Western Civ - 19th century & World War

Causes of WWI:

M.A.I.N.I.A

M = Militarism (glorification of war)

A = Allianances (entente: France, U.K, Russia) (Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungray, Italy)

I = Imperailism

N = Nationalism

I = Industrialism

A = Assasination

Why did Germany & France not get along?

• Germany beat France in 1871 → took land (Alsace and Lorraine)

• France never forgot it → wanted revenge

• Germany got stronger → France got nervous

• Both built alliances → tension exploded into WWI

Why did Austria-Hungary & Russia not get along?

• Austria-Hungary wanted to control the Balkans

• Russia wanted to protect Slavic nations there

• Serbia was the main flashpoint

• One crisis turned their rivalry into war

July Crisis:

After Archduke Franz Ferdinand was killed, Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia. Germany supported Austria-Hungary (Blank Check). Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Then other countries joined because of alliances, turning it into a big war.

Blank Check

Germany gave Austria-Hungary unconditional support after the assassination, encouraging them to take aggressive action against Serbia.

Russia, Serbia vs. Austria-Hungary, Germany

The War: Central Powers vs. Allied Powers

Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire. Allied Powers: Britain, France, Russia (later the U.S.).

Schlieffen Plan

Germany’s plan to quickly defeat France by invading through Belgium before Russia fully mobilized.

Battle of the Marne---results

France and Britain stopped Germany’s advance, forcing Germany into a long two-front war and trench warfare.

Stalemate

A situation where neither side can gain ground, leading to trench warfare on the Western Front.

What new weapons & how did the new weapons change war?

Machine guns, poison gas, tanks, airplanes, and heavy artillery made war more deadly, defensive, and caused massive casualties.

Total War:

A war where entire societies (economy, civilians, industry) are involved in supporting the war effort.

War of attrition

A strategy of wearing down the enemy by causing continuous losses over time.

What is Unrestricted Sub warfare?

Germany’s policy of sinking military and civilian ships without warning using submarines (U-boats) to cut off supplies.