Humanities

How many people are estimated to have died in the war? (including civilians)

20 million people

What were the main causes of the war?

militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism.

Militarism

to have a strong military and be prepared to use it aggressively.

Alliances

treaties between countries.

Imperialism

a powerful nation extending its rule over other territories.

Nationalism

belief that a nation’s interest should be prioritized over all else.

Triple Entente/ Allied Forces

alliance between France, Russia, and Britain before the war, and later America and many other countries joined.

Central Powers

Was led by Germany, the Austria-Hungary Empire, and Ottoman Empire, and rivaled the Allied Forces.

Why did the war start?

Gavrilo Princip shot and killed Archduke Ferdinand (heir to the throne of the Austria-Hungarian Empire) in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914.

What happens after Ferdinand’s death? 

Austrio-Hungary declares war on Serbia, then Russia prepares their army, this leads Germany to declare war on Russia, then France comes in to back up Russia.

What was the reason why this war was so different from previous ones?

Technology was much better and soilders were outmatched by tanks and artillery, so many people died.

What weapons were used?

Machine guns, Artillery, Poison Gas, U- Boats(german submarines), and Tanks.

War of Attrition

Each side tries to gradually wear down each other which results in a long, stretched-out battle. 

Why did America go from being neutral to joining the war?

German U-Boats sank the Lusitania; the other reason and tipping point was the Zimmerman note, where Germany told Mexico to attack the United States.

What day did the United States officially join WWI and declare war on Germany?

April 6, 1917

What happened when America joined the war?

The American troops exhausted Germany and they agreed to stop fighting on the Western Front on November 11, 1918.

armistice

an agreement between both sides of a war to stop fighting or truce.

Treaty of Versailles

Signed on June 28, 1919, in Paris, it ended the war and made Germany pay reparations, have a smaller army, give up territory, and accept the blame for starting the war.

Lusitania

The Lusitania, a British passenger ship, was torpedoed by German U-boats off the coast of Ireland on May 7th, 1915, which caused America to join the war.

Zimmerman Note

Arthur Zimmerman, Germany’s foreign secretary, sent the Zimmerman Note to Mexico on January 16, 1917, which told Mexico to attack the U.S, and it made America join the war.

Leaders of the main countries

Germany- Kaiser Wilhelm, France- George Clemenceau, U.K.- Lloyd George, U.S.- Woodrow Wilson, Russia- Vladimir Lenin.