism, nationalism etc etc

Leading causes of the war

Millitarism and aristocrats→ these people wanted war to quell arguments between liberalism, socialism etc, they also saw war as the “old fashioned, tried and true” method of national diplomacy

Nationalism- ethnic nationalism especially in the balkans (serbia, AH, Ottoman)

Imperalism- compettiton for colonies and resources, economic and millitary arms race tnesions

Maxim gun

Made by British inventor Maxim in 1884, used to great effect in the race for Africa, then used to basically force trench warfare, as it could fire extremely quickly and accurately, while being reasonably easy to fortify and aim

Colonial Violence

Colonial conflicts and wars would be the foreshadowig and precursor to the war

Boer War- Brutal, taxing war of the Boer (Dutch descended Afrikaners vs British), lots of civillians die in concencration camps, British take heavy losses and a lot of time to defeat, lot of controversy as Germany takes the Boer side and publishes news about British war crimes.

Only hegihtened millitarism, gunboat diplomacy, the need for entrenching/mobility trade off and the German British rivalry.

Krupp

Krupp Ag of Essen, German coporation specializing in manufacturaing, got especially clsoe to Willem II, and was a main advocate/supporter of right wing politics. Willem personally requested Krupp make several “Big Bertha” guns, showed increasing symbiotic relationship and development of the millitary industrial complex.

Triple Alliance

late 1870s, Germany and AH form a defensive alliance, as Germany is increasingly isolated and scared of attacks from British/France. Italy later joins in 1882 but is the clear odd man out, they had only just fought AH and Germany for their independence, but also wanted a defensive alliance over French ambitions in the Mediterannan and Africa

Entente

After France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian war, it greatly feared Germany, and made a defensive alliance with Russia, both countries looking to protect against Germany.

The UK then joined with France first, mostly over colonial tensions in Egypt and Morocco. Closed the circle with Russia, simarily a colonial alliance with agreements over Persia, Afghanistan etc.

Franz Joseph

Old emperor of AH, somewhat uninvolved with the outbreak of war, but nonetheless signed off on Conrad and other war-ready “blank check” ideas to enact war.

July crisis

The month long crisis following the assination of FF, complicated by the web of alliances, promises, agreements, communications etc between the nations

Sebria wanted to unify all slavs in a serbian state, AH obviously did not want that, saw war with Serbia as inevitable.

basically, AH obtains the blank check from Germany, then declares war on Serbia. Russia quickly comes to Serbia defense, then Germany plays political games to entice France and Britain to join the war by infringing on their neutrality and land.

Blank check

After Serbia’s execution of FF, AH asked Germany for support, germany agreed to support AH, but did not tell AH what specfically to do. Theory is that Germany wanted to make it bigger than a AH-Serbia war, so they did not try to limit Ah.

Ultimatimum of AH to Serbia

AH works to deliver an unacceptable ultimatimum to Serbia, including two points: AH officials would be allowed to oversee judicial proceedings involving the charging and allow Ah officials into Serbia to suppress anti-AH movements. Both were pretty much unacceptable to a soverign state.

Serbia ultimately compromised, but ultimately did not accept those two points.

Fisher Thesis

Authored in the 1960s (post war) German historian fisher, who saw imperalist German as the main perpatrator of the war, especially during the July crisis.

Germany wanted MittleEuropa (german centric europe), stem disagreemnts in the Reichstag of DSP and socialism. Weltpolitk (world politics→ establish germany as a world power)

Kaiser Willem II

Leader of Germany at the outbreak of the war, gave the blank check to Ah, wanted germany to establish themselves as a world power, and European power to rival France and Britain. Knew of the Schleffin plan and followed thorugh on war nonetheless. Angry, agggrresive (born with a disabled arm), wanted the fall of the Reichstag and Socialism as a awhole to estalbish a central govt and raise taxes to build a navy.

von Tirpitz and Tirpitz Plan

Secretary of navy in germany till 1916, wanted a navy to rival Britian to establish Germany as a world power and give them bargainning and “gunboat diplomacy'“. Figured that if Germany could damage the British severely, the British would no longe control the seas, and make the battlefied more open. Mostly supported by Willem.

Moroccan Crisises

(1905 then 1911) Both times invovled France trying to claim Morocco as a colony/protectorate to complete their hold on the Mediterannean, Geramny both times to intervene to prevent this, both times they fail, Germany clearly isolted against Britain/France and France gets Morocco in the end anyway.

general staff sysem

Prussians adpot it after Napoleonic defeats, including training and centralization of highly elite and specalized officers to assist with commanding, logistics, intelligence etc. Basically turned war and the art of war into a profession, with textbooks, contingincy plans, exprts etc. Europe would soon copy this and the US as well.

Schliffein Plan

Plan adopted by Schliffen (pre war) in case of a two front war versus France and Russia, plan was to quickly launch a super-aggressive 3 prong attack on france before Russia mobilized, using Belgium as a “launching groound” to hold and launch troops from.

Adopted by Von Moltke Younger (Schliffein succesor) but he toned down the agrresiviness, but Russia mobilizes quicker than expceted, Belgium and Britian also joins faster and better than planned (original had not even planned for Britian, they signed a weak treaty with Belgium 80+ yrs ago , also had small army→ no mass conscritpion)

PLan XVII

Plan 17, Based on an massive offensive on Alsace-Lorraine, land lost to the Prussians during the Prussian Franco war. Too agressive and speculative, ends terribly for the french. Also Schliffein plan succesfully outflanked-and out manuvered this somewhat headstrong attack.

Battle of the Frontiers

After the war breaks out, Germany invades Belgium (who puts up some, but fleeting resistance), before encountring the small BEF (100k or so) and gthe French army, the Schleffin plan works to an extent, forcing a Great retreat to Marne as the French offensvie fails, but the French+ British fall too far south, allowing Germans to get very close to Paris. But germany gets distracted trying to fight Paris, and allows a split the lines that the Allies abuse to force the Germans back.

Great Retreat

Intial battles of WW1 fail badly for the allies, french still beleived in the cult of the offesnive, while Germans used superior artillery and machine guns and coordination to force a retreat back to Marne.

“we’re here becausse we’re here”

Song sung by British troops as the Battle of the Somme (1916)→basically they just sleepwalked into the war and now have to fight. Shows the boring and brutal nature of trench warfare.

British Expeditionary Forces

100k or so standing army of the British (one of the smallest armies in the whole Europe→ Britain did not implement mass conscription) but highly trained and professional army→ Fought in the Battle of Mons (frontier) the Marne and the Great Retreat, and faced heavily officers. By a few months into the war, basically almost all of the BEF was dead or injured.

Joseph Joffre

General of the French, early in the war implemented PLan 17 to great disaster, miscalcuated and just generally fumbling in his troop placement, causes great losses. But recovered the fleeing Allied forces at Marne. Later would make the decivisve move to stay at Verdun.

Battle of the marne

sept5th 1914Regrouping of the Allies after terrible initial losses at the Frontier, they distract the Germans, causing them to split near Paris and driving a wedge, causing the Germans to retreat. Forced Aisne river retreat and race to sea.

Race to sea

After Marne, both sides try to outflank each other, constantly clashing as they moved east/north to the sea. When they reach the sea, trench warfare clearly sets in.

First Battle of Ypres

Last attempt of the Germans to win the race to the sea, German myth of “kindermond”, (child murder), as the public beleived that the soldiers were young college kids, wide eyed and green, sent to death.

Langermark

Myth thousnads of young college kids or 18 year olds, singing patriotic songs, were sent to death near ypres as par of a fruitless offensive. post war used as a heavy patriotic/nationalist stirring cry.

Battle of Tannenburg

After Russia mobilizes much quicker than expected and wins early victories, the Germaans fire their general and hire Ludendeorff and Hidendurg. Eastern front, 1914, huge victory for the Germans against the Russians, as while the western front is lcoked into trench warfare, the eastern front is highly mobile and active.

Von Hindenburg and Ludendorff

Deployed in the eastern front after only a few months of war after Russians mobilize quickly and win quick victories, after 1916 and stalls at Verdun adn Somme, would be promoted to control all German armies, including logistics and intellgience, would eventually reisntate USW in 1917 and pushed for the Spring offensive in 1918, hoping to win the war quickly before American reinforcements.

1914 Ah vs Serbia

AH really only wanted to fight Serbia, But Germany needed them to split their army to fight against russia. AH campaign against Serbia was highly racially biased, with an idea to punish the Serbs, and commit mass war crimes. Serbia was able to defend succesfully, with Belgrade only briefly occupied before a counterattack drove AH out. AH now severly handicapped in troops and in morale, now a dead man tied to Germany.

1914 AH Rus

galicia- Key area on the southern edge of the war front, Both AH and RUssia see this land (marked by mooutnains and forts) as key for victory. Both sides go on the offensive, btu Russia manage to outmanevur and outplay AH and win a very bloody battel agaisnt AH. Russia unable to really captalize on this, but AH is now dead, they are now entirely depenedent on germany.

1914 GER vs Rus

Germany had to come to the rescue to a poor AH army, who get overwheled on their front and were able to stave off the Russians from further advances, but at heavy cost to both sides.

German railroads and mobility to redistribute troops along the massive front is highly useful

Russia suffer from poor coordination/communication and bad supply lines

includes battle of tannenburg

3 pashas

OE had been colapsing for decades now, and was losing land, power, money and population. In 1908, a Young turk rebellion put the Turkish ethnicity in charge. Then in 1913 after losses in the Balkan War, 3 pashas put in power after a coup. Enver, Talaat and Djemal .All 3 were pro-German and anti russian. Allies could do little to entice them, as russia and OE were at oopposite ends. Enver pasha would launch an attack on the Russains, but fail in 1915, blaming it on the Armenians and inducing the Armenian genocide.

Caucasus and Sarikamish

Dec ‘14-Jan’15 Sarikmas was a battle planned by enver pasha to attack the Russians, failed horribly as the OE not at all ready for the harsh snow and mountain terrain,blames treaspon on llocal armenians and massacres them.

Gallipole/Cannakkale

Feb 1915-Jan 1916 Allies wanted to fight thru the Aegean/Mediterranean to the Black sea to provide supplies to russia, but ships in the narrow strait faced sea mines and heavy resistance from land guns. Deploy ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand) troops to fight an amphibious operation, but the Turks fight super well defending their land, and under awful conditions, British have to retreat. Mustafa Kemal (future founding father of the Turkish nation) made his name as a leading officer

ANZAC and Nationality

After battles like Galipoli with great suffering and honroable fighting, the Aus and NZ begin to see themsleeves as more than just colonial servants ot britian, and see themselves as indviduals and soverign nations.

Eastern front 1915/Gorlice Tarkow Offensive

At the start of 1915, Germany had achieved some minor success against Russia, but AH was clearly struggling. With the western front stalled, Germany decides to focus on the Eastern Front, using mobilization, artillery and movements to attack Galicia and force the Russians far back, and russians have to retreat hundreds of miles. As they retreat, the russians institue scorched earth policy, including anti-semitic war crimes on jews in the places they retreat.

Italy Interventionists vs Neutralists

Neutralists: Socalist Party, Vatican church, vast majority of Parlimanet leadership and liberal leadership

Interventionist: foreign minister, Nationalist party, Sonnino (PM of italy) , a lot of big coporations and businessess, king and army increasingly become warmer to invertenvtion ideal

Italy wanted to purify themselves of domestic disturbances and tensions, and AH was a age-old enemy that they had fought several times during their unifcation.

Pact of London

Apr 1915 deal between the entente and Italy to bribe Italy to join the war by promising them a lot of italian speaking regions in AH empire. Very enticing to Italy.

Italian intervention

Open up a front in the Eastern Alps in May 15 1915. Mot alps campaigns vs AH were highly "butcher-like” and resulted in high casulaties for both sides with little terriotrial gain

Bulgaria

oct 1915 Bulgaria’s traditional enemy was Serbia, saw the war as a prime time to backstba Serbia, whom they had lost land from during the Balkan wars. Also at that point, the Central Powers were clearly winning. They agree to attack Serbia with germany help (not AH leadership), and succesfully take it. Serbians forced to flee through Greece, as Greecian neutrality is heavily infringed by the Allies, who just use it as their base.

Serbian Exodus

Nov 1915 Many serbs forced to flee as AH, Bulgaria and Germany pour into Serbia. Many soldiers and civllians flee to the Adriatic, where allied ships ferry them to Corfu (greek island) they later manage to rebuild and fight again.

Role of Technology and Management in WW1

• unheard of mobilization and deployment of troops and men→ economies, industries, railroads, governments, populations all pushed farther than before

• split between central, bueracrautic governments and soldiers in the field→ germans uniquley had a decentralized chain of command that allowed leaders in the field greater autonomy

• Wartime innovations like chemical gas and tanks

Unrestricted Submarine warfare

Britain Naval blockade was exceedingly effective, estimates as high as 750k german civillans dead by lack of food, medicine etc. Did it from feb-sept 1915, eventually stopped by the sinking of the Lusitania. Resumed in 1917 as desperation rose.

Lustiania

British ocean liner sunk by Germans, killinng thousands including 128 Americans, turned the PR war against Germany almost entirely. Caused the end of USW until 1917.

Battle of Jutland

May 31 1916. After USW ends, the Germans sought another way to break the blockade. The british actually lose more ships/men than the Germans, but the blockade holds and the Germans are stuck, and they never attempt another major naval battle again.

Verdun

Feburary→ Dec 1916,Falkenhayn saw the war as a battle of attrition, wanted to bleed France white, chose Verdun, as it was a salient, fortified and symbolic. Decides to just throw men at it, Joffre hired Petain (defenseive) to just hold Verdun, who literally died on that hill, no counterattacks or retreats, just constantly rotating resupplying Verdun. By March the offesnive is stalled, so Petain is replaced by Nivelle, who charges into bloody and “butcher” counterattacks. Eventually the Brusilov offensive in the East (June) and the Somme (july) divert german attention.

Petain

Defensive minded general, famous for his stand at Verdun, then later replacing Nivelle after his failed offensive, regainig troop morale and trust with “carrot and stick” to see out rest of war.

myth of verdun

Massive bloodbath for both sides (300-400k deaths, 700k casulaties). Hitler and the Nazi party used Verdun as a example of modern warfare and the fascist man, cold, hard and “darwinist” in a hellscape→ suvirvial of the fittest in a highly modern warn. Pure hell for both sides.

Kitchner army/pal battalions

British army (again, no mass conscription) was undermanned, they turned to volunteers under minister of war Kitchener→ made armies and divisions based on people who signed up together (so friends, brothers, neighborhoos, classmates etc would fight side by side) to fight at the Somme. Somme was unbelivably deadly, and as such entire classroooms, families, communities etc were torn apart.

Somme

July-Nov 1916, served to distract the germans from Verdun. Unbelivably bloody, as failed English artillery attacks result in the single deadliest day for the British ever (19k dead in one day), British Mark 1 tanks also deployed to little effect, get stuck in mud and break down too easily. British do “win” 7 or so miles, but at the cost of 500k casilaties for each side. Haig gets his “butcher” reputation from this.

Douglas Haig

“butcher of the Somme” and later 3rd battle of Ypres (paschendale), very offensive minded, wanted to use technology (tanks artilerry), but often did not coordinate the two effectively with his infantry. Tanks also just poorly made. Artillery 1/3 duds. But did lead to British to victory in 1918.

Brusilov Offensive

June-sept 1916 Alexei brusilov, general of Russia, splits his army to attack the Ah front at multipple points, works for a while but the Germans come to the rescue, stalling the offensive. Romania joins at in opportune time to the allies, and they get double backshotted by AH and Germany. Russian morale at an all time low as they “win” but are unnable to captalize and gain nothing, and heavy casualites.

Romania

Join the war in August 1916, terrible time as the Brusilov offensive has stalled, and they get two pronged by Germany and Russia and collapse, most men flee to Russia to try and get a counterattack. Wanted translyvania (AH→ romania speaking land)

Dual power

After the Brusilov offensive stalls and troop morale is at all time low, the homefront is also poor. No food, fuel or labor rights + Rasputin + weird monarchs means that Nicholas II is coup’d out of the throne. Dual power govt set up with Duma/Provisional government and the Soviets (soviets were more the “people” while Duma was kind of the left over people in aristocracy from the tsarship who didn’t like Nicholas or Rasputin)

Feburary Revolution

March 8th 1917 Inflation, food and fuel shortages, and harsh labor conditions lead to strikes and demonstrations. Czar orders troops and military forces to meet the demonstrators with violent force, but the troops end up siding with the civilians, and they force Nicholas II to abdicate the throne

Order 1

March 1917 Soviet order basically proclaiming that all soldiers no longer had to listen to the government, their officers or really anyone, especially if those orders contradicted the Soviet orders. Allowed soldiers to form committes in the trenches and in the field to introduce democracy in the field.

Lenin/Ulianov

• Exiled in Zurich, Germans help him get back after abdication, knowing that he could plant the seeds that would drag russia out of the war

• Garners immense popularity with his “april theses” (anti-war, anti-govt, power to the Soviets)

• Gets exiled again after Kerensky (new leader) fails millitarily,

• returned to massive support, seizes power and signs the Brest-Litovsk treaty to end the war

Kerensky

Leader of the provisional govt as well as being a member of the Soviet, tried to play the line between the two, despite clear divides. Launches the Kerensky offensive in July 1917, which fails, he fires Brusilov and blames the Bolsheviks. Kerenksy hires Kornilov, who after seeing the collapsing domestic and foreign scene, marches on the Petrgograd Soviet. Soviets are able to gather enouugh men to turn the coup, and Kerensky is jailed.

Kerensky Offensive

July 1917, Kerensky was facing increasing pressure from the allies to bring Russia back into the war. He decides on a giant offensive, but since the soldiers are now democratic, and also the morale is shot, the offensive fails massively. This failure spells the end for Kerensky, as he fires Brusilov and hires Kornilov, who seeks power himself.

Kornilov

Aug 1917 gets Promoted to supreme commander after Kerensky offensive fails. He is convinced that the anti-war mongerers (bolsheviks) are funded by the Germans (partially true) and compromising Kerensky, so he marches on the Petrograd Soviet. Kerensky has no choice but to rearm the bolsheviks in order to defend the city. Kornilov is defeated and Kerensky is ousted from power.

October revolution

Nov 1917 After the abdication of the tsar, the Bolsheviks and anti-war movement grew increasingly popular, and when Kerensky failed at his offensive, Bolsheviks arm themselves and overthrow the government in Petrograd.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

March 3 1918, following roughly 3 months of a ceasefire following the october revolution. Russia has to give up massive amounts of land in Finland, Poland, Ukraine etc. 1/3 of land. Even some Bolhseviks didn’t entirely support it as the terms were harsh.

Prepardness

In the US, while the war was far away, it’s draw was obvious. Black Tom island, Lustiania, Zimmerman telegram etc. 1916, us passses National Defense Act (ROTC), increases standing army size.

Benevolent Neutrality

Even though Wilson and the US wanted to stay neutral, they were clearly tied to the Allies, shipping goods, munitions and supplies to the British, as well as JP Morgan and other private companies invetsing in Allied war bonds.

Wilson

Idealist, academic and highly morally pretentious. 14 pts, self determinationn etc. Saw himself as a Jesus-esque figure, bringing peace and freedom wherever he went.

Jennings Byran and Lansing

Bryan was Wilson’s initial Secretary of State, strongly anti-war and to remain neutral (especially towards germany) . After Lusitania and the german enroachment on Belgium, Bryan resigns. Lansing is notably more anti German and pro war (later on).

Zimmerman

British intercepted German embassy telegram, offering Mexico lands in USA if they fought against the USA , if the usa was to join the war. Zimmerman (sec of foregin affairs) suprisingly just openly admitted to this. Published march 1 1917

Intervention of the US

April 1917 dec war. After Zimmerman telegram (march’17) and resumption of USW, and the collapse of the tsar, wilson sees it as the perfect time to enter. He signs no formal treaties with the allies. Wants the US to fight for freedom, democracy, not captalist gains. They join slowly, with just 100k soldiers of the AEF. Also want to fight independently

Selective Service Act

may 1917 Established the US draft (not enough volunteers), 2.8 million men drafted. Also served as a bit of social experiment, to see if immigrants or German immigrants would fight for America. IQ tests adminstired led many to beleive that immigrants were “morons” and german americans faced discrimination. Country became more racist and isolationist after the war.

AEF/Pershing

Intially made up of 100k men , did not want to split up and deployed to back up allies, wanted to be deployed under American command in their own battle. Pershing was a bit of an idealist, not used to the horrors of artillery and machine gun, so American battles were enthuastic but resulted in high casulaties.

Associated Power

Deliberate effort by the US to not be part of the alliances and promises that littered the European powers. Wanted to be fighting for moralist ideas, not for alliances or captalist gains.

Hindenburg Line

Winter 1916-early 1917 Hidenburg decides to leave the front lines lightly manned, and dropping most of his men back, sacrificing terriotry to establish and fortify on more defensible positions.

Arras/Vimy Ridge

Vimy ridge (April 1917) was the primary objective of the Nivelle offensive, with Arras (april-may) being a British-led distraction of the Germans in the North. While Arras was another grinding, high casualty indecisive battle, Canadian troops were able to use the creeping barrage to take Vimy ridge (a lot of deaths).

Nivelle offensive

April-May 1917 Mass offensive movement by a notoriously offensive general, wanted to break the German line and win the war. Early success at vimy ridge, but quickly stalled as germans were fortified and defended. Reached nadir when the offensive stalled in May and the soldiers mutinied, seeing no point in the constant attacks. Nivelle fired and Petain hired to fix morale.

Messines

June 1917 Huge british victory under Haig, who spends months digging tunnels under enemy lines and detonating the biggest man made epxlosion to that date. Sadly not repeatble, as the mines took months to dig and setup, also relatively easy to tell when the enemy was below you. But Haig gets promoted, and tragets German ports on the North sea (paschendale)

Italian front

Super long and winding front that twisted into the mountains. Luigi Cardona (italy Gen.) wants a quick and decisive victory, also has a numerical advatage so wages 11 offensives 15-17, all fail. AH sit defensive on mountains.

Luigi Cardona

General of italy, responsible for Ah front. Desperate to win the war, wages 11 fruitless and costly offensives. “regime of terror”→harsh discpline for soldiers, prisoners, death, decimations (group punishments). Super rigid in his tactics.

Battle of Caporetto

1917 Germans use stormtrooper tactics to break the italian front, forcing a massive retreat and leaving 340k soldiers and are barely able to hold on at Piave. Cardona fired.

Turkish nationalism

1913-Young turks try to nationlize the empire under Turkish ideals, notably against the Arabs, undergo “turkification” of the OE as the empire is collpasing. Arabs make up 60% of the population by numbers tho, so they are already mad.

As the war goes on, Armenians in Van (small village) and general failures in Caucaus lead to Armenian genocide, rape, theft etc. Especially as the russians threaten to invade, the Turks kill more and more Armenians.

Deportation order

Ordered by Talaat Pasha in may 1915, sends women and kids to syrian desert while he kills the men. Refugees flee to russia (die of exposure) or to syria (also die). Amrenians of Van put up resistance, and OE just goes all out on raping, killing etc

Operation Nemesis

operation following the war in the 1920s by the Armeninan revolutinary federation to take revenge for the genocide, killed Talaat and Djemal Pasha. Enver would also be killed by another ethnic Armenian.

Mespotamia Campagin

British fight OE, for oil (Barsa) and defend trade routes but also racial bias→ they beleive the white to be better than the Turks. Use indians to fight. While intially sucesful, they stall at Baghdad and even lose at seige of Kut (dec 1915), great humiliation for the British. Will eventually reload with Lawrence and retake Kut.

Seige of Kut

Dec 1915-April 1916 Part of the Mespotamia campagin under Townshend and Nixon, Overextension of the british lead to a brutal 5 month attrition seige, and the British forces have to surrender, great humilation.

Hashemite clan

Symbolically powerful clan of the middle east, claimed direct relations to Muhammed, ruled the holy city of Mecca for 700 yrs.

Sharif Hussein bin Ali

Hashemite clan (Muhammed descendant, “royal” family of Arabic sort of), Sharif of mecca, ambitious leader, colludes with amibigois British promises to launch a rebellion agaisnt OE to create a sovergn Arab state. 3 sons were generals of Arab revolt (Faisal, Abdullah, Ali)